All about compressors (links broken: sorry!)

[bmanic]

You'd be amazed how different hardware with the same theoretical specs can sound. I've never heard a real fairchild but I can imagine the various models that are still being used all sound pretty different due to changed/old components.

I still don't think either the UAD nor the Waves fairchild nails that "3D" feel of the analogue compressors (you can hear some examples on Gearslutz from the real machines). There are similar problems as all other emulations of vintage/analogue gear. Something is slightly missing still, making the plugins sound a bit flat and a bit "blocky/strained".

The more experience the various companies get the closer it'll be possible to emulate the old classics. Also, the emulations are already so good that it's perhaps more about semantics than anything else.. for sure the general audience doesn't care what was used, or how.

Cheers!
bManic

[eduardo_b]

Also, the emulations are already so good that it's perhaps more about semantics than anything else.. for sure the general audience doesn't care what was used, or how.

I don't think this is appreciated enough. So much time, effort and concern is given to which emulation to use as if there are significant real world differences that will make or break a mix (or sometimes even mastering). Realistically, without A/B comparisons, there's almost no way to truly know which plug is which. Even those who are certain of what they think they're hearing can't really know. I suppose the old adage, if it sounds good...it sounds good, is the only thing we can depend on -- maybe.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Also, the emulations are already so good that it's perhaps more about semantics than anything else.. for sure the general audience doesn't care what was used, or how.

I don't think this is appreciated enough. So much time, effort and concern is given to which emulation to use as if there are significant real world differences that will make or break a mix (or sometimes even mastering). Realistically, without A/B comparisons, there's almost no way to truly know which plug is which. Even those who are certain of what they think they're hearing can't really know. I suppose the old adage, if it sounds good...it sounds good, is the only thing we can depend on -- maybe.

Totally agree chaps but still its fun nerding off a bit now and then (and i dont visit the gearslutz place although it looks a whole lot of fun - its too much for me to read through)

Still i think its safe to say talking about Signal Processors in this case Compression (although their are effect variants also of course) no matter what stuff we are working on with regards to what we are all feeding the things; a good compressor is a good compressor (well all the one's mentioned on this thread anyway) oppose to the these synth wars which go up like a forest fire aided by strong winds! Which is why i am glad i dont know enough about synthesizer's to join in, as if i did do i would no doubt end up crumbling and joining in

Anyway back to Compressor's:

Has anyone had a look at or tried out one of Safe Sound Audio's Dynamics Toolbox (http://www.safesoundaudio.com) as for a hardware unit costing £1175 (uk including vat i think) it sounds like it covers alot of ground?

And the currently being worked on 'Cymbiant Bus Compressor' is sounding very promising and at a really good price point also, as most you guys in here already know. Just waiting for the demo to be released now

Got a LiquidMix coming in march, a UAD2 card is still almighty tempting too but that will have to wait.

My beloved hardware compressor of choice (if i could afford to pick one up for here at home!) is also available in plug-in format Tube-Tech's CL 1B albeit at the expense of two options:

A)I fork out for a TC Electronic PowerCore DSP system (running the latest v3 software IIRC so i couldn't pickup a dirt cheap old one i think) and then another £350/£400 quid for the plug-in
B) Upgrade my PT M-Powered setup (which is ample for my needs) to a full blown PT|HD setup and then pay $995.00 for the pleasure of using it in plug-in format (yeah right)

Therefore i should just save up and buy one of the damned big blue brutes or hope its incarnation inside the LiquidMix can get me something very close (and when i have used the LM in the past i really liked it) but i do agree with you bmanic that not everything is 100% their yet with software/hardware compressors, hence my love for a big ugly blue box which gets as hot as any of my all-valve guitar amps do (and i wont even start spouting off about how far off the mark most of the amp sims are IMO; another topic entirely ) ) but the good software compressor's are getting so bloody close

Still they can happily co-exist and work together side by side and complement one another no-end

I cant believe i have not come accross this thread before

Happy new year all

Nekro/Dean

[bmanic]

I've been seriously considering the SafeSound Audio dynamic toolbox since I heard about it (a few years ago). It does look intriguing. I've also heard of some possible mods for it to make it even better. I'm a tweak head so that thing might be right up my alley.

