Cheaper alternatives to Waves NLS?

[anti_phase]

Recently I was in a friend of my friend studio and he used NLS on every channel and busses, sounded much better with it. So I really want to implement this Non-Linear Summer feature in my DAW. But NLS is pricey a little. Are there some more good alternatives?Some time ago I played with Nebula console libraries but they didn`t give me that feeling. No iLok! Thanks.

[soulone82]

Sknote Stripbus. It´s the most sophisticated console emulation out there. No other product models the console as a whole. Check it out...it´s the bee´s knees...

[anti_phase]

Understood. Thanks! Never heard about it

[Burillo]

also Sonimus Satson and Britson, also you can get Slate VCC for less than NLS if you watch for sales or second hand market (but it requires iLok and also this whole Slate VMR thing is not everyone's cup of tea). if you're on OSX, there's also the AirWindows stuff which does have some console emulations i think.

the problem with StripBus is that it's IMO overly complex, and it has been in "beta" for i think two years now, the developer is really unreliable when it comes to support, fixing bugs, and updates in general. so you have to know what you're getting into.

[anti_phase]

forgot to add. I`m on Windows.
So, SKnote is still buggy Beta?
I`m aware of Slate, and it`s not even an Ilok problem, but it`s really not my cup of tea
Satson and Britson added to list. Thanks

[Burillo]

i can't say if it's buggy since i'm staying away from SKNote software since some time (i won't go into details, as this is way off topic). you'd have to ask users about that. but i certainly haven't seen any release announcements in the meantime.

you can also look into Klanghelm IVGI and its bigger brother, SDRR. they aren't strictly console emulators as much as they are saturation/distortion toolboxes, but they do offer "console emulation" functionality - saturation, stereo crosstalk etc.

[J4R1O]

also Sonimus Satson and Britson

This.

I used Slate VCC for two years but I switched to Satson. Slate is too way too buggy and I don't like that virtual mix rack system. And by the way: Satson is REALLY good.

[sprnva]

If you hold out for a sale, NLS isn't too expensive. I got it from them at the end of December for $79. I probably could have saved a bit more if I'd gotten it during Black Friday. Or you could find one on sale here.

Another option is bx_console and that has the same full price. The reason I wanted one of these instead of the other console emulations is that with others you will end up with the exact same "analog emulation" on every channel. This isn't how a real console works. So NLS and bx_console are the only two that I know of that allow for the channel differences you will find on the real deal. I like the way bx_console achieves this, but NLS was cheaper at the time and also gave me three different consoles versus one with bx.

[anti_phase]

i can't say if it's buggy since i'm staying away from SKNote software since some time (i won't go into details, as this is way off topic). you'd have to ask users about that. but i certainly haven't seen any release announcements in the meantime.

you can also look into Klanghelm IVGI and its bigger brother, SDRR. they aren't strictly console emulators as much as they are saturation/distortion toolboxes, but they do offer "console emulation" functionality - saturation, stereo crosstalk etc.

Yes, I use IVGI a lot. Love it usually put 1 instance on master buss. But they are really not the same. I likely need more like a Summer with instances on every channel than anything else.

also Sonimus Satson and Britson

This.

I used Slate VCC for two years but I switched to Satson. Slate is too way too buggy and I don't like that virtual mix rack system. And by the way: Satson is REALLY good.

Seems Satson is really kinda awesome

If you hold out for a sale, NLS isn't too expensive. I got it from them at the end of December for $79. I probably could have saved a bit more if I'd gotten it during Black Friday. Or you could find one on sale here.

Another option is bx_console and that has the same full price. The reason I wanted one of these instead of the other console emulations is that with others you will end up with the exact same "analog emulation" on every channel. This isn't how a real console works. So NLS and bx_console are the only two that I know of that allow for the channel differences you will find on the real deal. I like the way bx_console achieves this, but NLS was cheaper at the time and also gave me three different consoles versus one with bx.

