Analog Heat noticeable improvement over software like Saturn 2, Decapitator, etc?

Elektron Gear Analog Heat
#1

Does the Analog heat have a considerably better sound quality over using software solutions such as Fabfilter Saturn 2? I know analog saturation and distortion is usually better than software solutions, and I’m looking into the heat to give more warmth and 3d like liveliness to software synths on laptop, iPad and digital synths like my digitone keys.

I’d appreciate input from anyone who is using a heat with primarily digital synths and vsts that have compared them to software counterparts? I’d definitely be using all the distortion circuits for sound design, and the saturation/enhancement, filter, eq while critical listening in ableton using Audeze lcd-x headphones.
I also would be using the heat with analog gear as well (moog matriarch, dfam, erebus 3, pro 1, analog rytm).

I love synthesis and sound design as a hobby, so while in a recording the heat and software may end up sounding similar, I am mostly listening for my own enjoyment of sound. Thanks!

#2

I think the answer to this totally depends on personal experience and preference.

For me, yes. Absolutley, the AH was a massive improvement over any of the plugins I had used previously. AH gives me the results I could never quite get out of software.

Others may have different experiences.

8 Likes
#3

Kelvin by ToneProjects is excellent!

#4

I don’t think most of your audience is likely to notice a difference between analog and digital saturation/distortion. I’ve assuaged the desire for the AH with Saturn on iPad. If you really just want one because you want one, that’s between you and your bank account lol.

7 Likes
#5

I really like fabfilter plugins on ios and have played a bit with saturn2, but I have to confess it is waay too complicated for me. The nice thing about the AH is its surface simplicity. It’s really easy to add some subtle sparkle to a digital instrument that will make you love playing the most boring source.

#6

I had one for a few years primarily to use on soft synths and drums. Ive tried most distortion plug ins including the ones you mention. I ended up selling after a couple of years as it became a bit of a chore to only have 1 instance when working in a daw environment. Took too long to process and record tracks individually. Much more convenient using a plug personally as I more often than not mix as i’m getting ideas out. I ended up using it mainly on the master with fairly subtle settings. It sounds great but I ultimately couldn’t justify the cost. When I sold it I still craved a seperate analog filter/overdrive unit from my hardware synth external ins. I ended up buying a retroverb lancet to and although it lacks stereo, I find the saturation much nicer and the overall experience much more inspiring.

1 Like
#7

Have you seen Dan Worrall’s Fabfilter videos?

3 Likes
#8

Are these the ones on their official channel? If so yes and they’re amazing. If not, then no and I will check it out.

My experience with AH over plugins is it just feels more real, not in the usual analog/digital sense, but just in that flicking through a few different presets it doesn’t feel like the changes are anything tangible, it feels more like a surgical mix tool, where the AH feels more like its part of the original instrument.

2 Likes
#9

As ever, it depends. For a quite heavily driven mid-rangey sound I find the AH better than any plug-in I’ve tried. It’s good for certain applications, like taking a drum group and flattening it so it sounds like a mono tape recording.

For master buss processing, I prefer something like a channel strip plug-in. You lose a bit of overall spatial control running the mix thru the Heat. Might work well for some tracks…

1 Like
#10

These are the official ones on their channel. He has his own channel with other content. Sharp guy. Love his channel.

2 Likes
#11

I can’t comment on AH, but the Retroverb Lancet is awesome if you need a spring reverb that can do other stuff like boost, overdrive, LFO, envelope follower. I love it for guitar.

Also, an old Tascam Portastudio is great for preamp overdrive and EQ, as well as tape compression, etc.

Lots of options out there if you want to stay in the analog world and are mainly interested in studio applications.

1 Like
#12

With todays plugins and processors you can get very close with some plugins. Let me put it this way: you can come on your own or together with a partner. The result is nearly the same but is it?

#13

I have to say FabFilter Saturn is a gorgeous plugin, just make sure you turn on the HQ switch.

However, Heat is Life. So if you can get one for a decent price, do it. And if you don’t like it, sell it. That’s one massive benefit of hardware.

2 Likes
#14

Since you use both Saturn and heat, in your opinion does the heat sound vastly better than Saturn in high quality mode? Specifically subtle saturation/enhancement on digital synths/vsts to bring 3d like warmth to the sound.
I use Saturn on iPad with moog model 15 and korg ims20, and it does sound good, but I keep reading from people that while Saturn can get close, the heat is still a very noticeable improvement in sound quality. Thanks!

