All about compressors (links broken: sorry!)

[ahjteam]

bmanic, you didn't add the youwashock compressor comparison thing I did?
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 00#2613400
http://www.ahjteam.com/youwashock/

[bmanic]

bmanic, you didn't add the youwashock compressor comparison thing I did?
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 00#2613400
http://www.ahjteam.com/youwashock/

Hi,

I didn't see this before so thanks for posting. However, I think the "youwashock" plugin is more of a brick-wall limiter/maximizer than a "normal" compressor. I rather keep them out of this thread as it would mean I need to add Voxengo Elephant, iZotope Ozone, Waves L1, L2, L3 etc.. which is not really the idea of this test.

Cheers!
bManic

[shogger]

Here are some teasers of a new compressor plugin that may or may not be released in the near future:

Cheers!
bManic

Yoh,

while most of your examples don't really "speak" to me as I'm using compressors differently I definitely like the heavy example. This has some classy touch for me.
Can you say more about the plugin? Who makes it, pay/freeware, why the vague release date/state?

Shogger

[bmanic]

Sorry I can't say anything about it.. the audio files were just a teaser.

Cheers!
bManic

[shogger]

[punkrockdude]

The TLA Classic series C1 examples links are dead. Just wanted you to know that. Regards

[bmanic]

Ah, thanks for notifying me. What a shame.. they were excellent! I'll try to contact kilroy and see if he still has them somewhere.

Cheers!
bManic

[bmanic]

Make sure you guys check out the sound examples of the Elysia Mpressor at their web site! Now is your chance to try to duplicate these results with your favorite plugin compressor! They offer the whole sound demo package as a .zip file consisting of 16bit 44kHz .wav files. Can a plugin compressor really beat 4000$ hardware? Try and find out!

http://www.elysia.com/produkte/mpressor/sound-demo.html

Cheers!
bManic

[Tp3]

The more relevant question SHOULDN'T be "Can a plugin compressor really beat a 4000$ unit..."
but - DOES IT HAVE TO (beat a 4000$ unit) ?
If the answer is resounding "YES" then we should all ditch our Voxengos.... our sonalksis'... our Fab-Filters... our Ozones ... our waves and our YouWhaShocks or even Our Antress'...

I HATE those comparisons because they are "fools heaven" .... a "One Prick Toni"

If you'll check ONE AGAIST ONE an 500,000$ worth SSL strip (or 50,000 SSL 9000 OR EVEN a Duende strip) against a software plugin... if you'll check a Nord Lead against the DiscoDSP Discovery - the hardwares will win hands down IN A LOT of situations (I used to work in a shop that sells Hardware Nords - so I did check it. this shop also sells Duende but I didn't try to check it against any plugin).

The burning question is (this question rises time and again over the last few years) :
If I'll hand you over a VERY DENSE mix (lots of parts, dense drum parts and lots of transients, lots of dynamics), will the usage of hardware will make my mix SO MUCH BETTER to the extend that people will say : "WHA... what $h1t did you use ? is it software again ?? I can't hear that Sh1t anymore !!! "

The problem is choice (as they've said at the "Matrix Reloaded"

This topic is VERY important but I think (just MHO) that things should be put in RELEVANT CONTEXT and perspective (again)

[bmanic]

The burning question is (this question rises time and again over the last few years) :
If I'll hand you over a VERY DENSE mix (lots of parts, dense drum parts and lots of transients, lots of dynamics), will the usage of hardware will make my mix SO MUCH BETTER to the extend that people will say : "WHA... what $h1t did you use ?

If you are a professional and know how to mix then the unfortunate answer is: Yes. High end hardware does make it quite a lot better (most would call the results more "open" and "airy", more specifically it would probably have less of that annoying offending 2 to 4kHz spiky distortion that I keep hearing in mixes) and depending on the music style, some things are impossible to pull off with a plugin compressor. Sometimes it's not a matter of "does it sound close", it's a matter of "shit! This can't even be done with any plugins! what do I do now?".

Another thing which is quite important for sanity is immediacy. On some hardware you do not need to tweak forever to get just the right sound. You might simply have to run the track through something and suddenly it gels with the mix.

The more I work with hardware the more convinced I am how much easier it would be to have a semi-outside the box solution (that is, all precision tools would be in the box and all "paint brush" tools, the color, would be outside the box). Unfortunately it's an expensive solution.

Don't take my word for though, if you get the chance, try mixing once without using plugins and do it the old school way, on a mixing desk, with built in EQ, some external compressors etc. You might be surprised.

