Compressor Plug-ins Now High END?

[jumpnyc]

Ok - EMI and Waves SSL seem to have broken the trend - they sound very very very good ITB. With recall and the abillity to spread them across a mix - isn't this starting to make ITB more of an option? Weigh in you heavy gear heads - but the SSL thread demonstrated that most wrongly identified the plugs.

I have been thinking of buyng more hardward compressors - but my business requires such unbelievably fast turnarounds and re-mixes that there is no way I could patch in all my external comps and re-set them everytime - so these plugs are starting to work for me really well.

I know "if it sounds good to you it is good" well it works for me and my clients - anyone else doing this?

[seaneldon]

i'm a huge fan of the UAD-1 and the URS compressors. haven't tried the EMI/Chandler yet. i also love hardware compressors and always will, but there's great plugins. there's also a lot more god awful plugins. but still. good ones exist.

[cap217]

The ability to just open and recall every setting is amazing. Saves you a lot of time! I know that if I mix on an SSL, I dont even use the recalling ever. I make 2-3 mixes and thats what you get (unless its a great high paying client) but still.... ITB is getting really close.
I just picked up a summing box and going to mix through that! We will see if it improves anything!~

[jumpnyc]

I have a summing box (makes a big deifference IMHO) - that combined with these great plugs and great mics/pre's/ and incoming compressors (Atomic Squeezebox/Distressor, etc.) make it, for me, a totally delivery system.

[mtstudios@charter]

It all depends who and what you are mixing for. Where ITB suffers is in high track counts and acoustic instruments, eps. drums.

www.bluethumbproductions.com

[thethrillfactor]

NOPE.


NEVER.



NOT INTERESTED.

[Trebor Flow]

If you want to use a software compressor go ahead.

I use a Sonalksis 315 on my mix bus and I have learnt to tweak this little jem to FOOL even a seasoned pro as to whether I am using a SSL G384 or the Sonalksis.

It can be done - I have caught out many people and left egg on their faces. I never listen to opinions, the only thing I beleive in is blind A/B listening tests.

So many times on this forum I hear people say "oh this is better than this, or harware always blows away software" my dream is to have an internet teletransporter and to transport them into my studio with the two items of kit being compared and to stick a blind fold on them and say OK hot shot, pick it 10 times out of ten.

I have tested sooo many freinds, pro's and muso's over the years with blind testing stuff like RME multiface/apoggee rosetta and native 32bit and 48 bit fixed, this reverb over that reverb, this software aganist that hardware. I have learnt that without doubt some things are a no brainer, but on so many counts people cannot hear the difference when blind tested between gear differeing by $1000's!!

If you have a software compressor you love - use it, if you have a great song, you'll still have a great song and it will sound great through your software plugin, it may sound better with a hardware compressor - but could you pick it?

........ Energise Captain.

Trebor

[jumpnyc]

I agree - I have fooled lots of engineers with A/B, Pod tracks vs. Stacks, lots of things and I have, most importantly, made my clients happy. I think some plugins are terrible - but I believe that some really work well and the more you use them and know how they work you can coax some great stuff out.

Most important is the artist, mics, pres (for me) and monitoring environment.

This is not a thread about not having great gear- I'd love to patch in a manley 2bus on the drum bus, but it is not possible when I have 15 minutes to do a quick fader change and BTD. This is - can we make things great ITB?

m

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

NOPE.


NEVER.



NOT INTERESTED.

[Jason Poulin]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

NOPE.


NEVER.



NOT INTERESTED.

I don't believe that there are some you don't find a little appealing?


Jason

[u b k]

Originally Posted by jumpnyc

Weigh in you heavy gear heads - but the SSL thread demonstrated that most wrongly identified the plugs.

all that thread demonstrated to me was that plug-ins do bad compression as well as hardware, and that people who mostly use plug-ins can't hear the difference.

all of those clips sounded like @ss .


gregoire
del ubik

[jumpnyc]

a little OT - but Thrill you are all over these boards and you mentioned you mix down the block from me at Sony - anything out that you mixed that I can check out?

