Ways to increase high end without eq

[Burny]

What kind of $$$ are we talking for this unit??

My first hit on Bing was 999$. I have it a couple of years, no idea what i payed.

Im partial to this sound as opposed to the vitalizer. The only reason i ask is because with the vitalizer im not hearing enough of an "improvement" to warrant big money.

My example was on the subtle side and that is what I usually use it for.

[willj]

My example was on the subtle side and that is what I usually use it for.

Yeah me too.

If there comes a time that you come across a clip of that unit working at close to its full potential and its not too much trouble, post it please. I just wanted to see how what im doing here compares to such a coveted piece. Thanks!

[garageband]

Let me suggest a simple test: Play these two clips to someone not music related and on plain normal speakers.
Please don't insult that person for not hearing any difference and think about really wanting one :-)

It is the last hint of fairy dust we like to sprinkle on something to please OUR ears, 98% of the general population will not notice it...
And I remember a dull piano recording, were that thing couldn't do anything.

That said, I've just seen that the SPL plugins are now available without iLoq ;-)

That's not what it's about. I'm buying it as a tool to use and to make sounds I want to hear when I'm working. To be blunt, I could give a shit about the 98%. They don't want or need to know how the sausage is made. If they were to figure in, how would that work? Mixing by poll? By committee? There's no way I can make that work. Making the acceptance of every small step and incremental improvement conditional of the Girlfriend Test seems wrong-headed. They can't all be home runs.

[Burny]

If there comes a time that you come across a clip of that unit working at close to its full potential and its not too much trouble, post it please. I just wanted to see how what im doing here compares to such a coveted piece. Thanks!

I have to admit, that I'm not hearing a difference in your clips. Maybe my MBP sucks that out...

Here's a full chorus, Vitalizer as external insert, followed by dynamic EQ and Maximizer. The "without" file was bypassed in Cubase, on the "OnOff" file I pressed the hardware bypass of the Vitalizer a couple of times during export. That was a "real world" setting I used, so again moderate settings, even lower than my first example. But I think what the device does to the voice is this time a bit more obvious.

The 2/3 file is a bit brutal, I took the process knobs from 7 to 13 (of 20) and the stereo expander from 7 to 10. Also a bit more bass processing.

I guess there are much more capable hands than mine to show the full potential of this device, but I tried to show what I do with it.

After hearing that again, I should have adjusted the dynamic EQ to address the sibilance a bit better. Not a finished track ;-)

[Burny]

That's not what it's about. I'm buying it as a tool to use and to make sounds I want to hear when I'm working. To be blunt, I could give a shit about the 98%. They don't want or need to know how the sausage is made. If they were to figure in, how would that work? Mixing by poll? By committee? There's no way I can make that work. Making the acceptance of every small step and incremental improvement conditional of the Girlfriend Test seems wrong-headed. They can't all be home runs.

I agree 100%. As I said: "OUR" ears...
And I meant the group of people that fall between the 98% and the ones that buy wooden holders for their extra thick speaker cables for 100 bucks a piece
I've seen enough of your posts here over the years to know, that you know what you're doing.

[willj]

I have to admit, that I'm not hearing a difference in your clips. Maybe my MBP sucks that out...

Listen to the kick and snare drum. The ride cymbal is falling under the threshold and is unaffected. Its a little easier to hear going from the engaged clip to the flat clip than it is from flat to engaged.

Ofcourse, its GOING to be more subtle on PC speakers, but man the difference last night was obvious, even after a long day of mixing.

Today, i agree it IS hard to pick up. Shouldnt it be the other way around??

Thanks for posting the clips. I appreciate you taking the time.

[garageband]

What I'm hearing is the processor making the lead vocal's hold on its position in the stereo field more tentative. Granted, there are ways around that. I tend to leave my vocals thicker and usually end up off-centered somehow. Add to that tentativeness the limiting and, to a lesser extent, the dynamic EQ, and the vocal becomes pretty wander-y. Troublingly so.

[Burny]

Listen to the kick and snare drum. The ride cymbal is falling under the threshold and is unaffected. Its a little easier to hear going from the engaged clip to the flat clip than it is from flat to engaged.

Ok, since the thread is about high end, I concentrated mostly on the ride... Sorry!
I downloaded them and did an A/B on my DAW. Jep, sounds a bit fresher and punchier.
That each hit varies a bit, does make comparing a bit tricky :-)

Today, i agree it IS hard to pick up. Shouldnt it be the other way around??

Depends, with high end normally yes. Regarding subtle edits, normally no. At least this is how my ears fool me ;-)
And everyone that has worked with this kind of stuff long enough, will prefer delivering a bit less than a bit too much, right?

Thanks for posting the clips. I appreciate you taking the time.

You're most welcome. Any comments on them? I had to think of a certain restaurant in Southpark all the time :-)))))

[Burny]

@garageband

Might be the Stereo Expander. At least the phase correlation is never negative.
You are right, the vocal is a bit more detached from the center. But it gets a kind of "airiness" that I personally liked for that song.

I have to finish that in the near future anyway, will try out what part of the device is responsible for that and will post the result.

[willj]

Hi Burny, Yeah i was really going to comment because i didnt want to sound condescending or unappreciative after you went out of your way to show me something. Not only that, but i havent had a chance to listen to the clips on anything more than PC speakers.

My guess is that i'll get the best reading from the first clip and -the more subtle one in the second set- once i drag in to my DAW and put it up on the monitors, but as of now, it doesnt seem like anything more than boosting a bit of hi- end.

[Burny]

@ willj

Don't worry, all is good, I'm just curious :-)

After all, you can't really judge such a device without having touched the knobs yourself.
In the end it is a kind of EQ and everybody uses them differently and likes different results.