Exciter

Most of these boxes (which are designed to add high frequency "sheen") insert between mixer and master deck, and therefore process the entire stereo master signal. However, some signal sources being mixed, especially samples, may already have been "excited" somewhere else along the line; when processed again, they become strident and harsh. Another problem: if a signal is noisy, the exciter will emphasize any noise.

Sending some channels, but not others, to an exciter opens up several options. For example, with a combination of electronic and acoustic instruments, adding exciter to the acoustic tracks helps them hold their own with the brighter electronic timbres, thus creating a better overall balance. Once you've used an exciter in this somewhat more refined fashion, you'll have a hard time going back to just slapping the thing onto your master outs.

Distortion

Actually, this is a relative of the exciter family, but provides a "thicker," rather than "airier," timbre. I favor solid-state tube emulators for this application because they tend to give a wider variety of sounds than tubes, and generally provide programmability for more repeatable settings. But for many people, real tubes are the only way to go, so the choice is yours.

The trick here is to pick a couple of instruments to be emphasized, and bring up a little distortion behind them in the mix. Favorite candidates for this include vocals and drums. I believe this also helps bring back some of the distortion-related aspects of saturating analog magnetic tape, which we associate with "pushing" the sound. PARIS's Super Normalize option can provide similar effects. See the Abnormal Normalization tutorial.

Using distortion for obvious effects à la NIN is one thing; getting a subtle, warming effect takes some work with EQ. PARIS's aux sends are post-EQ, so you can't really adjust the EQ going to the effect independent of the EQ being used on the main channel. Either patch an analog EQ into the signal path, or copy the track to another track, use its EQ, and send the pre-fader signal to the aux send.

Trimming off highs before feeding the distortion gives a smoother, rounder tone, and lets you bring up the distortion higher before it becomes noticeably ugly. Cutting bass is another matter altogether. This produces an extremely brittle, bright high end that is effective if mixed way in the background-treat it like an exciter with an attitude problem, and you should get the levels about right. Experimenting with EQ after the distortion, in particular slightly boosting the lower midrange, is also worth trying.

I generally use distortion effects in mono since I'm not interesting in splattering distortion across the stereo field, but just want to give a little mono buildup for the selected sounds.

True Analog Tape Sound

If you'd like to get true analog tape sound out of PARIS, it's easier to do than you might think - and it doesn't involve the messy process of synching a digital deck with an analog tape deck. Specifically, this technique allows:

• True analog tape sound - not a simulation or "emulation"
• Comparatively inexpensive ($500-$700)
• Ability to provide sounds of different tape types
• Variable tape compression effects, from light to extreme
• Unlimited undo if you decide you didn't get it right the first time
• True stereo processing

First, you need a three-head analog tape deck. This can be anything from a cassette deck to a broadcast-quality two-track. Ever since DAT hit, the price of used two-track reel-to-reel decks has plummeted, so you can probably find one pretty inexpensively.

Fig. 3 shows how to patch the reel-to-reel deck into PARIS; here's the step-by-step procedure.

Fig. 3

With an old analog tape deck, you can add a true analog sound to PARIS tracks.

• Set an Aux Out to External, and in the Patch Bay, send the aux outs to a pair of MEC, 442, or 8-out expander outs.

• Patch these outs to the reel-to-reel recorder inputs.

• Send the reel-to-reel outputs (monitor from the playback head) to two PARIS inputs, and assign them to the desired mixer channels.

• Set the reel-to-reel to record-ready.

• Load a reel of tape with the preferred sonic characteristics.

• Put the reel-to-reel into record mode, and roll tape.

• Start recording with PARIS. The sounds to be processed play into the reel-to-reel, while the open tracks record the processed sound.

• Do a trial run and adjust the reel-to-reel input level for the desired amount of crunch. Remember, you have to monitor from the playback head for this to work.

• After getting the sound you want, rewind to the beginning and transfer the tracks for reel-I mean, real.

We're not done yet, though, because the "crunched" signal will be delayed compared to the original, non-crunched track. No problem: use the "nudge" function to compensate.

Monitor the crunched and non-crunched versions mixed together, then advance the crunched tracks until they line up with the original tracks and you hear no "flamming." Now mute the original tracks, and you'll be left with pure analog tape sound. You need to figure out the appropriate offset only once, unless you change speeds on the reel-to-reel (with my deck, the "nudge factor" was 75 ms).

Not only is this technique simple, it allows your two-track to once more be a productive citizen of your increasingly digitized studio. As a bonus, as long as you keep your original tracks, you can always go back and re-crunch should you decide you crunched too much or too little (this is what I meant by "unlimited undo").

Insert Effects

The same general techniques also apply to inserts, where you can similarly select External routings (Fig. 4). As with the effects busses, there's a corresponding Patch Bay object (Mixer Insert #1) that shows the available sends and returns for each insert.

Of course, aux busses have talents other than adding effects, such as setting up custom headphone mixes for different musicians, providing separate feeds to amps you want to mic, and so on.

Fig. 4

Inserts also can go to external effects.

Wrapping Up

Those who gravitate toward using less tracks but having each musical part convey more substance will find the creative uses of aux busses particularly appealing, as you fill out the sound not by adding more notes or instruments, but by "modelling" a more interesting listening environment. If your tune takes a few detours into aux bus-land before hitting the stereo master deck, you can often end up with a much sweeter, and more attention-getting, mix.

© 1999, Craig Anderton. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

By his 22nd birthday, Craig Anderton had recorded three albums with the Philadelphia-based group "Mandrake Memorial," toured most of the USA, and played at Carnegie Hall. Craig is a prolific author, having written the classic work Home Recording For Musicians, several other books, and numerous articles for such magazines as EQ, Guitar Player, Keyboard, Musician, Performing Songwriter, Pro Audio Netherlands, and several others. He is currently Technology Editor for EQ magazine, Consulting Editor for Guitar Player magazine, and a monthly columnist for Keyboard.




© 2002 All Rights Reserved E-MU / ENSONIQ