Best free 64bit alternative for VOS Thrillseeker LA and DLM SixtyFive (SOLVED!)

[heavymetalmixer]

There is one plugin that may work for this specific task or not: Loudmax.

It's supposed to be a transparent limiter, but because of the color it puts in the track and its slow release, I preffer to call it a "fast-attack LA-2A".

There's also Molot (test between Alpha and Sigma mode, many people say Molot sounds like a Fairchild 660 or 670), and the RMS compressor in Limiter No. 6, both plugins put a lot of color and can be gentle if you know how.

Finally, a new one to the free world, the JRV Audio Remonster. This one has three different "emulations" with the Character knob: https://www.jrvaudio.com/products/1001/ ... nster.aspx

[heavymetalmixer]

I just got an idea: What about using a more or less transparent compressor along with TDR SlickEQ saturation? After all, the SlickEQ was made by Fabien (TDR) along with the VOS dev, so any of the saturation models should soun similar somehow.

[crimsonwarlock]

There is one plugin that may work for this specific task or not: Loudmax.

It's supposed to be a transparent limiter, but because of the color it puts in the track and its slow release, I preffer to call it a "fast-attack LA-2A".

I use LoudMax on almost every channel, but only for brickwall limiting.

There's also Molot (test between Alpha and Sigma mode, many people say Molot sounds like a Fairchild 660 or 670), and the RMS compressor in Limiter No. 6, both plugins put a lot of color and can be gentle if you know how.

Tried Molot, didn't yield the results I'm after.

Finally, a new one to the free world, the JRV Audio Remonster. This one has three different "emulations" with the Character knob: https://www.jrvaudio.com/products/1001/ ... nster.aspx

I'm not a fan of the Analog Obsession stuff and that developer seems to be the coder behind the JRV plugins, so no go for me.

[crimsonwarlock]

Just to make this clear (again); this is a very specific setup with a very specific result. It is of NO use to just throw every possible compression option into this discussion. It basically needs something that is (very) close to a LA-2A and something that is pretty close to either a 1176 or a DBX 160. Or to put it in another way, a 'leveling amplifier' kinda compressor but with enough control and a compressor with very fast attack time (like the DLM SixtyFive). Also, the result is depending on more or less 'character' of the compressors used, so most buss/mix compressors are too transparent.

I'm going to test some options today. I'll post my results later.

[crimsonwarlock]

Did you already check out Eareckon FR-Comp 87 ?

Downloaded, will test today.

[Halonmusic]

Maybe ADHD Audio Leveling Tool?

Just remembered I downloaded it but not yet installed (and thus tried) it yet. I'll see where it gets me.

IMO though nothing can replace Thrillseeker LA

I do share that sentiment, as it is buttery smooth on my vocal stems. Same goes for DLM SixtyFive; afaik it's the only DBX oriented compressor in the free domain. I modeled my vocal chain after a often used serial (hardware) setup with a LA-2A and a DBX160, and the combination of ThrillSeeker LA and DLM SixtyFive is pretty magical on vocals. I'm afraid I won't get there completely with alternatives.

But I can't risk stuff nog being able to load over time. Hard decisions to make indeed

Hard decision indeed. Do you own DC8C? There is a preset called DBX or something. Might see if it does what DLM SixtyFive does?

[ramseysounds]

Just buy Waves LA-2A and Dbx 160. Not free but often on sale at $29 each. If you're after something so specific, spend a little cash

[SoundPorn]

Thw ADHD Leveling Tool is the best freeware LA RMS compressor in the free domain imo.
For a quick attack parrallel comp ive been using WA Productions free CommBear im actually surprised how easy it is to get tight results with it.

Other options include AirWindows who got a ton of great compressors like ButterComp2.

[crimsonwarlock]

Just buy Waves LA-2A and Dbx 160. Not free but often on sale at $29 each. If you're after something so specific, spend a little cash

Commercial stuff is a no go for me. That has nothing to do with money but everything to do with my total hate for copy protection schemes. When my windows machine crashes (when, not if, I was bitten by the october update big time), I just copy back my studio drive backup and I'm up and running again, besides the whole drivers install nightmare which is bad enough to deal with.

Thw ADHD Leveling Tool is the best freeware LA RMS compressor in the free domain imo.

I did some testing already and it seems this is indeed a real good Thrillseeker alternative. So that one is sorted for me.

For a quick attack parrallel comp ive been using WA Productions free CommBear im actually surprised how easy it is to get tight results with it.

But I'm not doing parallel compression, and ComBear lacks the controls I want (mainly being able to set attack and release times).

Other options include AirWindows who got a ton of great compressors like ButterComp2.

I have the Airwindows stuff but having a hard time getting into them. In this case I do need visual feedback of the compression levels (as the goal is to NOT hear the compression).

