EQ or compression in analogue if have to choose one

[cichy]

stillwell 1973 EQ sounds nice as well, but i'll still go for tube EQ for low end and highs

[macc]

I thought that 1973 was a bit poo when I tried it... Gave it a go against the UAD 1073 but it was embarrassing. Seems to get a lot of positive reviews though... I dunno... :shrug:

[cichy]

Originally Posted by macc

I thought that 1973 was a bit poo when I tried it...

it definitely add some highs even if set to zero, and sounds far from 1973 , but still with character.

[Alécio Costa]

"Someone call a doctor bfore it's too late... I spy the early signs of gearsluttism!

Nurse! Bring my needle. The big one..."


kakakaka!
Man, It took me 12 years to pick really fancy gear!LOL

[Sunbreak Music]

Compressor.

When I was putting my analog chain together, the compressor waiting list (STC-8M) was a few months long, so I received my analog EQ first. All workable, but would have rather it been the other way around.

I enjoy a few EQ plugs, but just don't think compressors are there yet. Might be an exception or two out there somewhere....... Am-munition from Magix is pretty nice.

[macc]

Not a mastering compressor really, but UAD Neve 33609 leads the compressor field in 'analogueness' for my money. Monstrous thumbsup

[Chaellus]

id get the compressor, plugin compressors dont vibe the same as hardawre compressors and of to date there is Tritone angeltone that does an amzaing job getting the analog vibe in ITB it has 4 convolution eq's form mastering eq's and it does sound like hardware.

[Swell]

The Triton Angeltone must be good as you're saying, too bad I'm stuck on Pro Tools 6 because of lots of plugins update that would cost me too much money. And I regret Stillwell dosn't make RTAS versions.

I do own MCDSP eq's, Waves'SSL, Renaissance and Wave Linear phase, I consider they can make dessent job for Mastering...Is Stillwell and Triton plugins beyond that quality in your opinion guys ?

Swell

[WunderBro Flo]

As much as I love my outboard equipment, if you get a Duende and an UAD you will have EQs and dynamic plugin that are so, soooo close to real hardware it´s a bit frightening. Maybe last 3-5 percent are missing, but really, not many people can hear it in blind tests. The duende buss compressor and the UAD 33609 are the most analog sounding compression plugins out there for the 2 buss, the Neve even models the transformers really well (though I do not like the neve´s fixed attack time).
If you really want to go hardware I would also say get a good HW compressor. EQ pugins come closer to the real thing than compressor plugins. Get a fantastic versatile EQ plugin like the SSL-X-eq or the Algorithmix, throw in a liquid mix that uses convolution for getting the curves of the classic analog eqs or the UAD EQ emulations and it´s as good as it gets EQ wise (however they won´t give you any transformer-coloration). Use the remaining money to buy a fantastic busscompressor, you gotta try some to find your personal subjective favourite. I suggest the Vertigo VSC-2. It just kills.
Rock on!
Pat

[Swell]

Thanks a lot Pat for your advise. I'll do for sure what you recoomend.
Actually I'm running on Pro Tools and have all my plugs in there. I own the SSL's which I truly love. Being on a Mac, algorithmix isn't an option.

I'll definitely consider the Vertigo.

Thanks

[WunderBro Flo]

If it´s the Duende SSL you are talking about....the X-EQ is actually an Algorithmix product (and costs way less than their "own" products).
Liquid mix is coming out right now in a HD version (running without the DSP hardware controller) at a really low price. Fantastic for the EQ section.
The Vertigo is unfortunately really expensive...but if you ever get the chance to testdrive one, do it! For me it just showed me that there is another class above many of the usual suspects for the buss. If you love how an SSL G series comp (or good emulation/clone) sounds on the buss, my bets are you will be floored by the Vertigo. That was the way it happened with me, although there are people that did not feel it. It´s very personal I think.

Rock on!
PAt

[Tha Wiizard]

The Badbussmojo compressor plugin by Stillwell is a great coloring and shaping compressor. Try it on the two bus but use it wisely

[Tha Wiizard]

Sorry, he meant analog compressor

[kjg]

Originally Posted by Tha Wiizard

The Badbussmojo compressor plugin by Stillwell is a great coloring and shaping compressor. Try it on the two bus but use it wisely

Except that it is not technically a compressor, but a plugin emulating non-linearities of a signal path using waveshaping. (A techniques that uses no time constants and level detection like a compressor, but purely lookup tables for translating Input to Output values.)
Waveshapers can be used to compress a signal though, for example emulating tape saturation, or saturation of a buss.

regards,
kjg