quick test: Smart C2 vs Waves SSL Comp on familiar tune

[lurker94]

Thought I'd throw this up to see what people heard when comparing with a familiar track. It's 30 seconds of a tune - one time running through the Smart C2 hardware comp, and another time through the Waves SSL Bus Comp (and through a round of AD/DA to match). Same settings on each comp (4:1, 3ms attack, auto release), same amount of gain reduction, level matched RMS. Analog mode is of course "on" on the plugin. Which is which, and which do you like better...?

[LonDonsen]

Thanks buddy! I can't describe why, but file 1 sounds slightly nicer glued to me. I guess 1 is the Smart C2 but hopefully I'm wrong. please pm me the result, can't wait for it.

[Andy_bt]

Thanks for the shoot-out
Quick listenning, file 1 seems a bit more "alive" to me...?
A.

[Elvis Gotta Gun]

No. 1 sounds better so I'm guessing it's the hardware.

[lurker94]

Keep em coming ...

[Graal]

Ha ha ha!
If number 2 (two) is the software, then I am in luck!

I like number 2 better.
I really hope it's the software! )

Cheers!

EDIT: On another listen, I seem to like number 1 better. Whatever! They both sound ok.

[geminee]

From my experiences with the C1, file 2 sounds like the hardware to me, though I like file 1 better.

[RiF]

I like file1 better, because it does not mess up with the bass so much and it sounds more open and less squishy. And it sounds as if a bit less GR happens here, so maybe both units were not dialed in for the same amount of GR? I once tried to compare a Waves SSL against my DIY GSSL and on nice sounding settings, the needle on the GSSL was barely moving... So they were a bit hard to match.
If I could hear the non-compressed original, it would be easier to say which one is which, so it's just a guess: file1 is the Waves and file2 is the C2, because I can hear some analog components on file2 while file1 is more clean.

[geminee]

Soooooo excited, what the result is...

[yerusalan]

I would agree with RiF observations. I'd put it this way - 2 is more compressed and in your face, it is also abit flat against the 1. 1 is slightly more 3-dish but it also could be jerkier if put against the unprocessed which I don't have so can't say for sure. Shows the two are different in responce.

[Cegor]

File 2 definitely sounds better. But maybe just because it has more presence and in your face like someone posted above.

[JECracchiolo]

Thanks for the comparison, very interesting... So, is number one the software. It has a slightly more clean and open sound to it.

[Aaron Rash]

File 1: Hardware
File 2: Still nice but it has the ITB sound