[noiseflaw]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

NOPE.


NEVER.



NOT INTERESTED.

YES.



SOMETIMES.



RECEPTIVE TO CHANGE.



Ideally a mixture of both, there are some excellent software plugs available, the compressors are slooowly getting there - they WILL get there - believe me it is just a matter of time, then one day in the future, before the next seismic, tectonic shift in technology, there will be a bunch os 'software diehards' chanting a similar self-fulfilling mantra about nothing ever, no! - not ever, being as good as Soft-Plugs.

[stevetgn]

The important stuff like lead vocals, drum buss and say bass, I would always put through quality hardware. Other tracks like maybe a secondary guitar part I'd use a plugin.

I have to say though that although compressors and EQ's may not beat quality hardware some plugin reverbs, especially the one for TC Electronic powercore (VSS3 etc) are stunning!

[Rep]

EMI and SSL are fun,
chandler looks to be gaining ground
but the price of waves stuff almost gets you the hardwere after 10 years ,
urs has some nice ones...

[kats]

Some guys think any compression ruins songs - so whatever I think the main thing is to get the sounds in tracking and not rely on magic boxes during mixing. If your drum track (for eg) is lame with a UAD 1176 strapped over it, I'm hard pressed to imagine the hardware version to be stunning. OTOH, if you nail it on the tracking stage - you end up mixing for effect and taste - not "fixing", and in that regard YMMV whether you prefer hardware or software.

Personally, aside from my UAD plugs, I use hardware. That's because I commit quite alot with compression etc when I track, and secondly I believe hardware to be cheaper in the long term over software - it's always bloody compatable.

[pan60]

Originally Posted by kats

it's always bloody compatable.

[Albert]

Originally Posted by Trebor Flow

I use a Sonalksis 315 on my mix bus and I have learnt to tweak this little jem to FOOL even a seasoned pro as to whether I am using a SSL G384 or the Sonalksis.

The thing about this is that you need to have the SSL hardware available for A/B comparisons or be *very* familiar with it in order to make the programming of the plugin effective. Just pulling up the plugin and twisting virtual dials isn't going to do it. So the bulk of SV-315 users will not be able to get those results.

Unless of course you wish to share the settings....

[mtstudios@charter]

Originally Posted by jumpnyc

Ok - EMI and Waves SSL seem to have broken the trend - they sound very very very good ITB. With recall and the abillity to spread them across a mix - isn't this starting to make ITB more of an option? Weigh in you heavy gear heads - but the SSL thread demonstrated that most wrongly identified the plugs.

I have been thinking of buyng more hardward compressors - but my business requires such unbelievably fast turnarounds and re-mixes that there is no way I could patch in all my external comps and re-set them everytime - so these plugs are starting to work for me really well.

I know "if it sounds good to you it is good" well it works for me and my clients - anyone else doing this?

At this point in time I am convinced, it is not track-by-track ABing that is the downfall of ITB compressors. It is high track count with loads of compressor's/eq's and whatever else tickles your fancy that is the sonic death of ITB. I have heard qualified engineers who have many multi-platinum records make an ITB mix sound flat with no definition. These same cats make beautiful mixes in the OTB environment. AND they admit it.

www.bluethumbproductions.com

[robot gigante]

You know, they have been making those plastic blow-up dolls so much better now than before... Plus, who has the time or the $$ these days to take a real girl out to dinner... And it is such a hassle to have to deal with going through the motions of dating and everything... Also, in a poll where people who use plastic blow-up dolls a lot, not everyone could tell which was the blow-up doll and which was the real girl... Anyone else think like this??

[Kenny Gioia]

It's not the high track counts that are ruining ITB mixes.

It's the poor arrangements by novice producers who can't afford the hardware compressors IMHO.

[True North]

Originally Posted by Produceher

It's not the high track counts that are ruining ITB mixes.
It's the poor arrangements by novice producers.

I'm with you so far........

Originally Posted by Produceher

who can't afford the hardware compressors IMHO

I didn't see the smiley face at the end of this, so either your dry wit is alluding me or.......you are serious?

