released: SlickHDR - Psychoaccoustic Dynamic Processor

[fwsuperhero]

What's the problem?

I don't have a problem but I have questions. There is not a comparable plugin that I'm aware of. There are large companies with lots of people working full-time on compressors, mastering plugins, etc. Why hasn't something similar been done before? Perhaps this is a true innovation. It's possible but I'm skeptical.

A lot of FXs can be made by connecting different plugins together. There are analog compressor vst that are basically compressors + saturation.
So... SLICKHDR is something like TDR feedback compressor (or other compressor that has two different transient algorithms _ but SLICKHDR has three!) + bootsy saturation. It is less surgicaly precise than TDR feedback compressor but it delivers that great colouring that TDR doesnt have.
What i´ve found with the best sounding colouring compressors is The less control options, the better sound they have

[Tricky-Loops]

To summarize, put it on individual tracks, sub-mixes, the drum bus, and the master. Just put it everywhere since it will improve everything.

Why not? If it sounds good? And if you don't like its sound, you simply delete it or try it with a different material. Nothing is lost, except some seconds...

If you put a saturator on a track, you don't know if it sounds good, either, so without experimenting a bit mixing isn't possible (except if you always use the same effect/processor chains).

Unfortunately, I didn't have time yet to test it with all possible adjustments on every possible track, loop or sample. But I've tested it for a few minutes and I had the impression that it really gives the track more definition and clarity (and sometimes a few pleasuring harmonics), a bit like the Sonic Maximizer married with a compressor.

[jens]

To summarize, put it on individual tracks, sub-mixes, the drum bus, and the master. Just put it everywhere since it will improve everything.

Who are you rolling your eyes at? At Bootsie, for giving this plugin away from free (as in free beer)?

At Bootsie because he even added a manual, including tips on how to make the best use of this plugin?

And what are the bold letters for? Does it mean this sentence of yours is more important or even more true than all the many other sentences in this thread? And that even though you admitted yourself that you actually know nothing about this plugin?

What is it that you are trying to tell us here?

Besides: you seem to doubt, that it is a reasonable to put SlickHDR on every track. But why is that? What is your argument against it? What is your reasoning?

If you had a great polish which enhanced the old faint paint of your car, would you only put it on the left fender, but not on the right one, because that would be too much?



What is it with logic and musicians?

[Frantz]

Besides: you seem to doubt, that it is a reasonable to put SlickHDR on every track. But why is that? What is your argument against it? What is your reasoning?

Is it generally good practice to compress all the individual tracks and compress their mix buses and once again compress the master? I think not because you would squash all the dynamics out of the music. Whatever saturation the compressor adds would be overdone because it has been applied so many times.

Just because someone offers something for free doesn't mean it can't be debated and discussed.

I apologize for the eyeroll. I was getting carried away.

[Frantz]

So... SLICKHDR is something like TDR feedback compressor (or other compressor that has two different transient algorithms _ but SLICKHDR has three!) + bootsy saturation.

As far as I can tell, the TDR Feedback Compressor is a single compressor listening to its output and dynamically making adjustments. While SlickHDR is three compressors in a network interacting with each other. So SlickHDR seems to be far more complex than TDR.

[Nokenoku]

This plugin is absolutely great for people, who like mixing without knowing, what they're doing.

That seems a bit harsh... What makes you say that?

The concept and signal flow is not clear. The results are hard/impossible to foresee.
Even after reading the manual and some comments here in the thread, this tool does not react as expected when I tweak it.

Also it's impossible for P2 and P3 to have a high impact as long as you don't also have a high impact on P1.



Sorry to say so, but in my opinion this plugin is probably one of the most useless plugins I've ever seen.
It's just impossible to work with it into a certain direction.

[kukla]

Another great plugin, and the post and replies to me. I just tried it and altough I found it tricky, it seems like some tracks and sometimes a master-bus will defenitely benefit from SlickHDR. Thanks again for these free, brain (and ear) scratching plugins.

Many people seem to try to take the whole creative process out of the music making process.

and I agree with this one. It doesn't say people are not creative.

[Frantz]

Comment deleted. No longer relevant.

[Nokenoku]

This plugin is absolutely great for people, who like mixing without knowing, what they're doing.

It's for people who mix with their ears instead of thinking analytically for hours about the perfect attack, release times and ratios...

When you use conventional compressors, you do use your ears as well. There is no "analytically thinking for hours".

But you know, which knob to turn to go into a certain direction. And then you turn it until it sounds right.
If you know, what you're doing, you will get good results really fast.

Close your eyes (but not your ears), adjust some knobs, listen to the sound - and either it sounds better or not. Then test some other adjustments. Repeat it. And most times it will sound better. Sometimes not. That's called mixing fun.

