Do I need analog outboard gear?

[sigfig]

I'm a new PT user, with a fair amount of experience recording with outboard gear. I'm beginning to set-up my home studio, and was wondering if anyone could give me some input on the pro's and con's of outboard gear (not the converters themselves) in a strictly digital environment. I'm not a MIDI user. I simply like to record analog tracks one-by-one, through my Mbox, into PT.


I've heard varing opinions on how people choose to record into PT: some like to record a raw analog signal, and then use only plug-ins to manipulate the audio file later (or digital outboard gear); some like to limit the peaks and/or compress their signal, in the analog environment, before converting audio; and some like to use plug-ins, in real time, while recording their audio signal. My question is... (assuming I know a thing or two about mic placement) would I need any outboard gear if I had some great plug-ins like Waves Platinum, etc., or would I be better off with a good compressor/limiter and maybe an eq to go infront of my Mbox? I can consider both, but do I need to? I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way to spend my cash.

Thanks, in advance, for your input!!


Mbox
iMac 700 mHz g4 PowerPc
40 Gb internal, 40 Gb firewire external
512 ram

[atrest]

I get plenty of GREAT mixes without outboard gear. I go straight into Pro Tools through my Digi 001 and I use Waves, and I enjoy the results.

[sigfig]

Thanks for the reply...

Do you use waves real-time, or do you just record raw, then waves?

[(((k)))]

You will have so much more flexibility if you do it after recording a dry signal. It's kind of like non destructive effects. If you don't like it you can easily change back. Where as with a wet signal you are pretty much stuck with that sound. As for outboard or not, you can use hardware almost anywhere but the plug ins are only available in the computer. Plug ins are a lot easier to adjust and possibly more flexible with automation and multiple instances and so on. Not to mention low setup times.


(((k)))

[phanatik]

speakin on the subject.....

how would u, after recording/tracking raw, then mix using outboard gear back n2 PT LE(002)? thats if 1 wishes not 2 use the plug-ins 2 save on cpu or having "good" gear?

Would(n't) u lose quality or add more noise from tracking in2 PT LE from a mixing console back out of PT LE back on the board, use the gear back n2 the computer??

PowerMac dp1.25G OS X 10.2.6
Digi 002 PT LE 6.1
Waves Platinum
Mackie 24x8
Mackie HR826
Yamaha NS-10
and other stuff....

[ariel keshet]

good waves bundle would satisfy any one ,you could really do any thing with the rennisance bundle or any other,but as an expirienced 001user then one big problem that i allways had, was with the reverb plugs that takes most of the power of the machine.so i added 3 external multi efx racks. i started with the lexicon mpx100 wich is cheep and sounds nice (much better then the d verb) and that adds allot of power to your mixes since you can use more eq's and compresors insted of one or 2 reverbs(and you might know that the good reverbs like the real verb or the rennisance takes huge amount of power) and since then i added the lexicon alex wich has avery worm sound and good revebs for vocals (if you get one of those yoiu wont regret)and finnaly i added the mpx 1 wich is the pro line of lexicon ,its not the highst level of lexicon , but it is one of the best mid range $ procesors that i ever heard .and a good pre amp would do you no harm.....and a set of better convertors like the appoge rossrta would make some magic to all you record.it is a little more money to spend....but i belive that any one in the duc would aggre that it would upgrade your sound to a pro line digital studio

good luck

[spudsound]

you said you had a fair amount of experience recording...Why change your habits of recording just because you've got some new software.. PT is basically a big computer based 32track Recorder with a few advantages such as editing etc...
If you know about mic placement then chances are that you understand what types of sounds work well together.. if so then start with the sounds you know you want, then use PT as a final enhancement rather than trying to get it within PT.
Plugins are great but Analog sound sources seem to have more life, color, excitement than plugin sounds...
I always try to get as far as I can with analog Gear then use PT to improve that sound during mixing..even then I still try to use outboard....
I would recommend that you get some analog gear that you can use/abuse to it's fullest creating individual sounds.. I would go for a nice Valve EQ/Compressor.
Thiink of it you've got your sound source say a guitar and you record it flat into PT then you want to distort it, fine do it in PT but what about the interaction that you get from playing a distorted guitar through an amp or effects...feedback, sustain, excitement... you can't recreate that in PT unles you have it already....
Same a Vocals a vocalist will perform better with some ego-verb/delay, the way they would phrase and tuning could be changed in PT but WHY? unless it's wrong!
Plugins also need to be updated as you update you software/Hardware analog gear occassionally needs serviced which is by far cheaper....
That said it's all personal choice... some people just use Plugins, some never touch them...variety such a wonderful thing.....

[reynep]

It all depends on what you think of as "good" outboard. Waves comps and Eq's will murder anything made by behringer, mackie, alto.

BUT

id have to think that an empirical labs distressor and GML eq will murder anything by waves.

there's advantages to both and disadvantages to both. on a budget - go Waves Renesaince.

[sigfig]

Good points, I don't want to tax my cpu too much. Thanks for the advice!

sigfig

[sigfig]

Thanks spudsound... great points.

I would definitely feel more comfortable putting audio to tracks to PT, as I want them to sound, rather than trying to make them sound the way I want - after the fact. I've been considering something like a trakmaster in front of my Mbox, so I could compress and eq if necessary. I've always had the best luck when I get tones to track the way I want them in the end. The less tweaking I have to do in the end, the better. The con of course being flexibility in the mix. Using plug-ins to fix tracks in the mix it's tons of fun.

sigfig