Sknote new toy "GTS-39"

[quintosardo]

Originally Posted by kingocounty

Just received this and loaded it up; my first impressions are that it's nothing like any other compressors I have and that it's great! It's going to take awhile to really get a feel for it but it's very coloured in a good way.

Oh, yes, it's different

Originally Posted by kingocounty

It's quite CPU hungry but I'm fine with that; I think as emulations get more and more realistic that's going to be the cost of doing business, and you probably wouldn't use something like this on a lot of tracks.

We were tempted to add a "draft quality" option, but cpu are powerful today and this is not an allround device for every single track in a song, so we kept it full-quality. In real use, by my side, we never felt the need for a "draft" switch (and we don't update computers every year!)

Originally Posted by kingocounty

There are a few minor "issues", if you want to call them that:
-I find the "space" around the compressor in the GUI kind of off-putting; I feel like I'm twiddling a picture of a compressor rather than a compressor.

I was a great fan of plain interfaces. Like Live and so on. I've to say that I'm really enjoying this new "3D" style
But I understand what you mean

Originally Posted by kingocounty

-the release knob works backwards to how I would expect (fully clockwise is fastest release)

Yes, that's strange! It is how the test unit is. We left it that way because good instinctive action by Ra-B (the owner of the device, too) was very important while testing and comparing, so we kept it that way.

Originally Posted by kingocounty

-I'm not really sure what the "hold" knob does; it doesn't work like the one on the RS124

It is a very simple customisation: it is a delay on release.
Just imagine:
- a peak comes in: the compression increases with fixed attack time (gain decreases)
- the peak starts going down, the sidechain should go in "release" mode and the gain should start increasing. No, it holds! It remains to the value it had.
- after some "holding" time, the gain is set free again. Probably it will start going down.

If you imagine the movement of the gain during a drum hit, it is like its mirror image.
Now just imagine cutting a horizontal slice of the gain curve.

To make it simple: it adds a set time of low gain after each peak.
If you send a drum loop through the limiter and set a good hold time (CW), you'll get some silence after the hit. A drum loop is the best test signal to grasp the concept.

Originally Posted by kingocounty

All in all, I'm really happy with this so far; $20 very well-spent! Thanks Quinto!

Thank you for the feedback!

[kingocounty]

This thing is absolutely kicking on bass, drumbuss and vocals in a mix I'm doing; really adds hair and makes things punch through. Loving it!

[quintosardo]

Originally Posted by kingocounty

This thing is absolutely kicking on bass, drumbuss and vocals in a mix I'm doing; really adds hair and makes things punch through. Loving it!

Don't be good with it. 20dB gain reduction isn't that crazy with this one

About drumbass, bassdrum and bass guitar: that internal sidechain equalizer was born exactly for that!

[quintosardo]

About licenses: we had to run seriously to deliver the first copies, but it needed several (night) hours...

Now we are going to send all the Mac versions, don't worry if you didn't get a Mac version, they have to leave home...


About user manual: online soon!

A bank of presets has been compiled by Ra-B (very happy to develop a stereo version of his MONO big beast, I guess ). Online and downloadable soon.

[johnnynash]

Quinto, this thing is just beautiful sounding! I'm in love, dude :-) Just recieved this morning, fired it up on a retro-countrymusic-project I'm working on, and it just warms everything up in a marvelous way. Also brings out detail on drums and the bassguitar. Does wonders with the vocals as well. Darn it! I guess I'll stay home from work today, gotta play with this baby ;-) Best 20 bucks I've spent in a looong time. THANK YOU!

[quintosardo]

Originally Posted by johnnynash

Quinto, this thing is just beautiful sounding! I'm in love, dude :-) Just recieved this morning, fired it up on a retro-countrymusic-project I'm working on, and it just warms everything up in a marvelous way. Also brings out detail on drums and the bassguitar. Does wonders with the vocals as well. Darn it! I guess I'll stay home from work today, gotta play with this baby ;-) Best 20 bucks I've spent in a looong time. THANK YOU!

Ah! Didn't I say you'd have loved it on that song? Ah ah!

Now you MUST let we listen to something

[ra-b]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

A bank of presets has been compiled by Ra-B (very happy to develop a stereo version of his MONO big beast, I guess ). Online and downloadable soon.

Yes, Quinto, I am really happy and proud of it!
It really make me feel like I'm working with a couple of SA39 linked, with two sidechain options, the "hold" control (yeah: I LOVE it) and the total recall...
Definitely, i think that it is sometimes really "new" in the plugin scene.
I hope everybody will enjoy it.

Ciao Quinto!

[redrum]

Got it in my mail this morning
I`v tried it out on a bit and it does indeed add some wonderfull size
to the tracks (after volume matching). The first thing i noted on the drumbus
is how nice the cymbals comes out , ritch and full in a lovely way.
It seems to grab the transients in a really good way without making things pop.
Gotta love that tube distortion when driving it hard.
I could live without the volume bump when inserting it , though

Amazing bang for buck

[nil hartman]

Quinto, even if 20$ is not expensive, even if the sound examples sounds quite good... I'd love to demo it before I buy it.

[e-are]

I'm a Quinto fan also. I've got all your other plugs. I WANT THIS TOO. I dont need to demo it. Nah, the release date is in about a week right?

[e-are]

Oh, I see it's available now. Just got it. Waiting on you QUINTO. No rush.

[fradoca]

I've been one of the beta testers.Really great product!!
Already Bought it!!Even in mastering situations can be really helpful to add that analog vibe to music.
I've used the GTS-39 mainly on eletronic music with pretty good results.

highly recommended!


Ben fatto Quinto!!

