Perpetual Escape - Sin Six

[Roy]

That was one of the things I learned when looking into how all those initial Waves signature series of plug-ins worked and broke them down. Especially the CLA or JJP vocal ones. There's a lot of parallel compression and eq going on in those.. These days most of the time I send lead vocal to 4 or 5 parallel busses with different compression and eqs or distortion and blend them together. Throwing one out phase can create something interesting too.

Not sure if you have seen them already but there are some somewhat official diagrams floating about for the CLA ones that show roughly how they are set up, they certainly show the thinking behind them anyway.

Yeah, I think they are quite useful from a learning point of view. 
I find I mainly only use a small number of quite basic plugins these days (and I think my mixes are getting a bit better).  But I do use plenty of ideas and things (eq curves and compression ideas, etc) from all the various plugins I *thought* I needed, so not a total waste of money... haha.  Well I feel I have got value from them from an educational point of view.  It's funny - finding out what doesn't work for you is as equally useful as finding out what does I think.
I am pretty sure I wouldn't really understand what people are 'getting' from LA2A and 1176 compression unless I had the plugin emulations, for example.  I've never used any outboard gear.
I have certainly taken some inspiration from some of the eq curves, but I didn't really pick up on the parallel eq aspect before. I haven't tried the JJP ones but I did pick up the CLA pack a couple of years ago.  I quite like the cla bass one on occasion.
Anyway, bit of a ramble, but might be useful to someone I guess.
Cheers!

I've often wondered what people that have never used the hardware version of the emulated plugins thought. I grew up behind a custom console loaded with api 550A's (it also had necam 1 automation, having anxiety thinking about it https://www.gearslutz.com/board/attachments/so-much-gear-so-little-time/507762d1445965018-history-fader-automation-necam.jpg). 

For example, I got into an online discussion with a guy about the api 550A and that I would have loved for them to make a sweepable boost cut on the waves version. There wasn't one day that went by where you wanted 3DB of boost or cut, 2 wasn't enough and 4 was to much. He got all hot and bothered that it wouldn't be a true model if it did that, I found out after further discussion that he had never even seen one in real life let alone used one.  He wasn't even ok if there was a button that said true model and hybrid so you could boost 3 if you so chose. 

Do you guys tend to buy models of classic hardware or you can take it or leave it. I sold my api lunch box and 1073's years ago and I am actually really happy with the couple of plugins I have that emulate them.

Oh, someone had automation. We just had grease pencil marks and hope.

I get what you're saying about the emulations and yeah a button to switch between true and hybrid would be cool but I kinda like the limitations.

Interestingly, using plug in emulations have gotten me more interested in the hardware and what people who use them expect. I've had and used outboard, certainly, but not to the extent I do now in the box. It's interesting to examine and figure out what's happening underneath.

I'm not sure if this is making sense. I'm tired.