The saturation trick for gaining back a bit of headroom is really great. I first saw it on Mixbus TV on the episode he has dedicated to loudness where he shows you how to thicken up waveforms and smooth transients on every instrument. The Decapitator seems to kill most of the competition on how well it works though
When the mix engineer becomes part of the band. So good! . Love these video full of years of experience and the confidence to break the rules and be creative! Your videos are a gem Warren.
The saturation on the drum room mic is EXACTLY what I needed for the current song I'm mixing... the cymbals are just a bit too much, and this is the PERFECT solution! I wish I would've thought to do this. Thanks again Warren!
Earlier today I was looking for some saturation vidoes from you and now you've gone and uploaded a new one. You're a mind reader! Have a marvelous rest of your day.
Wow! This IS the meat & potatoes my friend! The best advice for recording in ANY daw on RUclips. This takes a wimpy wave to majestic with energy and bite. Love how you're just giving up the dope on these video lessons!
Warren, I’ve watched a lot of your content. But... wow!!! You are on a roll with these last few quick tip videos. I want you to understand that they are great. Incredibly helpful. I feel like I owe you about $100k now. Maybe the three best videos on mixing I have seen.
Saturation is the key to getting powerful and loud mixes...And one of the big differences between pro and amateur mixes. I recently experimented by completing a full mix without using a single compressor - instead using a variety of saturators only. Turned or pretty great and makes you realize just how important they are! Would love to see you do the same thing on a mix in a video too!
Recording my second album at the moment, tracking the electric guitars and trying to get THAT tone that suits the song and this tutorial helped a lot to get it! Thank you!
I discovered your vids recently (because of the documentary "The art of listening") and you are my hero in all senses. Great information, awesome demonstration and very sweet and kind. Thanks Warren!
Warren, I tried tape saturation (Cubase) on a bass track that was getting lost in the mix, and OMG! Suddenly I heard the Ampeg throaty snarl without it being turned up! It meshes so much better now. Thanks so much for the inspiration! Cheers, Phillip
Your video definitely helped me to understand saturation. I can't wait to use these saturation tips on my mixes. Amazing video Warren! I hope you are having a wonderful day as well.
Whenever I hit a mental-block I just flip on one these videos for a while and in no time I'm feeling amped (no pun intedned) again and motivated to get back to recording.
Brilliant! I've never heard saturation explained or utilized so usefully. Complete game changer! I knew it worked this way on tape machines, but I didn't realize that digital plugins did the same sort of "compression" to the signal. One of the most useful tutorials ever. Right up there with Dan Worrall's FabFilter demonstrations.
Loving the content at the moment Warren. PLAP is the best channel on youtube. You're really helping a lot of people making music and mixing. Plus it's always great to look at gear!
Thanks Warren, another great sesh!! I love that saturation/reverb blend.... I've used it on hard-panned slowly-strummed acoustic guitar, which gives an ominous cloak of sonic space... or sustained piano chords, with the low and high end rolled off :) yummmmmy! Keep em coming!!
I just realized I used all these tips before I knew them. My particular favourite way to saturate my bass' is to put an analog modeled compressor on the buss and drive hard into it. Subtle, but it does the trick. And vocal saturation is a must. I use Studio One's stock distortion plug in and it works wonders on vocals
Had fun doing pretty much this last night as I bought the sound toys rack! It sounds crazy, but it actually cleaned up the mix! With being able to hear the snare and kick clearer ! I did make sure things weren’t louder, and I found although they were actually lower, they cut through more! It’s , with other tweaks made me excited about the track again! Very groovy!
Excellent! My favorite saturation plug is Magnetic by Nomad Factory. I have both, but I like the original Magnetic vs Magnetic II. The saturation on the Scheps Omni channel preamp section is nice too. Guitar amp simulators are also useful, like Scuffham.
Great stuff Warren. Saturation is so sublimely useful. Another one I've started using is Boz Digital Labs Little Clipper to shave those transient peaks . Such an awesome concept, and a great video on it. Thanks a lot =)
Soundtoys Decapitator is still great. You can go light to very distorted. The different emulations change things up as well. Also useful is Softube Harmonics. Several types with transient control. These tips by Warren are still very very useful. Thanks much.
Finally I got the real world equivalent for practical demonstration on LO-FI SATURATION - which yours truly have been using since the day 0 for all variety of fucked up effects.
