Caine's SMPO (Sort My Plugins Out!) - Compressors

[Caine123]

hey gusy, i finally started to sort my plugins and sum up EVERY element in mixing and also comparing! i hope you can elevate me and get to sort out plugins which might be redundant and also give me tips.

i understand that compressors are NOT always needed, instead are used heavily too much nowadays! with transient shapers i think compressors are needed even less but still it depends on your target you want to achieve with it. this time i start to give my RAP Beat some compression for

a) kick
b) snare
c) drum bus
d) Mastering Bus

here is my list of ALL my compressors/limiters



i concentrate atm for really compressors, no collections like the IMpusher etc.

a) so afaik there are comps which are preferred for percussives, drum bus etc. for the kick i guess you could of course use ANY compressor. which comp do you use and why and maybe which ones are the ones you would use out of my collection?

b) snares are always a bit different characterwise for me so i sometimes use a less pumpy comp (setting) and play more with transient shapers + eqs!

c) ok here i use a lot of SUPERCHARGER GT, i just love the differnet charactrs, yeah i know i said no comp collections with different additions like character, distortion etc. but i read also that many like it for this, but which comps do you use for drum busses?

d) ok this one is really hard! i love the SSL comp from WAVES a lot, it has a really nice character, but with recent Fabfilter Pro-C2 i see exactly what is going on and i cannot decide. i also have so many tracks ones etc. i just dunno anymore which comp would be good for mastering.

i wanna start to also compare with (identical) settings for each element, PERCS, VOCALS, DRUM BUS, MASTER BUS. but i wanna start with it after i read which comps you would use for which elements . sure you could use EVERY comp for anything! but e.g. the RComp is really well for kicks, i somehow dont find it appealing for vocals and masterbus. i dunno why there cannot be just 1 comp for all?

let's narrow this shit down!

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

You have 60 compressors and still barely have an idea what any of them do for you

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Here's a suggestion: Set up a new partition with a fresh daw install, and use no other mixing plugs than the ones that are included. When you realise that you don't need much else, just sell 99% of them

[Caine123]

hahahaha i get you! no, i made the mistake and get (there are more ;D) many in sales etc. you know it when you join kvr.... and then you read and hear "hey this plugin is so nice on drum bus" great, i demo and hear and think wow really!, then the next says "wow this one is so GLUEY on the master!" i set the same on a standard comp and BELIVE ? i hear something lacking on my standard comp and hear some magic on the new (SSL here) comp. and then i got 2 more. then tracks comes in and updates its MIX&MASTERING collection and you get +10 more and so on .

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

and hear some magic on the new...

I think that "magic" is often just 'different'. But let's just assume you do hear magic in some of your plugins - Eliminate all those that don't give you that feeling. Then, start testing from there

[Neon Breath]

Having this number of compressors is like having 60 tubes of different purple for painting.

[Omkar]

A little "technique" to trick oneself:

move all tools of a category (compressors in this case) from vst folder to a backup folder,
then place just 3 tools of choice back to learn what they are doing, to memorize sound etc.
After you know them better, bring occasionally one alternative in and compare, then remove.

In general (including Rap) my choice of your list would be:

1. Fabfilter Pro-C 2
to gently predefine, balance, shape, solidify any material, also to learn parameters

2. NI Supercharger GT
to overall characterize material if desired

3. API-2500 (I assume Waves)
to flexibly glue various busses at various settings (1.+2. can sometimes also be brought in)

I see many Rap productions overlooked the groundwork of compressors
or better the significance of having a solid fundament before it goes knock knock boom boom ...

Happy booming

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Having this number of compressors is like having 60 tubes of different purple for painting.

[sin night]

I'd start by purging the older versions of TRacks and keeping only the latest. You don't need the same plugin up to 3 times in the same list in different positions. If your host allows to hide certain plugins, use that feature; otherwise make a zip file for backup purposes (if you need to reopen older project) and remove the versions you don't need.
I think it's easier to choose the right tool when the list is shorter.

Then - this is my personal preference and actually how I organized my setup - I'd sort the dynamic processors in smaller and more descriptive groups. Cubase (my daw) allows for making custom lists, so I take advantage of this feature (previously, I used to sort the files manually in the folders).
My categories for dynamic processors are: clipper, compressor (single band), limiter, multiband (compressors/limiters), gates, maximizer, transient designer, others (processors that can't be easily identified... sometimes I put those directly in the root of the dynamics folder). I did something similar for distortions and modulations fx. Channel strips (for example Slate VMR, Eventide Ultrachannel) have their own dedicated folder (maybe it's not optimal, but it works for me).
This way, I know I'm forced into thinking what approach I want (limiting, clipping, compressing...) and then it's just a matter of choosing the right style. Of course you need to know the features and the results that a certain effects provides, but I think that it's easier to stay focused when the tools are organized this way. At least, it works for me.
Then you'll reach a point where you'll choose a specific plugin in a blink because you know it will give you a certain result, but having things well sorted is still useful.


As far as which processor goes for a certain task, it's impossible to answer: it depends on the sound of source material, if the source material requires dynamic processing, on the type of processing required (soft and barely noticeable compression? heavy limiting with a lot of pumping? transparent - just dynamic control - or colouring the sound?), on the results you're looking for...

For me - but I don't make rap - it's mostly an 1176 plugin on most drum sounds (fast, hard), while I may use a very light touch of a SSL plugin on drum busses (or a 670, but usually it's not my favourite choice when there are kicks or snares on a bus). I want it punchy for drums. I don't have the API, but probably it's another good choice.
If I need to make something bigger, I may just use Decapitator or Devil lock: distortions, when used appropriately, are another solution to limit the dynamic range, change the tonal balance and ultimately give the impression that something is bigger.

My suggestion is to take a piece of paper and then, for each plugin in each category, write down a short description of the character, the stregths and the weaknesses. Some compressors are transparent while others change the tonal balance (for example they may bring out the midrange); some are punchier, while others are slower but add a sort of nice envelope...

When you have "tagged" your tools, then it's easier to choose the right one depending on what you want for your sound (at least, it kinda works for me).


Just my 2 cents, of course.