Didn't R2R say in one of their nfos that you can't simply mix them because they're encrypted in a different way?

 

Going through IVORY Suite, apart from the infamous EQ, I'm actually more interested with IVORY5LIMITER which is based on the Maselec MPL-2 unit. The one I want is the MDS-2 emulation, but the MDS-2 is kinda inside the MPL-2, so all is good. Then this happened :

Ivory5 MAL-2 is AA’s own interpretation of a two-band peak limiter inspired by a famous mastering dynamic processor from a well-known British manufacturer.



I read the hardware manual 3 times and this plugin's manual of course, and realize what a fucking stupid way of re-designing the plugin version to be different than the hardware but if anyone have some free time try give this plugin a spin and please help make sure it is working correctly first especially that HF THRESHOLD big knob and what do you think about it. The stupidity is kinda subtle, but let's see if anyone can figure it out.

 

Last edited: Dec 10, 2023

I know nothing about the hardware unit, but always liked how the ivory limiter sounds. i use it here and there on busses. sort of as a tilt eq. no idea if im using it correctly or how to test it etc, if theres any specific test you want, lmk and i can try.

 

it's okay if it works for you because you use it as tilt EQ. The tilting actually the most annoying part for me because it gives close to 1% chance to those that just want to use it as de-esser with a bit of limiting. As everyone want a Deeser to work, de-es, then f off, no need to disrupt the balance, it's not happening with this plugin, as it is almost impossible to get flat freq response from this plugin with just a little deesing. It's a long explanation how the re-design sucks and disrupt the dynamic, balance of the whole track especially as HF limiter supposed to be used close to end of a mastering chain, after you get all the dynamic and EQ balance right, just for it to put you back to square one back just because you want to adjust a little threshold that weirdly enough not just an input but a shelf centered at 2-2.4kHz. As everyone knows a shelf will make all your dynamic control all went to drain for how the whole frequency balance will be perceived differently. That's why nobody put an EQ after a compressor in a mastering chain, well if they know what they are doing. Combine that with LF wideband limiter that limit the whole frequency range only when there's peak on the low end, which clearly will move differently with the high frequency limiting, and disrupt how high frequency is perceived straight giving a sea-saw pumping result even at 0.5db GR for both. so you "mastering compression" setting earlier getting all the perfectly grooving earlier in the chain means nothing just because you need to adjust 1db of the HF threshold. and you back to square one. #facepalm. It feels like the re-design is done by someone that dont even know what the hell he is doing.

take pulsar 8200, the added deeser section, that's how it should be. that one is a fantastic design. easy to use, just doing its job and f off without sounding like it's there. even though they are not the same thing as Mastering HF limiter, but that's a smart design. Added to solve problem instead of creating more problem. This fucking IVORYLIMITER is a problem creator. The most annoying part is that AA re-design it, their own interpretation of a unit that was perfectly design by a genius engineer that created the Maselec EQ. fucking hell.

Im sleepy, need to sleep. will try to write better tomorrow. apologies.

 

You definitely can’t mix them, you need to take a complete copy of the purchased plugin.

It will also be good if R2R provides N4 libraries

 

ah hahah, well shit. that does sound like they fucked it up. Why?! who knows. I use TDR Limiter 6 GE for the HF Limiter. Seems to work well for me, is pretty transparent even at hard levels.

 

The Ivory limiter doesn't show any GR on the meters here. When i lower the threshold on the big knobs it seems like i'm just shelving. What i'm doing wrong?

 

You're going off topic now.

Please keep this thread useful about guides, reports, issues fixes for AA Plugins.

 

Antonio, what are your references? How long have you been working with AA plugs? why and how you know them so well, let me repeat your words

It would definitely be nice if Acustica allowed us to DL these plugins without using a third party installer ^^
Especially for users who don't like offering data to weird companies, after all, it’s almost Christmas, right?
There's a promo to do on that

I bought Ivory at the time especially for this limiter, and all I feel about it is that it's more of a Baxandall disguised with a Hard-knee just before release which totally crushes the dynamics, etc. and I don't feel any loss with this plug, Lindell does it much better or even FF. I never used this plug again after having used it in a lot of situations, I however find it effective for + acoustic mixes in order to bring up the lowend and give a little warmth to the whole mix and even that boil over very quickly into disgusting mush because of the hard knee.

I prefer the Multiband with a long release and an average attack on a fairly high ratio but not too high to help attenuate or properly tidy up the overly fiery treble ^^ + one of the two to be mentioned above!!

In the meantime, we continue to dream of one day seeing a truly beautiful emulation or imitation of MPL-2 and MDS-2!! Who knows, Relab might be planning to do the rest?

 

This folder stores your RESIZE settings.
* Acustica Audio plugins save settings to this directory.
Without this, setting like GUI size will not be saved.

 

I recommend not using these plugins for those people who do not know how to use them. This is my advice!

Stevie is a cool dude and you should learn from him.
And I'm just waiting for the new year to use more lightweight versions of AA.