This video was extremely helpful, mixing is so much easier since I started using saturation as a tool and not just an effect. Great great video, thanks so much Warren!
A super underrated saturator that I rarely see mentioned but when people know it, they usually love it is the UAD VSM-3. The balance of 2nd and 3rd order harmonica can be subtle or totally raunchy but I use it on individual tracks and even on masters and it also does great MS saturation processing.
Warren huart, you are my fucking hero! Thanks for all the tricks!!! You are all about the feeling of the music with its tips! You help a million fo records sounding good!
I need to make notes of all the places where a drive control is hiding. I have completely ignored the MJUC drive, but this is awesome, especially in combination with the timbre dial.
I really like how your individual bypassed tracks sound so clean. Many engineers like to go bonkers with the compression or even, (*egads!*) print effects 'onto tape' -- leaving a nightmare for the mixing engineer. I really dig your use of compression on the principal stems. You simply 'tap' it with compression, just enough to balance the dynamics properly. It sounds so smooth. What type of compressor/s do you use, and how would you suggest to dial it in?
OK, how did you do that? I was in the middle of a mix, it was sounding -blah- so I decided to take a break and see what new vid you had up. Within the first 5 minutes I stopped the tape, jumped back into the DAW, and adding a bit of saturation to the bass and to the backing acoustic guitars and abracadabra, instant improvement. Thanks!
Hi. Awesome Video as always. I cannot believe how much you have improved my ability to record and I am just doing home recording for myself. I cannot imagine what you are doing for the pros out there. Question: can you explain the difference between saturation, distortion and overdrive? Also, any specific free ones you like or saturation that come with reaper or the waves platinum bundle? TY
Hi Adam, marvellous question! All three have very similar characteristics, the distinction arguably is:- Saturation is a name frequently given to Tape or Transformers or Tubes (Valves) being hit with a hot signal and adding to the original signal (one of these attributes can be 'distortion'!), Distortion is not always musical, with guitar amps it usually is, in Production it's not always a positive thing as people will call 'clipping' distortion and lastly Overdrive, in the sense of guitars at least, is the simulation of how a Tube Amp sounds! Those are some of the many explanations! Haha I hope that helps?
Thank you. That does help, not just in terms of theory but also application. It sort of helps explain why saturation would thicken a sound and distortion thin the sound a bit. You do things in theses videos I would have never thought of and make it so practical. Thankyou for making this available. I tell every musician I know to watch your stuff.
HI Adam, distortion can also thicken, however once again the terms can be confused with each other! Ultimately try different plug ins that have all of these names and see what works for you! Thanks for your wonderful support!
Hi Warren, thanks again for the tips! As already pointed out by someone else, please try Klanghelm SDRR for saturation, and give us your opinion! I think it's great, but I'd like to know a professional opinion!
Fantastic teacher, extremely knowledgeable yet talking at a understandable level.
Dunno. Feels like hes talking to a group of 12 yr olds.
The saturation trick for gaining back a bit of headroom is really great. I first saw it on Mixbus TV on the episode he has dedicated to loudness where he shows you how to thicken up waveforms and smooth transients on every instrument.
The Decapitator seems to kill most of the competition on how well it works though
When the mix engineer becomes part of the band. So good! . Love these video full of years of experience and the confidence to break the rules and be creative! Your videos are a gem Warren.
My hat off to you Warren - a level matching comparison between plugin settings!
Thanks ever so much Brad!
It always amazes me that adding saturation brings not just energy and volume but definition as well, Thanks as always
Hi Paul, absolutely my friend!
The saturation on the drum room mic is EXACTLY what I needed for the current song I'm mixing... the cymbals are just a bit too much, and this is the PERFECT solution! I wish I would've thought to do this. Thanks again Warren!
Wow! Thanks ever so much! Glad to be able to help!! You Rock!
Earlier today I was looking for some saturation vidoes from you and now you've gone and uploaded a new one. You're a mind reader! Have a marvelous rest of your day.
Thanks ever so much Cameron!
I'm a Techno producer but I've learnt so much from your channel. Just wanted to say thanks.
same over here..
Wow! This IS the meat & potatoes my friend! The best advice for recording in ANY daw on RUclips. This takes a wimpy wave to majestic with energy and bite. Love how you're just giving up the dope on these video lessons!
Hi Tisbonus, thanks ever so much!! You Rock my friend!
Dude! C'mon!!! That DI guitar trick is sweeeeeet!
AW shucks thanks ever so much!!
