Smooth sounds

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SAE Dubai’s John McGregor.

SAE Institute Dubai’s head of audio John McGregor recently put Solid State Logic’s Duende software suite through its paces and came away impressed.

Having used an SSL analogue console on a number of occasions previously, I was very keen to put the Duende through its paces. I have always loved the sonic characteristics that SSL systems add to the mix and as a result I was very interested to see if a software emulation could truly replicate the sonic quality the brand’s known for.

It was perfect timing that the system arrived at the office, as I was in the final mixdown and mastering stages of a series of music therapy CDs that I have been composing for the last four months.

Being a Logic Pro & Pro Tools user I am always looking for plug-ins that can add the warmth and depth to the somewhat harmonically sterile environment provided by the DAW.

Being a composer of meditation and ambient music I find that any amount of analogue processing, whether it be hardware or software emulation of hardware really rounds off the mix, ensuring a smoother, silkier sound.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love digital tech as much as the next guy, but as those of you who have worked with purely analogue systems before will be aware, there is just that little something extra old-school tech adds to the music and the mix.

There are lots of explanations for this, ranging from upper harmonics being cut in digital to the way digital converters sample and store the final waveform.

All of these are purely theory and I doubt we could ever truly figure out the how, why and where of it all.

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