Analog gears have their importance in mixing and mastering. They give certain classic vibes to the sound, which the digital software often struggles to replace. However, with the rise of plugin technology, developers have been working hard to bring the characteristics of analog hardware into the digital domain.
Analog Obsession is a bundle of plugins known for the emulations of classic analog gears like the Waves 14 plugins. This bundle consists of vintage compressors, colourful EQs, tape-like saturation, etc. This company was founded by the Rıdvan Küçük.
In this blog, I will dive deep into this VST bundle, exploring its key features, the sound quality of each plugin, and how they can stack up against other analog emulation plugins. We’ll also look at real-world applications of these tools and share tips on using them in your mixing and mastering game.
Elements of the Bundle:
This bundle is a comprehensive suite containing different plugins. The names of these bundles are given below.
- Color Bundle
- Rare Bundle
- American Bundle
- F-Bundle
- Fet Bundle
- BritBundle
- NOS Bundle
let’s discuss them one by one.
1. Color bundle :
The color bundle is a collection of two free plugins that are discussed below.
1. PreBOX:
The preBOX is an amplifier that offers 11 selectable preamp models. This makes it suitable for use on vocals, guitars, and other instruments. Here are its main features.
Main features:
- 11 Preamp Models: A variety of tonal options to be applied to various sources.
- Automatic Gain Control: Prevents unwanted distortion by maintaining the audio level.
- Gain Range: Helps to adjust the gain level up to ±24dB, making it ideal for boosting the weak signal.
- High-Pass and Low-Pass Filters: These help cut unwanted frequencies.
- 4x Oversampling: Helps to create natural sound by reducing the aliasing.
2. Distox:
The distox is an analog emulation of multiband distortion studio gear. This plugin has two circuits for tonal variety.
- Tube Emulation: Produces smooth and clear saturation.
- Op-Amp Emulation: Adds crunchy and aggressive tone.
Main features:
- High-Cut and Low-Cut Filters: Tame frequencies post distortion and bring clarity.
- Flexible Distortion: Allows the user to set the intensity of saturation.
Analog Obsession lala:
The Lala plugin emulates the legendary Teletronix LA-2A optical compressor, known for its smooth, transparent compression and subtle harmonic enhancement. These characteristics of the LA 2A are now brought into the digital world in the form of Lala VST.
Besides including the analog characters of the LA 2A, Lala is also packed with additional features, including side chain filtering, external side chain capability, and mix control, offering versatility for modern music production. This plugin is available in VST, VST3, AU, and AAX and is compatible with Windows and Mac.
Features:
The uses and applications of this plugin are listed below.
- Vocals, Guitars, and Bass: Lala VST brings out the clarity and presence without affecting the tone of the sound, making itself suitable for the vocals, etc.
- Analog Vibe: Its ability to add rich warmth makes it suitable for achieving that coveted analog feel in your productions.
- Transparent Compression: It compresses the audio cleanly and preserves the dynamics as well as the integrity of the sound source.
- Sidechain Compression: This feature adds flexibility, making it useful for different tasks such as ducking bass under kick drums.
- Mix Bus Glue: It can also be used to mix buses to create cohesion and polish across your tracks.
- Interface: The interface of this vst is also clean and simple, allowing the users to focus on the task instead of being overwhelmed by complex controls.
3. American Bundle :
This bundle offers two plugins inspired by the
MERICA :
Merica is 3 3-band 3, 3-band equalizer designed to emulate the sound of classic American mixing consoles from the 1960s and 1970s, such as those by API.
Features:
- 3-Band EQ: Simplifies the tonal shaping.
- High/Low-Pass Filters: Tame unwanted frequencies effectively.
- Oversampling Mode: Reduces artifacts.
COMBOX VST:
This VST is hybrid of preamp and EQ in one interface. It is suitable for bus processing offering warmth, harmonics, and added presence.
Main Features:
- Bus-Friendly Design: Adds glue to the mix.
- Anti-Aliasing Features: Ensures a smooth sound.
- Touchscreen Support: Adds a modern touch in terms of usability.
2. Rare Bundle:
The Rare Bundle consists of the two EQ plugins that emulate the legendary Pultec EQ gear. These two plugins are explained below.
1. RARE VST:
This plugin emulates the characteristics of the Pultec EQ, but it also adds a modern and digital touch to it.
Main features:
- Cut and Boost Options: Helps to adjust the low and high frequencies independently.
- Customizable Q-Bands: Narrow or widen the frequency ranges for precise adjustments.
- Pre-EQ Gain: Helps to add warmth.
- Mid/Side Processing: Controls the mid and side frequencies for stereo widening.
Applications :
- Can be used on vocals for warmth and air.
- Add thickness to bass guitars, kicks and drums.
- Enhance sparkle in the guitars by boosting the high-range frequencies.
- Suitable for mastering for polished sound.
2. Rare SE :
The Rare SE offers a simplified workflow, making it suitable for beginners. It lacks advanced features like the pre-EQ gain, focusing instead on ease of use.
Analog Obsession Life:
The original life of this plugin is Relife, but it is simply known as Life vst. This VST enhances dull or poor recordings into polished audio by adding harmonic excitement and dynamic enhancement.
Controls:
Here, I am explaining a few of the controls of this plugin, which I think users must know before using it.
- Input Knob: This knob lets the user choose the amount of sound entering the plugin. Users can set their value to achieve the softer or more intense results. This knob also decides the tone of the output results.
- SHAPE: This knob is designed to alter the tonality of the sound, as it uses pre-defined EQ settings.
- LIFE: This knob adds character to the sound by adding the saturation. Even at the higher settings of the audio, the dynamics of the audio is preserved if used carefully with the input knob.
- MIX: This knob is used to create parallel processing effects or fine-tune the overall impact of the plugin by blending the wet and dry signals together.
- OUTPUT: This knob lets the user set the output volume of the audio to make sure it fits properly in the mix.
- Company Logo: A company logo is also at the top corner of the vst. Clicking on it activates the Oversampling (4x), which enhances the plugin’s performance by improving the processing quality. After the oversampling mode is on, the logo will be turned red.
Review:
In this blog post section, I will share my experience with these vsts and their pros and cons. This review is not sponsored.
1. Pros of the Analog Obsession bundle :
- These plugins are light to use. I mean, my operating system never gets hung when I use these plugins. This is not the same with other developer companies’ plugins.
- All plugins are user-friendly. They have a simple and clean interface, which is easy to navigate.
- These plugins are very affordable to users of any type. Most producers think they don’t have better sound quality because they do not use expensive brand plugins. But this is not true. I found that these plugins have top-notch quality.
- All the plugins included in this bundle are inspired by some analogue gears, which is good for producers like me who love to have a classic vibe in their mix.
2. Cons :
- Sometimes, I encounter bugs when updating these plugins. This can disturb my workflow, but it occurs very rarely.
- If I compare these plugins with paid plugins of the same type, I see that these plugins offer limited features, and the sound quality is also compromised a bit.
Free Download Analog Obsession Plugin bundle at their official website.
System Requirements :
- Operating System: Windows 10/11 or macOS 10.11 and later
- Supported Formats: VST x32, VST x64, VST3, AAX, AU
- Version: v6
- Size: 2.6 GB
