What should i purchase

[Yogimeister]

Hi guys,

I am thinking of purchasing the DAS dynamic bundle as I am interested in more compression flexability and the "2A sound" (one of the aspects of UAD i am wishing for ...)


What do you guys think of those plugs ?
(The 2A, 1610 and 660 )

How are they compared to the AI compressor, or any others outside DAS?
(I read the hitsquad reviews - but am still wondering what i should get to get the most impact in terms of "DSP sound" ...

Thanks

[garyb]

the DAS dynamic bundle is very good.
i have a dBx 166 and i've used real LA2As and the DAS models are excellent in recreating the feel of those go-to hardware compressors. the DAS660 Fairchild model is my first choice for mixing real instruments.

[Yogimeister]

Also - the AI seems to be the most "advanced" in the bunch ... can I achieve the 2A , 1610 and 660 "characters" with the AI compressor - or are they all different characters and exclusive sounds ?

[garyb]

at least with hardware, different units sound different. it's part of the reason that there are so many. there aren't any "perfect" compressors. some will work better for one use over another and that's just personal preference. it's part of where the artistry of an audio mix comes from. even if one usit can do the exact same job as another, differences in controls and the "way" that it works, will probably result in different finished products. the AI is the AI and the 660 is the 660 and the LA2A is the LA2A, ect. i don't doubt that the AI can basically do what the others do, but i think it's best doing what it does. if you only had the one unit, the AI can probably cover all the basic compressor sounds, but at what cost in time and dsp compared to simpler units?

for me, i'd rather have and learn about the basic compressor sounds, and then get something like the AI for specific things that the others in the bundle don't do so well. what does that mean? well, it means that you won't know without experience over a long period of time. when you know what you like and don't like and what you are missing, then you can test another to see if it offers something that you want. if you already know exactly what you want, not because of something you read or what others do, but through experience, then it's a simple matter to get a demo and decide.

[Yogimeister]

Ok ...

Thanks for the detailed response ...

My next question (and you raised the issue) is roughly how do they (the dynamic bundle) compare , in regards to DSP load - the stock compressor or Vinco ? (On PCI)


Also, I didnt realize there are demos for those plugs ....
(Can I download the demos from the sc ftp or do I need to ask you for specific ones ?)

[Yogimeister]

And another question ... I dont know much about these HWs (besides that the 2A is a staple ...) but I do know alot Bout compressors ...

Could you please touch upon (from your experience and knowledge) what areas the AI excels at where the others fall short ?
(E.g. - what will I be "missing" ?


(Btw - how are the dNa's (or others) compared to the DASs ?)

[garyb]

only one demo can work at a time, so you'll need to install the one device, and then send the request string from the registration window that opens when you try to insert the device into the routing window the first time to supprt along with a short note asking for a demo key. when the demo key times out, you can get a demo for another device(if you wish).

the DAS bundle's compressors are pretty easy on dsp, similar to stock compressors. the AI takes a bit more.

the question of what you might be missing with the bndle vs the AI, errr, that's pretty difficult to describe. personally, between the stock compressors and the bundle, i find most everything is covered. the AI certainly offers more control. the dNA compressors are just different again. certainly all three are excellent and as "good" or as "high quality" as almost anything else available and that includes hardware. as an engineer, you need to make the decision based on your actual experience with these things. if you have the money, buy them all. you can't have too many. if your money has a real limit, buy the bundle. that's my quick opinion, anyway. in my work, the DAS bundle comps are what i use 90% of the time.

[Yogimeister]

Thank you ...

[Mr Arkadin]

Definitely give the dNA comps a try - terrific value and a friendly, responsive developer to boot.

And of course check out Peter4724's free comps - even better value!

[Yogimeister]

Thanks Arkadin

Yeah ... The dna stuff looks really nice (do his mixers like summer of 82 add any analog color or anything else special or is it just a UI/functionality thing ?)

Unfortunatly - my budget is kindof limited - (my appetite for all these scope goodies is not ...)
(Im also saving up for a new computer to replace my 8yo pc ... Not to mention Flexor3 and the musician bundle from Adern ... And the fat inserts by SpaceF .... I am actually looking for stuff that will give me noticeably better results than available VST sound


Btw - How are the SpaceF FATs and Adern Saturation compared to VST saturators or the stock dist/sat? (which i dont really use except the softclip - and thats also for me not a proper saturating effect as (although it pretties up the sonics of the track) it is kinfod "clean" and the distortion stock plugs are too rough ....





I have Peter's bus compressor ... I really like it - but I think it is a bit "neutral and heavy" ... (I used it on my mastering chain yesterday at like 8% mix ...
I also like the HPEX (at like 6% mix

[Yogimeister]

The dNa master bundle lootks interesting ... How is the dNa Stereo EQ compared to lets-say DAS's MASTERIT ?

(And how does the dNa masterbus comp and Company-XT compare to the DAS compressors - especially the 2A and 1660 ?)

[Mr Arkadin]

Dante did some features:

http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_21/seq_mast.htm

http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_21/seq_mast.htm

http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_22/dna_mast.htm

I have no DAS stuff so cannot say how they compare. I imagine even those that have both would just say they're "different", not better or worse. Certainly their's colouring in the dNA stuff, and you can add more or less of it. Space F's FAT Inserts are a bit of a 'go to' for me - especially for putting VST instruments through them to add some weight.

http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_16/fat_mast.htm

I realise all these options aren't really narrowing things down.

[Yogimeister]

Yeah ... I went over them already ...

One thing I dont understand about the summers is - do they have a different sound or character than a scope mixer (with M/S widening (balance?)) ?
Is it outrAgeously more DSP efficient ?

Also - it didnt seem to have phase compensation like the scope mixers (which I am really enjoying - albeit I feel I need to dive deeper into since the resoluts seem to be not always consistant ...
Got anything to say about that ? (I was meaning to write a new thread about this once I read up on it more ...


Also - how would you compare the SpaceF FATs with the FAT option on the HP (Peter H.) plugs or the ADERN musicpack sat ?

[Yogimeister]

I am asking all these questions because my budget IS limited ... And I am trying to understand what will give me and my work methods the biggest impact (over the 5.1 stuff which is also good).

I am not trolling to find "good" and "bad" devices ...

(My current "very-short list" is around 800€ already so I am also trying to figure out what to hit first ...
I am sure I would enjoy and find a place for ALL the devices available on the shops ...



Just a little "where I'm coming from" ...

[Mr Arkadin]

Maybe try a bit of everything rather than going for one developer.

I too was looking at the Adern stuff. The only thing putting me off is the fact that they've disappeared from the Scope world it seems. Although this doesn't affect those devices of course, it would be nice to get XITE-optimised versions one day. Even Space F seems to be about these days. You might even consider one of his mixers that have the FATs built-in.

I can only recommend dNA and Space F as that's what I've got. If I was in the buying game (budget is tight these days) I would be looking at adding Adern, especially the Fat Cat.

Dante should be able to give more info on the Summer mixer. I personally wasn't interested as it seems designed more to help native mixes (i.e. buss out to Summer, bus back to DAW) rather than as an STM replacement - especially given the number of channels. However, the more I think about it, it could make a nice sub mixer for individually bussed BFD3 tracks before it hits STM. Might look into it on the next deal. Now you've got me wanting to buy stuff!

[Yogimeister]

Yeah ... Money's a bit tight here as well ...

The Adern stuff is high on my wishlist - but I think it will be better to go for the whole pack (I am also really interested in Flexor3) - so Ironically - its last on the short list ...