Keep the gear low‑impedance, let the tube or transistor hiss but don't let the hiss drown the note, so you hit that sweet spot between clarity and grit. Roll the EQ up, but avoid over‑boosting highs – that makes the warmth a hiss. Throw in a little tape saturation or a tube pre so the signal gets a soft crush that feels alive, not raw. Let the performer play with dynamics, breathing in the quiet, exhaling in the loud, and capture those swings on a high‑res analog mic. In short, keep the chain simple, the noise floor low, and let the emotion sit in the gaps between the peaks.