Crysonic SPECTRA C1 Pro Audio Wide Band Compressor

[Compyfox]

Yup, just got the eMail from the Crysonic crew, and once again I have to say: "God dammit, make the testimonials LONGER for previous customers and not only 3-4 days to decide!", especially if you're on a constant budget.


Anyway... like with SINDO, I won't post screens before the release yet, but I can at least tell some specs and how this thing looks like.

First of all, the GUI is huge, and by huge, I mean 460x500pix. For a compressor, a bit too large in my opinion, but oh well. The outfit is a grey/brownish old metal plate with a round VU in the upper half (middle( and around it 6 black tweaking knobs around half the size as the FU with dual-needle (one red for reduction, one black I guess for the VU levels - unless peak was meant). It also has a large oldschool looking metal dipswith on the left, which just turns that thing on and off.

Anyway, the 6 tweaking knobs are:
- Input from -24 to +24dB (with reset button)
- Threshold -40dB to 0dB (with reset button)
- Ratio from 0 to 10 (in steps of 2, no reset button)
- Attack from 1ms to 30ms (with reset button)
- Release from 0.1s over to .3s, .6s, 1.2s to Auto


Some more specs from the eMail:
• Physics Based Wide-Band Compressor / Expander
• Unique and intuitive Gain-Reduction and VU meter
• Very Transparent and Mono-compatible
• Retaining the tonal character of original audio
• Full automation for all parameters via the host
• Low CPU usage
• 64-bit internal precision
• 24bit/96Khz audio support
• Highly optimized custom DSP code
• Mastering, Mixing, Tracking, audio post production, Vocals and all instruments including Classical

MSRP is 59,95USD, planned release on 04. Mai 2007, possible with longtime user discounts too if you didn't get the chance to get it with the special promotion.


To be honest, I didn't test this thing yet, as GearBox is distracting me a bit. So I can't say how it sounds or what the CPU usage on my Intel P4 2,4GHz (single core, lame I know, no money for new shizz) is or whether or not it works in Wavelab 4 (I'll try the demo first, the only limitation is a volume fade every 35s according to the readme). But I try to keep you informed how that 3,78MB large VST plugin sounds. Though I'm sure bmanic and Kingston are a bit better in this section.

[Tellfit]

Hello compyfox , you talk about gearbox plugin ?
(the toneport version or other if yes ? )
I have download the demo of spectra C1 but not test it .This night i will make it ...

[Compyfox]

So... took a listen to this plugin now (Spectra C) and to be honest, I'm a bit dissapointed. Okay, it is a transparent compressor, but I have like 10 of them already, and all eat less CPU power.

Yup, you read right. One instance on my Intel P4 2,4Ghz Single Core (duh! Somebody gotta pay me to get a DualCore 3,4 system!) in Wavelab ate 25%(!) of my system. So should I really get it, it'll be a rare issue to use it for sure, unless Crysonic finally(?!!) releases native versions that're CPU optimized.

Anyway... I tested it on vocals without a preamp or saturation added in chain before this plugin. If my ears didn't fool me, this thing can sound "fairly warm" if I drive the input a bit, do a decent compression and a slight output gain. Like I said, might be my ears. Then again, compared to other plugins who're not only mimic the "design" of a vintage module, this thing sounds just outright flat and transparent - and this is why I hesitate especially since I'm using Kjaerhus, GVST and SlimSlowSlider.

What's bugging me a bit is the readouts of the VU meter... it's unique, true. But for the sake of it it's setup so slow in terms of response (something like 300-400ms) that you don't know what's going on now. So either peak meters or free configurable RMS meters would have been nice for sure.

The Ratio setup is a bit tricky. It's going in steps of 2 from (if I got that right) 2:1 to 10:1. Nothing inbetween. This might be good for some hard squashing, but for general purposes it's a bit too simple. Same with the release, only that you can switch from Auto through to 1,2s in .3 steps.


All in all it's okay for some purposes, that's for sure. But it's definitely not an UKM Compressor, even though it's looking like one of those (on second look though, the knob placement really looks a bit random to me). Like I said... a bit dissapointing compared to what's already out there, and additional to the CPU usage it just makes me want to stay away from C1.

But, like I said, just my personal opinion. Good to finally see it released though.

[kylen]

I was kind of wondering about the attack range, 1ms-30ms? Depending on how it makes this particular unit perform that seems a little limited. But the 25% cpu hit wouldn't work for me...Thanks for the mini-review!

[bduffy]

I knew it! I could count on Compyfox to spill the beans!

I've downloaded this and I have to say I'm not crazy about it. It seems to feature a lot of attack, even at the lowest setting, and turning up the input level really makes it sound bad, like a cheap software compressor. I'm hearing nothing special or unique here, and nothing worth the 10% CPU hit in Cubase (actually, a little better than some of their stuff!).

That's my initial impression, might change, maybe I'm missing something.

[32mm]

This has not been released yet, crysonic mention the release date as of 4 of this month, so I guess there could be some changes.

I'm getting 7% CPU on an AMD athlon 1800, which is not bad at all. I have tried this on a mix and let me say that it is transparent. It is sounding fabulous on a mix everything sits very well. It is very easy to use, I have just spoken with michael and he indicated the attack settings on the Demo will be changed as it has not been officialy released yet. I put my order in today as I am realy impressed with all crysonic products especialy at these prices.

