Outboard Hardware - What You Need To Know

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[KKMcK]

I was a recording engineer in LA during the 70s. We used everything in both tracking and mixing. Use them a little in tracking and use them less in mixing.

[LawryLane]

He is right that the majority of people right now are only using outboard gear during production, but in the near future that will change. Due to the fact that consoles are becoming obsolete, plus the affordability of home studios, and also the fact that gear is so accessible. In the near future the Music industry will change into what it used to be back in the 1940-1980's. Where musicians would seek out certain studios because that studio had a specific sound that no other studio had. Not so long ago each geographic region had a defined sound, there was the New York sound, the LA sound, the London sound, the southern sound and..ect. Basically back then if you were a band/artist the reason why you picked a studio was because that studio had a certain sound that you could only find there, and you couldn't find it anywhere else.
In the Near Future this will become a part of the recording industry again. Since every one has access to the same plug ins and everyone has the same quality of software. Recording studios will start promoting that their studio's point of difference from every other studio is some hot rodded piece of outboard gear that you can only find at their studio. In the next five years more and more people will start marketing that they have some modded piece of gear or collection of gear that separates their studio from everyone else, and if you want that specific sound you have to go to their studio. This will cause for studios to have their secret sauce, and outboard gear will play a huge role in separating joe in the box from jack in the box.

- ANG - April 7th 2023

[ciscofuentes]

Absolutely my go to these days! Track analog, mix in the box.

[cmedina]

I’ve been bingeing on your videos lately, and I’ve learned so much. I want to start getting some outboard gear and, with my current budget, decided to get some Camden EC1 mic pre’s on sale, and a Neve Portico II MBP for the 2 bus. Hopefully I’m starting off right! Just want to show some appreciation for what you’re doing here. Be well!

[JedWunderli]

I use EZ Bass and EZ Drummer (and sometimes Addictive Drums) which are both recorded in studios with microphones and presumably very professional set-ups. I record my guitar and vocals with good mics that I have purchased and I always run them through some nice 500 series pieces or a WA-273-EQ and. the WA76. Everything sounds great this way. When I'm mixing, I sum everything through an 8-channel hardware summing mixer (D-Box+) and then out the stereo channels and through a pair of 500 pre-amps, RND. 551s. and. the WA Bus-Comp - it sounds so good. That said, very few people listen to my music BUT even if millions listen to it, most of them would be listening through Air Pods or some other headphones or a car stereo. Great home stereos have become rare. In my situation, all of this stuff is for me to ENJOY listening to as I track and mix my music, and ultimately master as well.

[bear-headstudios]

I totally jacked up a drum recording I did by adding reverb on the mixer, I learned a valuable lesson about burning effects that suck on the way in.... Great videos!

[nunoandradebluesdrive]

Great again Mr Barry! I'm tipping my toes on mixing and mastering my own stuff- at least for the time being. I seriously believe, for a long time now, that tracking is the thing a modern musician should learn and control these days. I'm in my own blues band, and we play direct takes for most of our tracks, so, that might eat up most of the studio time, and I really need the guys (including myself) to be comfortable, and stressing looking at the clock is something I want to avoid. It's not just for me, as I think most bands would benefit from this knowledge, cause learning how to track decently is always going to make everything go very fast and smoothly when in a paid studio. That's the same for mastering etc, the more we know, the better we can understand what's possible or not to ask and expect from a pro engineer.
For myself, I want to control the tracking part enough, so I can allocate my money only to pay someone to mix and master later on when time is an issue and all -firstly mixing myself and send it to master, and eventually send out to mix and master somewhere.
This is how your videos are awesome, and your insights!
Sometime ago, I lost my "fear" of tracking, once I went through lots of tutorials, did some studio time, put those tracks in a record. So now we check mic phase, choose and place mics right..and we're good to go! We managed to gather some decent enough microphones and bought a very lightly used Soundcraft UI24 during the pandemics at a great price locally, mostly because of the quantity of inputs and those clean awesome Studder pres. -same flavour all across on the way in, and, as I see it, a better strategy than a great but smaller interface with less available inputs, then having to get extra adat pres - 16 to 24 tracks at once sounds really expensive. Now I'm checking these ideas you say here to decide where my upgrades should be. Probably some mix bus stereo comp for mixing, that I can also use on the way in when tracking a couple of tracks. An 1176 style (probably warm audio) would be cool if it had a stereo option.
Thanks again for helping out by sharing your thoughts on this!

