Compressors - Need Help To Reduce Them

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overhishead wrote:we are really spoiled these days with all these character compressors. i'm particularly interested in them i admit. i wouldnt bother narrowing them down. natural selection should settle the score all by itself.

check out this video
George Carlin - Earth Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Miv4NHsDo
You got to love natural selection and love George Carlin, never heard of him before so enlightened. Reflects my views very nicely lol thanks for the share :)

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Klanghelm wrote:Thank you for your purchase!
I just saw DC8C has external sidechain now ... bought it instantly :D Just under 200 SEK :-o :love:
:hug:

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OK folks,
I have not the ears to hear the subtle differences between the different compressors, but usually I'm able to achieve what I want. But a lot of you guys would say "you should have taken compressor xy instead of aa". So if I'd know somes essential things ABOUT THE STUFF, I HAVE, I'd make less mistakes.
Such essentials could be:
Is one of my compressors...
- more for the master or more for a track
- better for drums or for a flute
- so bad, that I should delete it
- so similar to another one, so I can delete one of them
etc.

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akira wrote:OK folks,
I'd know somes essential things ABOUT THE STUFF, I HAVE, I'd make less mistakes.
Such essentials could be:
What mistakes do you think you are making?

Often there is no right or wrong.

MOLOT - Use on indiviudal instruments and sounds.

C3 Multiband I dont have but I would use on the masterbuss if Multiband compression is required.

Barricade - to stop the clipping.

NASTY VCS - For group channels.

What style of music and recording are you doing?
What is your workflow?
Are you recording apturing live instruments?
Are you doing video work?
Post or pre production?
Producing solely in the box?
Are you mixing down or just playing and getting others to master?
Are you mastering?

You have asked a question that requires more specifics. There are no hard and fast rules unless you want to fit into a certain box "pigeon hole".

On these forums you will always have 3rd party recommendations as it's a developers forum of sorts. Maybe find a forum that is specifics to what you are doing. I do that a lot for some more defined views and opinions.

Check out the following forums

IDM
Homerecording
Gearslutrz
DogsonAcid
Synthforum
Futureproducers
electro-music
gearjunkies

Several to get you started :)

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MFXxx wrote:Ok Im going to put myself on a limb here without being rude...

Every tool serves a purpose and asking these questions can only be answered by you. Some tools work well on live instruments, buss duties, mastering duties and so forth.

Dump them all, use what you got and see what you miss.

Download demos and learn your tools. Everything is everyone else opinion and not your ear :)

Regarding DCD8 read the followig thread http://www.gearslutz.com/board/rap-hip- ... -dc8c.html

My comp favs are wide and varied, but then I approach mixing from an artist, adventurous and often random appraoch. But if it sonds good to my ear I stick with it...my ears are old fwiw :)
Probably the best advice on the whole thread.
The inner workings of vurts mind are a force to be reckoned with.
music is a need in my life...yes I could survive without it but tbh I dont know how
myfeebleeffort
https://paulroach2.bandcamp.com/
https://hearthis.at/83hdtrvm/

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akira wrote: - sorcery
- IQ4
- L3V3LL3r
- FL4tt3ry2
Three good tools by IIRs, but IQ4 is a dynamic EQ, not a compressor. There are suitable alternatives out there.
akira wrote: - blockfish
- Enddorphin
While a cool old tool, there are better alternatives out, and the code was updated in the am|suite.
akira wrote: - barricade
- Broadcast
Never liked them on their own to be honest. But if you do have Broadcast (the 4band version) by JB, please throw me a PM.

akira wrote: - Buzzrizer2
- C3 Multiband
- Classic
- Stardust
- T-Sledge
Old, might as well ditch them.
akira wrote: - Compressive
Still a very clean compressor, but nothing that can not be handled by ReaComp.
akira wrote: - Nasty VCS
That and the new one by VoS are "vintage style" compressors. Take them or leave them.
akira wrote: - Molot
While promising, it's a constant beta.



There was a lot mentioned already, so I won't add much to the discussion.
My personal weapons of choice are:
- ReaComp
- The T-Racks compressors

And then I go from there. Sometimes "The Glue" (at a friends place), sometimes I go for the VoS stuff. But always come back to ReaComp, T-Racks and my host stuff. Oh and for custom courves MeldaProduction.


Do you know why I give these recommendations?
Well, ReaComp is a beast. Granted it's a basic VCA, but it can be switched from Feed Forward to Feed Back mode, you have ton of control in terms of detection. It's IMO the most flexible compressor I know and I wish it would be sold with an updated code and cross platform.

An alternative both in terms of visual response and usability would be Pro-C by Fabfilter.



T-Racks are "vintage style" compressors mostly (feed forward and feed back), so you're pretty much covered with them. And the rest offers your host (in my case, Cubase).


So if I'd be in your boat, I'd try to get a highly configurable compressor with FF/FB detection (barely any out - if someone knows more affordable ones, please raise your voice!) for surgical solutions. Everything else is just for simplicity/character. Then again, every compressor adds character if you know how to handle them but in the first place, they're "volume controllers".
[ Mix Challenge ] | [ Studio Page / Twitter ] | [ KVRmarks (see: metering tools) ]

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if you want to use just one: I would suggest IL Maximus and/or Voxengo Marquis, because these are so flexible, you can get almost every sound and character out of them (Maximus is even 3+master band it it is actually an expander/gate+compressor+limiter in one plug since you can freely draw any dynamic curve). That said: blockfish is so special that I would also keep it... Maximus is also a great Brickwall Limiter, but maybe upgrade to TB Barricade if you also need it for mastering purposes (it also has great metering and dithering).

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I think i have (and use) maybe about half of the compressors in your list(and some others but i won't go into that).

