The harmonics they generate and the soft-knee compression they introduce cause a fullness that strictly digital processing rarely can.Ĭlassic EQ curves, compression types, and analog artifacts are also included in these plugins, making for an even more distinct sound. These analog emulation plugins create complex harmonics that make for a more nuanced and detailed sound. With that said, we sought to create a list of some of the best free options. Granted, it’s hard to beat real analog processing, but if you’re looking to add a classic timbre to your recordings, analog emulation plugins are a great start. The small distortions and imperfections that engineers had spent decades trying to get of were now looked at with a sense of nostalgia.Īnalog emulation is useful for both mixing and mastering.įortunately, you don’t always need analog hardware to create an analog sound. It wasn’t soon after digital processing’s popularization that engineers found their mixes to be lacking something important. Digital processing, with all of its conveniences, misses the mark in one major way - tonality. Analog emulation has become increasingly popular.