Recreating a Classic Analogue Mix Chain with Plugins

Digital audio production is the modern standard, yet it lacks the colour and life of classic analogue hardware. Learn how to breathe life into your mix bus

As music production has overwhelmingly shifted to the digital domain over the last few decades, producers and artists now face the reality that working purely in the box often creates cold, dry, harsh, and lifeless recordings. That’s why many producers are turning to analogue-simulating software to breathe life and warmth of classic hardware back into their sound.

Thanks to the evolution of computer power and software development, artists can now create analogue-sounding mixes that sound indistinguishable from the original hardware, using plugins alone. Plugins capture asymmetric electrical and sonic processing by emulating classic devices like mixing desks, tape machines, tube amplifiers, analogue compressors, and other iconic gear.

When it comes to setting the overall tone of a mix, the stereo mix bus is arguably one of the most important stages. A naturally analogue-sounding track can be achieved by purely applying the right chain of plugins on the mix bus – rather than needing to meticulously process individual channels.

This guide demonstrates the tools, technique, and philosophy to create classic analogue mix chains using plugins alone.

 

Getting Started: The Philosophy of Analogue Mixing

Before touching any knobs or devices, it’s first important to understand the philosophy and approach to recreating analogue signals in a DAW.

 

 

The goal is to recreate the electrical signal processing that happens in the mixing setup of a classic recording studio - but inside your DAW. In essence, a mix chain needs the correct collection and ordering of plugins to mimic the hardware setup of an analogue production environment.

This can be achieved by studying how analogue mixing chains are arranged in studios (perhaps taking inspiration from notable producers), and mimicking the devices and signal flow.

 

A Typical Analogue Mixing Signal Chain

While exact devices and settings vary between studios and artists, there are common chains based on the nature and constraints of hardware setups.

For starters, instruments and sounds (such as guitar, bass, drums, and vocals) are recorded onto a multi-track tape machine. The multitrack is then fed into channels of an analogue mixing desk with a range of insert and send effects through hardware devices. This stage is the main mixdown (before the mix bus) and isn’t covered in this article.

After individual tracks are processed, they are summed to a single stereo mix bus through a channel on a mixing console. The dynamics are then controlled with a bus compressor (SSL Native Bus Compressor 2), then run through an EQ for tonal shaping (UAD Pultec Passive EQ Collection). The final stage is printing the mix onto a final pre-master tape (Softube Tape), which would either be sent to the mastering house or cut to vinyl.

Analysing this signal chain reveals the type and order of plugins needed to recreate the sound on a mix bus:

Tape Emulator → Mixing Desk Channel → Bus Compressor → Hardware EQ → Tape Emulator → Mastering Chain/Export

 

Step 1: Preparing the Mix and DAW

The first stage of the mix is to prepare the mix and DAW project.

The starting point can be a printed stereo mixdown file or the multitrack DAW files. The latter is best as it allows for tweaks to be applied to individual channels if necessary. Often when working on the mix bus, issues with the multichannel mix can become exaggerated and need to be corrected.

It’s important to insert all the plugins in the chain before changing parameters, rather than applying and adjusting each plugin in sequence. Subsequent processes in a chain are affected by the settings of previous plugins and have symbiotic relationships. If you dial in one plugin and then insert another, it will change how the first one sounds.

For example, if a compressor is applied and dialled in, it might sound completely different and wrong after inserting the following EQ and tape machines. It’s important to hear how the processors affect each other rather than working in isolation.

 

Step 2: Setting the First Tape and Desk Channel

The first tape machine simply replicates the effect of tape being played from a multitrack.

 

 

For a true analogue-sounding mix, each individual channel would be run through a tape and mixing desk channel simulator. Use a plugin like Softube Tape, with subtle settings. It can add a little bit of hiss, noise, and saturation to fill out space and help with glue from the subsequent compression.

The tape machine should only apply a couple of dB gain, and is a good point to gain-stage the mix into the next compression stage. Avoid oversaturating or flattening the mix here. Adjusting the tape speed can help to set the tone, warmth, and noise levels.

