My search for the ultimate compressor

[PFozz]

A "Reference/Sidechain Monitor" option (which is already available in SD-GATE87) has been requested by several users and it is one of the first thing I will add to the next update.

Excellent! That was a real bummer, since to me that was what it was best at.

SD-COMP87 as been updated to v1.1.1 (as well as the whole ANALOG87 Series) and gets the following things:

- New Bypass switch
- New Gain Reduction meter
- New Reference Monitoring option
- New "Soft Knee" compression mode
- New "Link L/R" option

All the best,
Philippe

[sadkin]

new contender, which no one is talking about, either it is so new that it hasn't gotten the rounds yet, or no one wants to bring it up as to keep it their own 'magic' compressor secret. all you have to do is insert it on the track and before you even make any adjustments, you will find it wraps the entire audio track in a 'first class - "now i am at Air studios" blanket.

Brainworx Vertigo VSC2.

not cheap, but gulp ~ Someone on the the UAforums with momentary native envy used the words 'sick, just sick' to describe it...done so in the most complementary way. I tend to agree.

Check it.

http://www.brainworx-music.de/en/plugin ... dgug9g58k6
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[mcanty5]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't see anyone mention Waves H-Comp. If you want that "dunk" sound on your drums, it's got a nice "punch" knob; It also has tempo sync on the release which makes it so easy to make everything breathe together, plus dry/wet, and variable character settings 1 digital 4 analog, and a limiter at the end just in case; literally the best compressor I've used, and I've used:

Blue Cat Audio - Dynamics (very sophisticated envelope detection options, plus an opacity slider so you can see your arrangement whilst fiddling)

Brainworx - dynEQ V2

Cytomic - The Glue

DMGAudio - Compassion

FabFilter - Pro-C

IK Multimedia - Opto Compressor (excellent for vocals), classic comp and vintage 670

iZotope - Ozone 5 Dynamics (the envelope mode is insane, I sometimes just sit and see what shapes I can make out of block waveforms)

Native Instruments - Guitar Rig has some good compressors for synths

Nomad Factory - Eh..

Softube - FET Compressor, Tube-Tech CL 1B (interface looks weirdly like a photo)

Sonalksis - CQ1, SV315Mk2

Sonnox - Oxford Dynamics (excellent for sounding pretentious)

SPL - Transient Designer (not really a compressor, but useful for fitting things together), Vitalizer MK2-T

Stillwell Audio Bombardier (Pronounced Bom-bar-D-A)

Tone2 - AkustiX (has a "Dynamic Fatbass" knob which is really nice for making static slendersynths), FilterBank3, Warmverb Multi-FX

URS - 1970 Compressor, 1975 Compressor, 1980 Compressor, Phat C

Wave Arts - MultiDynamics 5

Waves - They have an entirely inappropriate number of compressors; H-Comp and OneKnob Phatter>Pressure>Louder

I'd recommend Waves H-Comp or iZotope Ozone 5 Dynamics depending on whether you're looking for a compressor or a computer.


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[AKJ]

After some more experimentation, I've decided that The Glue, is indeed an amazing bus compressor. Holy shit. For anyone who hasn't tried it, do this, right now, I'm not even kidding, right now, get the demo, open your DAW, lay down a simple kick and bass, add some basic synth on top, now put The Glue on your master. Start playing with the knobs. I'll leave the rest to you to figure out.

I tested it right now. Nothing special7magicL. Sonically, it seems a little ahead of the Sonar ProChanel bus compressor, but really just a little. There is even freeware that I would prefer (Blockfish, Meldaproduction MCompressor ... ). Definately, I prefer my Voxengo Crunchessor (for simplicity + a large variety of sound characters) and Marquis (if I feel like tweaking a lot).But the Toneboosters one is also very nice.

Regarding Maximus I suggest reading this:
http://www.image-line.com/support/FLHel ... orials.htm

you will find out that the lack of threshold is in fact not a lack. Once you understand that you can draw any curve gives you a gate, an expander, a compressor and a brickwall limiter all at once (and even dynamic processors which are yet to name). Maybe, it is the best candidate for the ultimate compressor. Or maybe it is Voxengo Soniformer or JB (now Toneboosters) Smash Pro - which are kind of a mix between Compressor, EQ and Stereo widener (Soniformer) resp. Saturator (Smash Pro). Unfortunately, Smash pro was not yet re-released by Toneboosters. The old one is discontuinued

cheers, akj