Are we close to getting plugin compressors that sound like real ones?

[Dean Aka Nekro]

I tried the normal demo and it blew the analog eq out of the water so Im guessing if you really want to sample a"Proper" analog EQ or compressor your going to have to be ready to spend at least a good few hundred quid, more so with the Equalizers anyway.

There are some exceptions, such as the Golden Age stuff, but you're right for the most part. When us geezers are reminiscing over hardware, we're usually not thinking about ART or Alesis.

:fist shaking: Hey I've got my fair share of nasty rack mount units that depending highly on the results wanted along with having good enough D/A and A/D converters are sometimes just the muck the demented doctor ordered. ART have done one pretty decentish one which turned out not to be the plate starved job I was expecting, Still not anything to rave about :fist still shaking, Men in white coats now breaking down the door:

As I peer eyes glazed over at a 3630 over in my rack along with some other usual suspects, I agree mate

What Shy wrote, Brutal as it reads is pretty much where I stand on the matter. Its a question that only can be answered by one's own personal preferences and trial.

Plus in my case without minding at all to openly admitting it: PLENTY of error

I don't have golden ears but I know what I like and do not like. I still am waiting without holding my breath for an electric guitar amplifier simulator that satisifies my own needs/wants, I think I'll be waiting alongtime for example

Trackstar sounds like a good plan/investment going for a 500-series small setup, Despite my buying and using stuff based at the bottom line of testing for myself I am always intrested in reading/hearing how others are getting on with the setups they choose, So keep us posted if you would dude how you get on

All the best to all as always

Dean

[Trakstar]

WILL DO, BUT MIGHT BE A WHILE BEFORE I RAISE THE FUNDS, BUT YOU WILL BE THE FIRST
TO KNOW OF THE VARIOUS RACKS I BUY.

[kvaca]

It's not about software compressors in general sounding "significantly different", it's mostly about them sounding significantly worse, because instead of providing smooth gain reduction, they give a sound that's broken and stuttered compared to a good analog compressor's.

Since you want an example, instead of giving you an example of "fine analog compressor vs shitty plugin compressor", I'll give you an example of fine analog compressor vs the only plugin compressor that can cope with anything nearly as well as any analog compressor, without sounding like a broken mess. Then, you could compare any other plugin compressor you want to these samples and hear for yourself how they're all simply inadequate, many far more than some others. Here.

@Shy
you got my interest.
Im not expert like you,only hobby musician,but can you - or anybody here - tell me what is wrong Here, becouse Im not expert in agressive compression field but so far I thought that almost any decent compressor plugin is good enough for my ears?

btw-Ive used some very cheap /at least compared to Algorithmix/ universal purpose plugins and that file is result of 5 minutes of tweaking,so its maybe not as good as it can be if I have more time,but still I dont hear any significant difference compared to your Splitcomp file...

[snigelx]

I'm like the lively response of PSP's Old Timer compressor. It's got some non-linear goodness to it, esp with an input signal that has a moderately strong attack portion and body. There's a valve switch with potentiometer which can add a subtle warmth (subtle harmonic warmth that is just detectable at moderate settings) to whatever you're processing with it. It also has kind of an 'over-easy' knee setting like a dbx has. At low ratio's the response is soft-knee with more non-linear release (sounds good on claps and such, for example) and higher ratios provide more of a hard-knee. You can use his subtlely or you can limit or saturate the hell out of something with extreme settings

[Shy]

kvaca, definitely there's no significant difference, so I obviously missed some plugin (or did you say you combined several). It's good to know there's another option. (The typical result is more or less this)

[snigelx]

You have to A/B the results of compression with level-mattching to really get the idea of what is going on btw just putting up a B without an A is leaving it (even more) up to subjectiveness

[kvaca]

kvaca, definitely there's no significant difference, so I obviously missed some plugin (or did you say you combined several). It's good to know there's another option. (The typical result is more or less this)

Thank you

btw-Ive used MDynamics plus veeery small amount of MMTransient and MMSaturator/all singleband/

[Shy]

Ah, that's a creative way to approach it. It can't be used to handle something like this, though .

[kvaca]

Ah, that's a creative way to approach it. It can't be used to handle something like this, though .

hmmm, it looks like you want to test my creativity further - but be warned, as I was born in totalitary regime country which improved poor people's skills considerably

I'll look at it tomorrow...

edit-forgot to say that from your 2 demos I have preferred Splitcomp version over Slate one,becouse Slate sounded to me sligtly more unnatural...especially the kick drum /broken sound on attack?/ But Im not sure if you are interested in peoples opinion...

[kvaca]

Ah, that's a creative way to approach it. It can't be used to handle something like this, though .

well,I still believe it can...but to make my next homewok even harder I ve decided to avoid any help of other plugins and focused my crativity only on tweaking MDynamics to get the sound you are after and this is the result

[BASSDRIVE]

Idk, but the freeware "Molot" kicks ass!

[kvaca]

Idk, but the freeware "Molot" kicks ass!

OK-try this and let us know if your molot can do it...!

[Shy]

kvaca, it's fine overall but the attack has the usual pre-echo (a big problem from my perspective) and somewhat muffled sound because of the look-ahead processing. At least it's not very significant, so with a less "transient" source it would likely not be noticeable.

[kvaca]

kvaca, it's fine overall but the attack has the usual pre-echo (a big problem from my perspective) and somewhat muffled sound because of the look-ahead processing. At least it's not very significant, so with a less "transient" source it would likely not be noticeable.

you are right with lookahead,but that slightly muffled soud can be removed eaasily with any transient plugin-I just wanted to use MDynamics only this time becouse its faster and I dont think that in mix there will be this problem noticeable,because same time as kick drum usually plays bassguitar and cymbals...but I dont know how it is in electronic music becouse Im listening only jazzrock...
Just curious-Splitcomp is not lookahed comp?Really?

[Shy]

I've found that the muffled sound can't be "fixed", especially in cases like this. If you try, you will also increase the volume of the pre-echo and it will be even worse, not to mention even slight distortion will seriously alter the sound in this one. Yeah, in SplitComp you can set a look-ahead delay if you want, or none. Hmm, I feel our discussion has gone too off-topic , so if you want, we could leave it to PMs (I'm way busy though, will take a while to reply).