79 is OK. Maybe I should wait. Nebula also had channel diffeefences, if I remember correctly, never worked for me, though. Thanks

[soulone82]

the problem with StripBus is that it's IMO overly complex, and it has been in "beta" for i think two years now

overly complex? you must be kidding. it really is pretty straightforward imho.

stripbus v2 runs smoothly over here. not at a beta stage at all. you must be confusing it with stripbus v3...

[Obsolete236871]

I bought Stripbus and it's really inexpensive. Somehow I never got into the workflow (in order to use it effectively you have to follow a certain workflow) and never liked the sound I achieved with it too much. But you can just try it yourself since it's really inexpensive, maybe you will be more successful than me.

There is also IVGI by Klanghelm for free, plus their professional console / saturation suite SDRR for only 22€.

If 32bit Windows plugins are an option for you, I would also try some of Variety Of Sound's creations, for console / summing emulation specifically Tessla Pro, Rescue MK2 and Slick HDR.

[Burillo]

overly complex? you must be kidding. it really is pretty straightforward imho.

it has way more features than any other console emu - a dynamic EQ, some kind of ducking mechanism, various knobs for headroom and other volume adjustments, various types of noise and crosstalk (which IMO sounds great but isn't that realistic - you won't get a channel cross-talking into another channel on the opposite side of the console, not unless you really screwed up the wiring...)... all of this adds up to enormous complexity, compared to something like Satson or VCC

stripbus v2 runs smoothly over here. not at a beta stage at all. you must be confusing it with stripbus v3...

yes, i meant StripBus v3. v2 indeed works fine. which kinda goes to show what i was meant to illustrate - that v3 is two years in the beta and Quinto seemingly isn't interested in ever finishing it he'd rather release five (or is it more now?) new plugins and hardware.

Yes, I use IVGI a lot. Love it usually put 1 instance on master buss. But they are really not the same. I likely need more like a Summer with instances on every channel than anything else.

that's not really how console emulations work. IVGI pretty much lets you emulate that workflow. when you put VCC/Satson/Britson on a channel, no crosstalk is happening, and no "summing" is done either. so it's essentially like putting an IVGI instance on a channel. the only "summing" that's happening is when you add a Bus plugin, and even that is really pretty much stereo crosstalk and some saturation - so this is pretty much equivalent to putting an IVGI instance on the bus and turning on crosstalk. the only difference would be the saturation algorithms.

the only things that do something more than that are StripBus, NLS and bx console. and even then, there is no stereo crosstalk in StripBus - the "bus" part is just a compressor, and the "crosstalk" is unlike any other console (whether real or emulated, i might add).

[Burillo]

If 32bit Windows plugins are an option for you, I would also try some of Variety Of Sound's creations, for console / summing emulation specifically Tessla Pro, Rescue MK2 and Slick HDR.

yeah, forgot about those, these are worth checking out as well! although i don't think Slick HDR is a console emulation per se - more like some kind of sophisticated dynamics processor. i never got into it though, it seems like a black box.

[cprompt]

the problem with StripBus is that it's IMO overly complex, and it has been in "beta" for i think two years now, the developer is really unreliable when it comes to support, fixing bugs, and updates in general. so you have to know what you're getting into.

Well, yes and no. StripBus V2 has been out for a few years, works really well and sounds great. It is true that StripBus V3 has been in beta for over a year now, but it was almost a ground-up rewrite. He has also had to the UI again and nobody liked the original V3 UI. It is not overly complex as you can put the plugin on a track, do nothing with it and still reap the consoley goodness!

Saying he is unreliable is a bit harsh... yes, Quinto Time and Real Time do not always align - when Quinto says "a few days" it could be a few weeks or longer, but he gets there in the end. He is very proactive over on GearSlutz - case in point, his recent "Disto" plugin deliberately over-coloured the output but demand from people on GearSlutz meant he has added (or is about to anyway) a clean model as well (with a free update on its way).

Having said that, there is some truth to saying that "you have to know what you're getting into" - he is a little idiosyncratic to say the least, but I think his plugins are first rate.

[TEKing66]

Just noticed that NLS is on sale right now for $99.