Buyer's Guide: Digitally Controlled Analog Gear

Bettermaker Mastering Limiter

Analog or digital? It’s a question that has dominated audio gear forums and real-life roundtables since the first generation of digital recording tools hit the market. But today, we offer a new question to the masses: Why not both?

Enter digitally controlled analog gear, a bold combination of the best that recording hardware and software has to offer. This modern category of gear may be intimidating to old-school purists and plug-in devouts alike, but we promise that this gear offers plenty to love for both camps. Here’s a brief overview and guide to some of the most popular digitally controlled analog gear currently on the market.

What is Digitally Controlled Analog Gear?

Digitally controlled analog gear is exactly what the name describes—analog tools that use software for remote controlling, preset recall, and other functions. Everything from an app that connects to your guitar pedal to a DAW plug-in that changes the settings on your physical compressor unit can be considered digitally controlled analog gear.

As for why you might consider using digitally controlled analog gear over a standalone plug-in or rack unit, you’re getting the best of both worlds: The simplicity and flexibility of software with the vibe and authenticity of hardware. In other words, no more unsticking knobs or crawling behind racks regularly. All you have to do is turn your gear on, plug in, and select your saved preset from your DAW.

With that in mind, here are just some of the best-selling analog gear with digital control capabilities available right now on Vintage King:

MCDSP APB-16 16-CHANNEL ANALOG PROCESSING BOX

This unit is a prime example of analog and digital working in perfect harmony. The APB-16 comes with a robust selection of compressor, limiter, and EQ plug-ins, which are routed to various analog circuitry within the unit. The box even comes with the Moo X mixer plug-in, the first fully automated hybrid mixing console completely controlled via software, for greater flexibility and instant session recall.

CRANBORNE AUDIO CARNABY HE2 2-CHANNEL HARMONIC EQ

Cranborne is well known and loved for its unique harmonic EQ introduced on the Carnaby 500. The Carnaby HE2 stays true to its predecessor by preserving the warm and saturated harmonic EQ in all its analog glory, but with an expanded feature set that includes remote control via the included VST/AU/AAX plug-in and your DAW of choice. The plug-in also includes preset recall for an effortlessly streamlined workflow.

ELEKTRON ANALOG HEAT +FX DIGITAL MULTI-EFFECTS PROCESSOR

There are plenty of solid digital emulations of analog-style distortion out there, but the Analog Heat proves that you can’t beat the real thing. Along with a wide array of distortion styles, plus effects like chorus, reverb, and bit rate reduction at your fingertips, Analog Heat is also compatible with the Elektron Overbridge plug-in. Just plug in the Analog Heat to your device via USB, open your preferred DAW, and dial in your perfect distortion with ease.

WESAUDIO NGBUSCOMP BUS COMPRESSOR

This compressor from WesAudio is already impressive enough with its fully analog signal path with +24 dBu of headroom powered by four THAT 2181 VCAs. But whether you’re using the ngBusComp in mono, stereo, or mid-side, the unit supports full digital control and preset recall via WesAudio’s standalone app.

Bettermaker Mastering Limiter

Bettermaker Mastering Limiter, Compressor, and EQ

For mastering engineers looking for premium analog components with responsive and no-fuss digital controls, then Bettermaker’s line of intuitive and DAW-controllable units is a solid option. With a 100% analog design and distinctly modern sound (the limiter can be heard on countless Billboard chart-topping hits), these mastering tools are fully controllable from your DAW thanks to their dedicated intuitive plug-ins.

Neve 1073OPX

The legendary 1073 epitomizes all of the famous trademarks of analog gear: color, warmth, and punch. For Neve's 1073OPX, the brand has retained this classic sound while adding more modern functionality. Engineers can now control switch gain positions and routing options for the 1073OPX via a handy desktop app. It's possible to digitally control up to eight OPX units at once.

Eventide H9000

The Eventide H910 Harmonizer pitch-shifted the audio world to new heights in the mid-1970s, and the H9000 carries on that legacy with over 40 effects processors and 1600 unique algorithms. If this vast library of effects powered by 16 dedicated DSP engines wasn’t impressive enough, the unit is fully controllable remotely using either the app for Mac and Windows or the plug-in for all DAWs.

Flock Audio Patch

This hefty box might be fully analog, but it’s far from an old-school patch bay. The PATCH XT System offers a whopping 96 inputs and 96 outputs to add an impressive amount of dexterity and efficiency to your analog workflow. Plus, the included PATCH routing software lets you organize and control your setup all from your computer in real time.

Love the idea of a digital patch bay but don't need 192 channels? Flock also offers the smaller Patch VT (128 points) and Patch LT (32 points) patch bays for smaller studios.

Ready to upgrade your studio with the latest digitally controlled analog gear? Contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.