However, I'm more into plugin compression than ever before. Especially modular hosts like Reaper/energyXT etc lets you do some pretty crazy stuff when routing things in and out of the sidechains. I'm also experimenting with modulating the ratio/threshold/attack/release parameters themselves in sync with the audio (this is possible to do in both Reaper and FL Studio). In this way you can create some pretty interesting effects. Unfortunately this kind of rapid automation on works on plugins that have proper interpolation implemented for the controls (fabfilter and sonalksis being the only ones I have been able to truly abuse without clicks).

Cheers!
bManic

[freddemillio]

*That, and the fact that I spent $400 on it.

I was under the impression that most plug-ins that cost over 100 EUR each have a knob (or button for that matter) labeled "cognitive dissonance" that can be used to greatly improve the sound.

( )

[Dean Aka Nekro]

I've been seriously considering the SafeSound Audio dynamic toolbox since I heard about it (a few years ago). It does look intriguing. I've also heard of some possible mods for it to make it even better. I'm a tweak head so that thing might be right up my alley.

However, I'm more into plugin compression than ever before. Especially modular hosts like Reaper/energyXT etc lets you do some pretty crazy stuff when routing things in and out of the sidechains. I'm also experimenting with modulating the ratio/threshold/attack/release parameters themselves in sync with the audio (this is possible to do in both Reaper and FL Studio). In this way you can create some pretty interesting effects. Unfortunately this kind of rapid automation on works on plugins that have proper interpolation implemented for the controls (fabfilter and sonalksis being the only ones I have been able to truly abuse without clicks).

Cheers!
bManic

The old 'Zipper' noise!
Whilst modulating a compressor probably wouldn't work for me; it sure Sounds very interesting bmanic indeed
If you do get yourself one of them dynamic toolbox's and even more so if you mod it - i would sure like to hear some of the results man

All the best

Dean/Nekro

[SWAN808]

Ah yes! I explored this a little bit, thanks for reminding. I'll make some play-time probably tomorrow. It demands some in-depth exploring, this one.

hi dude - anymore playtime yet with the DSM?

Seems like you've been busy with your '....gone Mac' thread

Well - welcome to the darkside! Funny I did have you down for the hardcore KVR PC user - then BAM you get a MP and UAD2!

Welcome to the darkside anyways

Check these plugins out:

http://www.airwindows.com

High-quality and some good freebies also. Im interested in ADclipper as a potential alternative to a limiter ATM...

[bduffy]

Ah yes! I explored this a little bit, thanks for reminding. I'll make some play-time probably tomorrow. It demands some in-depth exploring, this one.

hi dude - anymore playtime yet with the DSM?

Seems like you've been busy with your '....gone Mac' thread

Well - welcome to the darkside! Funny I did have you down for the hardcore KVR PC user - then BAM you get a MP and UAD2!

Welcome to the darkside anyways

Check these plugins out:

http://www.airwindows.com

High-quality and some good freebies also. Im interested in ADclipper as a potential alternative to a limiter ATM...

Yeah...I know. It was time for a change. And everyone was right about UADs! I can see why owners gloat a little bit.

Airwindows...I like the dev, regular around here, but haven't been blown away by those fx yet, and I don't think he has proper demos for the payware?

Oh man, I didn't get the time I wanted. I was trying to learn and use it in Peak, but had a problem because Peak doesn't inlcude dropdown menus for AU presets! Now, I wouldn't care that much, but this comes with lots of references that are very useful, especially to learning it, so that kinda slowed me down.

There is no doubt that it is an excellent, unique tool, and I'm inclined to pick it up. I was rather hoping someone with more golden/technical ears would try it out, but you can't overestimate the unpopularity of iLok these days...

I think the trial ran out, it doesn't show up in my AU's anymore. I had a conversation going with the dev, maybe he'll reset my trial so I can spread the Good Word...

[bmanic]

For everybody who missed this in the other thread, here are 84 compressor presets for all you Fab Filter Volcano 2.0 owners.

bManic's Volcano2 dynamics presets

Because it is a rather complex plugin I suggest only flicking through the presets for various flavour of compression and ONLY tweaking the wet/dry MIX knob. Tweaking the input/output volume knobs can cause severe volume boosts/drop outs and upset the internal balance of the universe. Attack/release of the various envelope followers are also quite safe to explore but they can affect the sound a lot in unexpected ways. Many of the presets are HIGHLY program dependent.