Saturation is one of my go-to solutions/features. I love this, thank you Warren!
Hi noisesoundtonevibe I agree 100%! Love using saturation
Warren, I’ve watched a lot of your content. But... wow!!! You are on a roll with these last few quick tip videos. I want you to understand that they are great. Incredibly helpful. I feel like I owe you about $100k now. Maybe the three best videos on mixing I have seen.
AW shucks thanks Shem! I'll take the 100k!! Haha Thanks ever so much for watching!
Saturation is the key to getting powerful and loud mixes...And one of the big differences between pro and amateur mixes. I recently experimented by completing a full mix without using a single compressor - instead using a variety of saturators only. Turned or pretty great and makes you realize just how important they are! Would love to see you do the same thing on a mix in a video too!
Agreed 100% Clinton! Great insight! I really appreciate your wonderful comment!
Man. I’m gonna try that!
@@zachary963 how did it go?
Warren your enthusiasm is infectious!
Thanks ever so much! I am so glad to be able to help!
Recording my second album at the moment, tracking the electric guitars and trying to get THAT tone that suits the song and this tutorial helped a lot to get it! Thank you!
Thanks - these 5 tips videos are the best around, and love the enthusiasm and knowledge you put into them! Keep them coming!!
I discovered your vids recently (because of the documentary "The art of listening") and you are my hero in all senses. Great information, awesome demonstration and very sweet and kind. Thanks Warren!
Warren, I tried tape saturation (Cubase) on a bass track that was getting lost in the mix, and OMG!
Suddenly I heard the Ampeg throaty snarl without it being turned up! It meshes so much better now.
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Cheers,
Phillip
OMG, this is what i asked for in the another video. Thank you so much Warren, you're the man!
Fantastic! Glad to be able to help Ejrionm!!
I learned a lot from watching this video. Your enthusiasm for what you do is wonderful. Thank you for sharing this Warren . :)
5 tip videos are so much help thank you sir
Thanks ever so much Matthew!!
Your video definitely helped me to understand saturation. I can't wait to use these saturation tips on my mixes. Amazing video Warren! I hope you are having a wonderful day as well.
Thank you ever so much Joseph!!
Whenever I hit a mental-block I just flip on one these videos for a while and in no time I'm feeling amped (no pun intedned) again and motivated to get back to recording.
Thanks for this Amizing video! Now we´re on the lookout for "5 Quick Distortion Mixing Tricks"
Hi Recospok Muzik thanks ever so much!!
Ingenious use of saturation...thank you for these GREAT tips!
Thanks Steve! You Rock!!
Really loving these 5 Quick Tips videos Warren, really educational and informative, thanks brother!
Thanks ever so much Dave!
This video was absolutely fantastic! Keep them coming man.
Aw shucks! Thanks ever so much!
Another great video! I really appreciate your work Warren.
Brilliant! I've never heard saturation explained or utilized so usefully. Complete game changer! I knew it worked this way on tape machines, but I didn't realize that digital plugins did the same sort of "compression" to the signal. One of the most useful tutorials ever. Right up there with Dan Worrall's FabFilter demonstrations.
Loving the content at the moment Warren. PLAP is the best channel on youtube. You're really helping a lot of people making music and mixing. Plus it's always great to look at gear!
Thanks ever so much Paul! That's extremely kind of you!!
Thank you for these precious advices
You’re very kind! Glad to be able to help
sat is great on vocals...any vocals....soundtoys both plugs are the best (sat + delay)...thanks 4 all hard work mister...positive energy rocks !!!
Hi Song Maker, agreed! Saturation on vocals is amazing!
I really love the new intro thats been in the past few videos
Thanks ever so much Gropp!!
Fabfilter Saturn and PSP Vintage Warmer are my go to saturation tools. Great video Warren, cheers
Hi Andrew, thanks ever so much for your insight!
Great tips, it's amazing how many little things build up to make a full sound
Thanks very much Chris!!
Great help with saturation! Will be using these to help out forsure!
Thanks very much Eric!
Great tricks again! Thanks Warren, it's really nice of you, much appreciated ;-)
Thanks ever so much Claudius!!
mcDSP has all needed tools for basic editing...fantastic company...and they make hardware...talks volumes....esp....respect!
Man, these are so helpful. Thank you for doing these!
Thanks ever so much Zak!
