Hello,

Just wondering what are your recommendations for some good compressors, limiters, and EQs? I know the companies in the title are well known in these areas but not sure how they compare. One thing for sure is I want to stay away from Waves. I have already ran some tests and ToneBoosters is looking very good.

TIA

Substorm


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http://audiosex.pro/index.php?/topic/2214-multi-level-compressor/

 

EQ: Equality & Equilibrium
Compressor: Elysia and Vertigo VSC-2
Limiter: Voxengo Elephant or Brainworkx

 

Recommendation for compressor: Klanghelm DC8C, also check out free Molot and ThrillseekerLA

Equick is my go to surgical EQ, other than that use AlexB SSL & Pultec libraries for Nebula, maybe throw something else, depends on occasion and material, but dig Maag EQ4 and EVE

Edit:

Check out VBC

 

Out of curiosity may I ask whats wrong with waves? I love the Rcomp CLA76 and SSL, and started using the Hcomp alot more also.

Agree with Xsze on Maag EQ4, It works wonders on the top end.

 

EQ: Equilibrium & ozone 5... Limiter the good Waves L2 & L3... compressors Waves LA-2A

PS.. there are so many good plugins i would find some that sound good to you and stick with them some times when you jump around and use all kind's of different plugins it can hurt you more then help

 

Know that waves make some of the best plugins available. There's absolutely no reason to "stay away" but your own ignorance/lack of understanding. Do you understand M/S processing? We can recommend greats tools but they will be useless to you if you do not understand how to use them.

It also depends what type of music you like to produce. Some stuff is great for electronic music but sometimes terrible with other genres like rock/metal. It all depends. I produce electronic music so most stuff works well in my productions. I have no experience mixing "real" instruments which were recorded live from a room mic!

Some EQ systems offer different modes eg. Zero latency, linear phase, analog, digital ect that all behave differently. Subtle but mandatory you understand the difference as some settings are better suited for mastering while some are more ideal for mixing.

The truth is you can go with any of THOSE plugs and make great music. I find myself relying on Plugin Alliance, Waves, PSP and DMG. Find what YOU like. The differences are so subtle it all comes down to personal preference. Your productions won't lack in quality no matter which you decide to go with. I reccomend the mighty Plugin Alliance... Good Luck!

 

Personally, I like D16!

There plugs are to the point, yet fully sophisticated. I can't live without decimort and redoptor.

But really, just try them all. It all matters about what kind of workflow you like. Personal preference.

And if you're buying these plugs, then I don't see anyone being able to afford ridiculous Waves prices.
But if you can afford those Waves plugins, then can I be your friend?

 

Thanks guys for the recommendations. Some good points here. I agree that Elysia mpressor is a compression monster. It can squeeze big spikes without much distortion. For compression I have tested Klanghelm DC8C, Vertigo, Brainworx, rcomp, izotope, ThrillseekerLA, fabfilter and they all have much more distortion when applying high compression.

As for EQ and Limiters, I am still undecided. I will try few of your recommendations but I am still attracted to Tone Boosters.

Don't take it the wrong way but for me Waves is like Cadillac, trying to be "everything" but forgetting about the "details". When the VST world was starting to grow, there was not much other than Waves. However, now days I admire companies that specialize and devote their efforts in more narrow fields instead of trying to attract the masses.

 

pffft!

 

It really helps to just choose a few developers, that you know make great plugins, that fits your workflow and sound. I can ditto a lot of plugins already mentioned and add some more to the list: DMG Audio, Elysia, SPL, PSP, Voxengo, Valhalla, Cytomic, some Brainworx, Sonimus, Variety of Sound, Sleepy Time [extremely useful tools], VladG and Nick Crow plugins. No need to install any Waves if you have these, really. ;)

 

Strange that nobody recommended the UAD - range. I just love dbx 160 Compressor, Precision Limiter and the Manley Massive Passive. But the Massive is more suitable for mastering or the mix- bus.

 

From the brands you name, I really like these plugins:

DMG audio Pro-L
PSP Mastercomp

 

Use it wherever you like comps: Focusrite Midnight Compressor (a must have), Focusrite Scarlett Compressor. I must admit I also like Softube's VC2A but I use it only on particular tracks.
For the rest IK Multimedia T-Racks completely fullfills my needs. I am more keen on adding colors using IRs however and I try to avoid limiting if I can using instead multiband compression.

 

Its funny that I havent even heard of half the plugins you guys talked about and no body even mentioned fabfilter...

 

aaaah yes, the plugin debate...I'm gonna be straight here and say that it honestly makes no difference, and IF it does then it's like 0.238689786% difference in the overall quality of your productions. The ones in your DAW are perfect and they are all you need. If you're keen on that all elusive harmonic distortion that some eq's or compressors have, put a saturator or distortion unit on all of your instruments, or put it on a return track and send a tiny bit of it to each track. If you're not not convinced then go for fabfilter, my favorite eq of all time is the Pro-Q, but again, I rarely use it, I use stock plugins 90% of the time

 

I dig that all you need is already there, but some plugins offer more options, flexibility or they just do the things differently, I don't talk here about the same surgical eq's that actually use the same algo's and sound almost the same with same settings, but even my stock Logic compressor have few different models/styles and they all give slightly different outcome, even Ableton users are using old compressor because it acts different with side chaining, the same compressor just upgraded sound little different, than imagine how some 3rd party one is doing things differently on it's own way, so not everything is about mojo, with something you get results faster and like everything else, that little is maybe exactly it on 40+ things that is going on, we all have different visions and use different things to get there

There is bigger picture and picture get's bigger where we introduce all other different purpose plugins, for example reverbs, that's not even fair to compare, but my point is everyone have their own reasons and vision, different stock plugins, DAW's and workflow, so for someone else it's making difference and that's why this thread and 3rd party plugins exist, not all stock plugins are great for everything and obviously not every of them is giving exactly the same results or use same algo's.

 

Also let's be real, I don't think you can have a good spring reverb in your DAW (there is only one exception ). If you're looking for something in particular you need to expand your arsenal, there is no other way.

 

Fabfilter Limiter << The Best!, EQ and in some cases the compressor.

 

UAD? ooouuu yeah man...
PS. i love Charlize Theron,
but unfortunatley, she don't love me...