I was merely responding as to what objectively better would mean. Analog gear used to produce an objectively distinctive sound compared to plugins, but that difference doesn’t really exist anymore. At least not in any meaningful capacity, it’s simply a matter of what you prefer to work with.
I agree that it’s not “better”, because the notion is not intelligible.
I don’t agree though that plugins can accurately reproduce any and all kinds of analog recording textures. Case in point the legions of recording artists over the last decade trying explicitly to make music that sounds like the 1970s. None of it does. It sounds like an impression of the 1970s.
That’s not a judgment about whether that stuff is good or bad. But it does not succeed at convincingly aping that sound.
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I disagree. But in the context of tracking synths through high end preamps, if you believe that plugin emulations are 100% equal to analog, then yes it would be crazy to buy a high end preamp just to track synths through it. If you already have an expensive preamp it’s somewhat crazy to keep it around if you don’t think it sounds any better than a plugin.
Realistically unless you’re 100% itb or 100% hardware, we all draw the line somewhere that works for us. But I don’t think it should be too controversial to say that running a synth through a preamp is going to be one of the subtlest least important parts of the signal chain compared to other things you could use to add color like compressors, distortion units, tape machines, and other things that make more drastic changes to the sound.
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I did not say that plugins can accurately replicate any and all analog equipment. If I had a make that sort of a statement, I would say that plugins can accurately replicate anything they’ve been made to replicate, and there’s still probably more analog equipment and tones that don’t have an accurate VST made for.
For example, amp sims cannot replicate feedback realistically.
To be clear, I spent more on my second hand OG Digitone than any preamp I own!
Edit: Want to mention, for whatever reason, running my guitar through the DN’s line in sounds amazing!
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It does and it’s ok. The Model N Channel by Voost. I used it on bass for a while before I got a real Neve. The thing is you can’t really emulate the sound the same once it’s converted to digital. UAD got the closest to doing this, but a preamp really exists in the analog realm for a reason. You can’t drive a mic with a software preamp, for example.
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True about the fake 80s stuff too. It drives me crazy. Not so much that people want to recreate that sound, just that the recreations are so unconvincing and samey.
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Yeah I don’t care either at this point. So many problems with anglophone music culture in the last 15yrs or so that’s the least of anybody’s problems lol
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