Which is the best plugin modern compressor, that use in the recording studios?



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for bang for the buck this beats that hands down epic compressor
http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-feedback-compressor-2/

 

Hmm, pretty pointless question if you ask me.
For which task? There is no all-around winner.
And many pros for example uses old plugs we audiowarez addicts piss on

If I have to name a few very good itb compressors I would say:
- TokyoDawn FeedbackCompressor 2 (free!)
- FabFilter Pro-C
- Others that doesn't come to my mind now.

Haedware emus:
- Softube FET, Softube CL1B, Softube Dynamite (way too much softube here *yes* )
- Elysia mPressor
- IKMultimedia T-Racks 1176 and La2a emu if you're into UREI emus.
- Waves API 2500

Dunno of others there's plenty of good compressors.

If I have too choose one FeedbackCompressor (cause it sound awesome and it's free too).




EDIT: joem, you beat me at it

 

Best 2-Bus => Cytomic "The Glue"

Nothing comes near, so far.

 

this could be impossible to answer definitively. you'll get a different answer everytime, based on the user's taste.

but if i have to pick favorites, i'd say Kush Audio UBK-1, TDR Feedback Compressor I and II, & Klanghelm DC8C.

i'm sure there are others i could throw out there, but those three came to mind fastest. good luck!

...and let us know what works for you.

 

Softube CL1B for me...

 

uad G Master Bus Comp -> if you can afford it, best i could hear on a computer.

DCAM free comp -> it's for free, you'll still have to give away an e-mail (they don't spam you though)

 

In the video-clip above you'll see Mastering-Professional Andreas Balaskas,
showing some of his "magical" mastering tools. He mostly uses hardware stuff
not so much Plug-Ins. The clip is German spoken but you can have a look anyway!

How to use a Compressor

Code:

http://www.platinumloops.com/how_to_use_a_compressor.shtml

One of my preferred Compressors: Vertigo VSC-2

Code:

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plugins/detail/vertigo_vsc-2.html

 

Softube FET for buses and sometimes on master, Uranium from V-Plugs on master, mpressor on everything ...whith so many compressors these are the ones that comes to my mind but it depends on how agressive or soft you want to compress, these you may not like them, cheers

 

bread and butter plus sidechaining: The Fabfilter guys (Pro C, Pro MB and Pro G (ducking mode). Exceptionally on Pianos i prefer the brainworx vertigo. On vocals the Waves RVox. For mastering purposes i strongly prefer the Waves SSL to the Glue (just a pseudo mastering). I rarely use any other compressor but ididn't check out some of the guys mentioned above. And Cook, i seem to remember that Mr. Balaskas had a Fabfilter Pro L in his master chain. Funnily enough it's one Fabfilter plugin i don't really use. Invisible Limiter is my superhighway here

 

@ Musictyros5,

Well, before to advice you about a particular VST Model or another one(s), the prior things you must to solve are :

* Which kind of Audio Material you want to 'compress' (or 'limit' if you use 'Compressors' for that purpose too).

* What do you expect as final result(s). Of course, I mean not only 'compress' Audio Material, but the kind of 'Compression' you want to apply : Hard, Soft, Transparent, Warm, somewhat Coloured,...

Here's the dilemna, because most of the Big Recording Studios (by 'Big', I mean "famous") still use (even if not always !) old and vintage 'Compressors' (Hardware Units), that are almost unreachable for us, poor paltry musicians, either due their rarity, or their prices !!!

Anyway, all the ADVICES provided within the above responses are GREAT ! *yes*

And you can REALLY learn a lot through the exhaustive explanations provided by 'Xsze' with all the sort of Compressors available, their characteristics and usage.

In fact, in some sense, it's a matter of taste (and practice) with a particular VST Model, rather than with another one... *yes*

 

Like folk have said depends on the job in hand
If you want a great sound like hardware use a algorithmic compressor to do the reduction and follow it up with a nebula comp preset to get a good hardware vibe, and don't let it compress or use a mojo preset. you can choose a preset that is near to the gain reduction settings of the algo that you used but theres no rules just ears

 

I don't wonder about the compressors any more since Klanghelm and Tokyo Dawn Labs ones were released. However, I really like The Glue on the busses and IK Multimedia Black 76 and White 2A compressors for some nice and transparent compressing of the tracks. I think most of the other IKM compressors sucks arse, though and don't even start me on Waves... LOL But that bloody RCL and RVox can sometimes really just do their thing and you can move on. I have nothing against their API 2500 emu, either. Good work.

 

Well i don't know. You may be right when it comes to compressing acoustic sounds before recording them (recording studios). We also see the advertisement of many mastering studios with a shitload of hardware equipment (not just vintage). If they drunk enough they tell you that they mostly use it for advertising (remarkable gear) but don't really often use it in their workflow. These studios wanna make you believe that they are able to do things, that cannot be done without spending tens of thousands of bucks in hardware equipment. They maybe see their hopes dashed not least due to the warez scene.

To be honest: I do not believe in hardware these days. Software was and is steadily getting better and better, has total recall, things do not have to be converted in and out just to integrate a hardware unit. Software has already overtaken these hardware units in my eyes. There may be some very special purposes, where hardware still has an advantage but by and large software blows hardware plain out of the water *yes*

 

the one that comes with your DAW

 

Well i know that most people prefer the Glue to the Waves SSL. I do not use one of them on busses but in my master chain (just provisional, i do not master myself but i have to hear what a master compressor will do to my mix)and how loud i can get. If i insert the glue, my mix begins to distort 2db earlier (which is a lot) compared to the Waves SSL one (both are emulations of the SSL hardware), same settings. I simply get a lot more out of the Waves. It makes no difference for me if my limiter distorts because of the signal coming out of the Glue or if the Glue itself distorts. It just distorts much earlier. And trust me, i checked it out countless times. But i am still interested, what in the Glue is better than in the Waves SSL in your opinion.

 

I respect your opinion but mine is different.
The secret of "hardware magic" is IMPERFECTION!
Plug-Ins are way too perfect, linear & cold.
Hardware has often that slight punch + warmness more.
The popularity of Plug-Ins lies in its more or less cheap prices,
compared to the expensive hardware units.

When you buy hardware units you often get a much better customer
support. It's comparable to buying travel tickets; if you buy online
you'll certainly miss the support you get when you buy in a real travel
agency - where you have professional consultants that give their best to satisfy your needs.

 

Yeah, Cook, you maybe right but these differences are so subtile that you won't ever hear it in my music. So it depends on the music you make. My music has to be blown up to at least (or at most ?) -6 db RMS. Strong limiting, strong clipping, strong fuck of anyything to get it loud. Besides that there is strong saturation, strong sidechaining ( i duck everything with everything), exciting, all the fuck you ever can think of. People with a fine hearing will find that horrible but the kids out there do not just love the loudness. Meanwhile they love all the artifacts that accompany with that loudness war. They are used to it. That hard offbeat pumping f.e.is an obligation. Please do not blame me. I do not make the rules, just follow them dutiful. If there is a hardware compressor somewhere hidden in my chain ? Trust me, no man on the planet would ever work that out. And not least: You are a skilled reverse engineer. My skills end up with PHP and a bit of Javascript. You know best that it is not too hard to implement imperfection into any software Just have a look at MS

 

PSP VintageWarmer2

 

Yeah, beast, i love it but i use it mostly for saturation purposes. And PSP do several extraordinary good things !