No, this is called "trial and error".
And for this certain application I don't see a lot of fun with this concept.

I have no idea how most reverbs work, yet I'm using them every single day.

...

Many people seem to try to take the whole creative process out of the music making process. It always scares me how much the concept of subjectivity is lost on many people these days.

I am pretty sure, you know exactly what to expect when turning stuff like decay time on a reverb.
This plugin however does react in rather strange ways in my opinion.

Also it's very improper to talk about "take the whole creative process out of the music making" here.
Some of my music is rather experimental. And my effect chains are very, very unusual.
(I can post some short examples if you like.)
And while there is some "trial and error" involved in generating new sounds, I always know what to expect from my mixing tools. Otherwise it would be a pure pain to work with them.

Why should I use a 3-in-one-compressor-chain-plugin, where I have to rely on "luck and accident" to get good results, when I can just use the tools I know to get the results I want?

[Tricky-Loops]

Close your eyes (but not your ears), adjust some knobs, listen to the sound - and either it sounds better or not. Then test some other adjustments. Repeat it. And most times it will sound better. Sometimes not. That's called mixing fun.

No, this is called "trial and error".
And for this certain application I don't see a lot of fun with this concept.

Should I give you my favorite quote?

"As always, experimentation is the real key."

Rick Sno(w)man, "Dance Music Manual"

[Nokenoku]

Yeah well ... this quote is completely out of context, and I'm pretty sure, that the good man did not talk about using plugins, where you don't know, what you're doing, but rather about trying out new ideas/concepts.

[ariston]

Sorry to say so, but in my opinion this plugin is probably one of the most useless plugins I've ever seen.
It's just impossible to work with it into a certain direction.

Well, you do know you're not supposed to just LOOK at it. It's meant to be heard.

[Tricky-Loops]

Yeah well ... this quote is completely out of context, and I'm pretty sure, that the good man did not talk about using plugins, where you don't know, what you're doing, but rather about trying out new ideas/concepts.

SlickHDR is a new idea/concept, too!

Nobody forces you to use it...

It's the same with vacations. I've met people who always go to the same place for vacation because they know every street & corner there and they say it helps them to relax. Other people are going to a different destination every time because they want to experience new things which they haven't experienced yet, meet foreign people, cultures, languages, landscapes.

SlickHDR is a completely new experience, it doesn't fit into any category.

[Frantz]

When you use conventional compressors, you do use your ears as well. There is no "analytically thinking for hours".

But you know, which knob to turn to go into a certain direction. And then you turn it until it sounds right.
If you know, what you're doing, you will get good results really fast.
.
.
.
And while there is some "trial and error" involved in generating new sounds, I always know what to expect from my mixing tools. Otherwise it would be a pure pain to work with them.

Why should I use a 3-in-one-compressor-chain-plugin, where I have to rely on "luck and accident" to get good results, when I can just use the tools I know to get the results I want?

+1

I share all of Nokenoku's concerns.

[Bronto Scorpio]

I have no idea how most reverbs work, yet I'm using them every single day.

...

Many people seem to try to take the whole creative process out of the music making process. It always scares me how much the concept of subjectivity is lost on many people these days.

I am pretty sure, you know exactly what to expect when turning stuff like decay time on a reverb.
This plugin however does react in rather strange ways in my opinion.

Also it's very improper to talk about "take the whole creative process out of the music making" here.
Some of my music is rather experimental. And my effect chains are very, very unusual.
(I can post some short examples if you like.)
And while there is some "trial and error" involved in generating new sounds, I always know what to expect from my mixing tools. Otherwise it would be a pure pain to work with them.

Why should I use a 3-in-one-compressor-chain-plugin, where I have to rely on "luck and accident" to get good results, when I can just use the tools I know to get the results I want?

I completely agree with you here! My music and sounds are also often very "experimental", but I'm also very traditional when it comes to the actual mixing part and stuff like that.

You are right, I do know what to expect from a reverb when I turn the decay knob up, I also know what's technically happening to some extend.
With this plugin I may not know that much about the technical side of things, but I do know what to expect when I'm turning the knobs, simply because I'm hearing it.
After using it a few times I know when to use it and what it can or can't do for me.

In some months I may be working on a project were I'm facing a certain problem, and then I'll remember "Hey, I have this SlickHDR plugin, which could work quite well here!"

I guess I'm using mixing stuff a lot different than most people seem to do. I insert a compressor when I want to reduce the dynamic range, I insert an EQ if I want to attenuate some frequencies, I insert a reverb......

I would never just put insert an effect just because I can (At least not during the mixing stage, the sound design stage is sometimes a wild adventure ).

I guess my mixing process is just very goal oriented and this plugin is just another tool to streamline the process of reaching these goals.

Cheers
Dennis