fatso jr as ssl stereo bus comp?

[rack gear]

in my ongoing quest to replace the waves ssl g-buss comp with a hardware two bus comp - I'm starting to think of a fatso jr w/ ubk mod.

I already own a pair of distressors for tracking - and as much as I could link those for mix buss, I'd like to have a dedicated master bus compressor that doesn't have to be patched.

the only thing about already having the distressors is, I might not be adding any real tonal range to my setup.

but - from what I'm hearing about the ubk fatso jr is that it would not only give me the ssl "spank" as dave derr calls it, but also other tonal variations on mix down that none of the ssl clones have.

there are two threads on the current clone contenders neither mentions the fatso (org or ubk) - and the lack of volume on user feedback has not put me over the top on any one master buss compressor for that ssl "spank" or glue...

if the ubk fatso jr can do that, and more - that would be awesome. otherwise, I'm still searching, and inching closer to the X-Rack/Mynx SSL...

I'd love to have more thoughts.

thanks.

Untitled Document
KuSh Audio - UBK Fatso Mod

Stereo Buss Compressor w/ SSL "Grab"
SSL ish comp for 2 buss

[rack gear]

bump

[Audio Child]

Thats what i plan on doing with this box also!

Its uses are very wide from what i hear,

I plan on using for Tracking/mixing, saturation/color and with the 3 ubk settings im sure the stereo buss will impart something magical!

[Dopamine]

I use my Fatso (un-modded) on the 2Bus. Does the UKB thing make it sound more SSL?

[rack gear]

One compressor does it all.

Glue - the bottom end never sounded like this. It is simply unreal how easily this preset will lock the bass in place, punch it up, let all the notes ring clear as a bell, and make it loud while getting it out of the way. Engage the transformer to make the low end sing, even on iPod docks. If gluing the bass were the only thing the UBK Fatso did, it would still be worth the price. But Glue is every bit as versatile and surprising as the rest of this box, especially when pushed. It’s an extraordinary drum compressor, imparting a distinct smack even as it makes the room explode. It’s lovely on acoustic guitars, Rhodes, sitar… whatever.

[glenn Taylor]

I have a client who has a fatso. I might end up trading some mix time for it. I am pretty sure it does not have the mod. Does anyone know what the mod cost,s?
GT

[Waltz Mastering]

Could be wrong, but I think it's $300 and the serial number of an original fatso has to be under 2000.

[u b k]

Glue is amazing on the mix, but it's not ssl, it's thicker and not as modern. Imagine you had an 1176 that somehow did for mixes what they usually do for drums and bass.

It's unlike any comp I've ever used, it has vca punch and gel with fet growl. More than the other presets I set it up to lean into the harmonic generators pretty generously, even more than Dave's presets. I also opened up the attack a good bit to offset the extra saturation that level of drive produces.

I love it like crazy, but I may be biased.


Gregory Scott - ubk
.

[rack gear]

bump

[roc]

Originally Posted by u b k

Glue is amazing on the mix, but it's not ssl, it's thicker and not as modern. Imagine you had an 1176 that somehow did for mixes what they usually do for drums and bass.

It's unlike any comp I've ever used, it has vca punch and gel with fet growl. More than the other presets I set it up to lean into the harmonic generators pretty generously, even more than Dave's presets. I also opened up the attack a good bit to offset the extra saturation that level of drive produces.

I love it like crazy, but I may be biased.


Gregory Scott - ubk
.

So you would use the glue setting to put on the whole mix ?
Will this work well with dance music (techno-house) ?

[roc]

Originally Posted by u b k

Glue is amazing on the mix, but it's not ssl, it's thicker and not as modern. Imagine you had an 1176 that somehow did for mixes what they usually do for drums and bass.

It's unlike any comp I've ever used, it has vca punch and gel with fet growl. More than the other presets I set it up to lean into the harmonic generators pretty generously, even more than Dave's presets. I also opened up the attack a good bit to offset the extra saturation that level of drive produces.

I love it like crazy, but I may be biased.


Gregory Scott - ubk
.

So you would use the glue setting to put on the whole mix ?
Will this work well with dance music (techno-house) ?
Thanks

[SWAN808]

what concerns me about the UBK mods is that you no longer get the longer attack times which I generally prefer for bus work...the original FATSO bus setting is around 30ms I believe which seems more appropriate for me...

[lakeshorephatty]

Originally Posted by u b k

I love it like crazy, but I may be biased.

Gregory Scott - ubk
.

Glue is my favorite compressor that I own. I may be biased as well because I've spent more than a year and a half with it now.

I find that all the other comps in the box are used on 50% of sources, so they are extremely needed, but glue is used on the other 50% all by itself.

Its just super musical. Its kind of magic dust for me. Its able to solidify and thicken a performance without taking anything away I want to keep. It never needs to be used in parallel unless you want to for effect.