That's why the "drum smash 01 bM" preset is my most recommended of the bunch because it is a rather simple design and covers the typical brutal 1176 duties, it basically controls whatever you throw at it, with surprisingly little distortion. Backing off the MIX knob is similar to decreasing the ratio of a normal compressor.

Cheers!
bManic

[dj ray]

Has anybody tried the Audio Damage Rough Rider Pro? What are your thoughts about it?

[brok landers]

hmmm ... i don't like it ... to me it has this digital harshness that a lot of vst's have ... but hence the name of the company i'm sure it is intended ...

[dj ray]

I just 'discovered' the standalone compressor from the 'old' T-Racks and I am kicking myself for neglecting it all this time. I got it free during the IK Multimedia promotion and never even downloaded it. Now that I have, the compressor is the only unit I use, and what a unit it is. Seriously, it holds up beautifully even now and is absolutely magic on the drum buss and vocals and does a superb job of 'gluing' the final mix. Just wanted to show my love for this senior citizen of compressor plug-ins. It should definitely be up in the list.

[dj ray]

In addition, I would also like to wholeheartedly recommend Key To Sound's excellent Essential Compressor. A bargain at the initial price, it now costs a ridiculous 20 bucks. I think it's a top contender for tone of he best sounding software compressors at any price. For $20, it's insane. You guys should definitely check it out and put up some comparison audio (I have no idea how to to it) because it belongs on the 'list'. The whole plug-in pack is an even more enticing proposition and a splendid 'best buy' at just $50. Crazy value for money.
http://koblo.com/plugins/6
http://koblo.com/plugins/9

[bmanic]

Ok, it's been a long time since I've updated this thread so lets make it an interesting one. Here is a blind test, a shoot-out of a hardware SSL clone (built by Michael Kingston), Universal Audio 4k SSL buss compressor and Cytomic The Glue. I will also hopefully be able to add the Waves SSL results and perhaps even the Duende buss compressor in the future.


IMPORTANT NOTE: These examples are extreme. They have been compressed very hard, on purpose, to show clearly the differences between the various compressors. They are not intended to sound good. Most likely the original dry clip will be the most pleasing but that is not the point, the point is to listen carefully to the clips and hear what the compressors are doing and what gives them their own character and behavior. I will probably add some more subtle, "pleasing" examples at a later time but for now these will have to do.
Also please note that I tried my best to match both the amount of gain reduction applied (using a tone generator, 1kHz Sine) and perceived loudness but the results are not perfect as each compressor reacts slightly differently. The original clips are louder than the compressed ones. This is on purpose so that you can use the clip to do your own test.

Finally, I want you to note that The Glue is not a direct copy of the SSL buss compressor but rather an evolved design that is far deeper and more versatile than the others. It also features some added time constants to the attack and release. I'm not exactly sure which release time constants on The Glue matches the hardware so I used my ears to get these results (which means that they may be incorrect). The Glue is still in it's beta stage so keep that in mind as well.


The blind test will have Original, A, B and C. In all the tests the same letter will be used for the corresponding compressor.

Cute Beat original clip
Compressor A
Compressor B
Compressor C


DaGroove original clip
Compressor A
Compressor B
Compressor C


Test Track original clip
Compressor A
Compressor B
Compressor C


I'll give you guys time until monday to guess which clip is what. If you are impatient you can PM me for details. If anybody is interested in doing the A/B with Waves SSL, Duende or some other hardware SSL clones, then PM for details (I'll get the exact settings of the plugins tomorrow when I'm at the studio. You'll need a tone generator and some accurate metering to calibrate your plugin/hardware).

Please note that the song clips used are copyrighted material. Do not use them in any production without my permission (you are allowed to use the raw material to add to this shoot-out).

Cheers!
bManic

[Mushy Mushy]

A: I thought quite average.
B: My favorite
C: Close to B.


A: Glue
B: UA SSL
C: Hardware SSL