Nomad factory LM-662 any good compared to more recent Fairchild emus?
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- KVRian
- 622 posts since 14 Jun, 2006 from Finland
I hate to be the "negative" guy but here are my thoughts anyways:
I bought the Nomad Integral Bundle when there was this crazy group buy. I am sorry for not being able give your question a direct answer as I haven't really done any A/B comparisons. But that said I have almost all of their plugins and the only ones I keep installed is the Magnetic and Echoes. All the rest of their plugins have good GUI's but that's about it. They sound quality of Nomad Factory were never on the same level with the competition even back in the days, and in my opinion the gap has grown even bigger with what's being available today.
The best way to put it is that their old tube emulation "sound" is not something I would want to have across on my tracks. Very harsh and artificial sounding distortion.
That's really how I feel about their old plugins.
From any of the Fairchild emulations FC-70 has been the only one that has moved me in any way. I have owned UAD version, have the IKM fairchild, have heard waves and neither of these rocked my socks. FC-70 which I am currently demoing on the other hand does something really nice on my drum bus and other stuff.
I don't "need" another compressor but this is definitely one I am going to buy next as it's sounding different from any of the other stuff I have.
Just out of curiosity have compared any of these emulations by yourself yet?
I bought the Nomad Integral Bundle when there was this crazy group buy. I am sorry for not being able give your question a direct answer as I haven't really done any A/B comparisons. But that said I have almost all of their plugins and the only ones I keep installed is the Magnetic and Echoes. All the rest of their plugins have good GUI's but that's about it. They sound quality of Nomad Factory were never on the same level with the competition even back in the days, and in my opinion the gap has grown even bigger with what's being available today.
The best way to put it is that their old tube emulation "sound" is not something I would want to have across on my tracks. Very harsh and artificial sounding distortion.
That's really how I feel about their old plugins.
From any of the Fairchild emulations FC-70 has been the only one that has moved me in any way. I have owned UAD version, have the IKM fairchild, have heard waves and neither of these rocked my socks. FC-70 which I am currently demoing on the other hand does something really nice on my drum bus and other stuff.
I don't "need" another compressor but this is definitely one I am going to buy next as it's sounding different from any of the other stuff I have.
Just out of curiosity have compared any of these emulations by yourself yet?
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1586 posts since 7 Jun, 2007
No, i haven't done any Fairchild comparisons. I have the IKM one, i like it. But it's the only Fairchild I know, so if i find that brand XYZ sounds different I have no way of knowing whether its differences make it a better Fairchild emu than the IKM, or worse.
I'll have to download the FC-70 and find some suitable material to A/B it on with the IKM 670 for some education.
I have the Nomad Factory Analog Signature Channel strip, but not the LM-662.
I don't know what comp the channel strip is modeled after, if any, but i like it because it's different, and the EQ is useful. It's probably not the kind of sound you'd want on every track though, i use it more as a character strip, usually in a 'let's make this sound a little less pristine' kind of way. I never use the 'warmth' control though, that just messes things up really well.
But the LM-662...i don't have it and don't know how that would stack up as a Fairchild emu...mostly because i don't know what a real Fairchild sounds like!
I'll have to download the FC-70 and find some suitable material to A/B it on with the IKM 670 for some education.
I have the Nomad Factory Analog Signature Channel strip, but not the LM-662.
I don't know what comp the channel strip is modeled after, if any, but i like it because it's different, and the EQ is useful. It's probably not the kind of sound you'd want on every track though, i use it more as a character strip, usually in a 'let's make this sound a little less pristine' kind of way. I never use the 'warmth' control though, that just messes things up really well.
But the LM-662...i don't have it and don't know how that would stack up as a Fairchild emu...mostly because i don't know what a real Fairchild sounds like!
