I like the idea of console emulation plugins so that I can have the sound of a console in my DAW. It gives my tracks a more polished sound and implies I am using a hardware console which is more of a high-end mixing situation. Here are what I found console emulations are producing.
The console emulations I have used do primarily three things:
- Crossfeed – they put some of the signal of the right and left stereo channels into each other at some low amount.
- Saturation – they are giving some kind of saturation. This is the so-called “warmth” that console emulations are supposed to provide.
- Nonlinearity – they are somehow giving a different saturation profile for each channel that it is put upon, mimicking nonlinearities in the hardware.
Saturation
Saturation is probably what affects the sound the most, so I am focusing on this.
Older hardware consoles were designed with tubes. Of the tube designs used, consoles mainly used triodes while a few had pentodes. Triodes produce a smoother and warmer sound as compared with pentodes.
But newer consoles do not have tubes so do not have triodes or pentodes – they have solid state devices such as transistors.
Tubes and transistors produce different harmonics in the sound that goes through them. This is inherent in their nature and provides coloration to the sound.
Harmonics Produced by Triodes
Triodes create both even and odd harmonics but they produce more even harmonics than odd ones. The main reason behind this behavior stems from the operational characteristics and inherent non-linear properties of triodes.
Even Harmonics (dominant):
The second-order harmonics which are classified as even harmonics represent the primary harmonic output of triodes. The distortion characteristics of triodes produce a smooth and warm sound because they generate substantial even harmonics. The second harmonic stands out as the most prominent even harmonic which adds musical appeal to the “warmth” characteristic of tube sound.
Odd Harmonics (lesser):
Triodes generate odd harmonics but these harmonics appear less frequently than the even harmonics. The harmonic profile of triodes tends to favor even-order harmonics but odd harmonics can appear under specific conditions or when the triode operates in distortion mode.
Waveform Characteristics:
The harmonic generation in triodes depends on the waveform shape. The generation of even harmonics occurs through asymmetrical clipping while symmetrical clipping produces odd harmonics. The hard operation of triodes leads to asymmetrical clipping which produces both even and odd harmonics but the even harmonics remain more dominant.
Triodes generate mainly even harmonics with the second harmonic being the most prominent while producing smaller amounts of odd harmonics. This harmonic profile contributes to the characteristic sound of tube amplifiers, which is often described as warm and rich.
Harmonics Produced by Pentodes
Pentodes generate both even and odd harmonics but they produce more odd harmonics than triodes do. The design structure of pentodes along with their signal distortion handling methods produces this specific characteristic.
Odd Harmonics (dominant):
The third-order and higher odd harmonics produced by pentodes stand out as their most distinctive feature. The additional grids within pentodes create a different distortion profile than triodes because of their complex structure. The odd harmonics produced by these devices create sounds that are often described as aggressive yet exciting but they can also cause fatigue after extended use.
Even Harmonics (lesser):
Pentodes generate even harmonics but these harmonics remain less prominent than their odd harmonic output. The distortion characteristics of pentodes produce strong odd harmonics which create a sharp and defined sound in specific applications.
Sound Characteristics:
The sound produced by pentodes has an edgy quality due to their odd harmonic emphasis whereas triodes produce a warmer smooth sound. The distinctive distortion effect of pentodes makes them appropriate for applications requiring strong distortion such as guitar amplifiers and high-gain audio circuits.
The harmonic output of pentodes consists mainly of odd harmonics with third-order harmonics being the most prominent along with smaller even harmonic production. This harmonic profile contributes to their distinctive sound, which can be more aggressive and less smooth than that of triodes.
Harmonics Produced by Solid-State Consoles
The solid-state consoles built by Solid State Logic (SSL) along with other manufacturers produce more odd-order harmonics than tube-based equipment does. Solid-state components including transistors produce odd-order harmonic distortion because of their natural operational characteristics when they reach saturation or distortion.
