Vari Mu Mastering Compressors...?

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

After watching this video i added UAD Manley compressor/limiter as second mastering Vari Mu compressor,the first naturally is stellar Fairchaild 670,i love this monster...
Then i start to wonder is it Vari Mu really the best type for mastering or better as buss compressor/limiter,because they definitely add color and nice saturation,but is this good on mastering stage.
Personally i prefer to add vital energy to the mix,lifting up sweet spots,then to squeeze gently whatever could be squeezed on mastering stage?
Fairchaild do miracles in term of making everything huge and nice,but i can't use it every time as mastering compressor,same with Manley Vari Mu...maybe just don't know how yet.
Definitely the quality vari mu plugins energize and colorize everything going through them,my question to the more advanced people,than me in mastering is - do you use vari mu compressors for mastering?
Is Vari Mu better or worse,compared to other types of compressors for mastering?
What are your personal preferences?

[dieterlaser]

my fav
https://ddmf.eu/magicdeatheyestereo/

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

my fav
https://ddmf.eu/magicdeatheyestereo/

Elysia Alpha is sure bet as well.
Fairchaild 670,if i can find right settings do miracles - nothing else can make raw material so huge as 670...but have to be done right,otherwise could ruin the mix brutally :):)
Cheers

[zvenx]

my fav
https://ddmf.eu/magicdeatheyestereo/

My favourite too..
Uad's capitol master compressor second.
rsp

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Mu's work really well on complex program material. I generally really dig them on pianos (about the only type of compression I really like on piano), drums, and mixbus.

But forget about the word "best", there's no such thing. There are only degrees of, "I will like this thing more on this material, than I will like this other thing on that same material". Other completely different styles of compressor/limiter may end up on the mastering chain. Something like Unisum from Tone Projects, where you've got control over so much of the action, might be the perfect compressor for some mastering engineers or tracks, while other tracks may not need compression, but rather limiting. It could also depend wildly on whether the mix was created with compression on the mixbus, which doesn't really have anything to do with mastering.

But yeah, Mu's can work really well on the mixbus depending on the track.

[kraster]

I have a real Manley vari-mu with the T-bar mod.

It's a great compressor/limiter but it's a mind numbingly good colour box.

A lot of the time I just run a signal through it with no compression. I don't know what it does to the top end but pretty much 100 times out of 100 it sound better going though.

Haven't tried the UAD version but the I have tried the Pulsar one and while it gets the compression action bang on it definitely doesn't capture whatever it is the real Mu is doing to the sound.

[TechHaus]

Thermionic Culture Phoenix. No plugin equivalent, but the hardware is a cow that goes moo like the Manley.

[TechHaus]

Presswerk does vari-mu well. It could work in some mastering contexts especially if you are skilled with it.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

Till recently i separated mixing from mastering compressors by M/S options,but that's not a law of physic i guess.
Some digital compressors have dope options and i prefer to mix with color compressors more ,but to touch gently with digital and eventually very lite touch of hardware emulations.
The dynamics is so easy to be fktp on mastering stage and all the great sound from a month mixing can be ruin.
Gain Staging in digital environment is totally different,than analog.
I personally love uad dbx 160 Compressor - such a simple comp,if find the right settings ,the dynamic is amazing - its basically 1176.
I mix and experiment with everything,which may not be the best way to achieve the 'best',but i like to learn in real time ...
No universal rules i guess...???
For example,if you change the order of plugins in the fx chain with no other changes,final result is different - why is that?
Agree that there is no best universal tool for mastering,some work better than other on specific material.
My question was more like - do you prefer Vari Mu better than other,what about la2a or 1176???
What about 3 comps in a chain - 1.fast 1176 then 2.slower Vari Mu then 3.really slow la2a..is this order working for somebody or the opposite???

[simon.a.billington]

my fav
https://ddmf.eu/magicdeatheyestereo/

Elysia Alpha is sure bet as well.
Fairchaild 670,if i can find right settings do miracles - nothing else can make raw material so huge as 670...but have to be done right,otherwise could ruin the mix brutally :):)
Cheers

Yeah the Alpha is great, especial on modern sounding mixes.

The SPL Iron another good one. It's a variable-mu style of compressor, but on steroids. Between the Tube Bias and Rectifier sounds you can get a very flexible sound out of it, good for bight modern and classic sounds. But if you want a "more" classic sound then the IK or Waves Fairchild is great choice.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

i've got three 670s - uad,ik,tone empire.
Greatest compressor of all time imo,price 350 000 or something for vintage unit.
670 to me has no match.
No other comp can make small and huge difference same time.
Didn't make drastic audible changes to original track,but same time sounds bigger than life,if use popular phrase.
Read a lot about it,maybe the architecture and tubes inside make the difference,have to try what complete 670 and to use it as chain.
For the moment medium fast attack and release works well on mastering stage,but experiment with different settings.
Already have tones of uad and pa plugins and haven't check them all as combinations,for example no idea how to apply AMEK Mastering Compressor and this thing is really advanced.
Have favorite plugins,mostly with simple control and great sound ,like vertigo vsc-2 and Bettermaker Bus Compressor - mixing is easy when man know his tools.
Used to compress inside the mix,sometimes with extreme settings - but mastering compression has to be super gentle 1.1-1.4 max 1.5 ratio,which is already audible.
Some compressors doesn't have less than 1.5 ratio.
Not sure what exactly i am after,probably again 'best' sound i can get out of quality plugins.
Cheers

[whassup]

Not sure what exactly i am after,probably again 'best' sound i can get out of quality plugins.
Cheers

Welcome to the club!