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- KVRist
- 392 posts since 8 Jan, 2012
Don't think the Nomad Fairchild will be better than IK. Nomad's best are Echoes, Magnetic, Pultec EQs, channel strip and de-esser. Blue Verb ok for some sounds, but would not be my go to verb.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1586 posts since 7 Jun, 2007
@LAGinz, Do you mean the Analog Signature channel strip, or the Blue Tubes TrackBox? I agree that Echoes is a delay plug everyone should demo, it sounds really good. It's high on my 'want that' list. I've also heard that the NF Pultec EQs have something special about them and capture the Pultec vibe very well. Haven't tried them for myself yet, again I don't know what a real Pultec sounds like, so IKM does the job just fine for me.
I find it strange that NF plugins seem to have a real hit or miss reputation, if you read enough reviews/opinions on forums.
It's also interesting that NF did most of the compression and EQ effects in Omnisphere, so i've heard. I'd kinda expect them to be considered top of the heap if Eric Persing wants them in his products. (Like Softube are doing stuff for Cakewalk and Native Instruments...that's understandable because Softube are held in high regard.)
I find it strange that NF plugins seem to have a real hit or miss reputation, if you read enough reviews/opinions on forums.
It's also interesting that NF did most of the compression and EQ effects in Omnisphere, so i've heard. I'd kinda expect them to be considered top of the heap if Eric Persing wants them in his products. (Like Softube are doing stuff for Cakewalk and Native Instruments...that's understandable because Softube are held in high regard.)
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- KVRist
- 262 posts since 26 Jan, 2013 from TX
Take this for what it's worth -- one guy's opinion based on a brief test -- but just now I was comparing the Nomad LM-662, IK 670, and OverTone FC70 on a drum loop generated by SD2.
I chose relatively tame real-world settings. Fastest attack/release (time constant 1), input gain at 12 o'clock, and getting around 5db GR as per the meters. I heard no night-and-day differences among the three, and the Nomad held its own. It preserved a satisfying punch to the kick drum and handled transients smoothly. Maybe a little dark overall, but the sound was very pleasant to my ears. The downside of the Nomad is the lack of lat/vert mode (at least, I can't find one), so you can't get that nice widening useful on a drum bus, but it does have a saturation control which can give an exciting effect.
The IK seemed to accentuate the highs compared to the other two, which could make it sound better in some situations. I could also hear more of the room. The FC70 was smooth and analogish in its sound, and worthy of the recent accolades received here and elsewhere.
No losers here in my book. But your mileage may vary, so please try them out for yourself -- there are free demos available for each.
Cheers,
Eddie
Addendum: I've been listening and comparing further, and my original impressions haven't changed, but I am noticing a diminished weight and punch from the kick with the IK engaged. The frequency balance seems to be shifted towards brightness with this one. Some may find it harsh with certain material, but then again it could be the winner depending on the track. I find the Nomad and OverTone more difficult to tell apart, but the FC70 seems more neutral while the Nomad is bringing the weight and is a bit darker. Again, YMMV.
I chose relatively tame real-world settings. Fastest attack/release (time constant 1), input gain at 12 o'clock, and getting around 5db GR as per the meters. I heard no night-and-day differences among the three, and the Nomad held its own. It preserved a satisfying punch to the kick drum and handled transients smoothly. Maybe a little dark overall, but the sound was very pleasant to my ears. The downside of the Nomad is the lack of lat/vert mode (at least, I can't find one), so you can't get that nice widening useful on a drum bus, but it does have a saturation control which can give an exciting effect.
The IK seemed to accentuate the highs compared to the other two, which could make it sound better in some situations. I could also hear more of the room. The FC70 was smooth and analogish in its sound, and worthy of the recent accolades received here and elsewhere.
No losers here in my book. But your mileage may vary, so please try them out for yourself -- there are free demos available for each.
