SSl Master Bus

[electraplay]

Hi all....newbie to the forum here and glad to be a part of it...

I've seen a couple posts here debating ssl master bus comp versus some of the URS stuff and I own both. Just acquired the SSL bundle and am very disappointed in the master bus comp. I am a project studio owner and do a ton of demos for local artists/bands. I run Sonar Producer and have always been very pleased (as have my clients) with my sound. I love the URS stuff and use it frequently (especially the 1975 comp) but I am very disappointed in the SSl Comp and wanted to get your feedback.

I was thinking when I acquired the ssl master comp that it was going to give me a "sound" that was unique to the ssl lineage and I just don't hear it. In fact, i don't hear anything that even beats the included Sonitus compressor with Sonar. What are your thoughts? Am I missing something here?? Maybe I was sucked into the marketing hype that a $700 plugin can equal a $750K board. thanks to all....

[adrianex]

Originally Posted by electraplay

Maybe I was sucked into the marketing hype that a $700 plugin can equal a $750K board. thanks to all....

Hey electraplay, welcome to GS.

I think its just part of the puzzle. Of course the plug is not going to be the same as the mixer. But I've worked with the bundle and its really cool tool, but not the same.

Maybe, what you need is just more time to get use to it...

You don't have to feel bad for not liking the sound (not everybody does...). But I would mess around with it a little bit more and you will be happy with it.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers

[elambo]

Originally Posted by electraplay

Just acquired the SSL bundle and am very disappointed in the master bus comp.

Don't feel isolated in your opinion - you're not. More than a few people have complained about the Waves SSL's bus compressor.

[Whitecat]

It's an aggressive sounding comp and thus works best on other aggressive sounds, I've found. For me, with the right material, it's been stunningly good. But I was more than disappointed when the first thing I tried it on was a quasi-symphonic film score clip. It didn't work at all.

I also think the presets are rubbish, you have to dial in settings yourself that work well for your stuff. Be prepared to mess around with it and tweak, tweak and tweak some more till you get it. But it's not magical glue that works on everything. I'll just as quickly drop it from my mix if it's not working.

[emgbiotch]

if you have a UAD card go try th Neve 33609...it's much warmer . and at low settings it can glue your stuff real nice...

[Methlab]

Originally Posted by electraplay

Hi all....newbie to the forum here and glad to be a part of it...

I've seen a couple posts here debating ssl master bus comp versus some of the URS stuff and I own both. Just acquired the SSL bundle and am very disappointed in the master bus comp. I am a project studio owner and do a ton of demos for local artists/bands. I run Sonar Producer and have always been very pleased (as have my clients) with my sound. I love the URS stuff and use it frequently (especially the 1975 comp) but I am very disappointed in the SSl Comp and wanted to get your feedback.

I was thinking when I acquired the ssl master comp that it was going to give me a "sound" that was unique to the ssl lineage and I just don't hear it. In fact, i don't hear anything that even beats the included Sonitus compressor with Sonar. What are your thoughts? Am I missing something here?? Maybe I was sucked into the marketing hype that a $700 plugin can equal a $750K board. thanks to all....

What are your setting on the comp? are you using presets? how much DB of GR are you going for?

[taturana]

i guess my recommendation would be to use the threshold settings above +10 so the needle barely moves... that's the best sound i get on busses... still, use the search function and you'll get a lot more info about that bundle...

[nilsemil]

Hi there.

Im in need of an SSL bus comp or similar in VST for mac. The Wave SSL bus comp is very pricey so i wanted to ask if anyone knows a good alternative? Is there another one "licensed" out there from SSL?

I dont need the "SSL sound" just something that does the master bus job.

Emil

[redroom]

Originally Posted by nilsemil

Hi there.

Im in need of an SSL bus comp or similar in VST for mac. The Wave SSL bus comp is very pricey so i wanted to ask if anyone knows a good alternative? Is there another one "licensed" out there from SSL?

I dont need the "SSL sound" just something that does the master bus job.

Emil

Cytomic The Glue

[Retinal]

Cytomic is a great plugin, I side.

But for 700 bucks, I would have gone for the Chameleon 7720, it does the trick very well.

[solidstate]

Originally Posted by nilsemil

Hi there.

Im in need of an SSL bus comp or similar in VST for mac. The Wave SSL bus comp is very pricey so i wanted to ask if anyone knows a good alternative? Is there another one "licensed" out there from SSL?

I dont need the "SSL sound" just something that does the master bus job.

Emil

mmm duende?

[Jeezo]

i have owned waves , urs , duende is the king of the jungle , i didn't believe the difference , you can also go for the sonnox bundle witch is crazy for a native bundle , all you need to treat bus and track !!

[nilsemil]

thanks all good answers. regarding duende, i dont really need the EQ's just a great bus comp.

[Nahuel]

there's something the waves ssl do pretty well for me (I dont own it but used it frequently): I insert in on an aux return, send all my drums (parallel drum buss), it gives a touch of that "placticy sll glue" to the drums. I demoed "the glue" recently, I was impressed, I though it was better than the waves, I'll buy it for my personnal setup.

[redroom]

Originally Posted by Jeezo

i have owned waves , urs , duende is the king of the jungle , i didn't believe the difference , you can also go for the sonnox bundle witch is crazy for a native bundle , all you need to treat bus and track !!

Gotta agree Duende is King

[mdjice]

nothing wrong with the Waves SSL Bus Comp, just just have to know how to use it. It requires some times to understand how it reacts and to know how to hit it.

[M2E]

Originally Posted by mdjice

nothing wrong with the Waves SSL Bus Comp, just just have to know how to use it. It requires some times to understand how it reacts and to know how to hit it.

This is the key.... How to hit it. Try to give it a hot signal without clipping the Master Fader on ur DAW. Put the attcak at 30, the release at .1, and the ratio @ 2. Make sure the Make Up is at 0 and start the Thres @ +15. It's seems to me that the hotter the signal to this plugin the better it is and "that sound" starts to happen. Then slowly start pulling down the Threshold until you get about 4db of comp... This thing starts to sing. Funny thing is I like it with 8db of comp. Just love the sound of it.

Try it and let me know what ya think. If you want more of the sound of the comp then start pushing the attack.

The thing I hate about this plugin in Pro Tools HD is that you can't tell if it's overloading because the Overload light doesn't work. That really sucks for me.....

Thanx

[earworm666]

i also have mixed opinion about this compressor,
i don't like it when its being pushed hard,
i always search for settings that give me around 3 to 4 DB of gain reduction

like someone else said, it gives me bad results on calm music, better results on more agressive music

i think the API-emulation compressor from waves (api 2500) is better cause its easier to control, you can hear that the sound is different, a bit more in my league

the waves V-compressor is horrible when the ANALOG button is turned on,
the hiss is not normal

the comp i really want is the precision masterbus compressor from UAD