EDIT: Also my 2c on the original fatso comps vs the ubk. My fatso was original for about a year prior to getting the mod. For me, glue is MUCH more useful than the buss comp, and the buss comp and spank (which remains) were the only comp's I enjoyed about the original fatso.

Russell

[henge]

Glue is so satisfying that it sort of stops you from checking out the other comps which is a pity. The more you use the other comps ( plus the insert option ) you start to realize how great a box this is. There seems to be an amazing comp for every purpose. It seems to me that this is easily a desert island comp.
One comp I've been using to sonically enhance tracks is Splat. Driving Splat really hard adds a wonderful colour as well as dynamic control to a sound. Great box!

[lakeshorephatty]

Originally Posted by henge

Glue is so satisfying that it sort of stops you from checking out the other comps which is a pity. The more you use the other comps ( plus the insert option ) you start to realize how great a box this is. There seems to be an amazing comp for every purpose. It seems to me that this is easily a desert island comp.
One comp I've been using to sonically enhance tracks is Splat. Driving Splat really hard adds a wonderful colour as well as dynamic control to a sound. Great box!

Most recently used splat to add some more "plinky plonk" to an upright piano. Came out compressed wonderfully and with a cool sounding attack!

Pretty much all settings have some use. Smooth lays the transients down. Spank is classic smash. Splank (splat plus spank) I don't find as useful but its almost a less agressive version of all lights, which i find is great for bringing things a lot closer and both compressing and smoothing transients, whereas smooth just hits transients and doesn't sound much like a typical compressor. Smank (smooth and spank) is awesome to make drums pump in parallel or anything pump for that matter..

Russell

[henge]

Originally Posted by lakeshorephatty

Most recently used splat to add some more "plinky plonk" to an upright piano. Came out compressed wonderfully and with a cool sounding attack!

Pretty much all settings have some use. Smooth lays the transients down. Spank is classic smash. Splank (splat plus spank) I don't find as useful but its almost a less agressive version of all lights, which i find is great for bringing things a lot closer and both compressing and smoothing transients, whereas smooth just hits transients and doesn't sound much like a typical compressor. Smank (smooth and spank) is awesome to make drums pump in parallel or anything pump for that matter..

Russell

Splank,Smank,Splooth,Splamoonk, a whole new lexicon of comp terms!

[cdog]

yes its designed for this purpose and doesnt need any mods to perform it quite well

[DarkSky Media]

The Fatso and the SSL G-Series comps are both fantastic. But they are in no way interchangeable.

I tend to have the Fatso in a sub-group and route things selectively through it, but the SSL sits across the 2-bus (along with a Vari-Mu) and stays there.

Of course, YMMV.

[StephenWiley]

I could be wrong, but I swear I read somewhere where Dave was talking about one of the settings to be "like the SSL bus comp" - I know for a fact he said it about the 1176. (The mode when the first two buttons are lit....green and yellow....spank is off)

If you're looking for a master comp try Elysia Alpha Compressor. The actual unit will set you back ten grand, but the software version of it doesn't hurt nearly as much. It was produced and is maintained by the same cast of guys who make the Brainworx plugs.

[WunderBro Flo]

Glue is great, as well as Duende (native) SSL Busscomp. The FATSO on the 2buss is great, but more for the saturation. The original fatso´s busscomp setting is trying to emulate an SSL as well, it is very ok for the mixbuss, but I think the Duende plugin is closer in character to the typical SSL buss-sound. I would use Duende for compression if you want SSL sound and saturate the signal with the fatso (and use a little of the warmth function) before you hit the compressor. Works really really well.

Best,
Flo

[down_town]

So you would use the glue setting to put on the whole mix ?
Will this work well with dance music (techno-house) ?
Thanks

If you are mixing & producing hip hop,dance or electronic based music, the original fatso is terrific!. The buss setting(to my ears)has a longer than you expect attack time (maybe around 100ms) for buss compression.This is great for letting the huge/4 on the floor kick drum though without getting to "pumpy squishy squashy" if you know what I mean.

For example - I produced mostly in the box and a standard mix setting on the fatso would be - inputs and outs on 5, buss comp setting, warmth on 3, tranny on or off depending on the song. The key with the fatso is not to hit it to hard .I like to bring up my kick and snare channels so they are peaking around -10 on your master level meter. you should get around or 1 or 2 db of gain reduction - start mixing! playing with the bypass when a mix is done is really cool.

The other great thing with the fatso is the warmth circuit acts like a de-esser- really cool if you have a track that has a spikey clap or other instrument with some harsh upper freqs. It really helps duck it more into the mix.

If I was mixing indie rock or more guitar based music I would use a API 2500 on the 2buss with the fatso on drum buss or parallel drum compressing.

Hope this helps.