Do you own DC8C?

Nope

[Halonmusic]

Just buy Waves LA-2A and Dbx 160. Not free but often on sale at $29 each. If you're after something so specific, spend a little cash

Commercial stuff is a no go for me. That has nothing to do with money but everything to do with my total hate for copy protection schemes. When my windows machine crashes (when, not if, I was bitten by the october update big time), I just copy back my studio drive backup and I'm up and running again, besides the whole drivers install nightmare which is bad enough to deal with.

Thw ADHD Leveling Tool is the best freeware LA RMS compressor in the free domain imo.

I did some testing already and it seems this is indeed a real good Thrillseeker alternative. So that one is sorted for me.

For a quick attack parrallel comp ive been using WA Productions free CommBear im actually surprised how easy it is to get tight results with it.

But I'm not doing parallel compression, and ComBear lacks the controls I want (mainly being able to set attack and release times).

Other options include AirWindows who got a ton of great compressors like ButterComp2.

I have the Airwindows stuff but having a hard time getting into them. In this case I do need visual feedback of the compression levels (as the goal is to NOT hear the compression).

Do you own DC8C?

Nope

Alright

[crimsonwarlock]

Alright

Yeah, but thanks for pointing to Leveling Tool. As we agreed it's hard to find a replacement for Thrillseeker LA but Leveling Tool seems to fit the bill

Now to find a real fast compressor with a bit of character that's free and 64bit

[Obsolete236871]

First off: I agree that VOS Thrillseeker LA (as well as the Vintage Broadcasting Limiter VBL) are superb plugins that are missing in the 64bit arsenal. I hope TDR will cooperate with Bootsy / VOS again one day to reintroduce a character compression plugin based on these gems again.

Now to your issue: The problem is that you are tossing out viable options. MJuc jr and DC1A both can be set to give you a similar result to classical leveling amp opto compression (with slow setting), even though MJuc jr is based on Vari Mu type compression and DC1A on a general purpose compression algorithm.

As others have mentioned, you can just get DC8C 3 if you think the free Klanghelm compressors don't give you sufficient control. DC8C 3 is the best bang for the buck you can get in commercial compressors and it can do all kinds of compression, including Leveling Amp Opto Compression and DBX 160 / 1176 fast FET compression. Plus, they have a non-problematic copy protection scheme and it's a reliable developer, who has provided free upgrades from the initial version to the current version 3 for free to customers. Just stack 2 DC8C instances together, one with the LA2A setting and one with DBX setting, fine tune and finish.

Other options:
There is the free Nightshine plugin by DiscoDSP for fast FET style compression (modelled after Alesis 3630).

As mentioned, TDR Kotelnikov can be set to give you slow Opto style compression or fast FET style compression, but without the "character - just the clean compression behaviour. You can couple that with a saturation / analog character plugin.

There is also Hornet Multicomp and Multicomp Plus frequently on sale (there is a sale right now) which cover OPTO, FET and many more characters of compression. Unproblematic copy protection too.1

Even the free ReaComp can give you what you are looking for. Dan Worrall has some great videos on Youtube showing how to emulate different compression styles.

[Halonmusic]

Alright

Yeah, but thanks for pointing to Leveling Tool. As we agreed it's hard to find a replacement for Thrillseeker LA but Leveling Tool seems to fit the bill

Now to find a real fast compressor with a bit of character that's free and 64bit

No problem. I Will see if i can find a free compressor that fits your bill.

[crimsonwarlock]

snipped

I already stated that the ADHD Leveling Tool comes very close to Thrillseeker's behavior for what I need.

I also made clear why I don't use any payware. I do have a boatload of commercial licenses for all kinds of stuff, that I decided years ago to replace with freeware because of what I already mentioned. I don't expect anyone to agree with that vision, but it is how I see it and act on it. It seems to me that it's easy to respect that

So far I've found that Kotelnikov can do the fast attack times (below 1 ms), but it does lack the character. Slapping on stuff like saturation or EQ (I already have both in the chain for different effect) is different from having 'something' INSIDE the compression system. Why would all those character compressors exist (hardware AND software) if we could replace that simply by some EQ and saturation

[Obsolete236871]

So, you naively believe that a plugin that contains a compression stage followed by a saturation stage is different from a compression plugin followed by a saturation plugin?

Unless the plugin does indeed model the complex interactions between the stages (most don't), there will be zero difference between these two approaches. Bootsy / Variety Of Sound had his own approach of stateful saturation, where the amount of saturation would change depending on the compression variables, which is closer to analog behavior than standard digital static waveshaping saturation. But many digital "character compressors" are just a compression stage followed by a more or less static saturation stage, so there would be no difference there, compared to just using a clean digital compressor followed by a saturation plugin.