Adding warmth with control and consistency

Do your recordings have warmth? Yes? But does the amount of warmth vary with the signal level? Wouldn't you like it to be more consistent...

Follow RecordProducer.com on Twitter...

It is widely known that the right kind of distortion can give a recording the subjective quality of 'warmth'. A single-ended tube stage of amplification, which will of course naturally be Class A, will give you plenty of those lovely even-order harmonics - the ones the ear likes.

But the problem is that the amount of 'warmth', or distortion to use the proper term, depends on the level of the signal. The louder the signal, the more distortion.

But what if you want a little more warmth in the low-level subtle sections of your playing? What do you do?

One answer might be to compress the signal so that it is pretty much all of the same level, then the degree of warmth will be consistent. But then you have lost those low-level subtleties. Can we do better?

Yes we can. Split the signal into two so that one feed goes straight through and the other to the compressor, and then to the 'warmth generator'. Now mix the compressed and warmed up signal with the 'dry' signal. The result is consistent and controllable warmth. Just mix in as much as you need.

As a final touch, you can also try cutting the bass from the signal before the compressor and warmth generator. The advantage of this is that low frequencies tend to produce harsher distortion than mid and high frequencies, where the distortion is smoother. In fact, you could probably cut as high as 500 Hz with benefit.

No more cold winter nights!

(Or you could buy an Aphex Aural Exciter.)

Publication date Saturday August 15, 2009

Discussion on this article's topic...

There is no discussion on this topic yet. You could be the first!

UPDATE - Posting of comments has been disabled. RecordProducer.com has been targeted by a botnet posting spam comments. The facility to post comments will return when this problem has been resolved.

We welcome your addition to the discussion on the topic of this article. If you feel that the article is inaccurate in any way, please let us know by e-mail at . We read all messages sent to this address but we cannot promise a reply.

Sometimes to get what you want in the music business, all you have to do is ask
	'If you don't ask, you don't get!' That's a good old proverb. But have you asked anyone recently? This guy has... Read more...
How good is your drummer? Put him to the test in five different ways.
	A good drummer is worth his or her weight in platinum. But how can you know for sure just how good they are? Read more...
The shocking truth about working in pro recording studios
	An RP reader successfully lands an internship in a major recording studio. But the kind of work he is asked to do isn't quite what he expected... Read more...
Buy Dusty Springfield's microphone - vintage tube AKG C12!
	The microphone used by Dusty Springfield on many of her hit records is up for sale. Vintage tube AKG C12 microphones don't come up for sale very often. This could be your big chance! Read more...
Why you should give up Pro Tools and move to Logic Pro
	If you never have problems with your DAW, you're in a tiny minority. But using the right DAW could make life much easier. Read more...
The best place to make your production decisions
	Where do you make your production decisions? In the studio? No, there's a better place than that, somewhere you can get some peace and quiet... Read more...
Zero-latency monitoring for Digidesign 002 and 003
	Is latency putting your singer off their stride? RME's Fireface can offer a unique solution... Read more...
Jones For Tones Productions
	Jones For Tones is a Vancouver based music production company with a focus on songwriting, owned and operated by session bassist/recording artist Tony Marriott. Read more...
Should the slope of your filter be 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB per octave?
	Low-pass and high-pass filters often have a 'slope' control. What is the slope of a filter? How do you select the right slope? Read more...
Why copyright is bad for music
	Copyright might be good for a few rich musicians, but is it good for music? In this video, we see how not having copyright might actually be the best thing for music perhaps since notes were invented. Read more...
Does your school have a studio? Does it work?
	It's exciting for a school to have a music recording studio installed. But getting it working and keeping it working are often two very different things. Read more...
What important feature do analog tape simulators lack?
	It's a strange world where you can buy a secondhand analog tape recorder for less than the price of some tape emulation plug-ins and devices. But which will give you the most authentic sound? Read more...
What happened to MIDI? Where did it go?
	We used to be in love with MIDI. But you hardly hear of it these days. Has it gone away, or is it just keeping quiet? Read more...
Beat slicing - has this reached the status of being a new 'instrument'?
	Chopping up beats from pre-existing drum loops has long been a standard part of the production process. But can you be a Beat Slicer for a living? Read more...
Are you hard on your hard disk? Is the way you record damaging your system?
	An RP reader asks whether freezing tracks that use plug-ins is bad for your hard disk? Would it be better to bounce them? Read more...
When should you use Auto-Tune, and when should you avoid it like the plague?
	Auto-Tune is a powerful vocal tuning software. It can turn an out-of-tune vocal track into a pitch-perfect pro performance. But are there times when you would be better off not using it? Read more...
Why pan in live sound when it only makes the audience's experience worse?
	All live sound mixing consoles have pan controls. But there are very good reasons not to use them. Not if you respect your audience, that is. Read more...
Who knows best what 'sound' will make a hit record - Record Producer or A&R manager?
	What makes a hit record? Sometimes it's the song, sometimes it's the sound. But who decides whether a certain 'sound' will sell? Read more...
Could quiet be the new loud?
	It is often thought that you should master a mix so that it sounds as loud as possible. But for some markets, this could ruin your chances of selling your music. Read more...
A 70-CD set with duplicated recordings for $292.97! Is Sony trying to scalp us?
	Sony has just released a 70-disc set of CDs. Some discs last less than 30 minutes. Some recordings are exact duplicates. Are you one of the people who has no option but to buy it? Read more...