The following list presents essential points about harmonic production in Solid-State consoles:
Odd-Order Harmonics (dominant):
The overdriven operation of solid-state circuits produces odd-order harmonics which include the 3rd, 5th, 7th and additional frequencies. The human ear perceives these mathematical harmonics as harsh or clinical because they create dissonant sounds relative to the fundamental frequency.
The distinctive sound of solid-state equipment emerges from its tendency to produce odd-order harmonics instead of the even-order harmonics that tube gear emphasizes.
Even-Order Harmonics (lesser):
The harmonic output of solid-state consoles contains even-order frequencies but these frequencies remain less dominant than those produced by tube-based equipment. The musical consonance of even-order harmonics (2nd, 4th, etc.) produces the warm and rich sounds that tube equipment is known for.
Design Choices:
The SSL consoles represent modern solid-state consoles which include harmonic drive circuits to replicate the harmonic behavior of tube equipment. Through these circuits engineers can precisely control the introduction of either even or odd harmonics to achieve specific sound outcomes.
The production of odd harmonics by solid-state consoles stems from the natural distortion behavior of transistors and other solid-state components when signals exceed linear operation.
The non-linear operation of transistors and other solid-state components generates odd-order harmonics because of their fundamental distortion characteristics. The distortion curves of tubes produce more even-order harmonics whereas solid-state components produce odd-order harmonics as their fundamental difference.
The sound produced by solid-state consoles consists mainly of odd-order harmonics which create their clean and precise yet sometimes harsh audio characteristics. However, many modern solid-state designs incorporate fis flexibility allows engineers to tailor the harmonic content to suit different recording and mixing needs.
Emulations
Here are the harmonics produced by a few of my favorite console emulations.
Vertigo Sound VSS-2
This console is not modeled after a hardware console, but is a channel strip plugin that has a saturation section that produces one of the most-pleasing saturations that I have heard. Notice how it has a moderate amount of harmonics with second order predominantly followed by third which is lower. So this is representative of a triode type of saturation which is of higher odd harmonics than even, but have both. There is almost zero noise in this plugin’s harmonics as you do not see any waviness to the harmonic lines in the above image. This is indicative of all of the Vertigo Sound plugins and I think it is a contributor to good, clean sound and my preference for them.
There is no crossfeed or non-linearities in this one and I think that is why I like it so much. It doesn’t diminish the stereo image by applying crossfeed, and from one instance to another there are not differences (non-linearity). This one is my preference.
Brainworx SSL 4000 G
The SSL 4000 G is known for being transparent and clean. The hardware uses solid state components so is not tube based as older consoles are. The emulation plugin produces a third and fifth harmonic that dominate the low mids and taper into the high end, while a second order that is of much lower level but is steady throughout. Odd harmonics are characteristic of solid state designs using transistors which produce odd harmonics when pushed into saturation. Also note that this is very much like tape saturation where there are generally more odd harmonics in the low end tapering off toward the highs. Note the noisiness in the harmonics which can contribute to the character of the sound.
Brainworx bakes in an option for non-linearity from one instance of the console plugin to another. You can choose digital which make it the same sound on every instance, or analog which varies the sound from one instance to another giving you the opportunity for some really unique sounds.
Sonimus Satson Channel/Bus Console
This is not an emulation of a particular console. It is known to be similar to the SSL 4000 series consoles but is not a one to one port of any model. You can see it has a high second order in the low end that tapers off in the highs, while a third order dominates the high end. So the low end up to about 800 Hz is like triode saturation while above 800 Hz is like pentode saturation.
Crossfeed is available as an option on each instance of this plugin. To me, crossfeed degrades the stereo image, but to others it can “glue” the mix together.
Conclusions
Console emulations provide users with another step toward realism in their music production. I find the emulation of consoles a refreshing change from the sterility of the modern DAW. But this is entirely up to the user to decide and is highly-dependant on the material.
