When subtle differences matter

[Absolutely Last Efx]

Today I spent some time playing some notes to keep my fingers in training ... Lately I play little, I am more focused on mixes, remixes and masters. For the occasion I used Steinberg's The Grand 3 VST inside the MixBUS32c. I usually use Cubase Pro for virtuals .... I know very well how it sounds but inside the MixBus it has a "I don't know what". I created 3 links to audio files that represent the same midi performance within Cubase, the MixBus and the difference between the two .... the judgment is yours .... and sorry for the execution!

Thanks.

Piano 1

Piano 2

Difference

[TheBassBagwhan]

That's very interesting. At first I just thought it was the Mixbus analogue emulation doing its thing and thus losing that digital brightness. But it also sounds like the VST in Cubase even mimics the mechanical sound of the piano pedals, and that's somehow being lost too.
But it could be due to how MB is "handling" the VST and I wonder if you'd get similar results using, say, one of Native Instrument's serious pianos (inside Kontakt, of course).

[Absolutely Last Efx]

That's very interesting. At first I just thought it was the Mixbus analogue emulation doing its thing and thus losing that digital brightness. But it also sounds like the VST in Cubase even mimics the mechanical sound of the piano pedals, and that's somehow being lost too.
But it could be due to how MB is "handling" the VST and I wonder if you'd get similar results using, say, one of Native Instrument's serious pianos (inside Kontakt, of course).

To be exact Piano 1 is MixBus and Piano 2 Cubase. The Difference is the "analog subtle distortion" introduced from tape emulation on BUS channel from MixBus.
Now imagine how this subtle saturation applied to the sum of dozens of tracks on the 12 BUS + the master can contribute to that analog feel, because that's what we're talking about, not the sound, to the mix. I see in the future of MixBus32c the possibility of having a preamp emulation that can be inserted by the user by default on each channel. All this completes a journey that began a long time ago and which makes it a unique product of its kind.

I've good sampled Pianos in my Kontakt Library "The Maverick" and "Noire", today I'll post the new files with the same execution.
Thank you.

[Absolutely Last Efx]

Here the links...

Maverick MixBus
Maverick Cubase
Difference

Noire MixBus
Noire Cubase
Difference

Thank you

[whiskeynipple0088]

That's very interesting. At first I just thought it was the Mixbus analogue emulation doing its thing and thus losing that digital brightness. But it also sounds like the VST in Cubase even mimics the mechanical sound of the piano pedals, and that's somehow being lost too.
But it could be due to how MB is "handling" the VST and I wonder if you'd get similar results using, say, one of Native Instrument's serious pianos (inside Kontakt, of course).

To be exact Piano 1 is MixBus and Piano 2 Cubase. The Difference is the "analog subtle distortion" introduced from tape emulation on BUS channel from MixBus.
Now imagine how this subtle saturation applied to the sum of dozens of tracks on the 12 BUS + the master can contribute to that analog feel, because that's what we're talking about, not the sound, to the mix. I see in the future of MixBus32c the possibility of having a preamp emulation that can be inserted by the user by default on each channel. All this completes a journey that began a long time ago and which makes it a unique product of its kind.

I've good sampled Pianos in my Kontakt Library "The Maverick" and "Noire", today I'll post the new files with the same execution.
Thank you.

[bjohnh]

Here the links...

Maverick MixBus
Maverick Cubase
Difference

Noire MixBus
Noire Cubase
Difference

All those files appear to be empty; I can't hear anything when I play them (but I could hear the first two files you posted just fine).

[Yriisem]

Absolutely Last Efx
I tried to change your files a little in terms of volume and the difference becomes clearly visible on the mechanical sounds of the keyboard and a little saturation. Transients are played in different ways, this is obvious.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sf5zw7v...sp=sharing

[Absolutely Last Efx]

Here the links...

Maverick MixBus
Maverick Cubase
Difference

Noire MixBus
Noire Cubase
Difference

All those files appear to be empty; I can't hear anything when I play them (but I could hear the first two files you posted just fine).

I checked all the links and they work correctly, the audio files are 96Khz 32bit....

[Absolutely Last Efx]

Absolutely Last Efx
I tried to change your files a little in terms of volume and the difference becomes clearly visible on the mechanical sounds of the keyboard and a little saturation. Transients are played in different ways, this is obvious.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sf5zw7v...sp=sharing

Previous to the links I did an analysis with Wavelab Pro and normalized the volume of the differences to -3dbfs true peak. the result is what you posted. Clearly now the difference is much more perceptible and gives us an understanding of what happens passing between the MixBus and the Master. On other platforms, similar and more varied results can be achieved by using plugins on purpose.

I propose the experiment again by inserting the Slate Virtual Mix Rack in a Cubase Bus ....

Thank you

[Absolutely Last Efx]

I conducted some tests, using third party plug-ins, both as a pre-amp and tape emulation simulation, but in all cases the work done by the MixBus emulation remains subtle, hidden if not exaggerated, but contributes to creating that flavor of analog. I believe that a technology that similarly emulates what the MixBus does is the Plugin Alliance TMT.