From Andrew Chapman Creative video.

youtube.com/watch?v=SMp4oUjIQnY

"Six of the most popular Neve 1073 style microphone preamps go head to head in a true blind shootout to answer one simple question: Which do you prefer?
Featuring the Behringer 73, Warm Audio WA73, JHS Colour Box V2, Heritage Audio HA73, BAE 1073, and Golden Age Project PRE-73 Premier (...)"

This test compares a mix with The Analog Molecue + The Hot Summer (TAM-THS) ON vs the same mix with it OFF.
For the ON file, I used TAM settings: crosstalk on, Iron Mod Plus, Reference. THS settings are: Signature, Custom, Gravity at 30%.

Badly played stoner inspired guitar.

Strat -> Audient iD48 DI -> Bigg Muff plugin (volume at 6, tone at 4, sustain at 8) -> (with and without) Amplitube Orange OR-120 -> UAD 1176 5-7db reduction
Plugins: Amplitube, Tonex, Nembrini Audio Big Stuff, MixWave EHX Big Muff.

Badly played bass riff

Squier Affinity P Bass -> Audient iD48 DI -> Bigg Muff plugin (all settings at 5, 70% wet) -> UAD LA2A -2db reduction max

Plugins: Amplitube, Tonex, Nembrini Audio Big Stuff, MixWave EHX Big Muff.

Riff inspired by youtu.be/NZ4Of3lID84

In this listening comparison, more subtle settings were used across individual tracks in a mix context i.e. more real-world
The contenders are: UAD, Waves, Overloud, Softube, Tim Petherick

Each dbx 160vu emulation variety was used on kick drum, snare drum, and bass guitar and summed together. I tediously matched levels, settings, and gain reduction at the track level and finally the summed mix level of -22.5 LUFS.

Kick: ~ -1 to -3 dB GR, at 4:1
Snare: ~ up -5 dB GR, at 4:1
Bass: ~ -3 to -5 dB GR, at the limiter setting

Here is a stereo drum bus, set to really hear the action. This was very important in terms references to the 160 hardware.
The comparison includes UAD, Overloud, Softube, Waves, & one VCA compressor that is not a 160 emulation but I more or less matched and included for fun.

The reference is the dry, no 160 file at -22.0 LUFS, to which all others are matched.

Here is an EQ comparison of 4 other EQ's versus Mixwave Fearn VT-5. Heavy rock/metal basic rough mix.
2 of the EQ's are my own ITB chains of saturator color derived from Heritage Audio Lang EQ, using the preamp + digital EQ finely tuned to match the VT-5.
1 of them is not a tube EQ per se, but still a nice sounding contender.
1 is a tube EQ.

All EQ's were meticulously matched in terms of curves and level.
The dry mix level is the reference track, so all files are matched for -21.9 LUFS

All Studio 3 - Identical settings (no pres on Reverb 2)
- Drums: Live Room omni no dampening (no real room mics)
- Snare: Plate 2 (2300ms)
- Guitars: Chamber (+ touch of ISO booth on electric and live room on classical)

Reference = no reverb
Only FXs at the end.

Test for Studio 1: abx.funkybits.fr/test/ik-multimedia-sunset-sound-studio-reverbs

All Studio 1 - Identical settings (no pres on Reverb 2)
- Drums: Live Room omni no dampening (no real room mics)
- Snare: Plate 2 (2300ms)
- Guitars: Chamber (+ touch of ISO booth on electric and live room on classical)

Reference = no reverb
Only FXs at the end.

Test for Studio 3: abx.funkybits.fr/test/ik-multimedia-sunset-sound-studio-reverbs-studio-3

People will be asked to rank the tracks

People will have to choose their favorite track

Can you pick the hardware from the Genesis Emulation