Series: Using Outboard Hardware - DAW Hardware Insert Explained Thoroughly - Part I of III 

I swear your episodes are exactly what I’m thinking about always.

Just recently bought an ART Voice Channel used in mint condition on Reverb (great price at that), I run it through my Motu M2. Best gift I've bought for myself in a while. I love having a little processing on my vocals before going into my DAW. Love your channel and look forward to every new video, keep up the great work sir!

I do some recording work but primarily work in mixing. After a year or so working on optimizing my monitoring and workflow while working with some inherited units, I just made my first major upgrade with outboard. I had a UA 710, TS P-Solo, Art Pro VLA, and a 4 slot lunchbox with a Radial EXTC and 1081 DIY module that was probably too much for the rack to power (it didn’t work). I definitely relied on your channel for information over the last few months as I was planning my upgrade. The left channel on the VLA was toast when I got it and I was craving analog bus compression, and the fixed auto vs. fast switches on the original VLA was so boring to me, so that unit went back to its owner. I threw down on the Drawmer 1978 and 1974, Elysia Xpressor 500, and Golden Age Comp-2A. Mixbus, drum bus, and a rotating Opto option to sweeten up bass or vocals if needed, all covered. One mix in and my mind is kinda blown. Thanks for all the advice though seriously, I may not have the most high end components available but I chose them based on flexibility and being at a high enough price point that the components are relatively solid. You might argue the Comp-2A is a rack filler, and to some extent you would be right, but I’ve always loved the LA2A opto vibe and there aren’t that many great half rack options that I’ve seen lol.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it’s much appreciated

Thanks for starting at the beginning. I recently had to learn how to rout my new interface to external gear without going into the dreaded feedback loop. Videos from certain companies seem to want to skip the connection basics to get right to the “cool guy doing cool stuff“ stage. I appreciate your willingness to address the fundamentals.

Barry, you are the man. Thanks again!

Barry, thanks for your videos. I'm just trying to run my mixes through my current audio interface into my Mackie 1402-VLZ3 mixer for some tone and that onboard EQ and back into the DAW for printing. I will need to upgrade my interface at some point, your videos are still needed. Keep 'em coming.

your job is just awesome! thanks 🙏

Nice video Barry

Excellent! One of your best vids. Thank you!

I always like barry, i tell people about you in real life and online, and I am trying to buy more merch. You’re a god send brother and someone I reccomend anyone trying to do things on a computer

Literally wearing my studio talk shirt I love you barry

Thanks for explaining. Got it 🙂

All I know is analog through working almost exclusively on an Audient Heritage in-line console, and I always found hardware inserts very confusing compared to the simple in and out nature of the console. Nobody ever told me that after a little programming in the hardware inserts section in Pro Tools that it was almost the EXACT SAME PROCESS. This is the first video that fully described how to use them in mixing and also how to connect them. I want to get my home studio up and running in the next few years and obviously at 20 years old taking out a $50,000+ loan for my favorite Audient console plus all the converters isn't a possibility. This helped reassure me that I do know what I'm doing after all and I was just overthinking a process that I wasn't as familiar with. Thanks.

Thank You

Ayyyyye!! Barry’s Back!!!

great stuff as usual Barry…im grabbing one of those shirts Mann…

Thanks!

I already know how to add hardware to my DAW, but I still like this video. This video would have made things a lot easier when I started. One tip to add to this video is to consider using a software plugin that mimics the hardware you are considering. If you are going to use an LA2A clone, also grab a software version (Waves has the CLA-2A and Logic has an LA2A built in for free). Do your settings in the software, get it dialed in just the way you want. Then make the same settings on the hardware. At that point you can gain stage the two and compare them for color, character & performance.

I’d like to see a video on the Patch LT and routing setups. Primarily utilizing all analog hardware.

Hi Barry, I exactly had this question some time ago. I wanted to have a channel dedicated to a Electrical Harmonix pedal. I finally got weary because it was just too complicated with my UAx6.

Remember u can always have a signal patch record the same take dry so that u can go back and tweak by feeding that dry signal back through

Great video, Barry! If you can, I would like to hear your opinion on mic pres on a video. I’ve been tracking through a mid 80s yamaha console (crazy nowadays, but got it cheap and it works good), probably an outboard mic pre would be a good upgrade but I don’t really know how much of a sound difference you can hear changing just the pres. I haven’t got the chance to try out good clones or classy mic pres in my studio and compare them back to back. For you, is it more about the sound or maybe more about reliability and durability of well made gear?

If you had to choose would you get the warm audio preamp or the audio scape preamp Also the ward audio bus compressor and the audio scape plus compressor

❤

Thanks for the video barry. Should I use non-balaced cables to connect a non-balanced tape echo unit via balanced patchbay to and from pro tools carbon insert?

Hey, Barry. What are your thoughts on someone using something like a pair of shelford channels, for stereo tracking analog sources, and running those tracks through a Portico ii? Just for nice home level productions. And further, your thoughts on purchasing a single shelford channel to track through (run every track through the shelford) doing double takes for stereo, and then the portico ii? Thanks so much for your input. I subbed and have “liked” tons of your vids.

Hmmm your studio looks bigger? Something missing? Love your channel thank you.

Didn’t listen to end but didn’t hear PINGing for latency compensation with outboard. I remember a time of having 64 ins and 64 outs for my Pro Tools rig into SSL console. Now I’m 32 i/o between a Sigma and various outboard gear.

But what about the jacks which say "Insert" (when should we use those)?

Hey Barry I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but I always watch you and other You Tube videos on my LG Smart TV. One this I noticed a while back is when I go to hit the “like/👍🏻” via the remote I see it’s already highlighted on the screen but I believe this is an error by default as it shows up this way on every YT video I watch. I hope YT sends a fix out to LG which clears this up. Tc!

I think I’d like to enter the hardware world by simply tracking through a few analog pieces. Is that a viable option as well? I just want to run my Townsend Labs Sphere L22 through a Warm Audio WA273-EQ and an Empirical Labs EL8-XS Dual Distressor into an RME Babyface Pro FS. I’m starting with the Babyface instead of the UFX+ because I’m currently in a situation where I need the portability for writing purposes but when I’m home I’ll be recording vocals through the babyface as well. Can I do this? Later when I want to run other things through outboard I’ll upgrade to the UFX+?

Is there a way of expanding your interface to have more in's? As I've gotten gifted a couple of bits and want to have them connected more or less permanently?

Also do I need reamp or DI boxes to feed audio through preamps, compressors etc?

This is the kind of subject that is typically better explained with a real demo than talking, in my opinion.

When I print a track using analog hardware I can hear the analog noise in between the lyrics when I start placing plugins, is there anything I can do to reduce it or remove it? Please help

But Barry what about delay compensation? I thought that was part of sending a signal out of a DAW and back in?

was your desk custom made?

Em....when we finished to compose how to get it out ?

Why the heck would I restrict myself to a DAW that FORCES me to be bound to an Ilok account and subscription and this and that and the other thing -There are SOO many great FREE ones out there! The only I can think of is if you're used to the workflow -I get that...

I have yet to see an interface without L+R dedicated monitor outputs.

This video reminds me why I don't use any outboard gear.

Every major DAW has hardware inserts. Hear that UA? LUNA is not a major DAW then. Why does a hardware company release a non-hardware compatible “DAW”? UA doesn’t know who they are anymore.

why aren't you showing this real-time other than just talking about it? when do we get to hear some of your mixes and playing?

Such a looser approach