With the advent of numerous analog reproduction plug-ins, we have entered an era where rare hardware and expensive equipment from the past are appearing on individual computer screens. Of course, it is an essential question of how similar it is to the original, whether it is as effective as an analog machine, and whether it is useful for mixing, but it is clear that it is fun to 'see and hear' the pleasure of turning the strange knobs designed with great graphics. This is the reality of current plug-in market marketing.
Plug-in Alliance's analog modeling products clearly demonstrate this trend in the plug-in market. The goal is to make the sophisticated graphics 'fun to look at' and 'fun to listen to' through sound quality guaranteed by actual hardware companies. There are countless hardware companies currently working with the Plug-in Alliance, including SPL, Lindell Audio, SSL, Focusrite, Shadow Hills, AMEK, and Elysia.
Among them, a company called NEOLD is not a hardware company, but is a company that reproduces hardware into software. To date, four reprint plug-ins have been released, including U17, Warble, Big AL, and V76U73, all of which reproduce rare hardware from the early and mid-20th century.
To explain a little more about the manufacturer called NEOLD, it is a three-person team consisting of audio researcher Roger Schulte, Elysia founder Dominic Klassen, and Fuse Audio Labs founder and DSP developer Raimund Dratwa.
Contents
The differences between NEOLD's four plug-ins, U17, Warble, Big AL, and V76U73, currently sold through the Plug-in Alliance, are not immediately noticeable just by looking at their appearance. If you look closely, you can see that each plug-in is a reproduction of a different product and has different tendencies and roles.
- U17: Compressor
- Warble: Tape Simulator
- BIG AL: Vacuum tube saturator
- V76U73: V76 preamplifier and U73 compressor
Although they have an overall tendency to have warm tones in common, they are all used for different purposes. In this article, we will look at a brief first impression focusing on the differences between each plugin.
U17
The U17 compressor, made in Germany in 1954, is now a very rare piece of hardware. The NEOLD website also described it as ‘the rarest compressor in history.’ The original hardware provided a very soft and natural compression effect, but NEOLD reproduced it with a plug-in, opening the way for more dramatic and extreme use.
U17 is one of the best compressors among NEOLD's products. Clipper, compressor, sidechain filter, and mix knob allow for flexible use. In particular, you can flexibly manipulate transients by using the Torque knob in the middle.
You can also transparently adjust the dynamics of the drum bus.
Warble
It is correct to view Warble as a modulation, low-fi effect rather than a saturator that adds overtones. Therefore, in order to add overtones, it is better to use Big AL rather than Warble.
You can create unique effects through Wow, Flutter, and high/low cut. Using the mix knob, you can also achieve a modulation effect using time differences. It is also good to add fun to the arrangement by automating filters.
you can create a new tone that is completely different from the original with Warble
BIG AL
This product reproduces the vacuum tube circuit and components of the 1930s and acts as a radical saturator that adds a vintage feel. Drive's effect is great, but High and Low can be cut/boosted from -11 to +11, respectively, allowing you to create a flexible tone.
Since the effect is strong, it is a good idea to feel free to try extreme settings and then reduce the mix knob.
V76U73
This product combines the V76 preamplifier and U73 compressor into one. However, rather than using the two products separately, it is a product that controls the effect of the U73 compressor through the V76 preamplifier. If you use it, depending on the gain value of the V76, it can range from a transparent compressor effect to a frustratingly tight compression effect.
Compared to the U17, which can be easily used with a variety of options, the V76U73 has a strong vintage flavor. It might be a good idea to consider a Fairchild style compressor.
In a way, the NEOLD plug-in has a marketing point of being a plug-in reprint of rare hardware. However, this does not mean that it is a product that competes only for ‘fun to look at’. If you want a decent compressor, I recommend U17, if you need a saturator, I recommend BIG AL, if you want a vintage compressor, I recommend V76U73, and if you want to create a special effect, I recommend Warble. If you simply want to get started with NEOLD plug-ins, I think it would be a good idea to try using U17, BIG AL, V76U73, and Warble in that order as recommended above.
This article was published in partnership with Monthly Mixing.
