Kendrix wrote on Mon, 30 November 2009 15:59 |
The UAD stuff has been mentioned many times.
In the way of EQ their 1073 always amazed me for its faithfullness to the target sound.
I just spent some time auditioning the new trident A-range EQ. The HW unit employs inductors rather than caps to shape the frequency response. The Great River EQ does the same and produces some of the same character: very solid and smooth. No woofiness.
The Trident is just a bit edgy/forward in a good way (somewhat API-ish). I've never even seen a trident console in person (although we've all heard some of the classic releases produced on it). However, the smoothness and tone of this one has got me singing the praises of UAD once again (analog-like or not).
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To build on the above.. i spent some time last night really critically listening and comparing the Trident to other EQ/Channel strip plugs including various UAD neves and the pultec.
The Trident smokes em all in many areas.
Hard consonants: These were neither accentuated nor smothered/smeared.
They came through clearly and naturally. No other insert did this as well as the trident. (Input was male vox via a U195 through a GR NV)
High end: Cymbals: Cymbals can be hard to de-digitize. The Trident did this best of all. It produces a clear, natural full & pleasant crash & a smooth tail. It was neither dark nor bright. Even when I boosted the highs it didn't make me wince.
Bass: solid but not at all boomy. No low/mid haze at all.
Adding a bit of 60hz gave me some of the 1073 low-down flavor and still didn't become woofy/boomy. I got the bass to sit in the mix easily.
Snare: The 1073 can do to a snare what nothing else does. However, that Neve bite is certainly not in the input signal to that extent. OTOH the trident was more natural and EQ boosts were much more pleasant sounding. This is a case of "whatever works".
Toms: The ringing tails came though very naturally. I could clearly hear what sounded like a drum skin flexing. None of the other plugs sounded nearly as clear or natural. It seems that the frequency and phase relationships come through in tact and maintain their integrity throughout the tail. The trident was a real standout in this regard.
El guitar: The subtle harmonics of a classic overdriven tone using single coils/class A amp really came through with the Trident in a way none of the other plugs could reproduce. I heard pleasant details I never heard before. Nice depth. On a solo lead the LP filter at 10 or 12K made me smile.
Male vox: The problematic low-mids were easily dealt with via the HP filter and a slight scoop at 250 leaving a smooth and just slightly forward sound. Im tempted to say it was API-ish. Testing the high end boost on vox gave the same results as on cymbals. It was smooth and not at all harsh or digital sounding.
Inserting a trident an all channels of a mix made my day.
Depth was improved (in a tranny sort of way).
No low-mid build up or other artifacts arose.
It may not be analog but it sure didn't sound digital.
The trident adds just enough character / mojo to impart a sonic signature. It ain't boring. However, it isn't particularly colored either. It walks a very fine line in that regard.
I've thought about it and I've got nothing bad to say about this plug. I am clearly infatuated. However, I think this relationship will be long term.