powercore?

[Alan Lindgren]

I tried the Virus plugin and had no luck with it.

Well, I don't know what "no luck with it" means, but I love that Virus plug. I use it constantly. The compressors are great and the reverbs do a whole different thing than convolution verbs.

It's a firewire unit and I don't see it making an excessive hit on the CPU.

Plus, it looks cool, glowing in an extravagant cobalt blue.

[rainmaker]

I have the firewire version as well and love mine. It seems that those that have problems with CPU drain are those using too low a buffer setting... That isn't necesarily the POCO's fault. That will happen with any plugs at those buffer settings. And for those using plugs to track... that's just asking for trouble. For serious users who record for demanding clients, you need to get more serious about your gear. Latency has always been an issue for live tracking and blaming or faulting any plugs that can't provide you with latency-free bliss is kind of dumb. It really wasn't ever designed for that and is a inherent problem with computer recording.

Anyone who is tracking live and has clients who want effects during tracking should buy a couple of cheap outboard effects units and patch them into their latency-free monitoring chain. This way, you can leave your machine set at a high 1024 buffer (which is neccesary if you want to mix with lots of plugs (native, POCO, UAD) setting all the time and still get latency-free effects to your performers. This scenario gives you a much happier/stable machine with much less load all around.

I use both POCO and UAD and am able to get loads of plugs at any time time while mixing. Of course this is all at a 1024 buffer on a dual 2.5 G5. As a side note, make sure you're using aux tracks with your effects as you can cut down your CPU load by up to 75% using this method as opposed to some ametuer mixes I've seen that do not know about or have not used aux's...

Anyways, just trying to point out how to maximize and use these pieces for their strengths and get around their weaknesses with other techniques...

Hope this helps
Rainmaker

[Jaysplace101]

Rainmaker, are you saying to do an aux send just on reverbs mostly? Or, compressors, eqs, etc?

j

[chrispick]

Rainmaker, are you saying to do an aux send just on reverbs mostly? Or, compressors, eqs, etc?

j

I often set up aux busses for reverbs, delays and compressors. Any effect I know I'll disburse across numerous tracks. Not only is it more CPU-efficient, but it allows you to mix in the effect with better precision.

For example, I often have two aux busses for delay, one panned hard right, the other hard left. And I'll offset their delay slightly, the mix them into the source track at different levels. Same for reverbs.

In fact, I often double or triple up aux buss effects. It's not unusual for me to have TrackPlug stacked with a UAD-1 1176 and MWEQ in a stereo aux.

I still use effects as inserts, sure, but usually on a specialized basis (i.e., this track needs a specific chorus effect, so I insert that effect). And on that note, I wouldn't recommend adding EQ as an aux buss; every track should have specific EQ needs.

Also to keep in mind: You can also permanently add effects to a track, forgoing any real-time CPU stress, be it aux buss or insert.

I do this often. For example, once I pick a Guitar Rig setting I like for a lined-in guitar, I cook it to the track and delete the plug. You learn when enough tweaking if enough. I often think it's best to commit to a decision as early in the process as you can. Too many choices can be stultifying, IMO. To be creative, you need to also be nimble, not weighed down by choice permutation.

[rainmaker]

As Chrispick stated, there are so many uses for aux's. Reverbs are an obvious choice but so are any effects such as chorus delays, flanger, etc... These are all great candidates for aux tracks. Also, there's another benefit for using aux's that I think get's lost too often... they tend to gel a song together. Let me explain,

Too often, because we have what seems to be unlimited effect choices and options, it's very easy to start throwing on five different kinds of reverbs, delays, etc. But what sounds most natural to the ear is a song that has an overall coherancy to it. Think of a live band tracking in a live studio room with cathedral ceilings and great acoustics... the whole band is wrapped in the same reverb (acoustics) that the room implies and it sounds great (as long as the room sounds goog)••”it sounds natural to human ears. When sitting in a room with many instruments playing at the same time, you are not hearing five different reverbs and six different delays going on... you are hearing the instruments being combined together by that one acoustic space.

Now, I realize that, at times, you may not want something to necessarily sound "natural", but using one reverb on an aux and then sending the various instruments that you would like to have reverb to that aux gives you this same affect. I'll rarely use more than two reverbs on a given song for this very reason. Sometimes I'll pick a longer reverb and a shorter one that compliment each other and send some instruments to one or another and others to both.

