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Ocean Way or Sound City for at-home piano recordings?
- Thread starter 5lives
- Start date
Well Ocean Way is only DSP and Sound City is only native.
If you have an Apollo, you should demo Ocean Way for 14 days. I love it, as do others. It has a cleaner sound that Sound City as a baseline.
Sound City doesn't work well for tracking through in real time because it is native AND induces latency and is very CPU hungry, but it is a very cool and interesting sounding plugin that is many years newer than Ocean Way. You should be able to demo it with a Spark subscription, and decide for yourself.
If you have an Apollo, you should demo Ocean Way for 14 days. I love it, as do others. It has a cleaner sound that Sound City as a baseline.
Sound City doesn't work well for tracking through in real time because it is native AND induces latency and is very CPU hungry, but it is a very cool and interesting sounding plugin that is many years newer than Ocean Way. You should be able to demo it with a Spark subscription, and decide for yourself.
I assume you already know this, but both plugins have a re-mic and a reverb mode. re-mic causes phase issues if you mix it with a dry signal. I always always run both plugins in reverb mode, unless its something extremely dry. But if it sounds good it is good!
I've been trying in re-mic mode with 100% wet - would that still cause phase issues? The piano recordings are very close mic'd, so quite dry.
Shouldn't cause phase issues unless you are running it on an AUX track and sending to it. If you are running it as an insert on the dry track it would be fine.
bellows and brass
Established Member
I’m yet to bond with a piano sound from sound city, so id recommend ocean way.
Gitaarwerk
Hall of Fame Member
It depends what style; actually. I like both. But both are not suited for all. For more classical-ish music, I really prefer OCW; for more rock or indie, SCS. But that is my untrained ear. The only thing I can say with confidence is that they both serve different styles in an excellent way.
Also, in a mix or solo recording may change the use case too. Perhaps even the sound of the piano,… Mine is leaning more towards a steinway than a bechstein. Even tho, the piano is made in a bechstein factory.
And, how far is your room treated?
Basically; it all comes down to: it depends, what sounds best to you?
My personal solution is to own both. They are both very much worth it.
Also, in a mix or solo recording may change the use case too. Perhaps even the sound of the piano,… Mine is leaning more towards a steinway than a bechstein. Even tho, the piano is made in a bechstein factory.
And, how far is your room treated?
Basically; it all comes down to: it depends, what sounds best to you?
My personal solution is to own both. They are both very much worth it.
withoutaknife
Member
I was a huge Ocean Way user for years but almost always go for SCS after A/B'ing. To me, it bends into the source better than any other room reverb.
I do turn off the compression and EQ paths. Just use the room.
I do turn off the compression and EQ paths. Just use the room.
MakerDP
Hall of Fame Member
I've never experienced any phase issues in OWS. Are you clicking on the "DISTANCE" knobs for each mic once you have the distance set? That aligns them all to get rid of phase issues. In Re-mic mode it needs to be on an Insert w/ Wet Solo engaged and in Reverb mode it needs (well should be) on a send but that's what the mix control is for if on an insert.
I run OWS pretty much on every single mix I do. I like it so much that even though I already own it I've never really bothered trying SCS, but I'm sure I will get around to it eventually. I just like OWS that much. It just magically places everything into a realistic blended space better than anything I've ever tried.
klasaine
Hall of Fame Member
1) I always blend.
2) Click the 'distance' button to align.
UA_User
Venerated Member
OK... (pianist here). Just my opinion.
Adding reverb with early reflections to piano recordings hardly ever sounds better than the dry signal to me. It's just not the same thing as recording a piano in a space.
If I need piano in a large space (for orchestral purposes, for example), I'll use samples recorded in that space to begin with (even in preference to a real piano recorded in a dry room with reflections added).
Adding just a reverb tail can be ok. A chamber verb is often best for this (either real like UAD Capitol chambers, or chamber/stage algo on digital/Lexicon verbs).
Real piano has it's own reverb built into it, as well, so it's not exactly "dry" when recorded in a dry room anyway, depending on how it's miced.
Adding reverb with early reflections to piano recordings hardly ever sounds better than the dry signal to me. It's just not the same thing as recording a piano in a space.
If I need piano in a large space (for orchestral purposes, for example), I'll use samples recorded in that space to begin with (even in preference to a real piano recorded in a dry room with reflections added).
Adding just a reverb tail can be ok. A chamber verb is often best for this (either real like UAD Capitol chambers, or chamber/stage algo on digital/Lexicon verbs).
Real piano has it's own reverb built into it, as well, so it's not exactly "dry" when recorded in a dry room anyway, depending on how it's miced.
UA user - you make a good point. If the room is not good, adding reverb to it often does not ever sound real. I actually use Acon deverberate when I record pianists in my studio - it does a quite effective job of removing the room from the recording, and allowing a good reverb to be added without conflicting with early room reflections. Here’s an example of a recent piece:
Gitaarwerk
Hall of Fame Member
Thanks for your reply. I’m a pianist, but I wouldn’t day a real pianist. More of a beginner closing in on the edge of that classification.
Style does more or less dictate mic placements as well.
I’m mostly playing classical or alike styles. But I have to close mic due to space constraints.
What would in your opinion work best in terms of reverb when doing L+R micing close (pointing one down at base strings, one at middle-top; pointing at the frame).
Gave the best sound for me, but atill struggling with some reverb and room treatment issues. The latter fixable, but not had the time yet to fix.
Curious about your opinion/insights.
wglotz
Established Member
Just my ear:
In the recording you're posted, Flute & Piano, I think the piano sounds wonderful with the added reverb; very nice space. But, I don't think the flute sounds as if it is in that same space. The flute sounds a bit more dry and forward than the piano?
Cass Anawaty
Shareholder
Sometimes what sounds good doesn’t sound real.