How to add analog warmth to your tracks using plugins

The sound of analog synths and effects is like no other.

Many of the largest artists and sample creators out there are going back to using vintage gear and emulations to bring the analog feel into today’s music—just take a listen to The Weeknd’s ’80s-inspired hit “Blinding Lights” to hear its undeniable influence.

So how can you emulate that distinctive sonic character that analog equipment brings to the table in your own music? The answer is warmth.

In the tutorial video above, we uncover a key phenomenon that’s responsible for analog warmth (spoiler: it’s harmonic distortion), and how you can bring it to your productions even if you don’t own any expensive physical equipment. While we’ll be using the plugins offered in Arturia’s FX Collection 3 to walk through some examples, many of the concepts covered can be applied using any alternatives you have at your disposal.

Do you have any techniques for achieving analog warmth of your own that you’d like to share? What other topics in music production would you like to see us explore on the Splice YouTube channel next? Let us know in the comments below.


Dive deeper into the world of analog sound with the emulations in Arturia’s FX Collection 2:

July 24, 2021

iBEENART iBEENART is a producer, beat maker, and educator based in Chicago.