Also, eq's and compressors can be useful as aux effects as well. Let's say you just tracked a five part vocal pass and the whole section tends to be a little muddy and dull. Well, rather than throw an eq on every track, just set up one and send all five tracks through the aux. There are similar scenarios for compressors. Of course, eq can be a little less usefull and I do use that technique rarely unless it's on a whole lot of tracks that need a similar treatment. I did a thirty piece choir (almost every singer on seperate track) in the back of a rock song once and needed to brighten the whole overall choir and used this technique with very simple and effective results.

Also, to agree with chrispick, make decisions as soon as you think you can during the production of a song. I agree that it lends to more creative music simply because of the magic of chance. Some of the coolest vibes in songs over the years have come often from unintended mistakes while recording or situations where something you weren't sure about ends up sounding incredible once you add it in with the other parts. I have friends who will record a bass guitar, for example, only as a raw signal so they can re-amp it later••”never actually choosing a bass "sound" for the recording. To this I say...that's like a painter painting with transparent paint and then wondering what colors he will make them later. But you see, he misses the whole point of creativity.

Because of some color he may splash up there, either out of direct choice or experimentation, and the way it interacts with another color, may give him inspiration to go in a direction he never intended, thus creating his masterpiece. Had he never threw up that questionable color, the magic would have never been discovered. Some may argue that their experimentation comes later when they start to mix and re-amp, etc... But by that time it's too late. The tone has already been set and that initial uncharted spontaneity will never be there again. It's much harder to go back and re-think all the sounds in your song after you already have sounds up there in front of you. You can never hear it with virgin ears again.

Anyways, I didn't mean to write a book... I really didn't! I'm just passionate about this stuff as the rest of you are I'm sure. Isn't that why we're all here?

Rainmaker

[eriknorlander]

But then how many UAD Users get the new plugins for free???

Just for the record ...

I bought my first UAD-1 a few years ago when Mackie was the distributor. Only a couple of months later, they introduced Dreamverb, their first (I think) "premium" plug-in that you had to purchase separately. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw an announcement on either the Mackie or UA web sites saying that if I registered my UAD-1, they would send me an authorization for Dreamverb FREE. I did, and they did. So they definitely gave that one for free. I have four UAD cards now, and it works on all of them. (Nobody but me seems like Dreamverb, though!)

And from what I remember, every time I bought a UAD-1 card I got some kind of coupon, $50, $100, etc. to put towards other premium plug-ins. So UA definitely helps you get into their best stuff. I have all of the UA plug-ins now, and most recently I have been particularly enjoying the Precision Multiband Limiter. I saw demos of their Neve 1073 and Roland Space Echo at NAMM and am very much looking forward to those.

Poco has always seemed like an expensive proposition to me. From buying the hardware all the way to getting the plugs I would want (Oxford, etc.). Plus, for my style of music and mixing, the UA stuff is more familiar, more "classic recording studio" - like.

If I had a windfall of money, I would likely get into Poco and also the Waves ethernet box. What I've heard from Poco sounds good, and so does the Waves stuff which I used to use quite a bit.

But for the value, UA can't be beat. I've ranted before about how I could (and did) buy another UAD-1 card for less money than updating my Waves Gold Bundle.

For what it's worth.

Best regards,
Erik

[emulatorloo]

To this I say...that's like a painter painting with transparent paint and then wondering what colors he will make them later.
Rainmaker

Nice stuff, rainmaker -- I appreciate your posting it. . .

[giles117]

Erik I received a $100.00 coupn for the purchase of my UAD, but the plug in wasnt free. They gave a customer appreciation DISCOUNT Still not free.

So far as the Mackie Marketing deal that is Over. and when I purchased my Mackie The denied me my Dreamverb (which I dont miss BTW) so experiences are different. In that case.

However When you consider a POCO plug in Price vs. a UAD price UA is a better price point, but they dont offer the same plugins...Isnt that wonderful....

[markmazur]

I've been using the PoCo Firewire for about 1 year now. I only use the plugs during mixing (not tracking). They've opened up a lot more processing power for me than strictly native. Sometimes I re-record processed tracks so I can free up the processing for other uses.

I tried the Waves plugs, but didn't like the annual maintenance fees. I feel that once I purchase a plug I should be able to use without yearly fees. I still use my old version of Restoration Suite occassionally.

The sound processing power of the PoCo took a big jump for me when I bought some of the 3rd party plugs. The Oxford set is outstanding and the DVR2 reverb is a wonderful vocal and "overall shimmer" reverb. That plug (along with Altiverb) is my reverb and ambiance processing for 95% of my productions.