Has anyone here tried master summing your final mix through the Analog Heat to get the feeling you’re running your final 2-mix through a console, full of saturation and character? Any examples of this being done? Curious if it might have too much colour, or conversely maybe it can get the “driven console character” just right.
I mean that’s basically what it was designed to do, among other things. It has different flavors of color. The classic analog consoles had color, the heat emulates some of them.
As for getting the “driven console character” just right, each console has it’s own character, depending on it’s circuit and component types.
I don’t have a heat yet, but one of the main reasons I might get one is basically for doing exactly what you’re talking about, having a versatile box “cheap” analog box for mastering mixes. I don’t have personal experience with it but from the specs I imagine it’s perfect for doing this, with the added bonus of being portable enough to use for live mixes too.
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Well, how it’s marketed that wasn’t exactly what it was “designed to do” - so I’m wondering who here has done this with success. I feel, it was designed to “mangle”, really overdriving with analog distortion, drastically overcolouring in a pleasing sort of way. (How it can transform a drum machine is a thing of beauty.)
Conversely, a Neve console, for example when overdriven, adds loads of character, colour, tone and such, yet with so much headroom, that it doesn’t actually “distort” (crunch) the sound. That’s what I’m after, concerning mastering a track.
Wonder if the Heat can afford this sort of headroom to delicately colour, rather than merely sounding like an OD pedal. Which it does miraculously well.
Just curious if there’s examples of this being done, from what I have scowered, no one has demo’d this just yet.
Yeah it’s not going to give you much headroom. It’s definitely not going to get you anywhere near a Neve.
He uses it as a clean boost for a quick second here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQXPARuCXZg#t=35m48s
Great link. And Nick even said “you can use this as a Master Bus enhancement” – perfect. There’s the answer to my question. Now, I wouldn’t expect it to do the job of a Neve, mind you, I’ll have to save my pennies for a Neve to get a Neve sound, but good to know it can do the “clean” stuff as well as that lovely mangly stuff.
Would love to see more examples of how people are using this in their Master Chain. Exciting stuff.
You’re prob already aware but if not, you could maybe grab two of these for around same as AH if you’re after Neve-ish sound -
http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/golden-age-pre-73-mkiii-mic-line-pre-amp--220128
Never used a legit neve to be able to compare but I have the mk1 pre 73. Nice pre. I only have one unit tho so never used it on a full mix. Also don’t know how well matched etc using 2 mono units would work out for stereo duties.
Cool unit. Affordable too. I imagine with any amount of careful dialing you could get these to play nicely with each other for a stereo application. It’s a tad cheaper than the Neve Portico II MBP I was drooling over earlier today. One day. AH, still, seems to have a great character of its own, curious to see someone run it through the paces on a Master Bus.
Looks like you’ve already got your answer, but just to add: the first three circuits can do all kinds of warm subtlety and character, and the resolution is fine so you can really dial it in exactly how you want.
More experimentally, on a first or second pass, you can also bring in tiny amounts of the other heavier circuits using the wet/dry controls.
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Yep AH is on my list too. Used a friend’s and it’s a great box. Super flexible sound mangler 
The envelope follower in the Heat can be used to bring in the warmth more dynamically, or to control the overall volume of the mix in a similar way to a compressor.
So there’s certainly a lot of scope for using it as a master FX.
Additionally, using the LP filter you can get a very nice tape sounding rolloff on the top end, if that’s what you’re looking for.
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Can’t remember where exactly but there are a bunch of ‘heat on Master bus’ examples scattered through vids out there. Some comparing to other units for same duties too. If I see them again I’ll post in here.
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All super helpful and constructive comments. I suppose I was googling this wrong, going to see if I can use those keywords to populate more results. All such good information. Making me want an AH all the more. Cheers! (Keep the thread going, it’s great to hear all the input.)
I got myself an Analog Heat “just to try”, I wanted this Analog warm on my digital boxes.
Now I use it as a send effect on my mixer, to be able to route any signal to it.
You can use very different settings so that it makes your drum shine or get very agressive. Any mode is fun to play with on a synth.
On the master, subtle warmth is very pretty, but you can also let the same loop evolve to something totally different.
I also used it on a bass guitar directly plugged into it, and it works !
Presets are pretty cool to quickly come back to the sweet spots you found in a precise configuration.
I have never thought of bringing it back !
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Do you guys have any tips for applying heat on the whole mix concerning envelope settings?