Hi,

What are your thoughts about analog emulation (or vintage inspired) multiband compressor plugins ? Do you use them ? How would you describe a situation where you think an analog emulation would do better than the clean digital multiband compressor ? I mean we all agree that a G Bus Compressor or 33609 type plugin can easily outperform any other clean compressor out there on the Stereo Bus because they have their own sounds and stuff. So, what about the multiband compressors ? If coloration and some dynamic control on the certain area of the frequency band, multiband Saturation plugin like a Fabfilter Saturn 2 should be a smarter choice IMO. So I would like to hear your opinions about it.

I normally use the Pro-MB, Multiplicity or just dynamic mode in Pro-Q3 or Kircchoff because first, they do the job, sufficient and I really need the precision from them with minimal phase rotation as possible or sometimes the linear phase mode when it is needed for the crossover. Let's just say, transparency is what I crave from that specific processing, no artifact, coloration or any other bs needed. Pretty straight forward.

There are direct emulation but sometimes the plugins version is 3 of hardware units stacked together to create a multiband version, some are just inspired by hardware. What I'm saying is, they are made and expected to behave like an analog multiband hardware compressor with all the coloration, artifact, noise and such. Here's some of the plugins I could think of :

1. Softube Drawmer 1973


2. Lindell 354E - 3 Neve 2254 units


3. Lindell MBC - 3 API 2500 units


4. PSP oldtimerMB - not sure if it is modeled after a hardware, but it feels like that


5. Presonus Tricomp - looks like inspired by a Drawmer


6. Audiority PolyComp - IGS Audio Multicore


Thanks & Happy New Year!

 

Last edited: Dec 22, 2024

I've never actually used an analogue multiband compressor so have nothing to compare any plugin with. If this counts, I've always relied on TDR NOVA GE for clean multiband compression mostly for vocals and occasional use teasing space in an uncluttered mix for acoustic guitars. It sounds awesome to me and is cheap for it's quality.

 

I may have used Drawmer 1973 just to experiment once or twice, but that's it, I never feel like I need to use it plus worrying if it could mess up with the mix too much.

NOVA GE is awesome. Yeah it counts, dynamic EQ basically a multiband compressor in a way. Nova has all the controls like a compressor does.

Come to think of it, normal usage (90% of the time) for mb compressor is to tame stuff rather than expand or boost, so not much it can add, pretty useless I'd say unless it is a hardware which can be treated as color box for its gain stage, and transformer. Maybe that can be count as useful in Analog domain, but in digital domain there's like hundred of saturation plugins for that.

 

Never used a hardware mb. For the most part the analog emulations i've tried either suck or i just don't like what they do, mostly because they add too much colour and i use mb's almost exclusively in contexts where i need a transparent one so...yeah.

 

Well, I do not.

As mk_96 already said, they do add way to much saturation due to their stages.
I really can advise to rather use a super clean multiband limiter like MLimiterMB instead. In my experience they are way more efficient in achieving the multiband compression effect.

(There really are not many transparent ones out there. The DMG Limitless for example is not. Acon Digital mb is also absolutely transparent but it's not an mb limiter.)

 

Many years ago i had the chance to work with a Drawmer S3, it's a 3 band tube compressor which "splits" the signal at 6 dB/oct which is pretty useless. It was very expensive and recalling settings was nearly impossible due to the ranges of the pots. Almost never used it in any mixing or mastering job. UAD Precision Multiband was my favorite multiband compressor at that time. Now it's FabFilter Pro-MB or Pro-Q 3 dynamics.

 

When the mix calls for analog-style subgroup compression and I'm too lazy, I use Drawmer 1973. Didn't have issues so far.

 

I went through a Drawmer phase but I came out of it again. I use Pro-Q dynamic a LOT. Haven't tried Kirchhoff yet.

 

Kinda noticed that you don't really use all these fancy analog emulation plugins. Just out of curiosity, what is your go-to for Instrument Buses and Stereo Bus (if you mix that way of course) ?

I think this should explain the precision part clearly, maybe 10-20Hz different doesn't really matter for EQ but for multiband compressor crossover it does change the result a lot. Thankfully, we won't have that kind of problem in the digital domain, exact recall is a wonderful thing.

lol, but I gotta admit, I kinda like the "Big" and "Air" thingy. It's not like it isn't achievable with other plugin, but it is kinda cool, in a way. These days I still use a lot of its little sibling, the S73 for parallel compression, the Spatial options could come out with a good surprise sometimes.

 

It's not that I do not like/use them. I just do not like how people relate to them and state everytime, that there is happening anything special.
I just made this statement, to not let the illusion come up, that there is anything hidden in those compressors that is unachievable otherwise.

At the moment I only use Acon digital comp as a full range comp and I do not think that this will change anytime in the future anymore.
I have to say, that I rather use reverb instead of compression (Mostly I turn off their stupid room mics and create my own room ). Compression shapes dynamics, reverb does not really.
There are, besides mostly on vocals, only very creative situations where I use compression - sometimes on bass. (I usually do not use compression on bass)

I do not use compression on percussion material at all anymore. The only channel I always use compression on is the mixbus and there only as mb limiting. Full range compression I really mostly only use on vocals.