#15

I have both (VST version of Saturn, not iPad, shouldn’t be a difference though). Saturn gets close enough that I would say the Heat isn’t worth buying but, as I just commented in the other Heat thread, I can’t get Saturn to sound like rough crunch or round fuzz really. Saturn is like 90% or more of the way to what Heat does but doesn’t have the “problem” of only being able to process one thing at a time like Heat has.

Heat using overbridge also can cause latency to projects which is fine during mixing phases but makes it almost useless in the creative phase, you’d definitely want to use the audio inputs and outputs and hopefully have a audio interface with enough I/O to support that if you’re planning on using it during the creative phase.

But overall, it’s a niche product. It’s not gonna make your music sound better. Most people aren’t going to notice the difference between Saturn and Heat if they were listening to your music, and the cost difference and convenience of Saturn makes it the obvious and probably “better” choice.

That said… that small percent of sparkle that the Heat does sprinkle onto a mix is pretty magical :wink:

2 Likes
#16

It “depends”.
Since Heat is capable of such a wide range of colors, thanks to the various circuits.

I can get close enough to the clean boost and saturation circuits with a combo of Black Box HG-2 and Fielding DSP’s Reviver. Occasionally Kush Reddi, if I want to really saturate the bass in a pleasing, non-distorted way, as well.

But the envelope follower takes a bit more trickery. In the end, I’m happy to have the Heat and all those plug-ins as well. It all gets used.

6 Likes
#17

I think if you’re looking to warm up softsynths you might as well keep it in the digital (simulation) realm and go with a cheaper software solution.

I find using analog gear is approx 75% psychological… it’s about knowing it’s the ‘real deal’, and in the same way knowing I’m using digital sims always feels slightly compromised to me.

I agree with @DimensionsTomorrow on the Portastudio option… I love my Tascam 414mk2. There are probably numerous plugins that would conveniently emulate what it does, and 99.99% of people listening wouldn’t hear any difference (or care), but the physical process for me is satisfying, and knowing the results are the real deal has value to me.

I don’t have an Analog Heat, but, I have been considering one lately for these same reasons… it seems like a great ingredient/addition in an analog chain.

5 Likes
#18

I would be using the heat with analog gear as well (matriarch, dfam, erebus 3, pro 1, analog rytm). I have saturn 2 and decapitator, but i feel like i’d be better off using an analog heat for saturation and distortion, since software is just not quite there yet with perfect warm distortion emulation.

I also just enjoy listening and playing synths as a hobby, so im not concerned with everything sounding similar in the end after recording. As you say, its part mentality of keeping it analog, even though saturn and other software is great in its own way (i also love noise engineering’s digital distortion).

I figure if the heat’s saturation/enhancement circuits will bring even more warmth/liveliness to all the wonderful digital synths and emulation vsts out there, it’ll be worth it (along with the filter, eq, lfo etc). Just not sure how much more noticeably better the heat will sound compared to plugins. I will most likely just buy one and find out :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#19

As someone who has used lots of cheap gear, and expensive gear, and boatloads of plugins for sampling. The answer is this.

Every unit or VST has it’s own slightly different tones. In most cases the only person who ever notices this difference is the artist. Whether you use a $5000 LA-2A for your vocals or a free plugin. People listening to your track aren’t going to notice or care the difference.

Tonal differences from preamps etc are just like having slightly different shades of green crayons in your toolbox. Whether you want Chartreuse or Lime green is just a nitpick and personal preference.

2 Likes
#20

I think software does a good job at analog sounding distortion nowadays. However, with heavy distortion in plugins, you will often get aliasing. This may or may not be a problem for the sound you are looking for. But there are also plugins with oversampling or you can just use a higher samplerate to avoid/minimize this digital artefact.

For subtle saturation, I think software does the job just as good as hardware (or even better since it usually has more options/parameters to tweak).

But then you still have differences in character of the sound, like all analog distortion units also sound different in tone. This is just subjective and you just have to try out to find something you like. You may even like the character/tone of a plugin better than an analog distortion unit. Eventually, the most important thing is the result.

1 Like