[legendary]

Not often I post here but read everything, I am mightly impressed with Spectra'C so far (8%CPU hit) and will buy it this weekend. From the tests so far I think this lends it's self to acoustic instruments best, guitars, vocals, etc. I have few (expensive!) units I am comparing with and SpectraC has a very nice, dare I say warm sound. I probably use it on individual tracks as I thing where it belongs. Again, a great plugin well worth the $ IMHO.

[Teksonik]

32MM Joined 11 March 2006.........Legendary joined 11 March 2006......Members #101259 and #101260.......Hey where are those native, non Synth Edit versions that were promised ages ago? "Highly Optimized DSP Code" but after months and months still can't figure out how to use the free Vst DSK to eliminate the need for Synth Edit. Do the math.

[puffer]

Yeah. I don't want to be a hater, but haven't they been promising entirely re-coded versions for a while a now? I bought that first product and even upgraded it (it was good bargain) but have never really used it because, a. it didn't play very well with SoundForge (this may have changed), and I don't really get what it's doing to the sound - as in, I can hear it doing something but since the manual is all but useless in describing *what* exactly it's doing I haven't been able to tweak any usable results out of it: to me it just makes things sound brittle and over-hyped. So I watch the slew of products they release, and the continual promises for versions that don't rely on the SynthEdit environment, and I can't help but think there is something a little hinky with this outfit.

I mean, Juce is open source and free, right? If I was such a whiz with coding custom DSP I would think it wouldn't be that much of an issue to port my DSP over to another development environment and rebuild the GUI. These are completely custom DSP modules, right? It's getting harder for me not to think these plugs are not just tricked out SynthEdit modules, strung together in varying ways.

Then again, what do I know?

(Also, before anyone calls me a SynthEdit hater, please know that I have no problem with devs coding in SynthEdit, or charging for said work. I have big love for many SynthEdit plugins, and have purchased those that are useful to me.)

[Ben [KVR]]

32MM Joined 11 March 2006.........Legendary joined 11 March 2006......Members #101259 and #101260.......Hey where are those native, non Synth Edit versions that were promised ages ago? "Highly Optimized DSP Code" but after months and months still can't figure out how to use the free Vst DSK to eliminate the need for Synth Edit. Do the math.

32mm and legendary also both posted from the same Australian IP address

That is not a cool way of promoting a product IMO.

[Compyfox]

How could an Athlon 1800, which is inferior CPU wise to an Intel P4 2,4Ghz (hell even single core) only hit 8% while I hit to the 2% of Wavelab additional 25%? Just curious.


And another thing that's bugging me... if this thing isn't released "yet", why can we longtime users buy it, and in the end, "we" are the "paying" beta testers if so much will get changed in the end? Can't there be a longer testrow with set beta testers or something?

Nothing against Crysonic, but this is definitely bugging me a bit. I'm used to the wait for native versions, but well... You get what I try to say here?

[crysonic]

Hi compyfox,

I don't know where 32mm (We have no affiliation with them what ever) is getting the information from but the SpectraC1 plugin is final and will be released on 4th may. The CPU hit he is talking about is what we are getting on that type of hardware, what sampling rate are you running?

The native version are primarily developed to introduce our products to the MacOS environment, we will soon I believe be offering a substantial discount on the FXpansion wrapper until then to all our customers.

Simone
Crysonic

[Compyfox]

The CPU hit he is talking about is what we are getting on that type of hardware, what sampling rate are you running?

44/48khz 16 and 24bit WAV Files in Wavelab. Tested it yesterday as post-compressor after GearBox and as "straight" compressor without anyhting else running.

The native version are primarily developed to introduce our products to the MacOS environment, we will soon I believe be offering a substantial discount on the FXpansion wrapper until then to all our customers.

Any estimated release "this" time? I mean... nothing against you, but you know how long I personally wait for native versions especially of Spectralive 2. It was planned to be released after Spectralive NXT, then after newB, SINDO (January!) and now "soon" again, too.


I'm patient, but the waitng time is slowly ridiculus and some CPU spikes are unbearable. Especially with Specra'Q. And to be honest... either I didn't get this device, or it's just not working for me, but newB compared to other "low frequency enhancers" sounds like nothing at all (purchased in vain I guess).

[Killvehicle]

32MM Joined 11 March 2006.........Legendary joined 11 March 2006......Members #101259 and #101260.......Hey where are those native, non Synth Edit versions that were promised ages ago? "Highly Optimized DSP Code" but after months and months still can't figure out how to use the free Vst DSK to eliminate the need for Synth Edit. Do the math.

32mm and legendary also both posted from the same Australian IP address

That is not a cool way of promoting a product IMO.

haha Damn, how pathetic... And I DO believe Crysonic is very aware of who these people are, if not themselves... No Ben, this is not a cool way....

[MelodyMan]

And to be honest... either I didn't get this device, or it's just not working for me, but newB compared to other "low frequency enhancers" sounds like nothing at all (purchased in vain I guess).

Speak for yourself. It's a really subtle but very good bass-enhancer. Just saved a mix with it, in which i couldn't get the low-end just right.

I'm testing Spec C as we speak....