[laz]

Spot On! Track through analog gear and master with a analog master bus. Tracking is really a one time deal same with mastering where as mixing can be ongoing for months.

[djsplyce]

Always love your videos. I’m always learning new things from you. So thank you and keep it up!

[trebleboost]

Loving this content Barry. I just discovered you yesterday. I am 'all in' to upgrade my project studio for tracking only so this is encouraging. What I have not yet dipped my toes in, is with re-amping, as much of the recording I do involves very effected electric guitar. All I have done to date is putting down guitar as is, and maybe doing a little mixing in box (adding reverb, panning, EQ, mastering compression, etc., but hopefully minimally). Yes indeed, mastering the input side of it is where I want to live and develop more.

[esmoroglu]

Thank you for the wisdom. I also gather from the professionals such as yourself that each stage of subtle compression adds sonic value. You clarified many reasons for why “it depends.”👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👋🏼

[GeorgeAmodei]

Another very good Topic! and YES your Audio come across very Clean! Thank you Barry. George Amodei

[gfromshankside]

OMG, Barry! I had a revalation yesterday with my 1176! I've been tracking vocals through it and a couple other hardware pieces for over a year now. The noise has always been annoying to deal with, but I've gotten around it. I honestly don't know why nobody talks about hardware hiss.

Anyways... Yesterday, I set it up on a hardware insert to my DAW....and 🤯! I fed it a hotter (and obviously cleaner, since it's from the DAW) signal than what my standalone 1081 clone could ever dream of mustering, and my 1176 clone (not a KT) came to life for the first time before my very ears! I'll never try to track through it again! Not unless I'm feeding it with some fiendishly juicy console outs or something.

[Hudson_Jones]

This is great Barry! Suggesting to start with outboard on the mix bus is excellent advice. It does make a difference. Another suggestion with hardware is to make definitive choices about where and what you want to use it for. I try and make hardware purchases that are good for recording and mixing. However, preamps are always a good purchase if you’re doing lots of recording. But in terms of signal processing, you can record into a distressor or an 1176 with two different sources then use those two pieces of gear in the mixing process on other tracks. If youre limited to a few items i tend to pick which tracks i want to go analog (usually vocals and drum bus) and which ones i choose to stay digital (backup vox and pads). As long as your DAW is set up correctly i actually find the workflow to be easier with hardware at times. But maybe because thats what i started with…

[BojanOstojicBlackflagStudio]

YESSSS!!! All my outboard is for traking, very good pres and channel strips and off course the best microphones and a very good room

[harleyrider]

Have to say your spot on, very good points made. I so rarely send anything back out to analogue now. I want to but it is just so easy in the time I have to just do the mix all with plugins in the box. Just so quick. Such a change in workflow to how it used to do be done for me in the 90's with tape and mix desk sends and returns. All was fine unless back then you had to bounce tracks and commit. To free up tracks for further recording of tracks. DAW recording for me is a project and time saver. I really would like to get back into using my analogue gear far more often in the mix process not just the tracking. Food for thought and thank you Barry.

[trevfisher]

Tracking is everything, mics really important, no matter what your outboard you can't polish a turd.

[maailmanalku]

So great that you talked about the history of the 500 series - very interesting

[dillonvado]

Very helpful! I have no outboard gear at the moment, I mostly play jazz and jazz-adjacent music (largely acoustic sources when I record) and have been trying to get a more fully functional recording setup in my practice studio. I just watched your video on why DSP is irrelevant in the era of apple silicon, and then just watched this one now, and I feel like I have actually a really good framework and understanding of WHY I would need X piece of hardware, or a computer upgrade, or the right plugins or whichever at the right time for the right reasons. That level of thoroughness and answering the why question especially in clickbaity YouTube world I found very helpful, so thank you very much!

[flipnap]

one of the most basic uses for outboard hardware is processing vocals on the way in. ive got an optical unit and it gives me the vocal performance I just cannot get out a plugin. I use the same unit on the mix bus with a roundtrip fro the DAW and its just magic.