The underlying file is an unmastered version of Going All In by Kurt Nilsen. I have run it through hardware, a API 212L preamp and a 225L Compressor, from the Vision mixer. The converter is Apogee Symphony. Then I did a ITB with roughly the same settings using the UAD Vision Channel Strip with only preamp and compressor active. (Difficult to match 100% as the hardware has more gain on the preamp). It is compressed up to 9db. Then both were run through Manley Plug In EQ and a limiter.

The attached file is just the beginning of the chorus repeated twice where the question is if the first one is the hardware or the software?

Answer in 6 hours.

Per

First part is plugin.

You can hear the low end better on the hardware. I don't know why, but it sounds clearer. When listening to plugin vs hardware, the low end always sounds better to me with hardware. I'm at a point now where I can hear that the hardware is almost always better, but is it worth the money...

Could be nice if some one ever run the plugin signal through the converter when doing this HW plugin tests, so we dont hear what the converter did different

Running anything through an Apogee Symphony adds low end.

I've been saying this for years but very few people try it when comparing plugins to hardware. Factoring in the analog converters should be considered important.

I don’t have a Vision Console, but I’ve got 2 full channels on my Box console with EQ and Compression. Here’s the 3 Part series I did front to back comparing the API Hardware to the UAD Software, all the way from tracking to mixing with their Luna Summing.







I know they’re long, but I did my damndest to leave no stone unturned on this crazy ride. Took a couple of months to get it done, don’t forget about full session files in the video descriptions.

This is amazing, thanks for doing this. Great song and mixing