Running the tape machine into a mixing desk channel sim helps with authenticity. It doesn’t even need to have any processing with the EQ or compressor of the channel, it can just be used for some subtle tone processing.

 

Step 3: Dynamic Control with Bus Compression

Next, the mix is fed into a mix bus compressor - the SSL Native Bus Compressor 2 is an industry standard here.

 

 

The compressor’s purpose is to add more glue, while also controlling the broader dynamics and transients.

Feed a mix into this stage at around -6dB and lower the threshold until the compression starts activating. Tweak the attack and release times to achieve the desired texture. Generally, a slower attack (>40ms) and a faster release (<40ms) are used in bus compression to control dynamics while retaining transient punch - but ultimately it depends on the desired sound that suits the record.

Next, adjust the ratio to set how aggressively the compressor squashes the dynamics. It should be subtle (around 1:2 or 1:3), to apply slight control to iron out dynamic range, without completely flattening the mix.

Often multiple stages of compression are used on a mix bus. One with fast, aggressive settings to shape the transients, and a second more gentle for macro dynamic control.

Listen to the transients and overall dynamic consistency of the track and adjust the settings as needed. Using a reference track with a dynamic range analysis tool helps provide rough benchmarks to aim for.

 

Step 4: Tone Shaping with Equalisation

Next, an EQ is used for tone shaping after the compressor. It’s best to use the EQ after the compressor, as otherwise the unbalanced frequencies can clamp the compressor too early.

 

 

The UAD Pultec Passive EQ Collection is one of the most popular choices here, thanks to its smooth, tube tone and ability for deep and precise sculpting - these are classics.

Use an EQP-5 to sculpt the mids, followed by an EQP-1 to control the highs and lows.

The best workflow for an EQ is to apply a slight boost or cut, then adjust the target frequency until it’s in the right area. Then adjust the strength of the EQ to taste. Use narrow resonances on low frequencies and broader bandwidths in higher frequencies.

Adjust the EQP-5 to pull out some of the mids and add some nice mid resonance and focus on the desired instruments. Dial in the EQP-1 for the low-end tightness and a bit of sparkle on the top. Reduce the low end broadly, and then boost more precise low frequencies (either 60 or 100hz) to create a focused and punchy low end.

Listen out for punch, focus, and sparkle, but avoid harsh or scratchy highs and muddy, booming lows, which are symptoms of overly aggressive settings.

 

Step 5: Printing to Tape

The final stage is another instance of a tape emulation (like the Softube Tape), which mimics the sound of the track being printed onto a tape for mastering or release.

 

 

Use a tape emulator here to add a bit more glue, compression, presence, saturation, and warmth. Again, avoid oversaturation, and payl attention to how the previous EQ frequencies become more focused and prominent based on the tape’s saturation.

There only needs to be a subtle application of the tape here, and aim for transparency rather than prominence, unless a heavily saturated, crunchy tone is desired. Finally, push up the output gain to the correct level for the premaster, typically around -3dB.

 

Step 6: Final Tweaks and Balancing

After dialling in the settings on each device individually, it’s worth going back over each processor, bypassing it, soloing it, and adjusting the parameters to find the optimal balance.

When bypassing, make sure the signal is level-matched (the same loudness on and off) to ensure that you’re just listening to the effect of the processor, rather than an increase in volume.

A huge amount of sonic variety can be achieved even just with the few mix processors used here, so spend a bit of time rebalancing the plugins at each stage.

 

Conclusion & Closing Tips

The above guides are just recommendations rather than strict rules. Ultimately, the plugins, arrangement, and settings need to be uniquely dialled in for each record, depending on the intended sound. Analogue mix chains can be used for any genre, although the final settings will vary - from pop and rock to electronic.

The plugins outlined above can be replaced with other similar ones; check out the October Analogue Emulations hub and the Analogue Plugins Buyer’s Guide to explore alternatives.