Thanks Warren, another great sesh!! I love that saturation/reverb blend.... I've used it on hard-panned slowly-strummed acoustic guitar, which gives an ominous cloak of sonic space... or sustained piano chords, with the low and high end rolled off :) yummmmmy!
Keep em coming!!
Thanks ever so much Jonas!! I have a great time making these videos!
I just realized I used all these tips before I knew them. My particular favourite way to saturate my bass' is to put an analog modeled compressor on the buss and drive hard into it. Subtle, but it does the trick. And vocal saturation is a must. I use Studio One's stock distortion plug in and it works wonders on vocals
Thanks for these tips Warren.....”You Rock” !
Hi AJay! You Rock my friend!!
Thanks Warren, this was really helpful!
Love these quick tips videos!
Thanks ever so much Matthew!!
Quick? 30 minutes this.
I really like the Slate Virtual Tape machine. Steven said that he and Fabrice worked a long time to get the high end right.
Perfect Larry!!
Had fun doing pretty much this last night as I bought the sound toys rack! It sounds crazy, but it actually cleaned up the mix! With being able to hear the snare and kick clearer ! I did make sure things weren’t louder, and I found although they were actually lower, they cut through more! It’s , with other tweaks made me excited about the track again! Very groovy!
Thanks So Much Warren!!!
You're very welcome!!
Excellent! My favorite saturation plug is Magnetic by Nomad Factory. I have both, but I like the original Magnetic vs Magnetic II. The saturation on the Scheps Omni channel preamp section is nice too. Guitar amp simulators are also useful, like Scuffham.
Thanks ever so much for your amazing comment and insight!
I used Magnetic on my drum bus for years! Really unsubtle analogue style distortion, I might try using it again this week...
Great tips Warren.
I use saturator also for hihats after transiient shaper.
Thanks ever so much for the tip Bob!!
Warren Huart you sir are awesome!
Gilbert Norum thank you ever so much!!
I'm pretty sure I watch this guy because I see him as my British dad. Thanks Warren, your corny jokes and smile make me happy.
Haha Yes, I have a lot of corny jokes Merritt!
Happy new year 2018, dear Warren!! Please keep posting!
Thanks! I hope you're having a marvellous new year as well!
Very excited to take this in. Thank you.
Wonderful Audrey!!
Great stuff Warren. Saturation is so sublimely useful. Another one I've started using is Boz Digital Labs Little Clipper to shave those transient peaks . Such an awesome concept, and a great video on it. Thanks a lot =)
Saturation often less destructive than limiting!
Thanks for this Warren - great tut as always
You're very welcome!!
We use Decapitator on just about every song. Great video Warren!
Very useful video, as always! Thank you!
Hi laszlov2!! Thank you ever so much!!
Soundtoys Decapitator is still great. You can go light to very distorted. The different emulations change things up as well. Also useful is Softube Harmonics. Several types with transient control.
These tips by Warren are still very very useful. Thanks much.
Yo Warren, thanks for the vids :) these 5 trick videos really made me improve my technique. also great explanations along the way :)
Wonderful! I'm so glad to be able to help!
Fantastic advice, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience..
Awesome! Thanks for these great tips and tricks Warren.
Thank you ever so much my friend!
I was clueless about saturation and why it was used. Thanks!
Great as always! Thank you for the tips 💪🏼
Hi TheBrianhala, thanks very much!
Finally I got the real world equivalent for practical demonstration on LO-FI SATURATION - which yours truly have been using since the day 0 for all variety of fucked up effects.
Wonderful video this is! Thanks man!
Hi Cornelius, thanks ever so much!
This video was extremely helpful, mixing is so much easier since I started using saturation as a tool and not just an effect. Great great video, thanks so much Warren!
Thanks very much Nick!!
I'm so glad to be able to help!
A super underrated saturator that I rarely see mentioned but when people know it, they usually love it is the UAD VSM-3. The balance of 2nd and 3rd order harmonica can be subtle or totally raunchy but I use it on individual tracks and even on masters and it also does great MS saturation processing.
Thanks for the great insight! I really appreciate it! I'll have to try that out!!
Blown away by the simple LoFi plugin taming the high end on the drum room mic(s)... superb!
Hi James, yes, an amazingly simple trick!
Warren huart, you are my fucking hero! Thanks for all the tricks!!! You are all about the feeling of the music with its tips! You help a million fo records sounding good!
Best mentor 👍👍👍
Thanks ever so much
One of the best out there. 💪🏽🤘🏽
Awesome trick there with the snare! But where is that peak limiter you mention around 2:40? Thanks!