Cheers,
Eddie
Addendum: I've been listening and comparing further, and my original impressions haven't changed, but I am noticing a diminished weight and punch from the kick with the IK engaged. The frequency balance seems to be shifted towards brightness with this one. Some may find it harsh with certain material, but then again it could be the winner depending on the track. I find the Nomad and OverTone more difficult to tell apart, but the FC70 seems more neutral while the Nomad is bringing the weight and is a bit darker. Again, YMMV.
Last edited by Eddie TX on Mon May 20, 2013 7:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The future exists in all directions.
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- KVRist
- 262 posts since 26 Jan, 2013 from TX
I disagree. While I don't love every Nomad plugin, they do have some that stand with the best available, IMHO. Some of my favorites are their newer EQs like the Pultec, the Altec, and the Neve 1081 emulation in the British bundle. To me, they sound more natural and transparent than similar plugs from other major vendors.filter303 wrote:They sound quality of Nomad Factory were never on the same level with the competition even back in the days, and in my opinion the gap has grown even bigger with what's being available today.
Other worthy Nomad tools: the de-esser in the Blue Tubes bundle is the only de-esser I use (and I've tried a lot). Magnetic can fatten up a track nicely. BlueVerb is a decent reverb unit for certain sounds, the Echoes and Oilcan delays are really cool, and the AMT mastering bundle is very smooth and transparent. And the Liquid Mod can achieve some nice chorus effects. I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention other useful stuff -- there are something like 50 plugins in the big bundle.
The Nomad GUIs can be a little on the gaudy and cartoonish side, although they all work well with smooth control action. And everything's been very stable for me.
But don't take my word for it. The whole bundle can be downloaded from Nomad's site in demo form, so you can try all their stuff at your leisure. Don't worry about running out of time, as the demos don't have an expiration date. They just time out after 30 minutes of use.
Cheers,
Eddie
The future exists in all directions.
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- KVRAF
- 6272 posts since 25 Mar, 2004
Interesting to read the above comments on Nomad's catalog as I agree with all of them.
Not a big fan of that compressor as I think IK nailed it.
As an aside, I would say that Nomad's BT Trackbox gets the most use in my rig. Kind of a combination comp/saturation plug, I think it really nails the old school tape sound without a lot of tweaking.
-B
Not a big fan of that compressor as I think IK nailed it.
As an aside, I would say that Nomad's BT Trackbox gets the most use in my rig. Kind of a combination comp/saturation plug, I think it really nails the old school tape sound without a lot of tweaking.
-B
Berfab
So many plugins, so little time...
So many plugins, so little time...
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- KVRian
- 622 posts since 14 Jun, 2006 from Finland
Hi Eddie.Eddie TX wrote:I disagree. While I don't love every Nomad plugin, they do have some that stand with the best available, IMHO. Some of my favorites are their newer EQs like the Pultec, the Altec, and the Neve 1081 emulation in the British bundle. To me, they sound more natural and transparent than similar plugs from other major vendors.filter303 wrote:They sound quality of Nomad Factory were never on the same level with the competition even back in the days, and in my opinion the gap has grown even bigger with what's being available today.
Other worthy Nomad tools: the de-esser in the Blue Tubes bundle is the only de-esser I use (and I've tried a lot). Magnetic can fatten up a track nicely. BlueVerb is a decent reverb unit for certain sounds, the Echoes and Oilcan delays are really cool, and the AMT mastering bundle is very smooth and transparent. And the Liquid Mod can achieve some nice chorus effects. I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention other useful stuff -- there are something like 50 plugins in the big bundle.
The Nomad GUIs can be a little on the gaudy and cartoonish side, although they all work well with smooth control action. And everything's been very stable for me.
But don't take my word for it. The whole bundle can be downloaded from Nomad's site in demo form, so you can try all their stuff at your leisure. Don't worry about running out of time, as the demos don't have an expiration date. They just time out after 30 minutes of use.