I'm going to err on the 'dry wit' side and say.... good one!! ha ha

[Rednose]

Originally Posted by jumpnyc

Ok - EMI and Waves SSL seem to have broken the trend - they sound very very very good ITB. With recall and the abillity to spread them across a mix - isn't this starting to make ITB more of an option? Weigh in you heavy gear heads - but the SSL thread demonstrated that most wrongly identified the plugs.

I have been thinking of buyng more hardward compressors - but my business requires such unbelievably fast turnarounds and re-mixes that there is no way I could patch in all my external comps and re-set them everytime - so these plugs are starting to work for me really well.

I know "if it sounds good to you it is good" well it works for me and my clients - anyone else doing this?

I would still get outboard compression.
Use it sparingly on the way in. You can then mix ITB with plugins from there.
I have yet to hear a plugin comp that sounds as good on Kick than my DBX 160, or on Bass as a DBX 160x.
Know what you mean by restricted budgets.

[kats]

I use a Sonalksis 315 on my mix bus and I have learnt to tweak this little jem to FOOL even a seasoned pro as to whether I am using a SSL G384 or the Sonalksis.

I would hope so, or else your in trouble. Your mix bus compressor shouldn't define your mix at all - you did all that beforehand. It's just one small part of the big picture - you should HOPE that the difference is small.

[mtstudios@charter]

Originally Posted by Produceher

It's not the high track counts that are ruining ITB mixes.

It's the poor arrangements by novice producers who can't afford the hardware compressors IMHO.

No, that is not the case. It is actually the tool helping to make it poor. It is like a saw that has too coarse of a blade.
I am speaking of qualified people.
You are speaking of producing, arranging and song writing. Still CAN be ruined.
www.bluethumbproductions.com

[fadista]

I have the chandler TG compressor and was curious about the plug -in (as I would love to have tons of them).

so I downloaded the demo and started A/B'ing.

by itself the plug version sounds OK, but when you switch to the real thing it's VERY OBVIOUS.

I'm sitting here trying to describe the sound of the plug, and it's incredibly dificult to express just why it does't cut it.

it sounds like the real thing, in the same way a picture looks like the real thing.
if you have no reference it'll do, but when you confront it with the hardware it sounds exactly like what it is, AN EMULATION, I guess that's the best I can do.



cheers

[DirkB]

Depth.

And glue.

That is what a good hardware compressor adds for me (apart from handling transients nicely and acttually compressing...).

I would really like to know which plug in compressors doesn't REDUCE the depth and can provide the necessart glue.

Anybody?

Greetings,
Dirk

[indigo]

Originally Posted by robot gigante

You know, they have been making those plastic blow-up dolls so much better now than before... Plus, who has the time or the $$ these days to take a real girl out to dinner... And it is such a hassle to have to deal with going through the motions of dating and everything... Also, in a poll where people who use plastic blow-up dolls a lot, not everyone could tell which was the blow-up doll and which was the real girl... Anyone else think like this??

Quality!!!!!!!

[e-cue]

Originally Posted by DirkB

I would really like to know which plug in compressors doesn't REDUCE the depth and can provide the necessart glue.

Anybody?

Greetings,
Dirk

The Analog Comp and Vintage Comp VPI's are perfect for this, IMO.

My turn. What analog compressor can do what Compressorbank can do?

[noiseflaw]

Originally Posted by Produceher

It's not the high track counts that are ruining ITB mixes.

It's the poor arrangements by novice producers who can't afford the hardware compressors IMHO.

And these 'poor' arrangements are going to dissapear when they acquire a shiny tin and plastic box with 'real' knobs to turn?........

Are you saying that these producers are going to become better arrangers with a hardware comp. Believe me there are already enough rubbish producers and arrangers out there with mountains of hardware.

I would much rather listen to a well produced and aranged song mixed with quality soft comps than a badly arranged song mixed with and using all the usual hardware suspects.

I can't quite determine if your comments are insulting......perhaps you were joking?