Scope plugins and signal levels.

[Music Manic]

I know some analogue modelled VST plugins are designed to operate at a -18dBfs, 0dBvu level so are scope plugins like Vinco etc designed the same way of is db level not a factor?

[garyb]

this is not so important to think about. the relative levels are all that matters, once the signal is in the digital realm. the physical i/o of the interface cares about those levels quite a bit, but once the signal is digital, things can change. if the level is not too low or too high, everything is great. that is the purpose of meters and your ears.

[borg]

Well, it could matter, and Music Manic has a valid question. Some 'Analogue Modeled Plugins' or whatever they call it, do depend on the levels you feed them, just as the original hardware would. As opposed to most plugins where -18 and +18 equal 0.
Vintage compressors and EQs that color the sound depending on how hard you drive 'em... Vinco is indeed one of those devices that could/should have such behavior, so it would be good to know.
But as Gary said: use your ears. It's been a long time since I used Vinco, but I can't remember it being outspoken coloring.

[Music Manic]

Well, it could matter, and Music Manic has a valid question. Some 'Analogue Modeled Plugins' or whatever they call it, do depend on the levels you feed them, just as the original hardware would. As opposed to most plugins where -18 and +18 equal 0.
Vintage compressors and EQs that color the sound depending on how hard you drive 'em... Vinco is indeed one of those devices that could/should have such behavior, so it would be good to know.
But as Gary said: use your ears. It's been a long time since I used Vinco, but I can't remember it being outspoken coloring.

Sure the ears are important but processing can cause minor problems the eye can pick up, like soft clipping, ISM and non linear distortions which will be made worse with compression and limiting if not needed.

[valis]

Creamware's documentation actually lists most of the relevant info for their plugins, and 3rd party devs should report if theirs are sensitive to input levels.

However, the reason you're asking this question is because certain plugin series from Waves, Slate Digital and so on attempt to mimic well known hardware models and include noise and saturation as part of the model implemented. In other words, they are catering to a workflow that replicates a certain experience for each relevant hardware model, were one to be used to using that. Most aren't, and so these companies could be perhaps accused of using this as marketing (it is), or of helping push people towards norms that have been long established (relevant in the case of the "Loudness Wars").

To date, I haven't really seen any Scope devs or devices that target either of these things, and where things do saturate it's usually indicated in the documentation with relevant discussion on what controls influence this effect. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I do not own every 3rd party device on this platform.

[Spindrift]

Obviously any compressor or sat/dist plugin will be sensitive to input level. Usually though a software compressor will sound the same if the signal is -10dBFS and threshold is -20dBFS as if the signal is -20dBFS and threshold -30dBFS.
This used to be true of most hardware emulations as well, but some software nowadays does hardware modelling which takes into account the differences in response at different levels. I think when doing that kind of modelling rather than using the kind of DSP atoms you find in Scope they rely on circuit modelling or impulse responses, and my wild guess would be that no scope devices does that.

[astroman]

Even if track level would really matter, it‘s not a problem at all: with 24bit recording you can set any (reasonable) track level you like. Just add 6 to 24 dB to the track in your DAW and everything is fine. There is no perceivable difference.
(if there is, the the converters were shite...)
On the other hand... who uses calibrated inputs anyway ?