Jeez Von_Steyr, did Steven Slate hack your account or something?

I don't like the VBC. Don't care if they're like the hardware or not, but when it comes to mix buss compression, I find them terrible. Far too unsubtle and noticeable in how they affect the sound, even with just 1 db GR. They only make the music sound smaller and thinner, no matter the setting. Certainly nothing special. I much prefer the Waves buss compressors, or the free Molot.

 

I think he meant the D361a. Dolby Noise Reduction Unit.

 

That one is a winner for sure. Doesnt sound so digital and harsh like most algo EQs.

 

Did you demo it or do you own it? Do you use UM3 a lot?

 

Yeah I took the mastering compressor pack. It includes the pink compressors bundle, acquamarine and ultramarine. I have some kind of AA addiction going, under control now...But 4 months ago...
I really like it tbh. With sand probably the one I use most.
But Acquamarine which I had a bit left on the side after a few catastrophic experiments (lot ot pumping, but once handled it's nice), is pleasantly surprising now. You can really do different types of compression strategy with those two very different designs in series. They included the pre that's in purple (and talking about purple : you HAVE to try that one, frankly, the best pultec emu itb IMHO, it makes everything sweet, so sweet), with three others, but this one is the most colorfull of the three in Acquamarine, that's also nice. The opto comp comes first so it's a gentle compression, you can have fun and push this one, and then have a much more agressive vca behind, you can balance those two, a lot of things are possible. The opto has a look ahead, the VCA has the SHmod thingy, so really there are possibilities there.
Ultramarine, I rode it a bit more, I just think it sounds good. They have implemented nice features not present on the original unit, with the SHmod here too and the side chain filter (one for each "side" if you're in mid-side). So with that and the mid-side possibilities you can actually think things through and not just slap it in an fx slot with basic settings. But well I often don't really have to do much efforts. When it sounds good, it sounds good.
I barely touched the two pinks. I use the strip a bit more, but I haven't used much the two comps. I've tried them and sometimes out of guilt I'm going to test them even when I'm already satisfied with the result with other comps. I'm never disapointed, but so far I find counterparts in AA that suit me better. I'm probably not an API guy (happy but not API).

 

Last edited: May 25, 2017

I˛ve had five or six AAs downloaded and ready to demo a few months ago. Then there were some tragic events going on in my life and then that HHD i had AAs installed failed and i never could really demo them. So far demoed only Amethyst and a bit of Pink, will download again.
I have been eyeing their mastering EQs and Compressors, fuck i have been eyeing most of their tools , lol.
How much has it affected your process of music production/mixing, do you spend less time on songs and getting there faster?
Sometimes it feels like cheating with these plugins, lol. You end up asking yourself, if this is it, they really do act like real hardware.

 

Sorry about the events you had to go through man. Whatever the causes, I hope things are better.
I get what you mean. I drooled all over that virtual window of their online store. Cost me an arm but I can't even say I regret it one second.
You just perfectly resumed it : I've become lazy ! It is very much like hardware : but very, very expansive harware.
The hardest was actually to let go of some old habits from 100% algo, or so. AA products function like hardware, you can dial in more juice, not that you always have to, it's not harsh, it never sounds artificial, like you added something foreign originaly to the sound, like algo can do as soon as you go too far..
Obviously there are ways to get close to harware, by working very hard, in the algo realm. But I realize now, as close as I was, I wasn't really there. Maybe I wasn't good enought with algo to get to the point with tricks where it's like hardware, I can't even tell what I was missing. But it just gives to your work a flavor that probably right now only hardware can bring. And it's different tools, you don't work at the same level (in terms of perspectives). It changes how you even step into your shoes. I'm actually still adapting by many aspects (and there is also the Cubase change, which is already a big thing)
God knows what kind of electronic magic goes on in the entrails of hw, and I don't know if the AA crew know themselves what exactly they have captured in this process that gives this extra thing, but it's there and well there.
So it does change profundly how the work gets done, because an entire part of what I use to do, doesn't require anymore doing. In a way, AA is probably the best tool (well except hw, but well, that kind hw....) to go back to the root of the thing. Focus on just putting the right colors where they need to be, not spend hours preparing and mixing your paint.
I'm sure you'll get different perspectives on the matter, some people might not be as enthusiastic as I am, but to me it's really a game changer.

Also I like the lack of visualizers, etc. Simpler interface. It's funny because I love analisys tools. I still use them. But once I'm done. Algo makes you focus too much on what you see.

 

referring to special edition? or you have the V3 or.... ?

 

Yes the special edition that you can find on the sister site

 

Thank you for the kind words Talmi
Man i can feel the excitement you have working with AA just by reading your ITB adventures with them.
It is indeed a game changer.
"The hardest was actually to let go of some old habits from 100% algo, or so. AA products function like hardware, you can dial in more juice, not that you always have to, it's not harsh, it never sounds artificial, like you added something foreign originaly to the sound, like algo can do as soon as you go too far"
Summed it up nicely what AA is all about.

 

Hey Von...sincerely hope and pray everything is fine at your end now mate .

 

@Von_Steyr Same from me, even tho I didnt say it. You already know how I feel. Were always here for you my man!
Lol, yes I went Sesame Street on you, lol. But were both laughing (and face palm sighing?), mission accomplished.

 

Last edited: May 25, 2017

Thanks guys @ed-enam and @subGENRE
Thats life, the good and the bad, things change and you just have to learn to live with it.

 

Its definitely not discrete. In this case something like a MJUC is more of an honest option, its definitely a better value in the price/performance area than FG-MU.