 

Last edited: Jan 7, 2023

so, AA Ocean huh ?

 

haha, i love it! great plugin. has its downsides like everything AA, but its ridiculous in the right circumstance. I love it on heavy DnB Master or subgroups, and for drum busses, but i'll often use it regardless of genre. There are some decent presets, but i usually start from scratch, depending on what i am after, saturation, compressor etc. Start with the leftmost knob on the bottom, multi i think its called. Push it until you start getting some movement on the meters, go heavy handed at first, so you can hear whats happening. From there, adjust the three sliders as needed, as well as the individual bands input slider and crossover as needed, then start cycling through the various modes and adjusting as needed. Im not entirely sure, but i think the right knob, Single, is an additional single band of the same preset chosen. I use it both as a sound design and mix/master tool, but usually for problematic issues i'll use pro q, TDR, etc. I'll use ocean as more of a vibe / glue thing that just happens to help balance things out a bit. For mix / master ill keep things pretty subtle, a few db or so, but don't be afraid to push it!

 

More of a multi band exciter than a real "compressor" strictly speaking, it works well from 4:1 but I find it so much more interesting in its function of saturator or limiter to define a tonal balance to the mix or master, it it's in the trunk, that's for sure! I only tried it since yesterday but the tool is interesting, that said, I have the impression that according to the "emulation profiles" they generate out of phase or in particular a fairly quantifiable DC shift especially on source having a low rather well control, the emulation of Sa2rate my overall much more by its colors but the problem that it generates in fact a tool can be used except at 50% dry/wet; I also found a lot of aliasing in strong presence when working at 96khz obviously well reduced in x8 oversampling but too bad! Some multiband compressors do just as well for less CPU demand and bombastic visuals :like 990 Spark Multiband from MIA ( Aliasing too but not so much at 96khz )

 

What was your CPU usage for one instance? I noticed @ 96k, on my system at least, it seemed a bit less cpu hungry than some other acustica stuff. In Reaper running a single instance on a stereo track it was clocking around 2-3% cpu with the plugin engaged.

 

I agree with MLimiterMB and TDR Nova GE (parallel processor). I have always used FF MB, but the Softube Drawmer 1973 has given me results on DrumBus and STBus that I have never been able to reproduce with any other digital MB. When Drawmer 1973 works on DrumBus, it works great and has an overall result in the mix that is second to none. Of course, it doesn't work for everything. On several occasions, when you need a release in sync with the song, it has worked much more effectively than FF MB, with a catchy sound that FF never has. Nowadays I use Saturn2 more than FF MB, and I hate the fact that FF does not display the attack and release times, even though it's program dependant. However, I think the best approach to signal dynamics is always to saturate in multiband and then compress to single band.

 

I think MB compressors are cool, but I find myself rarely using them these days, Transient/Sustain style processor is taking over. I use MB Comp to control either the sustain or transient 95% of the time, all that I can now do that with EQ workflow without ever worrying much about the time dimension and get even more control with how I feather the effects that is a lot harder with a MB Comp. Tone Project Michelangelo being the best (character wise) for now. I used to hate Eventide SplitEQ but after I learn how to use it, it replaces the MB Comp for a lot of tasks me. 1-1.5db is enough most of the time to keep the artifact low enough for natural freq masking cover it up. I got good results with TBTECH Trinity Shaper too but must say it's not as clean, but risky, have tendency to overdo things and everything starting to sound weird. Multiband Compressor starting to feel like boomer tool now. lol

 

Last edited: Dec 26, 2024

About that much but it goes to 20% with Oversampling. I chose to not use it just yet. Maybe one day when I feel experimental, but will bake it to the track right away as I do with all AA plugins for now. I think Ocean has a cool sound, will smash a bad recorded vocal one day. These days I rarely get bad vocal recordings, can't explain why, maybe people are getting good at recording and cheaper gears getting more capable. I got a vocal track labeled "U87" few months ago and it sounded so good so I texted the client to ask which one he used, maybe the vintages. Bro replied :

"Really ? it's the $20 one I got from AliExpress [skull emoji] ".

 

Most of the Neve emulations out there under reputable names like Lindell and others are very good, Snow by AA is good too, but the multiband versions are something that makes more sense on an acoustic drum bus or master bus, or an instrument that has a lot of untamed spikes all over the frequency spectrum. .. that is if I was to use one, which I don't regularly. I can see that it could be single plugin solution for some scenarios. Regardless I do not mind being surgical.
To answer your question I think it boils down to what the job requires at the time, and some people swear by them and get great sounding mixes as do many who do not use them regularly.

 

Are you going for "Analog Color", "Analog Dynamics", or both?

I see MB Compressors as somewhat of a precision tool..

So I prefer using a Digital MB comp on the Master,
and add the "Analog Color" in other points/stages of the process.

I always favored BlueCat's MB-5 (old version)

I've tried Izotope, Fabfilter, DMG and other Digital MBC's that came later, but I donno,
MB-5 gave me exactly what I needed, with precision, while having solid control/not being too finnicky..


If I had to choose an Analog modelled MB comp tho,
I think I'd go for the API 2500