Hello,

I just wanted to tell, that according to my tests for this plugin with DDMF Plugin Doctor the "Style" function is pretty much useless in the state it is right now.
If you'll check Harmonic analysis in Plugin Doctor and switch through the different styles in pro c 2 sometimes something changes, but most of the time nothing happens. Sometimes it even changes to a configuration that I believe isn't even meant to be in the selected configuration.

I am not so good at providing all those pictures or even a video. So I'll leave it to someone who can actually provide some higher quality data.

But it should be very easy to measure.

 

This is a problem in PluginDoctor, not when you use Pro-C 2 in a DAW (at least not in Reaper). If you test Saturn 2 in PluginDoctor it will have the same problem when switching modes. It's not only Fabfilter plug-ins that do this either.

 

Okay, I see. Maybe I should mention that recently I've installed a new version of Fabfilter Bundle. I've measured the same issues with the Pro q3 in relation to the db/octave function in cutting mode in FabFilter Total Bundle v2021.11.16 version and this problem is gone or at least way better since I've installed the newest version.

Originally I wanted to point out this problem as well, but I've installed the newer version at first of course. So there was no point to refer to that issue anymore.

So I guess some extensive measurement is required here.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 25, 2022

Instead of spending time "testing" - why not go ahead and play and create some music instead

 

I can do both.
I am sure everyone can.
And I believe in "Pro-Audio" everyone should.


So, as topic related, I've tested it with flux analyzer and yes, it really seems like Fabfilter and DDMF do have some discrepancies here because in flux analyzer everything seems to work fine.
So there really aren't any issues in here.

Besides that between the Vocal, Mastering and Pumping configuration really no differences at all exists from 500Hz upwards.

 

Why were you testing dynamic behaviour with harmonic analysis?
It's a clean compressor, you know. It's meant to not introduce any new harmonics to the sound.

 

But it does.
And if the Style function shall create some different compression behaviors, why are attack and release times are still fixed nubers?
(Same for Sheps Omni channel btw.)

The only really transparent compressors out there that really create either extremely marginal or none harmonic distortion at even extreme configurations are the Studio One stock comp (even if shown numbers are completely off here) and the Fuse Audio Labs VCS-1 comp section.

Any other of the popular (weiss as well, it's not that transparent as everyone states) creates major harmonic distortion as soon as you turn threshold down and ratio up. Furthermore if attack and release is turned down.

 

Last edited: Mar 25, 2022

Apart from Vocal and Mastering having a pretty different harmonic content here (Pro C 2.08), it's also about the attack and release slopes. And vocal has no ratio. So there're more than just harmonic differences

 

The "Style" types IMMENSELY affect the attack and release curves (their shape), A/R speeds and how ratio is calculated. If you want saturation, just place a saturator in your chain.

 

Punch can have up to -48dB THD without lookahead but with it (and the others too) can go down to -175dB.

Or you use AA Magenta tube compressors, no harmonics at all.

 

What kind of stange idea is this, please?

 

Only when you are not using lookahead. With lookahead enabled it is completely clean.

The only compressor I know of that is completely clean at 0ms attack and no lookahead is FirComp 1 and 2. I'm certain there is some kind of DSP sorcery/black magic involved. Probably made a deal with the devil or something.

 

Yes, this is correct. But numbers are fixed. I just do not understand why they do not implement accurate numbers if the behavior of the compressor changes.
And "do not look at numbers argument" can not be valid here of course because then one would question the whole function.

Yes, I've heard that AA stuff is pretty clean.
And yes, I also know that a lot of compressors can go very low in THD but I only do tests at very harsh settings to really squeeze everything out.

 

Laughed out loud.

There's something very wrong with the way you try to analyze things. How do you even gauge attack and release times with *harmonic* analysis? There's a dynamics tab in Plugindoctor, you should use that.

 

Ah thank you. That explains a lot.
Guess I should have noted that.

 

I never did that...

 

The way I understood you, you claim that attack and release times are the same regardless of the style - and that you deduced that by looknig at harmonics.
How does that work? I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it sounds like bullshit.

 

AFAIK, this is Magenta specific.

Right, when there's hardly any compression a lot of them are clean. That's why I too test this with shortest attack and release, ratio of 4:1 to max and more than 6dB GR.

 

Noooo.
I claimed that THD does change in strange ways or not at all when style changes. Which was a misconception.
That compression behavior changes is clear. But in the compressor it just does not correlate with shown numbers which can be confusing to say the least.

 

Oh, you're about the interface. They address that in the manual.
To me it's fine TBH. Way more intuitive than percentages, really. I wish they had rough numbers in Pro-MB too, I just feel like I'm guessing by ear instead of using my knowledge this way.