jsComp (Free compressor with switchable brickwall limiter)

[l0calh05t]

Cool, I didn't give the hold function a good test yet.

You should try it on bass-heavy instruments (bass guitar, double bass etc), that's were the difference is the biggest.

Well, I haven't tested the compressor yet. However, I was just thinking the other day - how come there are so few compressors with adjustable attack & release curves? I mean, almost none. So there's a feature request for you - so that you could adjust at least between linear, exponential and inverse exponential curves in how the attack bites and the compression is released...

Linear should be easy enough (basically the aforementioned slew rate limiting would be a partially linear release curve), but inverse exponential? I'd have to think a little about how that could be done (currently have no idea)...

but now i should sleep... it's almost 1 AM

[RunBeerRun]

Hmm I'm no regular user of "hold" in a compressor. My current mixed are bass heavy, due to about 3 instances of Voxengo Lf-Max.

I'm just sticking your compressor on the master, I have a real short time to record in so it's the minimal amount of processing.

[l0calh05t]

Hmm I'm no regular user of "hold" in a compressor. My current mixed are bass heavy, due to about 3 instances of Voxengo Lf-Max.

No one is probably... I haven't seen this feature in any VST compressors (in one fixed function DSP chip though). In essence, you should adjust it a little to the point where you like the sound the most (obviously it will also affect the release, but if release time >> 10 ms this should be negligible)

[brok landers]

hey,i like thatone actually! just 2 things:

- attack: 16 ms is way too small ... you should at least give it max 100 ms ...
often compressors are used to add smack to the percussive signal, by leaving the attack open a fair bit ... exact that task leads me to the next question:

- (bduffy, i hear you coming ) could you maybe add a brickwall limiter right after the mix parameter, so i could raise the gain of both, the compressor out aswell as the dry out against the 0db brickwall limiter? so that i can drive those by-the-compressor-left-out-attack-transients against that brickwall limiter? (btw, shouldn't the gain adjust the mix out, rather than the compressor out only?)

[l0calh05t]

hey,i like thatone actually! just 2 things:

- attack: 16 ms is way too small ... you should at least give it max 100 ms ...
often compressors are used to add smack to the percussive signal, by leaving the attack open a fair bit ... exact that task leads me to the next question:

No problem, the 16ms was totally arbitrary . Would you prefer 128ms or even more?

- (bduffy, i hear you coming ) could you maybe add a brickwall limiter right after the mix parameter, so i could raise the gain of both, the compressor out aswell as the dry out against the 0db brickwall limiter? so that i can drive those by-the-compressor-left-out-attack-transients against that brickwall limiter?

Why not simply run a second instance (with settings as described above) after the first one to catch the overs?

(btw, shouldn't the gain adjust the mix out, rather than the compressor out only?)

Uhm.. I was thinking since it's makeup gain it should belong in the compressors signal path only, but it does make the mix control seem a little wierd so I might switch that.

[bmanic]

Hey I like this little thing!! Can be pretty smooth.

Some suggestions:

- Stereo link = off, option. Dual mono is sometimes desirable!

- much longer attack range!! 0 to 300ms should be enough.

- hold from 0 to 30ms (sometimes I was wishing for longer than 10ms hold, for special FX and weird "pumping" stuff).

- GUI with gain reduction meter

- make it a dual compressor, that is, add two of them in series inside one GUI. This way Brok can have his limiter and I can have a nice complex dual-series-compressor within one GUI. Give us also the ability to switch them in parallel. One can do the big squeeze and the other the subtle gain riding. To balance these, both need an output volume or a mix/balance knob when in parallel mode.

Just some ideas to make this stand out from the crowd, other than the performance alone.

Cheers!
bManic

[brok landers]

hey,i like thatone actually! just 2 things:

- attack: 16 ms is way too small ... you should at least give it max 100 ms ...
often compressors are used to add smack to the percussive signal, by leaving the attack open a fair bit ... exact that task leads me to the next question:

No problem, the 16ms was totally arbitrary . Would you prefer 128ms or even more?

well, a common range is 200 ... do you want 128 because of midi automation??
or was that a blind-pick?

- (bduffy, i hear you coming ) could you maybe add a brickwall limiter right after the mix parameter, so i could raise the gain of both, the compressor out aswell as the dry out against the 0db brickwall limiter? so that i can drive those by-the-compressor-left-out-attack-transients against that brickwall limiter?

Why not simply run a second instance (with settings as described above) after the first one to catch the overs?

that's what i actually would like to avoid ... running a new instance means dealing with another (unnecessary) gui, the handling is more comftable with just one gui ... you could make the brickwall-limiter optional, with an on/off switch ...
fixed attack to 0, but give it a release, so everything in limiting is possible, right after the compression ...

(btw, shouldn't the gain adjust the mix out, rather than the compressor out only?)

