# Different Sounds for Plugin Emulations: Neve, API, SSL



## jl303 (May 3, 2021)

I never mixed on any of these consoles. However, I've read many articles and forum posts and watched videos about comparing them (a couple of interesting ones below).
Choosing the Right Channel Strip with Joe Carrell from Plugin Alliance: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/blog/blogpost/items/joe-carrell-channel-strips.html
How the Pros Choose Microphone Preamps from Universal Audio: https://www.uaudio.com/blog/how-the-pros-choose-microphone-preamps/
I also read bunch of posts from Gearspace, KVRAudio, SoundOnSound, and so on.
It sounds to me it's similar to wine tasting which you need good ears to tell the subtle differences.
People also joke about how they're like red, green, cinnamon; brunettes, blondes, redheads; 60's, 70's, 80's.
I realize throwing bunch of adjectives to describe sounds is not that helpful. However, there seems to be some consensus:
Neve: full, rich, warm, Creamy, thick, low end, vintage
API: hard, punchy, brash, boxy, mid forward
SSL: clean, edgy, sizzle, crinical, bright, upfront
From the list, it soundslike Neve is about low end, SSL is about top end, and API is about mid.
People also commented about dynamics (mostly about speed). Neve is slow, SSL is fast, and API is in the middle.
It seems like Neve and SSL sit on the ends of the spectrum, and API is in the middle.
What are your thoughts? Would you agree/disagree with this generalization?


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## vitocorleone123 (May 3, 2021)

I generally loathe channel strips, which is why I usually mix in a DAW that's a giant channel strip, so I don't have to think about it: Harrison Mixbus32C.

I don't mind using separate EQs & compressors that have a specific emulation as you outlined. Also, Neve for example, isn't always "vintage". So I don't know that I'd 100% agree on those. I'll use a Neve EQ emulation paired up with an SSL compressor, for example.

There's also more generic channel strips that aren't emulating anything other than some analog action, such as the feature-rich ones by TBProAudio.


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## AudioLoco (May 3, 2021)

jl303 said:


> I never mixed on any of these consoles. However, I've read many articles and forum posts and watched videos about comparing them (a couple of interesting ones below).
> Choosing the Right Channel Strip with Joe Carrell from Plugin Alliance: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/blog/blogpost/items/joe-carrell-channel-strips.html
> How the Pros Choose Microphone Preamps from Universal Audio: https://www.uaudio.com/blog/how-the-pros-choose-microphone-preamps/
> I also read bunch of posts from Gearspace, KVRAudio, SoundOnSound, and so on.
> ...


Yes. Those adjectives and general description resonate with me as well.
The only thing i would say is that I would put API in the "fast" category.
There is a reason why API pre amps are used often for drums.

Apart from these descriptions it is also very telling to see what instruments/pre-amps usually people pair together.
There are no rules but often you'll find Neve/vocals, API/drums, SSL/drums, generally tube pre- amps/bass and vocals. Again any combination could work well (Neve on overheads dosen't sound exactly terrible for example) but these are kind of the classic ones that you know should really work nicely right away.


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## Dietz (May 3, 2021)

I mixed (and still mix) on all of them, old and new, and they have indeed their individual fortes - but I would never think of an API console as "boxy". 8-/ ... but maybye that's a language thing.


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## José Herring (May 3, 2021)

Dietz said:


> I mixed (and still mix) on all of them, old and new, and they have indeed their individual fortes - but I would never think of an API console as "boxy". 8-/ ... but maybye that's a language thing.


Yeah me neither. Nor harsh. That's crazy.

Over the years I've had my stuff mixed and recorded on several types of consoles. I don't think there is one "Neve" type sound. I would say the range of Neve goes from very analog sounding kind of like reel to reel tape without the hissing and Wow and flutter but very warm and rich to almost too dark for my taste. The one at Capitol Studios was too dark and husky sounding to me but others aren't that at all. Neve has a very distinct sonic footprint that's hard to hear past so has to be chosen carefully. 

SSL 9000 series. I find that the emulations most closely approximate this sound. I spoke to an engineer and he said that a lot of the SSL was already digital. The EQ's apparently. Not sure if he knew what he was talking about I never looked it up but I find that the software emulations actually do approximate the sound of an SSL even the mixer in Reason does an adequate job. Personally I love the SSL sound it's a mixture of old school and modern. 

