Hi,
nice to hear some more opinions. Solera+ seems to me one of the best "Dynamics" plug-ins.
I don't think it is overcomplicated. Just take a day or two just exploring it - no serious audio business around. Just relaxed testing with no hurry.
Probably you know about the laws of classic parameters like treshold, ratio, knee, etc. And also how do release settings affect the signal. Now play around with different advanced release functions and compare with auto release, listen to what Angel Share does in different % and what Hysteresis does.
Don't approach with fear, but read manual first and then approach it like a sculpturing tool with which you can shape the final loudness/softness of the master. Sit behind it like behind the wheel of a powerful racing car and play with the settings. Listen how the sound reacts - when does it open, when it gets louder, but transparent and warm at the same time. When it is too much.
Really not complicated. Imagine how complicated must The Legendary Audio Masterpiece look like at the first try...(not that I know first hand).
It is very usefull to adjust "Hysteresis" to some 65% when adjusting compressor and decompressor - I tend to compress with lower ratios and softer knee and use higher settings for decompressor - it opens sound more - you hear it when Hysteresis is applied some more - but then reduce it to the desired amount of "freshness"... Same with Angel's Share. I haven't touched the expander yet and also experimented just a little with the sidechain EQ... But you can achieve some nice roundness and very light deessing with it. Compressor/decompressor with angel's share and hysteresis and advanced release functions are THE tools for me. I have to find some use for the expander section - sounds so nice to have around.
And I put "Clipper" on as default. Don't need any overshoots... but it doesn't do anything dramatic soundwise (when everything else is applyed properly) - it is just there to "serve and protect".
Any Flux member reading - do I get a discount on Solera+ purchase for that post?
P.S. It is very nice that you can actually test it (fully functional) for a long time if you remember or write down the settings and don't need 96k option. Until I save enough it will do for me.