Uhm.. I was thinking since it's makeup gain it should belong in the compressors signal path only, but it does make the mix control seem a little wierd so I might switch that.

i'd switch that ... think about it:
the way it is now, the relation between the compressed/uncompressed signal is done by the mix slider ... you'd ruin that relation as soon as you'd touch the compressor output ... now, if you'd like to regain the output of the actual plugin, keeping the mix between compressed/uncompressed intact, you'd have to place the output slider to control the output of the mix. that way you'd still be able to control the compressor out itself, if you have mix 100% wet ... it would be the same as it is now, only the mix relation is kept intact ...
btw, that mix out level slider should have 0,1db stepsize, not bigger ...
now, after the mix out level, the signal should go directly into the fix -0,01db brickwall stage. you drive the output against the fixed threshold.
the brickwall limiter stage would have to have the same release you already have in the compressor stage ... that way everything, from hard clipping to soft limiting can be made availlable ... easy, but damned flexible ...

and finally, after the brickwall stage, right before the output of the plugin, there should be an attentuation slider (up to -20db is enough, in 0,1 db steps).
that is for reducing the compressed/limited signal, which now is rms-wise way louder than the untreated original signal. that way you can reduce the plugins output to the same audible (not mathematical) level that the untreated signal has ... that way you're not "fooled" by the loudness you have achieved by driving the output of the mix against the fixed limiter-threshold, which is at 0,01db ... by that procedere you can hear what the compressor/limiter does to the signal exept the rms-gain increase ...

that way this plugin could become my one and only compressor/limiter ...

[shogger]

Edit: Got it right now.

Shogger

[bmanic]

nvm..

@shogger:

[l0calh05t]

Hey I like this little thing!! Can be pretty smooth.

Some suggestions:

- Stereo link = off, option. Dual mono is sometimes desirable!

Agreed, although I will have to duplicate a few things (Éverything assotiated with the hold buffers as well as a few other things)

- much longer attack range!! 0 to 300ms should be enough.

Ok,ok, I'll increase the attack range

- hold from 0 to 30ms (sometimes I was wishing for longer than 10ms hold, for special FX and weird "pumping" stuff).

Good idea, I was planning to increase it to 25 ms anyways (so that it can achieve 0 distortion down to 20 Hz)

- GUI with gain reduction meter

- make it a dual compressor, that is, add two of them in series inside one GUI. This way Brok can have his limiter and I can have a nice complex dual-series-compressor within one GUI. Give us also the ability to switch them in parallel. One can do the big squeeze and the other the subtle gain riding. To balance these, both need an output volume or a mix/balance knob when in parallel mode.

Just some ideas to make this stand out from the crowd, other than the performance alone.

Cheers!
bManic

Meh... GUI programming... did I mention that I absolutely despise GUI programming? Maybe I should look in the plugin developers forum if anyone is interested in making a GUI for this...

A dual compressor with a parallel mode could be interesting though, and it does solve brok's problem whilst at the same time giving even more options (this plugin will have way to many knobs when I'm done )

[l0calh05t]

well, a common range is 200 ... do you want 128 because of midi automation??
or was that a blind-pick?

Neither, this way I can multiply instead of divide for reverse mapping without losing a single bit of precision. (not really necessary though)

that's what i actually would like to avoid ... running a new instance means dealing with another (unnecessary) gui, the handling is more comftable with just one gui ... you could make the brickwall-limiter optional, with an on/off switch ...
fixed attack to 0, but give it a release, so everything in limiting is possible, right after the compression ...

bmanic's suggestion would give you even more flexibility

i'd switch that [...] it would be the same as it is now, only the mix relation is kept intact ...

Yup.

btw, that mix out level slider should have 0,1db stepsize, not bigger ...
[...] by that procedere you can hear what the compressor/limiter does to the signal exept the rms-gain increase ...

A dual compressor would be capable of doing all this, or would it be too much in your oppinion?

that way this plugin could become my one and only compressor/limiter ...

wow.

EDIT:
gotta go now, it's 23:40 here. I'll try to get the most important suggestions in this weekend, but I can't guarantee it since I usually get less hobby work done in the weekends (odd... maybe because my gf is only here in the weekend )

[shogger]

nvm..

@shogger:

Yoh, whatcha talkin about, man?

Shogger

[shogger]

Cool comp! Like it how it can smack drums while sounding nice. I love that hold feature! And I agree with most feature wishes.
Thanx for this cool compressor!

Shogger

[brok landers]

>snip< A dual compressor would be capable of doing all this, or would it be too much in your oppinion?

well, if you ask me, it would be too much for me personally, i think that this would make rather 2 different products then, as i'd also include mid/side compressing into thatone ... but bmanics idea is great (as usual), so it's your decision of course ... i'd make as i explained, then do the big one as bmanic stated from that ... one small one like i mentioned (easy on cpu) and one swiss army knife as bmanic suggested, plus mid side decoding/encoding and mid/side routing for the 2 compressors (would possibly use more cpu than my approach) ...
both are valid imo ...

that way this plugin could become my one and only compressor/limiter ...

wow.

well, i wouldn't waste a word, but i really like the sound of it, and i'm a bit of a dynamic processors whore (as is bmanic, he maybe even way more than me )) ... so ... yeah, i'd be happy if you could do as i suggested ...

EDIT:
gotta go now, it's 23:40 here. I'll try to get the most important suggestions in this weekend, but I can't guarantee it since I usually get less hobby work done in the weekends (odd... maybe because my gf is only here in the weekend )

ahh, of course, the girl is there only at the weekend, you have to catch up ... okeeeyy, that's a reason, hehe ...
take all the time you need, don't feel pushed by us suckers ....

[l0calh05t]

UPDATE:

-Attack range increased (up to 256ms)
-Hold range increased (up to 30ms)
-Mix function is now applied before gain (ratio now independent of gain)

The other suggestions (dual mono/dual compressor/compressor+brickwall) will take a little longer, since they'll require a significant amount of rewriting, but stay tuned! (also, keep your instruments tuned )