Cheers!
bManic

[bmanic]

This topic is VERY important but I think (just MHO) that things should be put in RELEVANT CONTEXT and perspective (again)

Oh and I forgot, I totally agree with you. What I do not agree with is the weird growing majority opinion that it makes no difference in sound quality if you use only plugins and stay completely digital from start to finish. Heck, I used to have that opinion as well, until I got more experience with hardware and started to notice more minute details in mixes. It's like there is a big group of people who desperately refuses to believe what experienced engineers have said over and over. There is a good reason for them using analogue outboard gear. As far as I know, "top name" mix engineers like Charles Dye are in the minority (he uses only plugins) and I'm sure there is a good reason for that. The professionals would definitely want plugins to be superior, there is no doubt about it. Full recall, painless automation, etc. would make the computer (and has made it) the ideal mixing tool but if you require that extra quality then you have no choice but to go the hardware route.

Then again, more people than ever before have been fed with mediocre quality mp3's so probably the mainstream is changing towards an "what sound? huh? I just like this song, that's all!" attitude and there's nothing wrong with that either.

Cheers!
bManic

[shogger]

Then again, more people than ever before have been fed with mediocre quality mp3's so probably the mainstream is changing towards an "what sound? huh? I just like this song, that's all!" attitude and there's nothing wrong with that either.

Whatcha mean with "change" towards that attitude? Was the mainstream ever different? Don't think so.

Shogger

[Tp3]

Then again, more people than ever before have been fed with mediocre quality mp3's so probably the mainstream is changing towards an "what sound? huh? I just like this song, that's all!" attitude and there's nothing wrong with that either.

Cheers!
bManic

And that pretty much sums it ALL.

It doesn't matter what you use, how does it sound and so on. it will, either way, end up on one's iPod or iPhone or iSpy

And the MUSIC itself will just KEEP getting neglected when there's so much shit to play with (plugins or - if you are fortunate - hardware)

I just finished a track with a friend - without worrying about the sound, compression, eq and stuff.

I've bought many plugins but I have found that it just deters me from my real goal : making music... making beats... generating emotions.

BTW : I DIDN'T say that "it makes no difference in sound quality if you use only plugins and stay completely digital from start to finish" .
Of course it DOES (read the nord thing and the SSL thing on my post).
The question is : what is the price you pay for it (both principally and literally).

Now, I can make music... I can make it sound GOOD (or even - VERY GOOD).
You can make music... you can make it sound BETTER.
Will your listeners notice the difference ? I know that in my case (dance music and to be exact : breakbeat) - I bet my computer that the resounding answer will be "NO"

I don't have the money to buy hardware. had I have the money - I STILL don't know if I would have bought. technology's moving WAY TOO FAST to invest in something with such short shelf life (though I have ACCESS to quality HW. but its not accessible to my immediate needs).
I think that our Italian friends are a great example for how fast the technology is moving. and believe me, friend : I KNOW that as of today, software is STILL an approximation. no matter how good it is. but this approximation is enough for most folks. even for those who relied HEAVILY on outboard.

I think most folks FEEL that way, and THAT'S why they FEEL that software plugins are "better" : NOT because they are, in absolute terms (audio wise)... buy because they can be close ENOUGH to "good" or even to "very good" and the price/performance ratio is MANAGEABLE (with quality HD it is just astronomical - for the "average Joe", at least).

[bmanic]

Then again, more people than ever before have been fed with mediocre quality mp3's so probably the mainstream is changing towards an "what sound? huh? I just like this song, that's all!" attitude and there's nothing wrong with that either.

Whatcha mean with "change" towards that attitude? Was the mainstream ever different? Don't think so.

Shogger

I think it was more popular to invest in proper listening equipment and to enjoy the recording/mixing quality in the late 70s and early 80s but then again, it might be just wishful thinking. Probably you are right.

Cheers!
bManic

[bmanic]

I think most folks FEEL that way, and THAT'S why they FEEL that software plugins are "better" : NOT because they are, in absolute terms (audio wise)... buy because they can be close ENOUGH to "good" or even to "very good" and the price/performance ratio is MANAGEABLE (with quality HD it is just astronomical - for the "average Joe", at least).

.. and yet many ask "why can't I achieve that professional sound?"

I know, I know.. it's the guy behind the mixing, not the equipment but even the worlds best formula 1 driver (Hamilton! by far!!! .. and I'm Finnish!) can't compete with a minardi. So part of "that magic" is actually the hardware, or so I believe at this very moment, but then again, sound is always purely subjective so we're back at square one.

Cheers!
bManic