KVR Audio

JeffSanders · Post by **JeffSanders** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:17 am

I'm guessing the demo and the look are sinking this thing!

Nah...I don't think it can sink.

Some people will get a great deal on it right now. Some won't. That's about it.

People will be praising this thing left and right shortly. Can you say "Classic"?

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:27 am

JeffSanders wrote: People will be praising this thing left and right shortly. Can you say "Classic"?

I'm thinking that might be the case Jeff

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:31 am

...hehe, I caved in and picked up the MasterComp and MasterQ in the package deal for Vintage Warmer owners...I really like Vintage Warmer more than ever now !

kilroy · Post by **kilroy** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:43 am

It never ends, does it mate.

I want my...

I want my...

I want my PSP.

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:53 am

bmanic · Post by **bmanic** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:14 am

Shhhhhhhhh!! stfu you guys! My wallet already mysteriously appeared on my table last night..

uuuuuuurrrrgggh! Must resist! I've bought like every friggin compressor there is, well nearly all, I somehow have managed to not buy GCO yet!

- comPressoManiac

ChamomileShark · Post by **ChamomileShark** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:25 am

..well, I went and bought it a few days ago..I realised after posting I got the full 60% off...

Interesting the comment about VW, I'm really new to this stuff having not used processors at all in the past (well one chorus)..but I didn't think VW fitted under compressor so I have it listed on Cubase under "distortion" (in it's broadest sense). I was thinking that was a bit silly because looking at the PSP site it says it's a compressor-limiter, but now maybe that is where it should be?

fritzman · Post by **fritzman** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:52 am

ChamomileShark wrote: Interesting the comment about VW, I'm really new to this stuff having not used processors at all in the past (well one chorus)..but I didn't think VW fitted under compressor so I have it listed on Cubase under "distortion" (in it's broadest sense). I was thinking that was a bit silly because looking at the PSP site it says it's a compressor-limiter, but now maybe that is where it should be?

Well,

after all it's a matter of taste. It's what people are looking for when they want a "mastering compressor" what ever that really means. Mastering is a personal as mixing and a matter of taste. And that's the point: Some people want a super clean compressor for that, some want certain colorations in the mastering process. I often want some coloration at mastering so therefor sometimes I use VW for that.
Sure, it's easy to do harm to the audio with VW. That's the reason I didn't like it in many cases. But I learned to use it's knobs in a way I like the sound and therefor I get pleasant results. One big mistake that I think is so easy to be made is to turn up the drive too much. That brings you so fast into the distortion area. I usually turn up the knee knob for some more "drive" which is actually more compression. I often turn the drive knob fairly down and then I have a great sound.
Sorry for the OT, I'll check this MasterComp more in depth when the full demo will be available.

Best wishes, FRitz

P.S. VW is in my "multi compressors" folder.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 3:10 pm

Hmmm...I guess I'll have to just download the demo - I thought I might get a general idea from this discussion, but half of you must have cauliflowers for ears, I just don't know which half!

Initially the PSP blurb put me off - I prefer character comps, but their blurb made a big emphasis on pristine clear compression. Now I find half of you are talking about real character from this comp (even at no compression settings) - if that's the case then PSP got their blurb wrong. If they got their blurb right, then some of you don't know the difference between clear and character

I'd imagine as it's designed to be a master comp, that it veers towards clean? You bloody lot have given me no idea whatsoever. No I'll have to demo it...which probably means I'll like it...which probably means I'll have to buy it...and I've got a bathroom that needs renovating and that very same $250 would buy me all of my tiles and half a pot of grout.

For god's sake make your minds up. Is it clean or not?

Funkybot · Post by **Funkybot** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 3:18 pm

Yes and no. Actually I decided to uninstall the demo and decided I'd rather wait until a more funtional demo was released (which will hopefully be tomorrow). Having to use presets to set attack and release times is a bit too much for me. I'd rather just set them myself.

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 4:19 pm

Funkybot wrote:Having to use presets to set attack and release times is a bit too much for me. I'd rather just set them myself.

I'm not trying to sell you this - the more informed opinions we get here the better that's all...you have automation envelopes in your host? If you assign one to attack and one to release you can drag those around in real time to set the knobs - klunky, I know but it works in Sonar for example.

Funkybot · Post by **Funkybot** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 4:31 pm

I've got Sonar, and I don't mind you trying to sell it to me either, I'd just rather wait a few days before making a decision. What will make or break this for me is how I like it as a track compressor (even if it is CPU intensive), not how I think it sounds over mixes. Look at the TLS Pocket Limiter for instance, I love that thing on rock bass tracks. Was that it's purpose? Who cares. I'm not a mastering engineer and when I do work on commercial projects stuff gets sent out for mastering, so I'm less concerned about a mastering compressor than I am just another good sounding dynamics plug to add to my aresenal.

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:08 pm

Ok - cool beans funkybot. I understand. My use is rebalancing mixes (non-pro) and having a mastering comp that knows how to push in the right spots of a full mix. The closest thing I have to PSP MasterComp for that is MixPressor, MixSaturator, and T-Racks Compressor. Sometimes I like to bring the "ess" out of a buried vocal and right now those 3 I mentioned are the only ones that can transparantly do that, besides Soniformer which I already have in my chain. All of my other compressors seem to either crunch down too much or are too floppy...sorry for the bad descriptions - maybe I'm trying to say that a couple of the comps I've mentioned are organic and musical - while some of the others I have - not mentioned, while still transparant, seem controlling or non-exciting and don't flow with the music. The difference between a door stop and a revolving door maybe (haha - time to start analogies...

)

But anyway it would seem that if a mastering comp can handle more complex material then it may be good on certain tracks. You're right - it doesn't matter what is called - mastering comp, track comp whatever but the word mastering usually gives me a couple of clues as to what the developers may have architected concerning latency, cpu usage, oversampling, internal bit resolution, etc.

Concerning the transparant/color discussion with compressors I need to get on the same page with you guys. While I think I can use a few compressors named here transparantly - I mean I don't hear any bad compressor artifacts (breathing/pumping/punch/saturation), although I could dial that in if necessary) I do hear the color of the music that was previously covered being brought out - I know that's a bit different than obvious compressor color and character but the compressor allowing you to explore the natural colors and character already in the music is what I'm after. That I need to hear without hearing compressor artifacts - I only have DAW compressors and cheap outboard ones. Maybe that's what a vari-mu is supposed to sound like but I've never had one...

JeffSanders · Post by **JeffSanders** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:31 pm

I know that's a bit different than obvious compressor color and character but the compressor allowing you to explore the natural colors and character already in the music is what I'm after.

Great description, Kylen.

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:16 pm

Ooops - looks like it'll be 4 more days (max per PSP website) - I'm glad to see they're working out last minute showstoppers instead of letting me discover it! Meanwhile maybe I could take up the banjo or something while I'm waiting...