whats the best sounding compression plug in out there?

[Reag1502]

I've got some of the Waves stuff, but that's about it. What should I get for a PC and Cubase? Thanks

[NesNeedsGear]

UAD...sometimes the SSL bundle from waves sounds nice.

[jdjustice]

for tracking, i highly recommend the Chandler/EMI TG12413 Limiter plug-in, which should be available for VST soon. this is IMHO the best vocal compressor plugin money can buy.

for the mixbuss, if you use anything at all, the Waves SSL G-Series compressor from the SSL bundle is quite good; i don't have experience with Duende but some like it better than Waves. However, with Duende, you may experience compatibility problems with some software/computer setups (they may have remedied this by now so don't take my word as gospel), so i would recommend the Waves bundle which is cross-platform and will work in just about any DAW environment.

for pre-mastering and level maximization there is nothing better IMHO than the Sony Oxford Limiter, but that is Pro-Tools-only for now; this may change as i have heard a rumour around here that Sony Oxford is developing for other platforms (good news for all of us).

you will need an iLok to demo the Chandler, Waves, or Sony plugins.


J.D.

[MikeK]

Ewww. No compression on the mix bus.

I like the TC X plug for bass and drums. You can slam shit with it pretty hard and it sounds decent.

[Methlab]

Woah, they are making a VST of the Chandler TG1? Holy crap that will rule.

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by Methlab

Woah, they are making a VST of the Chandler TG1? Holy crap that will rule.

here's the announcement from the New Products forum:

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php?t=88105

[Reag1502]

Originally Posted by Methlab

Woah, they are making a VST of the Chandler TG1? Holy crap that will rule.

Methlab I just want you to know I always appreciate it when you post something. Not because I think you have any think of importants to say, but because I get to look at that hot chick on your profile picture

[mogWai]

"whats the best..."

It really depends on what you want to compress.

UAD 1176 is great on drums, but so is PSP MixPressor. I like UAD1 LA2A on bass and vocals.

To dirty up softsynths PSP Mixpressor again does something nice.

All these plugs add their own character - if you want clean compression then your Waves stuff is probably doing the job already.

[redroom]

Originally Posted by jdjustice

here's the announcement from the New Products forum:

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php?t=88105

If you buy the Chandler Tc plug in frmm Tony at High profile audio you will get a link to a direct FTP site which have the Vst and Au versions.

[kats]

for tracking, i highly recommend the Chandler/EMI TG12413 Limiter plug-in

What's the point of a "tracking" plugin?

[gsilbers]

Originally Posted by kats

What's the point of a "tracking" plugin?

many!

[blayz2002]

Some names which crop up all the time:

Sonalksis SV-315
UAD 1176 + LA2A
Voxengo Marquis
Wave Arts Track Plug 5
PSP Vintage Warmer
Waves Ren Comp
Waves SSL
SSL Duende
Focusrite Liquidmix
URS (forget the names)

[Confusionator]

UAD-1 1176 and LA2A. Hands down. No contest. End of story. Close the book.

[Produce_dept]

McDsp Channel G -- works really well for me - with the right settings it sounds good on most applications

[natpub]

While I like the UAD LA2A for BGV and male lead vox, I prefer the UAD Fairchirchild for lead fem vox.. It eats LOTS of the available processor power, but most songs would not want more than 1 or 2 instances of it, since it is like shining a spotlight of fatness on whatever it touches. Still, the question was what is the "best sounding," which is a vague question anyway, but that's my answer.

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by kats

What's the point of a "tracking" plugin?

[Lagerfeldt]

Sonalksis SV-315

[Mind-Over-Midi]

I like the Waves SSL Compressors, the UAD 1176 and LA2A are really good and the UAD Neve 33609* is absolutely sick, so far hands down the best plugin compressor I've used and I've used most of those mentioned here, as always YMMV.





*WARNING - This plug-in sets a new standard for DSP hogs. Be prepared to freeze or bounce tracks.

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by kats

What's the point of a "tracking" plugin?

I'm with you on this one.

[karl]

I love the punch of Metric Halo Channelstrip. Sadly they are always so far behind the game in terms of updates that I might have to find something else. They haven't even brought it to accel chips let alone UB.

[mrbowes]

I love the UAD-1 for plugin compression:

Vox - LA2A, 1176

Bass - LA2A

Acoustic guitar - 1176/Fairchild

Synth sub mix - Fairchild

Drum sub mix - Fairchild

[cap217]

Originally Posted by Mind-Over-Midi

I'm with you on this one.

The same point as a tracking compressor.... use it on an Aux track!

[Sirocco]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

Sonalksis SV-315

[Methlab]

Originally Posted by Reag1502

Methlab I just want you to know I always appreciate it when you post something. Not because I think you have any think of importants to say, but because I get to look at that hot chick on your profile picture

[Methlab]

Originally Posted by gsilbers

many!

e...name 1. you can't track with software compression dood. you can, but it would be just like adding it after.

[Pronecobra]

This is a hard one, like someone mentioned earlier in the thread, it all depends on the situation but . . .

Sonalksis SV-315 sounds nice, good analog emulation
I really like the Waves SSL Bundle.
And I like the URS compressor/limiters, especially the 1980 (which from the way it sounds seems like another SSL emulation

But I really want to get a UAD card because I have heard such great things about the 1176.

Incidentally & a bit off subject, does anyone have experience comparing the Waves SSL bundle to the plug-ins within the SSL Duende? i think the buss compressor on the Duende and the "master" compressor from the WAVES bundle are both modeled on the SL 4000 G series buss compressor. I would to A/B those two, alas, Duende is out of my price range for the time being.

. . . so much software, so little money.

[dsound]

Originally Posted by Methlab

e...name 1. you can't track with software compression dood. you can, but it would be just like adding it after.

Unless of course, you put your compressor on an Aux track and route that to your audio track.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Methlab

e...name 1. you can't track with software compression dood. you can, but it would be just like adding it after.

I use compression on the singer's mix that I'm not gonna use in the real mix.

To me that's a tracking plugin.

[Cojo]

Originally Posted by Mind-Over-Midi

I like the Waves SSL Compressors, the UAD 1176 and LA2A are really good and the UAD Neve 33609* is absolutely sick, so far hands down the best plugin compressor I've used and I've used most of those mentioned here, as always YMMV.

The first three as Mind-Over-Midi said!

@Mind-Over-Midi - How do you find the 33609? Does it work as as buss comp for drums or the 2 bus? I havn't started my demo yet so I just fishing for some feedback.

/Cojo

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by Cojo

The first three as Mind-Over-Midi said!

@Mind-Over-Midi - How do you find the 33609? Does it work as as buss comp for drums or the 2 bus?
/Cojo

I especially like it on the drum bus. Works well on the 2 bus also. I haven't tried it on vox yet but I bet it can do some funky things. I've never tried the hardware unit but after trying the plug I can't wait to get my hands on one.