Hi!
I want to buy 1 of these 3 compressors by Waves:
- PuigChild Compressor
- API 2500
- CLA-76 Compressor

1) Do you think one of them is simply the best at all applications in music production?

2) What each of these plugins is great for?

3) Which of these 3 plugins is best at:
a) glueing a mix together
b) adding warmth/analog chacacter to instrumnents and the whole mix
c) making drums sound punchy
d) for mastering


Big thanks for your help!

 

Those happen to be some of my classic go-to's. The emulations, just like their analog counterparts each have a unique sound though... API sounds more clean and Puig has a classic harmonic tone. The 76 is more of a leveling compressor/limiter. Buying order would be API, Puig, and then 76 imo

 

Buy the 76 - infinitely more versatile than the other two. I guess because you're asking this question, you're just starting out and the advice "test them and see what they can do for you" is pointless. So buy the 76. API is Great on drums, and that's it (you can use it on anything if you want that sound, don't get me wrong) So Api adds this knocking sort of slammy rock'n'roll punch at it's best. Puigchild is just very saturated, not really useful for actual compression, i don't like how the release is behaving most of the times. But the harmonic distortion of it is good. 1176 is great, Adds power, in-your-faceness, it has many good sounds in it. Plus in cla 76 there're two different models included that sound and behave differently. You're just starting out so you shouldn't be worried about your masterbus for a loong time, because you suck at everything else. Hope that was helpful.

 

CLA-76 is the most versatile out of the ones you mentioned. I'd go with the 76 personally..You should also watch tutorials on how the 76 works because its not like most compressors. Higher numbers on attack and release mean faster attack/release and lower number is slower attck and release. There is all in on the ratios, no threshold so you have to drive the gain reduction with input and attenuate with output. AS with any processing, match your processed volume to unprocessed to see if you're doing what you want with the compression or not..

 

76 does have a lot of punch to it, more then the base 1176 UAD version. My thoughts with the API are that it is actually versatile with compression/attack/decay settings for everydy stuff. Fairchild does have a heavy saturation and can glue things with minimal compression ratios, a nice sub for this could be the Scheps 73 which colors nicely and can glue just as a channel strip, there is a "preamp" and a "drive" button you can mix and match with that glues like a compressor with harmonics. Might be better then Puig?

 

There's a deal going on at waves until sunday: if you buy 2 Plugins, you get a 28 $ discount on the 2nd plugin. And since most of the plugins go for 29 $, you actually only spend 1 $ on the second one. So you can get the CLA 76 and the PuigTech 670 for 30 $ right now. Or all 3 for around 60 bucks.

As far as usage goes, basically it's like:

1176: Drums (exceptionally good), Vocals, anything else almost (except for stereobus)
API 2500: Drums, Stereo Bus. US equivalent to the SSL Bus Comp
Fairchild: Anything Acoustic, Mastering

I compiled a list with analog modeled plugins some time ago. Here's the list for Compressors.

List 1: Analog Modeled Compressors/Limiters Cheat Sheet (v. 1.4, 06.11.2017)

This sheet lists compressor plugins based on classic analog comps by Topography (Opto, FET, Vari Mu, VCA, Other), Hardware Models and corresponding Plugins and Vendors and all other relevant data for Production/Engineering: Attack, Release, Ration, Useage/Tips.

Download: Compressor Cheat Sheet (PDF)​

 

Last edited: Sep 21, 2018

This list is awesome because it actually answers OP's questions lol. It also differentiates the different API compressors.

 

I love the API on my drum buss,it is a really good bus compressor.On my drum buss I think it is the best to glus them together.
I like the cla76 too,it is more a versatile track compressor.I use it often on my tracks.It is simple to use.At the moment it is at 29$,it is a good deal.And your second plugin is at 1$ (use code " 1dollar " at checkout).But it is not the best of the compressors in my opinion,i prefer the Arousor.
I don't use the Puigchild,i don't find it especially good.As a Fairchild emulation I find the IK Multimedia one better.

If I were you I would buy the API and the cla76 for sure.

 

Thanks so much for Cheatsheet <3 you :D


About 1176/api2500/Fairchild.
I use 2500 every time I need a punchy master
1176 - good for drums/vocals/guitars
Fairchild - tbh I don't like it, it doesn't work in EDM for me.

 

I agree with the 1176 being the most versatile. To add to previous advices, also see what the 1176 British Mode (aka All Buttons Mode) is, with parallel (or New York) compression, if you don't know already. The gain input as threshold makes it super easy to use, and yes attack and release are inverted, the only bad thing on this compressor. Reminder : long Att/Rel is on the Left. Left = Long ^^

 

Definitely 1176. You can do a whole album using just those.

Fairchild is often used on vocals. It has a very slow release. Remember the hardware is a huge beast with over 20 tubes. It costs a fortune, so you only had a single unit that you could dedicate to the most important track you have. That's why everyone uses these on vocals. I'd stick with having it as a special sauce, not as a do it all compressor.

API 2500 is a bus compressor. That's why it's stereo. You'll most likely find it on drum buses. Contrary to SSL's bus compressor, you have a highpass filter for the detection circuit, which makes the sound less squashed when you have a beefy kick drum going through it.

1176 is very much an universal compressor. It's great for rock&roll stuff where you want things to have that punch and energy. It's also great to use as a "limiter" of sorts - handy on slap bass guitar, drums, percussion. It also sounds great in parallel.

Probably API 2500

1176. Used just a little bit on various tracks the flavor really adds up

1176 and API 2500 both perform great here

None of these are really mastering compressors. You'd usually use digital sounding plugins for that. But you could probably use the API 2500 in a pinch.

 

Doesn't sound like ssl at all. When people use it on masterbus it still doesn't sound like ssl. Some of the itb 1176 models sound closer to ssl than Api to SSL. This is an incorrect statement based on the fact that some people use API on masterbus.

 

This really makes me wonder, because according to the specs it's slowest attack time is just 1ms, which would make it unusable for a lot of purposes (sound shaping), whereas the API goes at least up to 30ms. Furthermore the API's ratio goes up to infinite, has several knee curves and three different HP filters. Maybe someone likes to explain?

 

Yep, and his EQ Cheat Sheet is just as good.

 

Where's all his cheat sheets? ;) Pleeeeaaaaassseeee?

 

api2500 is the most versatile

 

Yeah because it sounds really good, and have a range of sounds that all will be equally good but quite different and it can be pushed quite hard , etc. While API has sort of one sound that is the best that it can give you. I remember i've said this to you before - you look at the meters and numbers too much. 30 ms on one compressor may sound completely different on the other. No one cares about the numbers.

 

I remember I've been told so and there's some truth in it. That's why I asked.

 

Cheers ears!