[Dr.Gunjah]

hmm... my first impression is: disappointing :(

Tried it on a quite simple house track.. on the master and on every channel. (of course not simultaneously)
It distorts very fast and in an (too my ears) unpleasant way.
When pulling down the "Input" knob to decrease the saturation it can't be completely compensated by the output knob. (workflow drawback)
I got the best results on the drum bus at 30%-50% wet setting; it gives the drums more "meat".

I'm also missing a bypass or on/off button on the GUI.
It's ok to have latency, but IMO it's not ok when the sound gets interrupted again and again when A/B'ing :/

Cheers,
Doc

[quintosardo]

Hearing so much different comments is funny

How much compression you mean with "distorts very fast"?

[Dr.Gunjah]

It seems ok until about 3-4db reduction, then it starts distorting.
At 10db+ it sounds like my speakers are broken :/

Release seems to have little effect here, except for when it's completely on the left. Though then the sound gets very quiet and it's totally impossible to compensate with the output knob.

Cheers,
Doc

[johnnynash]

It sounds simply beautiful on steelguitar, gives a smooth vintage vibe to it, a.k.a early 70's Lloyd Green sound :-)

[kingocounty]

Man, I'm loving the distortion (saturation, colouring, whatever term you like) this imparts; I've been using this in instances where I would've used a compressor plus a saturation plug like Decapitator, but this one has a very unique flavour. This is based on a limiter and not a gentle compressor so I think people should be expecting that sort of behaviour; it's proved excellent for grabbing fast vocal transients that would've pumped some of my other comps and adding a real nice grit that complements the retro vibe of most of the stuff I mix. I personally wouldn't use it across the master buss (as I use hardware for that and I feel this is a bit grabby for that application) but I think I'll end up using it more than I originally anticipated. It's a winner so far on vocals, drumbuss, bass, a raunchy lead guitar and a rhodes piano. I'm hoping someone'll drop off an LA2A for you to model next...

I feel like I'm hogging this thread now; that's it from me!

[Surbitone]

It's a total groove-monster, nice work Quintosardo!

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gunjah

I'm also missing a bypass or on/off button on the GUI.
It's ok to have latency, but IMO it's not ok when the sound gets interrupted again and again when A/B'ing :/

Cheers,
Doc

Use the regular individual insert bypass button on your DAW (unless it doesn't have one) it won't turn off the delay compensation like the on/off does.

[Ben Logan]

Originally Posted by nil hartman

Quinto, even if 20$ is not expensive, even if the sound examples sounds quite good... I'd love to demo it before I buy it.

Sadly enough, I'm in the same boat. Roundtone for 10 bucks is the only plug I've ever bought without demo'ing. I'm broke. For $20 I need to know I'm going to use/like it.

Plus one for demo request.

[ra-b]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gunjah

It seems ok until about 3-4db reduction, then it starts distorting.
At 10db+ it sounds like my speakers are broken :/

Try to turn right the "hold" knob (and the side eq knob too, if you like it).

[Dr.Gunjah]

@Beyersound: Afaik Reaper doesn't have such a feature. :/

@Ra-B: I already played with all those knobs but no good results so far...
Better said, the hold knob indeed does cool things to the envelope, but it doesn't help against the distortion.

Cheers,
Doc

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gunjah

@Beyersound: Afaik Reaper doesn't have such a feature. :/

@Ra-B: I already played with all those knobs but no good results so far...
Better said, the hold knob indeed does cool things to the envelope, but it doesn't help against the distortion.

Cheers,
Doc

Sorry to hear that about Reaper, that is a very useful feature in Cubase 6, it's had it forever.

[Dr.Gunjah]

It's indeed a cool feature then, but I prefer Reaper as a host much more.

@quinto: Any chance for getting a (hopefully latency compensated) bypass button on the GTS-39?

Cheers,
Doc

[quintosardo]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gunjah

It's indeed a cool feature then, but I prefer Reaper as a host much more.

@quinto: Any chance for getting a (hopefully latency compensated) bypass button on the GTS-39?

Cheers,
Doc

Yes, it can be a good option for the next version. Reaper is becoming more and more used around.

[quintosardo]

This is to say that we are stopping for Easter holidays!
Please consider that, while orders can be placed to get advantage from special offers (like this introductory one) we are not going to send licenses until monday 25!

Regarding me:

Salina (isola) - Wikipedia

[e-are]

I tell you. I keep hearing stuff like "game changer" all over the place and as far as I'm concerned, most of those products are far from it but guys like Quinto are actually making products that are changing the game. I have uad, duende, waves and liquid mix. Quinto's plugs are, at the very least, equal to those major manufacture's plugs at a major fraction of the cost. This plug is just as good as any of my uad,duende, well, any other plug I have and swear by. I bought a few more waves plugs that I wanted but felt they were over priced because they significantly lowered the price. I haven't bought a uad plug in a while. I do think they are getting over priced. Especially when guys like Quinto are here now. This plug is awesome. Congrats Q and THANK YOU!!

[Surbitone]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gunjah

@Beyersound: Afaik Reaper doesn't have such a feature. :/

Yeah it does - the tick box in the plugs right hand corner next to wet/dry blend, or right click, or select item & ctrl +B

[Dr.Gunjah]

Originally Posted by Surbitone

Yeah it does - the tick box in the plugs right hand corner next to wet/dry blend, or right click, or select item & ctrl +B

Of course it has a bypass, but it doesn't keep the latency.
So if you bypass plugins with latency with this tickbox the sound crackles, which sucks while making A/B comparisons.
Sometimes even the tracks go out of sync.

Cheers,
Doc

[Mark D.]

If a demo version isn't available, I would recommend fans of this who have
used it consider posting some A / B / C tests. A: Original, B: GTS-39, then
C: (or beyond) ANY other similar character style compressor for reference.
Similar settings, match levels. It's not perfect, but it would go a long way.