28th August 2009
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#1 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2006 Location: australia
Posts: 1,013
Thread Starter  | Which software compressor?
Hi all,
Just looking for some feedback from people who make electronic music with regards to purchasing a new software compressor [or two  ]
I know checking the demos is the best way to go, but im travelling on holidays at the moment so it isnt too easy...and there are a few new plugins that have sales or specials on until august 31...so i dont want to miss out!
I used Cubase on a mac so i need OSX VST format. I also have the Sonalksis already. The ones that seem to be getting the best reviews are:-
1. Cytomic The Glue
2. Stillwell Rocket
3. PSP Oldtimer [on special for a few more days]
4. IK T-racks [which have a 5 for $99 deal atm]
i tried the cytomic demo and really liked it on the master bus. It also did the trick on an elektrik piano part that i just couldnt get right using the Rocket. But the Rocket has some great presets that sound amazing on individual parts. Do the others bring something different or would these two cover most tasks? Any experience with all of them? I mainly make deep/house, and often have recorded vocals to work with aswell
thanks | 
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28th August 2009
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#2 | | Gear Head
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 58
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I find the Rocket to be pretty damn excellent for individual drum sounds as well as NY style squashing. I used the Glue briefly and thought it was cool, but I think you'll get a lot of variety out of the T-Racks singles. You've got the smoothness of the Opto, the character of the Fairchild, and the I don't know exactly what it does well but sometimes it works of the Classic Compressor. Plus you get two more singles and a nice hall reverb. That being said, maybe it would be good to just get the Glue to "glue" stuff together and leave the Sonalksis to smoothness, instead of having to deal with 5 new plugins.
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28th August 2009
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#3 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 170
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The PSP Oldtimer is great, warm and round sound! The one I like the most besides the PSP is the Softube FET compressor, amazing on drums!
Today also Bootsie´s Density mk II was released, which is freeware. Haven´t had much time to check it out, but my first impression was promissing!
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28th August 2009
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#4 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Sweden
Posts: 2,854
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Softube FET Compressor is indeed an excellent compressor.
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28th August 2009
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#5 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jul 2007 Location: UK
Posts: 1,233
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I have all the plugins you mention and for 2 buss duties the Glue wins everytime.
I like and use all the other plugins for different things and do use the rocket for more downtempo on the 2 buss.
Its a really tough choice if you are going for 1. They are all great plugins and Stillwell and Andy cytomic are top people. Then again for $99 the ik bundle gets you 6 plugins and 6 really good ones.
If you leveled the playing field and took the 6-1 ik offer out the equation i'd go Glue everytime but 6-1 is such a good offer. thoiugh as i say they are all good plugins.
Ben
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28th August 2009
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#6 | | Gear addict
Joined: Apr 2008 Location: Leeds - UK
Posts: 407
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i havent used all the other plugins you mentioned, but i think the rocket is an excellent compressor
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28th August 2009
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#7 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Sasquatch, OR
Posts: 4,645
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the sonalksis compressor is really really great. the 3 plugs in the essential bundle are each fantastic great.
the gate is one of the best i've heard too.. Sonalksis - Quality Digital Audio Software | |
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29th August 2009
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#8 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2006 Location: australia
Posts: 1,013
Thread Starter |
^yeah I use the sonalksis gate the most out of the bundle. I love midi triggering it to chop up pads etc. The compressor is ok but quite clean I suppose. I can't get it to make big atmospheres like the rocket though.
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29th August 2009
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#9 | | Gear addict
Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Belgium
Posts: 420
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I often use Sony Oxford Dynamics. I like it a lot.
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29th August 2009
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#10 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Brazil
Posts: 1,954
| Quote:
Originally Posted by lowkey 
1. Cytomic The Glue
2. Stillwell Rocket
3. PSP Oldtimer [on special for a few more days]
4. IK T-racks [which have a 5 for $99 deal atm]
i tried the cytomic demo and really liked it on the master bus. It also did the trick on an elektrik piano part that i just couldnt get right using the Rocket. But the Rocket has some great presets that sound amazing on individual parts. Do the others bring something different or would these two cover most tasks? Any experience with all of them? I mainly make deep/house, and often have recorded vocals to work with aswell
thanks |
I don't know if the plugs sound exactly the same on mac and windows (i guess and hope they do), so some impressions from a windows user on some of those plugs:
1- The Rocket is definitively for individual tracks - great results there. I could never fit it in a mastering rig - I'll stick out with Flux Pure Compressor on that task. (I don't like comps on my master out when mixing btw) Look for the Flux and yes, they are available for Mac! 
2- Old Timer seems nice, but it goes in the same line of thought as Rocket IMO.
3- T-Racks was so awful a couple of years ago that I've never tested it again...any improvements there?
Hope it helps,
Cheers!
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29th August 2009
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#11 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,200
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3. PSP Oldtimer
4. IK T-racks 3 (Vintage Tube Compressor/Limiter model 670; Opto compressor; Intelligent, multi-algorithm Brickwall limiter; Classic T-RackS Compressor; Classic T-RackS Multi-band Limiter)
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29th August 2009
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#12 | | Gear addict
Joined: Aug 2008 Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 427
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Waves Renaissance Compressor is hands down one of the best software compressors I've ever used.
