Arts Acoustic CL Series compressors- no love?

[audiosabre]

These comps are so good I'm using the demo and painstakingly writing down all the settings, so I won't lose my patches. I don't think I've ever done this with a demo version before.

Normally I'd replace with a similar tool, but I can't replicate their sound (I have about 50 comps, mostly commercial, but some freeware). I'm a compressor junkie.

I tell thee, nothing that I own sounds better on the drum buss than CL. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

John

[koolkeys]

I think, if nothing else, the devs would benefit from knowing what other plug you think matches these comps in their sound.

For me, its not about "matching the sound of these comp" as much as matching the sound in my head, the sound I want to hear. If a free or cheap plug gets me there, and gets me there easily without headache, there isn't any reason for me to try or demo anything else, is there?

Absolutely, you are right. That's why I said that it's down to a matter of opinion and need. I mean, it's not "expensive" to somebody who wants the sound of these comps and is looking for a new comp. For you, if you have what makes the sound YOU want(which may not be the way these sound), then there is absolutely no reason to spend money.

Brent

[Patchen]

Just did some more testing with a mastering project I'm working on.....Veeery nice indeed. Kind of reminds me of a cross between the UAD 1176 and fairchild compressors. I love the tube input drive and compressor sections. I'm not sure how much use the limiter would see from me though, it seems to either distort or duck no matter where I set the release. This was on the 2bus tho', could be useful for tracking duties. All in all, Mad props to Arts Acoustic, great job with this one. You are one of the new breed of companies that is helping me break my UAD addiction!

[brok landers]

Aren't there dozens of compressor plug-ins? New ones have to rise above the sea of ones already available, and being new might not be enough. Buyer fatigue.

hmmm ... i don't see it that way ... every good compressor has it's own flavour and in certain situations that particular compressor just does it perfect, while on other material it fails, be it expensive or free.

Well, this may all be true, but that means a significant amount of effort to demo, significant money to buy and then the monumental task to choose which ones of dozens to use. Not necessarily a bad thing, but also not necessarily good either.

hmmm, why not? because it means you actually have to get deep into it to find the really good tools? i myself am constantly getting it in reward, if i found something that finally really does what i want on a higher level i had before. it means more investigation before, but imo you're rewarded afterwards ... i mean, i'm dialing something i need into every good compressor, but with the cl compressors this happens way more fast, and it sounds more like i always wanted my stuff to sound. so in the end i'm saving time and thus money ...

[eduardo_b]

Aren't there dozens of compressor plug-ins? New ones have to rise above the sea of ones already available, and being new might not be enough. Buyer fatigue.

hmmm ... i don't see it that way ... every good compressor has it's own flavour and in certain situations that particular compressor just does it perfect, while on other material it fails, be it expensive or free.

Well, this may all be true, but that means a significant amount of effort to demo, significant money to buy and then the monumental task to choose which ones of dozens to use. Not necessarily a bad thing, but also not necessarily good either.

hmmm, why not? because it means you actually have to get deep into it to find the really good tools? i myself am constantly getting it in reward, if i found something that finally really does what i want on a higher level i had before. it means more investigation before, but imo you're rewarded afterwards ... i mean, i'm dialing something i need into every good compressor, but with the cl compressors this happens way more fast, and it sounds more like i always wanted my stuff to sound. so in the end i'm saving time and thus money ...

To me, the problem here is that the creative process is really about using tools, not searching for them. This means spending far more effort on mastering the tools one uses rather than seeking new tools to add to an ever-increasing folder of them. I believe that someone who knows his or her tools well will be far more creative than someone who is simply going from one to another with dozens to choose from.

[JeffSanders]

If there's anyone who knows about being creative, getting things done and producing the highest quality results, it's Brok.

And I agree. That's why I'm using the CL comps exclusively - for now I have no compressor wanderlust. Which is a good thing. There is no "would xxx sound better here?" question for me.

[eduardo_b]

If there's anyone who knows about being creative, getting things done and producing the highest quality results, it's Brok.

And I agree. That's why I'm using the CL comps exclusively - for now I have no compressor wanderlust. Which is a good thing. There is no "would xxx sound better here?" question for me.

My reply wasn't actually directed at Brok. Rather, it was a general assessment of having tools versus knowing tools.

[JeffSanders]

Great point, Eduardo.

[Tp3]

To me, the problem here is that the creative process is really about using tools, not searching for them. This means spending far more effort on mastering the tools one uses rather than seeking new tools to add to an ever-increasing folder of them. I believe that someone who knows his or her tools well will be far more creative than someone who is simply going from one to another with dozens to choose from.

+1kⁿ

Two quotes :

1)

Do you know John Lennon ? Lennon said "I'm an artist, you give me a Fu@king TUBA, I'll get you something out of it !"