For drums i use Blockfish or Flattery(for character), Leveller (i think its great for extra volume if you need it),Reacomp, Classic compressor (if the others don't do what i want i'll try this one), Molot to slam things.

On melodic instruments i don't really like to use compressors(usually just saturation), but if i feel it needs it i'll use the Classic compressor.

And on the master i'll use Barricade(but that's a limiter)and Sorcery.

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MFXxx wrote:
overhishead wrote:we are really spoiled these days with all these character compressors. i'm particularly interested in them i admit. i wouldnt bother narrowing them down. natural selection should settle the score all by itself.

check out this video
George Carlin - Earth Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Miv4NHsDo
You got to love natural selection and love George Carlin, never heard of him before so enlightened. Reflects my views very nicely lol thanks for the share :)
Aaah,George Carlin,Pure genius!!! :tu:
The inner workings of vurts mind are a force to be reckoned with.
music is a need in my life...yes I could survive without it but tbh I dont know how
myfeebleeffort
https://paulroach2.bandcamp.com/
https://hearthis.at/83hdtrvm/

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MFXxx wrote:NASTY VCS - For group channels.
Not to confuse the issue any further but I disagree here. The compressor in Nasty VCS is 100% a track/channel compressor and that's how it was designed - channel strips typically go on channels and the limited controls on the compressor tells you it is a channel compressor. I would use Density for groups/busses, as it is much more suited for such a task.

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@manvanmars
Your post was very helpful...Thank you

@Brother Charles
Thanx for the emphasis on Density

@rifftrax
Thanx for the emphasis on Antress (have simpy forgotten them) :)

@Compyfox
@MFXxx
Your posts were the most helpful in this whole thread...seems to be you've read my posts (obviously not self-evident on this forum))
Thank You for writng down all your advices! :)

@AKJ
I'm just curious, so let me ask you something:
Although I wrote down in this thread several times, that I don't want to buy new stuff, but to reduce the stuff I have, you recommend me the Marquis of Voxengo for about $90. I wonder, what might be the reason:

- You just didn't read it
- kind of advertising
- You read it, but you like to recommend stuff you've bought
- you think freeware is garbage

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Test them against each other, you might get a general feel from peoples opinions here but ultimately it's your music so it makes sense to personally determine what you do and don't want in it

TLS Pocket Limiter and jsCompShaper are the two freeware compressors I use most in any case, pocket limiter I usually just put on the master as last resort ear protection

Haven't used ReaComp much myself but I agree with whoever said you could probably get by with that and maybe another 1-2 'character' compressors. I'm more of a minimalist with it though, if you're trying to turn your track into a square wave you might want more

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akira wrote:@manvanmars

@AKJ
I'm just curious, so let me ask you something:
Although I wrote down in this thread several times, that I don't want to buy new stuff, but to reduce the stuff I have, you recommend me the Marquis of Voxengo for about $90. I wonder, what might be the reason:

- You just didn't read it
- kind of advertising
- You read it, but you like to recommend stuff you've bought
- you think freeware is garbage
I do not think freeware is garbage, some is really great. But if you want as less as possible plugins, you need a very flexible compressor and the most flexible ones I know are Marquis and Maximus. So the suggestion is: keep blockfish (which is kind of unique sounding) and get Marximus and/or Marquis and you are imo done. But if you do not want to spend money that's fine. Just use what you like if you are happy...

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dear OP,

keep Reacomp. if compressors are what you need i think it can handle everything just fine. if you cant do it with reacomp, it probably can't be done anyway. master reacomp fully, then branch out if you insist.

if you dont know what a tool does, you probably don't need it anyway. I know that might sound flippant, but every compressor has different curves, and most of them don't give us the slightest clue what they are doing on the dials, gotta use the ears. to get a firm grip on 15 compressors is probably beyond the scope of what you're doing unless you plan to pretty much dedicate the next several years of your life to _only_ studying compressors.

as long as a plugin doesnt give you a crash, its a good plugin. its personal taste. would you be happy if someone arranged your marriage for you? i think its like that. this is just how i see it upon reflection. by the way, im a total fool and i know nothing.

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You are very welcome, akira. Density MKII has been a very reliable compressor for me. It's not as transparent as DC8C, but boy, it sure is good. The nice thing about Density MKII is that, although it does add a bit of character to the sound, it's a very, very pleasant character. Once you get really used to using it, and learn how to make it giggle for you anytime you want, it will serve you very faithfully. It's really clean, easy to use, and a very strong performer.

I think I can honestly say before God Himself, that all of Booty's plugins are fantastic. There are many "payware" products that can't even hold his C++ window let alone best his work. Patrick and Bootsy are an unbelievable team and I am very, very thankful for their incredible products. I don't use them because they're FREEWARE - I use them because they are SOOO good. Mind you, I'm especially thankful that they are freely available. Kinda like God's grace. Absolutely impossible to put a price tag on it, yet so freely available.
akira wrote:@manvanmars
Your post was very helpful...Thank you

@Brother Charles
Thanx for the emphasis on Density

@rifftrax
Thanx for the emphasis on Antress (have simpy forgotten them) :)

@Compyfox
@MFXxx
Your posts were the most helpful in this whole thread...seems to be you've read my posts (obviously not self-evident on this forum))
Thank You for writng down all your advices! :)

@AKJ
I'm just curious, so let me ask you something:
Although I wrote down in this thread several times, that I don't want to buy new stuff, but to reduce the stuff I have, you recommend me the Marquis of Voxengo for about $90. I wonder, what might be the reason:

- You just didn't read it
- kind of advertising
- You read it, but you like to recommend stuff you've bought
- you think freeware is garbage
Thanks & God Bless,
Bro. Charles
Reviewer's Revival Blogsite | Facebook

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