I wish I could Saturate my brain with the permanent recall memorization of every one of the tricks, from every Team PLAP Vid ever.....:)
What's the difference between compression and saturation when we want to control the picks as for example at 20:30 with drums?
Hi Warren,
Thanks for your TOP tutorials. By far the best of what I check on RUclips. I'm constantly improving my mixes. Marvelously thank you.
Hi Michel Remes wow!! Thank you ever so much!!
beuty tips!!!gracias warren!!!!
Thanks ever so much Juan!
I need to make notes of all the places where a drive control is hiding. I have completely ignored the MJUC drive, but this is awesome, especially in combination with the timbre dial.
Amazing!!!
Thanks ever so much!
Great video, thanks!
svedlundrodriguez yanks ever so much!
great tricks, thanks!
Thanks ever so much penname1!
Brilliant. Thanks, Warren.
Nice
Hey Warren, I've been using the Klanghelm SDRR. Great sat/distortion plug in and very cheap.
Thanks for the SDRR suggestion! Klanghelm make amazing plug ins!
@@Producelikeapro I wonder why they've been so quiet. Hoping they'll bring out something really nice again soon
On what instruments do you use the plugin?
I really like how your individual bypassed tracks sound so clean. Many engineers like to go bonkers with the compression or even, (*egads!*) print effects 'onto tape' -- leaving a nightmare for the mixing engineer.
I really dig your use of compression on the principal stems. You simply 'tap' it with compression, just enough to balance the dynamics properly. It sounds so smooth. What type of compressor/s do you use, and how would you suggest to dial it in?
awesome stuff! thank you!
Thanks ever so much Steven!
OK, how did you do that? I was in the middle of a mix, it was sounding -blah- so I decided to take a break and see what new vid you had up. Within the first 5 minutes I stopped the tape, jumped back into the DAW, and adding a bit of saturation to the bass and to the backing acoustic guitars and abracadabra, instant improvement. Thanks!
HI John, wonderful!! That's so cool to hear!! Thanks ever so much for your marvellous comment!
Hi. Awesome Video as always. I cannot believe how much you have improved my ability to record and I am just doing home recording for myself. I cannot imagine what you are doing for the pros out there. Question: can you explain the difference between saturation, distortion and overdrive? Also, any specific free ones you like or saturation that come with reaper or the waves platinum bundle? TY
Hi Adam, marvellous question! All three have very similar characteristics, the distinction arguably is:- Saturation is a name frequently given to Tape or Transformers or Tubes (Valves) being hit with a hot signal and adding to the original signal (one of these attributes can be 'distortion'!), Distortion is not always musical, with guitar amps it usually is, in Production it's not always a positive thing as people will call 'clipping' distortion and lastly Overdrive, in the sense of guitars at least, is the simulation of how a Tube Amp sounds! Those are some of the many explanations! Haha I hope that helps?
Thank you. That does help, not just in terms of theory but also application. It sort of helps explain why saturation would thicken a sound and distortion thin the sound a bit. You do things in theses videos I would have never thought of and make it so practical. Thankyou for making this available. I tell every musician I know to watch your stuff.
HI Adam, distortion can also thicken, however once again the terms can be confused with each other! Ultimately try different plug ins that have all of these names and see what works for you! Thanks for your wonderful support!
Interesting how you can use Saturstion as a sort of de-compressor. As in, it can help repair an over compressed sound
Love these videos. How about "5 Quick Snare Drum Mixing Tricks?"
Great idea Paul!
Please do ... finding how scooping mids in master can make the mix smooth but seems to unmask the snare a bit... sometimes for the better
Hi Warren, thanks again for the tips! As already pointed out by someone else, please try Klanghelm SDRR for saturation, and give us your opinion! I think it's great, but I'd like to know a professional opinion!
Hi Sergio, absolutely! I really enjoy everything Klanghelm make!
Thanks once again!
This video just blew my mind! Thanks a lot Warren!
Love your work, always
Your videos have really cranked the saturation on the home studio market
Yeah, as a producer I can relate to that.
Thank you Warren, your techniques are sooo useful for me.
Hi David, thank you ever so much my friend!!
Great tips...thanks
Did I hear correctly? Futzbox on bass guitar? Super videos btw Warren I must get oruind to joining up!
You are the hero
Cool !!! I like it !! It changes my life !!!🤗🤗🤗