NEW MINDSET: Best sound possible EFFICIENTLY

[--SYNTH--]

Hi. I've been into electronic music production for 20 years and I've tryed all the best plugins possible, searching for the best sound quality, best compressors, the best analog emulations, the best limiters, etc. I got at a time that I stopped making music just because of this never ending search. And after 20 years I got at some conclusions:

1) Acustica Audio is THE best analog emulation plugin.
2) UAD is the second best analog emulation and has the best overall plugins sounding quality
3) Using UAD or Acustica audio costs much money, latency and CPU power and kills my workflow creation (they are better as final mixing or mastering).

So I tryed to look for plugins that were ALMOST good as them and costs less (low CPU power, low latency or just cheap) and I found that:

1) Slate Digital and Softube subscription are almost good as the major AA and UAD and are less costly/consuming.
2) The "small" companies Klanghelm, Plugin Alliance, Soundtoys, TDR, Melda and IK Multimedia are the best cost/beneffits together with Waves, Slate and Softube.
3) FABFILTER and IZOTOPE are the real game changers in "modern sound quality"
4) working with native effects from my DAW (Ableton) are the cheappest, less CPU cost and great latency.
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Now talking about NEW plugins that I didn't tryed yet, this is what I need for my new efficiency mindset:

1) 0ms latency brickwall limiter (I only found MELDA but didn't like the sound). Do you know anyother good limiter with no latency at all?????

2) About compressors, EQs and saturators, people are saying very good things about KUSH and SLY-FI plugins. Do they REALLY sound better than the plugins I've just mentioned?? Is it worth spending more money on it??

3) Whats the best 0 latency AND CPU efficiency plugins in your opinion that is not on this list???

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!

[VariKusBrainZ]

Overloud are 0% CPU and 0ms latency

[brainzistor]

Here is some test of many limiters:
https://www.saintpid.se/en/isp-true-peak-limiters-test/

IMO, currently the best buy limiter is ToneBoosters Barricade 4.
Nothing can beat its price (30 euros) and quality.

[acYm]

hornet magnus mk2... honestly you can't push it much, it doesn't do any miracles, but it's enough for me, as a real-time track limiter...

ultimately you need an end of chain limiter with latency in it or you'll get intersample peaks - I like kclip for that, I don't really notice the 16 samples.

[Urb Sergeant]

So...how about Airwindows?

Airwindows and Acustica is a very good combination.

[--SYNTH--]

Here is some test of many limiters:
https://www.saintpid.se/en/isp-true-peak-limiters-test/

IMO, currently the best buy limiter is ToneBoosters Barricade 4.
Nothing can beat its price (30 euros) and quality.

GREAT Test! But Barricade 4 is 0ms latency too???

[--SYNTH--]

Overloud are 0% CPU and 0ms latency

I didn't know about this plugins. Do they sound as good as the above mentioned plugins?? Or you just use them because of the CPU and latency???

[--SYNTH--]

So...how about Airwindows?

Airwindows and Acustica is a very good combination.

wow...crazy ones without GUI on them!! Probably they are 0% CPU.... but are they 0ms latency as well??? And do you think the sound are really good compared to the most famous ones??

[rod_zero]

I would just use the fabfilter total bundle to complement my DAW stuff.

[HoRNet]

hornet magnus mk2... honestly you can't push it much, it doesn't do any miracles, but it's enough for me, as a real-time track limiter...

ultimately you need an end of chain limiter with latency in it or you'll get intersample peaks - I like kclip for that, I don't really notice the 16 samples.

Sorry but that's not completely true.

You need oversampling to catch intersample peaks, but oversample can be implemented with 0 latency, just don't use FIR filters. It's a little bit more expensive in terms of CPU but you get realtime operation in exchange.

Magnus has 2 and 4 times oversampling options for both clipper and limiter (so you can oversample differently (say the clipper 4x to reduce aliasing and the limiter 2x to catch intersample peaks)

Saverio

[acYm]

interesting. I think I assumed you needed some sort of look-ahead to make it work with 100% efficiency. I'll try it again on the master sometime.

[Everglide]

A new mindset you say?

I'd recommend reading this thread on GS
Lets do it: The Ultimate Plugin Analysis Thread
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-c ... hread.html

This will change any established point of view on the state of plugins.

You can fast track by reading all post by FabienTDR (Tokyo Dawn Records) and Andy-Cytomic.

If you have an account at Gearslutz you will have the option to:
show only FabienTDR's post in this thread
by clicking on the users name.

Get some popcorn and enjoy

[musicartist]

I think this efficiency thing could be applied not just to sounds, but also to workflow, and that means trying the most suitable DAW for one's music style and preferences.

Personally I use Ableton Live, it's quite efficient.

[ScrLk]

Sorry but that's not completely true.

You need oversampling to catch intersample peaks, but oversample can be implemented with 0 latency, just don't use FIR filters. It's a little bit more expensive in terms of CPU but you get realtime operation in exchange.

Magnus has 2 and 4 times oversampling options for both clipper and limiter (so you can oversample differently (say the clipper 4x to reduce aliasing and the limiter 2x to catch intersample peaks)

Saverio

What is the effect of this on phase?

[Cancel Culture Club]

Hi. I've been into electronic music production for 20 years and I've tryed all the best plugins possible, searching for the best sound quality, best compressors, the best analog emulations, the best limiters, etc. I got at a time that I stopped making music just because of this never ending search. And after 20 years I got at some conclusions:

The best is a subjective question, but the best sound is the one that works best for the song.

Everything else is just a tool to get you there, it doesn't matter the brand of hammer, it's the finished house that people subjectively decide upon.