10 commercial compressors compared in a dance context

[Kraku]

Here's my judgement. The compressors aren't in any particular order...



8 & 5 have good bass and clear enough highs. The sound has depth to it. Might be the most useful for me (I would need to try to tweak the knobs myself to know how easy it would be for me to get the sound I really want out of those comps)

2 has good snap and clear sound.

4 eats the high frequencies.

3 has very different threshold than the rest?

6 has too loud attack, even though it's not that powerful sounding (tweaking problem?).

7 a bit better than 6.

9 sounds very neutral, kind of "transparent" if you will.

10 sounds like a traditional early 90s techno drums and alot like 9, just a bit brighter.

[Kraku]

Thanks, I'll put the files up on my server and add them to the compressor thread. In the mean time, hereis a quite a bit different sounding compressor. It's rather special with the way it operates the attack. I quite like it.

And here is the complete list of my examples so far (for easier browsing):

test 1
test 2
test 3
test 4

Pay attention to the volume while comparing. Louder will nearly always sound better so match the amplitude.

Cheers!
bManic

The only one I actually liked was the number 1. The rest don't do it for me

[hifiboom]

I vote for this one:
http://home.arcor.de/soundspace1/reverb ... d_acid.wma



Compression but no compromise!!

[bmanic]

Thanks, I'll put the files up on my server and add them to the compressor thread. In the mean time, hereis a quite a bit different sounding compressor. It's rather special with the way it operates the attack. I quite like it.

And here is the complete list of my examples so far (for easier browsing):

test 1
test 2
test 3
test 4

Pay attention to the volume while comparing. Louder will nearly always sound better so match the amplitude.

Cheers!
bManic

The only one I actually liked was the number 1. The rest don't do it for me

That's the funny thing with this kind of test. There simply is no "correct" or "better" way to compress the loop in question as it is completely dependant on the users own idea of how it should be utilized within a song.

Personally I would either squash it lightly and use the drum loop as a basis for a track or then I would compress the shit out of it and bandpass filter it to use it as a "glue" part for the main rythm section.

Cheers!
bManic

[Kraku]

That's the funny thing with this kind of test. There simply is no "correct" or "better" way to compress the loop in question as it is completely dependant on the users own idea of how it should be utilized within a song.

Yep. I agree 100%. To actually get usable test results, we should get to tweak the knobs ourselves to see which one gives us the best results for our taste with our own material. That's why I was so vague with my answers to the original post.

[Firebird]

I haven't used all of these but like the MixPressor very much, great tool.

[cYrus]

8, 2 and 5 would do the job for me.. quite interested what they really are and how they sound on my own material.

[aciddose]

the 'test' is rediculous anyway. it might be valid if you attempted to get the exact same performance from each compressor, but with different settings it is just moronic.

i dont like any of the compressors i've ever used in software though. they all sound overdone, either like somebody cared too much about distortion, or they added waveshapers to try some bullshit 'analog warmth' thing. that is of course why i wrote my own.

[brok landers]

aciddose, is that compressor you've made included into the xchip fx bundle?

[bmanic]

Yeah, I'd like to try your compressor too. IMHO by far the best freeware compressor (and also in my top 3 best ever plugin compressor) is the MjCompressor from Magnus, smartelectronix fame.

EDIT: if it's the one in the xhip effects bundle then I'm not impressed at all. It distorts extremely easily even at modest settings.

Cheers!
bManic

[brok landers]

hey bmanic, also heavily underrated for optostyle compression (if you actually want to "hear" the compressor) is the mda dynamics. i use it on most of all my tracks ... also there was a free betabundle of the buzzroom bundle (v08b)... those i like also very much ... the parameterscaling was not optimized, but i allways found a very good result in most of my tasks ...
here's an examplesong where i use the mda dynamics (only) for mastering (!) ...

click here

sorry for the long intro, you might have to scroll a bit ...
it's a little ambient tune, nothing special, but i think it sounds very good ...

[bmanic]

never tried the mda compressor.. gotta check it out.

Cheers for the heads up!
bManic

[BobYordan]

hey bmanic, also heavily underrated for optostyle compression (if you actually want to "hear" the compressor) is the mda dynamics. i use it on most of all my tracks ... also there was a free betabundle of the buzzroom bundle (v08b)... those i like also very much ... the parameterscaling was not optimized, but i allways found a very good result in most of my tasks ...
here's an examplesong where i use the mda dynamics (only) for mastering (!) ...

click here

sorry for the long intro, you might have to scroll a bit ...
it's a little ambient tune, nothing special, but i think it sounds very good ...

Sweet sound.

[brok landers]

thanks ... mastered with the mda dynamics ...
heavily underrated, imo ...
btw, did i say i love compressors?

[martian]

i cant really judge this test, the drums aren't mixed to my taste, and given the settings used by the creator he maybe doesnt value the mix much either, since it sounds like its fixing a kick thats too loud and snare too quiet. so im biased since the one that sounds best to me is the one that makes the mix sound best. interesting as always though to hear the different qualities whether due to setting or compressors. thanks for your comparison alien leg!