API-- not much experience with the real ones of these. I generally like the software emulations though. I find the EQ has a special character to it. Maybe the compressor in the console does sound a little "boxy" but that's what a compressor does. 

So for emulations that come closest to the hardware I would say that SSL comes closest. The Neve emulations that I've heard generally tend to add a lot of noise without managing to sound much like the real thing but has their own character which personally has never been my favorite for acoustic instruments works like gangbusters and synths, basses and electric guitar. But, coming for a live acoustic background I can say that SSL to me is the cleanest, sparkly and warm without digital precision and yet not sounding "digitally".

As far as Channel strips. I have a harder time with them because I'm not sure what each button does on a mixing board. I mean there's the fader and I got that but the knobs with the little press in buttons, not my thing. I much prefer each unit to be its own plugin.


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## ed buller (May 3, 2021)

Consoles do have a sound. Mostly that's from the mic pres or the eq. API's, NEVE's,SSL's,HARRISONS...and many others have a sound. Ans there are some emulators that can remind you very clearly of that sound. Is it the same ?........no.....I bet Bruce Swedien could tell a plug in from an MR3 blindfolded...but can it help a DAW sound better ?...definitely. But Remember a lot of the "sound" of an eq is the components and the curves. An emulation CAN copy the curves ..components are another matter.

As to generalisations: Neve's are fat and warm. The eq is very basic ( vintage ) highly flexible ( modern ) API's have proprietary op-amps that make em very punchy and dynamic
. The eq is great...Hard to ruin a sound but not as creamy or LUSH as neve.......but i actually prefer it on Drums..and the 560 on guitars is amazing. SSL sound the least complementary. The EQ can be harsh. There are LOTs of variations. G's are the best then E's....i dislike j's and K's . Neve Compressors ( vintage ) are freaking amazing. The modern ones aren't too shabby either !. API compressors are great too. A bit faster than neves. SSL buss compressor is wonderful. The channel compressors are OK...basically DBX's...nothing amazing.

This was the DESK I was working on last week. This is a 80 series with 1081 eq. Lovely

Best


ed


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## jl303 (May 3, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Yeah me neither. Nor harsh. That's crazy.


Actually the word "harsh" wasn't on the list.
Anyways, I think people sometimes associate mid forward sounding with "boxy".
Also a lot of posts seemed to associate API with early hard rock with mid frequency focussed sound that makes hard and brash, and that makes sense.
It's up for interpretation, but I think at the end, the words people used to point out negatives describe the same thing that the words people used to describe positives.
I guess that's the danger of throwing adjectives to describe sounds because people take words differently.


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## Dietz (May 4, 2021)

ed buller said:


> This was the DESK I was working on last week. This is a 80 series with 1081 eq. Lovely


Ohhhhhhhhhh .... me likes.


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## jcrosby (May 4, 2021)

jl303 said:


> Actually the word "harsh" wasn't on the list.
> Anyways, I think people sometimes associate mid forward sounding with "boxy".
> Also a lot of posts seemed to associate API with early hard rock with mid frequency focussed sound that makes hard and brash, and that makes sense.
> It's up for interpretation, but I think at the end, the words people used to point out negatives describe the same thing that the words people used to describe positives.
> I guess that's the danger of throwing adjectives to describe sounds because people take words differently.


Believe it or not most of those phrases have a fairly universal connotation. Mid forward typically refers to _presence_, usually the upper speech range around 2k and up... Boxy is not the same as _mid forward_. Ask any working audio engineer and you'll get a fairly similar response.

Boxy is generally a low mid thing, and on average refers to a buildup of information somewhere in the neighborhood of 500. (Give or take a few hundred Hz in either direction). Boxiness is therefore typically something engineers hunt for and cut in order unmask instruments from one another. Removing boxiness is typically associated with clarity and an _open_ sound.

Presence is often (but by no means_ always_) something brought forward in a recording by boosting mids and/or highs to bring a sense of crispness, some might even refer to it as clarity... On the flipside... Removing a tasteful amount of boxiness in the right areas will often create the impression of more presence by revealing more clarity in the midrange.


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## jl303 (May 4, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Believe it or not most of those phrases have a fairly universal connotation. Mid forward typically refers to _presence_, usually the upper speech range around 2k and up...
> Boxy is generally a low mid thing, and on average refers to a buildup of information somewhere in the neighborhood of 500. (Give or take a few hundred Hz in either direction).



Fair point! I hear you.
I was trying to lump those words together to represent mid freq, and characterize how some people described API.


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