🎙️ Quick Take:
Don’t apply compression before using mic emulation. Let your Slate mic signal stay clean so the modeling plugins can do their job accurately.
Don’t apply compression before using mic emulation. Let your Slate mic signal stay clean so the modeling plugins can do their job accurately.
When recording with the ML-1, ML-1A, or ML-2, it's important to feed a completely flat signal into your DAW. Both Virtual Mix Rack and Virtual Microphone System plugins offer powerful emulations of classic microphones and preamps — but to get the most accurate results, these plugins need an untouched, unprocessed mic input.
⚠️ Why this matters:
If you compress the mic signal before it hits the plugin, you're altering the dynamics and tonal balance before the modeling even begins — which can lead to unnatural or inaccurate results.
If you compress the mic signal before it hits the plugin, you're altering the dynamics and tonal balance before the modeling even begins — which can lead to unnatural or inaccurate results.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use hardware compressors — you just need to place them after the emulation stage. There are two correct ways to do this:
- Insert your hardware compressor after the plugin using a hardware insert in your DAW.
- Or, if you're printing/rendering the audio with the compressor, make sure the emulation is also printed and that it's before the hardware.
âś… Pro Tip:
Whether you're using Virtual Mix Rack or Virtual Microphone System, always keep the mic signal flat going in. Emulate first — then shape your tone however you want.
Whether you're using Virtual Mix Rack or Virtual Microphone System, always keep the mic signal flat going in. Emulate first — then shape your tone however you want.
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