KVR Audio

beej · Post by **beej** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:42 pm

From the RenComp manual:

"Limiter Section

Just above the Input/Ouput meters is the indicator for the built-in limiter. The Renaissance Compressor has an L1-style limiter at the output stage, and works well in compression or expansion modes.

Threshold and Output Ceiling is set to 0dBFS and it is activated only when the level would exceed 0dBFS. On activation, the limiter action is in addition to the compression, and the total actualy gain reduction is shown in the gain reduction meter.

The limiter display light shows the activity of the limiter. When the compressor's output exceeds 0dBFS, the limiting light turns yellow, indicating activation.

More limiting makes the display become a brighter yellow. When the limiting is very heavy (approximately 6dB or more), the display becomes red. Once limiting has stopped, the light will gradually fade out."

It's how if you set the threshold to 0dBFS, compression ration to 1.00 - you get no gain reduction (obviously). Now raise the output level. You'll start to see the gain reduction meter move as you turn the output level up - that's just the limiter working...

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:49 pm

Hey, well, there you go. "Reading the manual"...quite the concept.

beej · Post by **beej** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:56 pm

Actually, the Waves manuals are pretty good and contain a lot of general good info in addition to the plugin specific stuff. I've worked my way through most of them (ones I don't own I mean) apart from the recent ones.

People who don't read manuals are just

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:06 pm

beej wrote:Actually, the Waves manuals are pretty good and contain a lot of general good info in addition to the plugin specific stuff. I've worked my way through most of them (ones I don't own I mean) apart from the recent ones.

People who don't read manuals are just

Yep, I've read them over and over again. Especially the C1 Comp/Gate and LinMB; I don't use RComp much anymore (in fact, trying to stop using Waves...but they keep pulling me back in!), so I completely forgot about that. No wonder you can push it so.

wsaidah · Post by **wsaidah** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:28 am

beej wrote:Waves RenComp has an L1-style limiter on its output.

were did you get this info from

Kingston · Post by **Kingston** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:49 am

wsaidah wrote:
beej wrote:Waves RenComp has an L1-style limiter on its output.
were did you get this info from

The four posts just before you discuss that info in quite the detail...

sascha · Post by **sascha** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:05 am

sidrat wrote:maybe it's just me, but i compared blockfish against the am-track (on drums/bass/guitar) and still preferred blockfish in most instances. i REALLY wish it was still being developed.

Have you compared both on really complex acoustic material (maybe even Jazz or the like)? Maybe it just takes a while. Often, compresors need a whole mixdown to be sonically helpful in a cumulative way. Even the 'characterless' ones often add up wonderfully with many tracks involved.

Blockfish is sort of a brutal crusher, not very sensitive to details. To some point it's an 'instant gratifier', but its sonic fingerprint is often too much for sensitive material (e.g. female vox). This is where am-track is way better at. It's more controllable, more subtle, less 'digital', softer, thicker, has got more bottom, the FET mode enhances the high end a bit etc.

musicL · Post by **musicL** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:41 am

Will there be any chance in the future where am-track will be ported as a seperate sellable vst plug? I haven't said enough that i can't get as fat as sound as i can with blockfish with anything else

The close up vocal preset is always my start point.

beej · Post by **beej** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:53 am

Yeah, I like Blockfish more as a character compressor - it's not my first choice on general stuff (which usually goes to the RenComp on Mac or the UAD 1176/LA2A/Fairchild on my PC).

But again, it all depends on your tastes and what's artistically valid for your music, which is why choice is good these days with so much software out there...

beej · Post by **beej** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:55 am

I think MagiX are trying to get people to convert to Samplitude, thus offering as attractive a package as possible.

Splitting up some of the core assets and selling them individually may bring in a small revenue stream but doesn't help much with their core products, so I doubt it's what they intend to do... but who knows...

speccyteccy · Post by **speccyteccy** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:37 am

Blockfish is such a great compressor for beginners too - it helped me learn lots.

That and Spitfish go straight onto vocals, and Dominion and Endorphin also get quite a bit of use.

Many, many thanks.

musicL · Post by **musicL** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:42 pm

beej - yeah i figured the same but still hoping!

funkadil · Post by **funkadil** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:02 am

Blockfish is nice for "instant gritification" but it seems a little extreme and A little bit limited in terms all kinds of compression, as sascha was saying. I kind of wish I could find one thats similar but does more. Gotta go check some of the free-compressor threads.

Kingston · Post by **Kingston** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:06 am

funkadil wrote:I kind of wish I could find one thats similar but does more. Gotta go check some of the free-compressor threads.

Mjcompressor is quite the brilliant freebie. It has no gui, takes some practise to get good sound of, but consider it the secret weapon of the month.

Don't let it's utilitarian looks (ie. no gui) fool you.

musicL · Post by **musicL** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:26 am

Isn't there that trick; 'all buttons pushed in' fat vocal sound on the 1176? that's the sound of blockfish. Takes no prisoners.