Cheers,
Eddie
Like I wrote in my post I have the integral bundle which according to my understanding includes almost all of their plugins, except BBE and Magma. I don't need to download the demo because I own them already, it's just a matter of what I have installed on my system. Currently it's just what I think are their best plugins like Magnetic II, Echoes and a few EQ's. But I never used the eq's because I have so many options already. I bought the integral bundle mainly because of the Magnetic and Echoes.
Just for the reference here is what is being included with the INTEGRAL STUDIO PACK 3:
Analog Mastering Tools
Analog Signature Pack
Blue Tubes Dynamics Pack
Blue Tubes Effects Pack
Blue Tubes Equalizers Pack
Blue Tubes Analog TrackBox
BlueVerb DRV-2080
Essential Studio Suite
Liquid Bundle II
Motown Retro Bundle
British Bundle
PulseTec EQs
All-Tech EQ
Rock Amp Legends
ECHOES
MAGNETIC II
MAGNETIC
Thanks for the tip about the de-esser, I've been looking for a good one and I would be more than pleased if I didn't have to spend any more money to buy a good one. I will give it another go and see if I can get it working for me. I will give a retry to the other plugins you recommended as well.
I agree about the stability of Nomad plugins. I don't remember them causing any crashes on my system, which unfortunately can't be said of many other products. So it's definitely a big plus for nomad. I really like look of the analog signature pack plugins
http://www.nomadfactory.com/products/as ... e/eqp4.jpg
Not too clean looking but not too dirty either.. Just enough scratches etc to make it look more realistic.
But like we all know.. it's the sound that matters most
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- KVRAF
- 25012 posts since 12 Jul, 2003 from West Caprazumia
xalama qo wrote: I find it strange that NF plugins seem to have a real hit or miss reputation, if you read enough reviews/opinions on forums.
Mostly for historical reasons: NF plugins were once profoundly meh and while the have constantly being updated and improved over the years, people's minds haven't just as much.
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- KVRist
- 262 posts since 26 Jan, 2013 from TX
Glad to hear it ... at the risk of getting OT, let me say that the NF bundle contains some underrated gems. If you want a quick wow, insert the "All-Tech" EQ on a drum bus and twist the big knobs up a little. When I first tried that, it rocked my world. Not that I have much of a world.filter303 wrote:Thanks for the tip about the de-esser, I've been looking for a good one and I would be more than pleased if I didn't have to spend any more money to buy a good one. I will give it another go and see if I can get it working for me. I will give a retry to the other plugins you recommended as well.
Cheers,
Eddie
The future exists in all directions.
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- KVRist
- 262 posts since 26 Jan, 2013 from TX
Hey folks,
I hope this isn't too far OT, but I had some time to kill today so I decided to throw my whole arsenal of compressors at the same drum loop I used to compare the Fairchild emulations. Again, I used relatively tame settings, about 5dB GR, adjusting ratio and attack/release to get what I thought was the best sound from each.
To my surprise, one of my favorites in this test was the Nomad Factory Blue Tubes CP-2S, in its RMS mode. Very punchy and natural, I thought. Most of the other comps I tried, including a bunch from Waves and NI, were either too boring or too weird-sounding to me -- some would work very well in parallel, but I was testing all these as inserts on the drum bus.
So, there's another underrated Nomad plugin for you to consider.
Cheers,
Eddie
I hope this isn't too far OT, but I had some time to kill today so I decided to throw my whole arsenal of compressors at the same drum loop I used to compare the Fairchild emulations. Again, I used relatively tame settings, about 5dB GR, adjusting ratio and attack/release to get what I thought was the best sound from each.
To my surprise, one of my favorites in this test was the Nomad Factory Blue Tubes CP-2S, in its RMS mode. Very punchy and natural, I thought. Most of the other comps I tried, including a bunch from Waves and NI, were either too boring or too weird-sounding to me -- some would work very well in parallel, but I was testing all these as inserts on the drum bus.
So, there's another underrated Nomad plugin for you to consider.
Cheers,
Eddie
The future exists in all directions.