(The Departed - Movie)

2)

Morpheus: You know why we are here.
Merovingian: Hmph... I am a trafficker of information, I know everything I can. The question is, do you know why you are here?
Morpheus: We are looking for the Keymaker.
Merovingian: Oh yes, it is true. The Keymaker, of course. But this is not a reason, this is not a 'why.' The Keymaker himself, his very nature, is means, it is not an end, and so, to look for him is to be looking for a means to do... what?
Neo: You know the answer to that question.
Merovingian: But do YOU ? You think you do but you do not. You are here because you were sent here, you were told to come here and you obeyed

(Matrix Reloaded)

Most of the time we don't know the "Why". we are TOLD that this or that is a wonderful tool, and we comply.
This is how MOST of the people make their purchases.

Take a look at some tool that was released some time ago (I won't say which). a DAY after its release and
this guy wants "a review", so he would be able to make a decision (using one's ears is not good enough, apparently)

The art of making music these days seem to split into two main branches :
1) Those who actually MAKE music and don't talk about it (because who has time and/or will to speak of music
after you've engaged for HOURS/DAYS/MONTHS in making it ?...)
2) Those who SPEAK about making music (and the tools for making music), as if it were the art of making music itself

In the middle are those who form a new art within making music : the art of choosing the tools to create music
(and discuss it in every way known to man)

E.b... you are right in so many ways... if I were to compare ALL the tools that flood the market I would go -->

[Igro]

Ok, i didn't find any comp that sound like this one. So it has own sound.
This comp change the sound completely, so it's not suitable for me. Also, did someone noticed, that it "eats" high frequencies somehow?

[shogger]

Ok, i didn't find any comp that sound like this one. So it has own sound.

Thanx for the honest reply.

Shogger

[eduardo_b]

E.b... you are right in so many ways... if I were to compare ALL the tools that flood the market I would go -->

There are always exceptions, but if mixes aren't coming together, the balance between tools and skills using them may need adjusting. Plus I'm suspicious when people say they can't find the right sound after trying a half dozen or more plugs (be they reverbs, compressors, whatever). Really? There's a hell of a lot of crossover among plug-ins, plus fretting over tiny details makes no sense. The only person even aware of them is the person doing the mixing in the first place. Listeners will never know...or care.

[Tp3]

There are always exceptions

Of course there are. are you willing to go and try each and every one of those exceptions ?

but if mixes aren't coming together, the balance between tools and skills using them may need adjusting

I follow the audio scene for 10 years now. I can HONESTLY say that "the balance between tools and skills" ALWAYS
needs adjustment.

That is unless
a) you are an experienced technician who STICKS TO THE TOOLS HE KNOWS, FOR YEARS (take the time to check if experienced technicians have replaced their tools in recent years...)
b) you are a gifted technician who developed a unique way to filter the unnecessary tools for him (so you
have, say, three compressors : you are being acknowledged that there is a "you-must-try-me compressor". you
slap it on over source material, and in a matter of 5 minutes you either use it - or lose it. permanently.
without looking back. ever)

Plus I'm suspicious when people say they can't find the right sound after trying a half dozen or more plugs (be they reverbs, compressors, whatever)

No need to be suspicious. I'll tell you a little secret : they (most probably) know $hit. NADA. they'll look for
that allusive sound forever. and they won't find it because they don't know what they really want...

There's an old saying that I happen to really like :

If you don't know where you're heading... you probably won't get there...

[eduardo_b]

you are a gifted technician who developed a unique way to filter the unnecessary tools for him (so you
have, say, three compressors : you are being acknowledged that there is a "you-must-try-me compressor". you
slap it on over source material, and in a matter of 5 minutes you either use it - or lose it. permanently.
without looking back. ever)

I think the ability to say yes, maybe or no is critical to keeping the toolbox neat and tidy, with mostly tools that get lots and lots of use. I mean, seriously, how much coloration can one need that there has to be a dozen varieties of the same basic plug with minute differences -- differences that often require an A/B test to actually notice, not imagine (acoustic memory is notoriously unreliable).

Permanently, though...that's a long time.

[bmanic]

What for me makes a tool unique (in this case the ArtsAcoustic compressors) is when it can deliver a sound that I can not reproduce with anything else. This is definitely the case with the CL series compressors.

I'm still learning to use these as I haven't yet mixed a whole piece with them but I'm beginning to feel that these will be indispensable for me. They just have a certain unique vibe/feeling to them. I'm especially impressed with the way the preamp/tube emulation/input drive thing sounds. Even if I'm not after compression at all I pull out the CL compressor just for this saturation color alone!

I also like it very much on wide open attack, fast release, settings. It can really make things smack in a nice way.

The only situation where I've had some issues with these compressors are with sources that I do not want to changed tonally. In these cases I usually go for something non-modeling, like Pro-C (it's gain transfer curve/program dependency is based on some analogue classics but there is no saturation nor component modeling going on), Bluecat Dynamics or the good old MjCompressor.

I'm still in the process of writing a full review of these as I plan to kick start a new "all about compressors" thread with tons of audio examples.. I just need to find the time to CREATE all those audio examples as nobody provided me any!

Cheers!
bManic