Is TrackComp 2 by DMG Audio the best compressor?

[Spring Goose]

It's the second best imo.
No kidding, it's a simple marketing trick.
Devs like Softube and DMG and a few more keep their prices high, even on sales or maybe no sales at all and your mind tells you plugins must be good.
They are good, but the best?
DMG can give you great results, but if you do not know how to use compression, DMG won't make it either and there are other cheaper compressors that will make it, too.
DMG comp wants to be versatile, that's what not every comp is.
To me the policy, mindset, support and updating/improving have become more important, so there are devs who can release whatever they want, I won't buy (any more).

Interesting, but can you share us which compressor you think is the best.

[DCrown]

It's the second best imo.
No kidding, it's a simple marketing trick.
Devs like Softube and DMG and a few more keep their prices high, even on sales or maybe no sales at all and your mind tells you plugins must be good.
They are good, but the best?
DMG can give you great results, but if you do not know how to use compression, DMG won't make it either and there are other cheaper compressors that will make it, too.
DMG comp wants to be versatile, that's what not every comp is.
To me the policy, mindset, support and updating/improving have become more important, so there are devs who can release whatever they want, I won't buy (any more).

Interesting, but can you share us which compressor you think is the best.

My most used comp is ReaComp, I like Waves CLA-3A on drums, guitar and vocals, too and to smash things on parallel tracks Eventide Omnipressor and of course good old RComp sometimes

[Spring Goose]

It's the second best imo.
No kidding, it's a simple marketing trick.
Devs like Softube and DMG and a few more keep their prices high, even on sales or maybe no sales at all and your mind tells you plugins must be good.
They are good, but the best?
DMG can give you great results, but if you do not know how to use compression, DMG won't make it either and there are other cheaper compressors that will make it, too.
DMG comp wants to be versatile, that's what not every comp is.
To me the policy, mindset, support and updating/improving have become more important, so there are devs who can release whatever they want, I won't buy (any more).

Interesting, but can you share us which compressor you think is the best.

My most used comp is ReaComp, I like Waves CLA-3A on drums, guitar and vocals, too and to smash things on parallel tracks Eventide Omnipressor and of course good old RComp sometimes

cheers

[TBlake]

I'm demoing the TC2 2k5 against the new PA SBC. I'd be interested in any 2k5 mastering starting points for acoustic or indie rock. Thanks!

[Trancit]

I'm demoing the TC2 2k5 against the new PA SBC. I'd be interested in any 2k5 mastering starting points for acoustic or indie rock. Thanks!

The most important part: long(est) attack => short release...
Everything else depends on the material...

[Wrong Eq]

I have heard so many compressors and I still haven't heard "the best compressor". Probably because there is none.

[PieBerger]

I have heard so many compressors and I still haven't heard "the best compressor". Probably because there is none.

the best compressor is the one you don't have, naturally

[Wrong Eq]

I have heard so many compressors and I still haven't heard "the best compressor". Probably because there is none.

the best compressor is the one you don't have, naturally

It's the famous COTS compressor. Carrot On The Stick. Keeps you going, keeps you buying

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I'm demoing the TC2 2k5 against the new PA SBC. I'd be interested in any 2k5 mastering starting points for acoustic or indie rock. Thanks!

There's lots of YouTube stuff out there showing you how the compressor works and various settings, not to mention presets. Just experiment. The settings from one 2500 emulation should translate well to another so you can, for example, watch some UAD API 2500 videos and try those settings out on TrackComp and see how they sound.

For example, here's one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYSjM-A9tyA

TrackComp2 Tip: if you hold down Alt on your keyboard and drag a control in TC2 that originally had fixed steps on the hardware, TC2 will snap to the stepped values of the hardware.

[SoftSynthLover99]

@Funkybot’s Evil Twin man I hate you mentioned TrackComp2 in the Lindell SBC thread, now I’ve gotta have it after using it all morning

I could see how this could be one of the best plugin compressors just by briefly using it. It may not have a analog style GUI but my God does it sound truly analog. I run my sessions at 96khz as well just for reference.

So yeah thanks man, cost me $100 bucks lol

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

@Funkybot’s Evil Twin man I hate you mentioned TrackComp2 in the Lindell SBC thread, now I’ve gotta have it after using it all morning

I could see how this could be one of the best plugin compressors just by briefly using it. It may not have a analog style GUI but my God does it sound truly analog. I run my sessions at 96khz as well just for reference.

So yeah thanks man, cost me $100 bucks lol

I still get hit by GAS and will get suckered by things like a UAD sale on their API 2500, but there have been more than a few compressor plugins I passed on because I thought, "eh, TrackComp2 already does that".

So in the long run I may have saved you money. You're welcome!

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Here's a story about TrackComp's modeling that I don't think Dave would mind me sharing.

During the public beta phase for TrackComp2 I was comparing the 76A model against my Stam 76-ADG clone, which has a rev A mode. I'm not saying the Stam clone sounds like a hardware Rev A, but it sounds good to me and offers a few flavors.

One thing I've noticed in the past with 1176 compressor plugins is that some of them completely fall apart and distort like mad (in a bad way) on a Fender Rhodes with just some basic chords. I noticed this first on the Slate VMR 76 models, but found it in other plugins too. I think the Rhodes just has too much low-end and mid-information and some plugin 1176s fall apart very easily due to the fast release. Rhodes playing some basic chords, I accidentally discovered, is good stress test for an 1176 plugin because the hardware and better plugin emulations don't fall apart the same way I was hearing in other plugins.

Anyway, the TrackComp2 beta was basically doing the same thing I was hearing in the Slate model. I sent Dave audio examples just playing basic 4 note chords in C through my Rhodes; one of the hardware, one of TrackComp2. The latter was distorting in a way that was noticeably absent in the hardware (note: the UAD Rev AE model didn't do this either and is very close to my Stam hardware). A day or two later Dave got back and explained that he had skipped a capacitor in the model, thinking it wasn't doing anything audible, but that adding that missing cap back into the circuit model did indeed allow him to match my hardware example, which I subsequently verified. I was then able to get it close enough with my hardware clone that the differences were basically irrelevant.

...not snake oil!

[TBlake]

I'm demoing the TC2 2k5 against the new PA SBC. I'd be interested in any 2k5 mastering starting points for acoustic or indie rock. Thanks!

The most important part: long(est) attack => short release...
Everything else depends on the material...

Thanks for the tip. I'm noticing that TC2 doesn't have the Tone/Thrust section. Is it possible to emulate this in TC2??

[Erik_Lucas]

I'm demoing the TC2 2k5 against the new PA SBC. I'd be interested in any 2k5 mastering starting points for acoustic or indie rock. Thanks!

The most important part: long(est) attack => short release...
Everything else depends on the material...

Thanks for the tip. I'm noticing that TC2 doesn't have the Tone/Thrust section. Is it possible to emulate this in TC2??

I think the 'Response' parameter is the Tone/Thrust section on the hardware. I could be wrong.

[Calagan]

I love TrackComp and DMG Audio plugins, but the manuals are often much too elliptics.

From what I gathered on forums and from the manual, the response parameter is indeed the original Thrust parameter.
0% = NORMAL (no side-chain eq)
50% = MEDIUM THRUST (flat between 200hz et 3kHz, 3dB/octave slope tilt EQ below and above these limits in order to decrease sensitivity for lows and increase it for the highs)
100% = LOUD THRUST (3dB/octave tilt EQ on the whole range)

The nice stuff is that you've got everything in between these 3 original options.