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29th August 2009
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#13 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,978
| Quote:
Originally Posted by alyricalmind Waves Renaissance Compressor is hands down one of the best software compressors I've ever used. | too soft knee.
also has a darker "old/analog" sound i dont like much.
A&R are too slow for some things. but i like the overload&distortion capability.
i think&hear kjaerhusaudio gco-1 is better or TC Powercore Tube-Tech CL-1,
or SSL Duende bus compressor.  Kjaerhus Audio - Professional Audio Plug-ins   Solid State Logic | Music TC Electronic | Tube-Tech CL 1B Tube-Tech CL1B TDM | |
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29th August 2009
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#14 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,978
| Quote:
Originally Posted by diogo_c 3- T-Racks was so awful a couple of years ago that I've never tested it again...any improvements there? | BIG Improovement. T-RackS 3 T-RackS 3  | |
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29th August 2009
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#15 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,978
| Quote:
Originally Posted by ignatius | sonalkasis sounds like they look.
toyish.   
McDSP sounds much better. or Focusrite Red D2 "the compressor not the EQ" sounds great, or the Focusrite Forte plguins have the ISA vintage sound to it, McDSP - McDowell Signal Processing, LLC | |
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29th August 2009
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#17 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,978
| Quote:
Originally Posted by filterfreak The PSP Oldtimer is great, warm and round sound! The one I like the most besides the PSP is the Softube FET compressor, amazing on drums!
Today also Bootsie´s Density mk II was released, which is freeware. Haven´t had much time to check it out, but my first impression was promissing! | Bootsie Density sounds like AGC leveler; like Symetrix 421, Aphex Compellor or Empirical Labs Distressor in non-Agressive settings.
has a great feeling, but has a darker sound i dont like much.
i like more the transparency of the Classic Yellow Compressor of T-Racks 3. Variety Of Sound
the new mk2 looks interesting. but has a new engine, more responsive and less distorting engine, that could remove the AGC leveler feeling to it. 
crysoniq also has a nice compressor, similar kind of old analog/vintage emulation like Waves RComp Spectra C1 :: Crysonic - Professional Audio Plugins VST AU RTAS  | |
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29th August 2009
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#19 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Finland
Posts: 771
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The only two software comps I have purchased (for electronic music) are Softube FET and EMI TG limiter. They both work well and have nice character. I try to not collect software like hardware, just buy the ones that I consider useful.
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29th August 2009
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#21 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 170
| Quote:
Originally Posted by space2012 | Yes, that´s right. Therefore a box is on it´s way to my home including the passive-active-eqs! Brilliant sounding plugins! This 60 Hz low boost...a dream!
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29th August 2009
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#22 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Sasquatch, OR
Posts: 4,645
| Quote:
Originally Posted by space2012 sonalkasis sounds like they look.
toyish. | well, that's your opinion and opinions vary. i manage to get a lot out of it and also very much enjoy not needing an iLok to use it on my laptop.
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29th August 2009
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#23 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007 Location: N.Y.C.
Posts: 2,894
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Stiff Softube FET Compressor is indeed an excellent compressor. | Wow! Just found out: $279 ??? tutt
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30th August 2009
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#24 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 3,037
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I wonder what would happen if you got rid of the fancy graphics on all of those software compressors, would people still think they sounded the same as the hardware that they were emulating? It would be an interesting test.
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30th August 2009
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#25 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 739
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you know...I recently got the Rocket demo and put it on a track. I also routed that track to my Distressor via External Plugins in Cubase. I could basically switch either on/off to compare the sound. I dialed in the Distressor and then tried to get close to it with the Rocket. I got 90% there. As in really, really close. It was an drum track by the way....
So what did I learn...record thru the compressor...then, when ITB, do your stuff with the software and use the Distressor for other tracks.
The Distressor had more bump and grind, somehow smoother....really hard to desrcribe in words. Would anyone listetining to that track notice it? No, probably not. But I did, so that count for something (I hope).
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30th August 2009
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#26 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Brazil
Posts: 1,954
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Distressor (hardware) is fantastic!
Does anyone knows about some plug-in with that character?
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30th August 2009
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#27 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,978
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben F I wonder what would happen if you got rid of the fancy graphics on all of those software compressors, would people still think they sounded the same as the hardware that they were emulating? It would be an interesting test. | FOUND: Universal Audio 6176 vs. softube plugin FET Compressor AB Test
you tell me.
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30th August 2009
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#28 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,978
| Quote:
Originally Posted by diogo_c Distressor (hardware) is fantastic!
Does anyone knows about some plug-in with that character? | yeah, Distressor sounds amazing.
the UAD EL-7 Fatso
& the Focursrite liquid mix/channel EL-8 Distressor "US MODERN COPYCAT 1,2&3".
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30th August 2009
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#29 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Brazil
Posts: 1,954
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UAD is affordable for me - Liquid Channel is out of my budgets now.
i'll try to get the FATSO asap and test it properly.
Thanks!
BTW - any "regular"/without cards or racks vsts with that character? That would be welcome as well.
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30th August 2009
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#30 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 170
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Phaidon Wow! Just found out: $279 ??? tutt | ...and it´s worth every penny! There are some nice compressor plugins out there that I really like, but this one for me is essential.
I usually route my drums through a rack that contains a mono-maker for the frequencies below 400HZ, an exciter, some nebula-preamps in a row, Softube FET and passive-active. What can I say, it sounds amazing!
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