 

Yes the HF Limiter on TDR Limiter 6 is just superb, I only use that module alone whenever I need to, with its option to MS, different type of detection that's kinda the best HF Limiter in plugin form for mastering duty, apart from the other Dynamic EQ or MB Comp. I just don't understand why they made the Threshold moved with with the Shelf since the Level alone can do that, it's kinda stupid IMO and disrupt the whole balance of the mix. The shelves are useful as a Tone Control plugin to reshape the overall dynamic but it removes to possibility of using all the other functions together without changing the overall frequency balance. One change will affect the other and like I said it creates more problem than actually solving one.

that one of the stupid thing about the design, why would the made the Threshold moving with shelf like that is beyond me. That plus how the internal fixed Threshold where you have to push the signal instead of just lowering the threshold as would any dynamic plugin ever. It's so stupid. Well that's just one of it, try combining it with the LF wideband limiter that limit the whole track but solely responding to the Low end which indirectly affect the overall signal you are pushing into the HF Limiter. Facepalm. At one point the threshold will exceed 10db max amount of compensation can be done with the HF Level control, and you need to compensate it with LF Level, bring it up, that sometimes could clip the the plugin internally, or trigger the LF Limiter, while those active, it will lower the HF fixed treshold and you have adjust the HF threshold and limit back and compensate the entire plugin output. You'll be in a loop forever if you're searching for flat frequency response. I have to use external Frequency analyzer just to see what it's doing because everything I try to balance it with ear, will almost always endup with extra high end and feel the whole dynamic of the track which already nicely compressed and balance all lost.

It would've make sense to use those type of processing, shelves for mixing duty where you are still on your way to find balance and whatnot. In mastering HF Limiter is better used 2nd last before final limiter or maybe another compressor between it, my point is one would want it to not change the frequency balance at all, especially when at that stage, the overall track balance and dynamic already achieved and maybe just need a little HF controls before the track hits the final limiter. The behavior where the made the threshold moving with a shelf is just beyond me. It's true that you could compensate it back, but at one point it will put one in a loop of never ending tweaking finding the balance when all you need is flat respond with a little HF limiting and 0.5db overall limiting. It's totally different workflow with the hardware which is a simple unit. Re-designing the plugin that was already perfectly design is not for everyone.

 

This problem with the threshold is unfortunately a design defect in this plugin technology.

Unfortunately, to change this you need to sacrifice sound realism in favor of algorithmic calculations. But it's possible.

 

This seems obvious but you don't answer the question, while I'm at it I recommend to someone who doesn't know how to use a chainsaw not to cut down a tree or cut branches, this involves a big risk. obviously that's my advice

Personally I stopped using plugins and units which do not facilitate my workflow and on the contrary make it more tedious and tiring in the long run..
Even if it has a legendary color or tone I will not use not something equivalent to a thorn in the side of my mixing or my mastering

 

ciao stevie, I Remeber trying all the ivory trials and they were all messed up in their behaviour, both the dynamic modules as well as the EQ (like the engaging bands buttons created some really deep curves, the PRE too, that are unexpected in a mastering device, specially in the stereo version). The two bands limiter wasn’t working in any reasonable way when used in the two band mode and I think it wasn’t working as intended by AA neither.

 

In case you haven't noticed, my thread was closed because of trolls like you.

Then don’t ask why Giancarlo doesn’t consider you normal clients. The answer is obvious

 

it's kinda disappointing because I was trying to experiment to create a chain that is similar to the people at Lurssen Mastering, how they are doing it. I find it cool to approach mastering like that, still learning my way through it. Been using the TDR HF Limiter for it, and it works fine but this IVORY plugin should get closer to the real unit, but it didn't.

There are a lot of videos about how they approach mastering with push and pull technique, really impressive stuff to learn. Few good vids in their channel. Also in produce like a pro YT channel. MWTM has some good videos about it. Not saying it's the only way, but I'd say it's an unique way and I eager to learn to do it. I'm just so annoyed AA messed up the plugin like that. haha. So cant get any closer to how they do it.

 

I also really appreciate their channels. For a while he did a very interesting Q&A where a lot of people asked empty and meaningful questions!

I also admire their working approaches, have you tried their standalone which is inspired by their analog mastering chain?

The push & pull is present with an EQ and several units indicated in the chain and depending on the preset chosen the units also change, generally I personally don't like this kind of all in one plugin but I downloaded it to try and since I was also inspired to try to create my own favorite channel by taking inspiration from real analog units.

this approach even inspired me to create an audio rack simulating in my own way the hedd quantum of Dave Hills pentode, triode + tape combination is very musical and is really interesting in many cases ^^ ranging from subtle to destructive depending on the genre!!

I would miss a real AD/DA channel on the output but I'm far from rolling in gold so the work in the box is enough so far and no one has had to worry about it until now

What you say still has nothing to do with my question or with the current topic.
I really don't care what Junkarlo thinks of me personally it still has nothing to do with sauerkraut

And then let's put things back in their place, if your topic was closed it's for a very specific reason, if a message goes beyond the limits moderation will take care of it!

Spoiler: objectively and sincerely

You're not fooling anyone, and don't worry, I have the entire topic and your reactions blown out of proportion on many screenshot :*

Coming back to the topic, how would you advise me to use the Ivory5 MAL-2 as you seem to be very qualified and have been working with it for a long time?

 

This is a terrible flaw in VVKT compression. The only way to overcome this is to use a hybrid of convolution and algorithms.

I've told Giancarlo this many times, but this technology only came out with the Hyper series, so it will get better soon.

 

I really hate and find unusable AA plugins naming, so i wrote small PowerShell script to fix plugin names in Studio One, and if you want and know how it works you can check it too: https://pastebin.com/bKhFAZhT
You can also specify you names in script you want instead of mine

Spoiler

 

Last edited: Dec 10, 2023