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Wow, what the fuck is going here guys. Let's keep the fucking c0r, er in the fucking c0r.
It's not actually a bad thread idea, but the entire premise is flawed.
"Warmth" in the traditional sense comes from a complex of electrons moving between conductors in controlled vacuum environment and...(Rann bores everyone to shit explaining how tubes work so time to FFWD). THis is an entirely electrical (not electronic) process that happen to an analogue signal.
Therefore any "warmth" anyone speaks of outside of that one true process is nothing but emulation; It's not warmth - it's just applied coloration to attempt to achieve simulated warmth.
Invariably, these do create more problems that they're worth as real warmth is an incredibly subtle thing.
Ever used say a 1940's Neumann SM2? Then thing doesn't even sound like it should until it's been on half an hour and that tube is nice an hot. Even then it's an incredibly esoteric thing describe.
You start getting in to gearslutz territory where people start using words like "round" and "smooth" and "open" or "deep" to describe audio signals.
My take is, unless you really fucking know what you're doing, and can also do it in incredible minute and nuanced detail, stay the hell away from trying to attempt to add digital warmth to your tracks.
You'll get 1000% more out of picking better samples and learning great EQ technique than you ever will by slapping the PSP vintage warmer on your mix and thinking it sounds better. It doesn't.
One thing though (and not to completely contradict myself), there is a gray area and somewhat a ghost in the machine; When you listen to a lot of the older tracks from EDM (early-mid 90's) there's something about them that has an energy and warmth, that despite today's obvious incredible advancements, our music these days doesn't capture.
Sure some can be down to slightly innacurate midi timing (which psychoacoustically makes us think it's more natural or organic) but maybe there's something to using to using real synths and recording their outputs that imparts a tangible difference that you just don't seem to get entirely ITB.
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