MULTICOMPRESSORS ADVICE

lore · Post by **lore** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 10:15 am

Hello,
i would like to have some advices on multiband compressors :
Softaware :
Creamware Optimaster
DSP devices Multicomp
Orbiton impressor
Timeworks multicomp

Hardware :
TC electronic Finalizer

Which one do you think is the best to process tech-house / techno tracks?
I've already tryed the Finalizer and it's good but it has to be carefully used cause it's very easy to mess your mix up and it's quite expensive though .

Thanks for your opinions.

[ This Message was edited by: lore on 2002-01-17 10:15 ]

[ This Message was edited by: lore on 2002-01-17 10:18 ]

[ This Message was edited by: lore on 2002-01-17 10:19 ]

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 12:13 pm

Can you get a demo of the STW commpressors? Shouldn't by one really, STW has discontinued operations and support.

I really love these STW stuff, it's about the best efx I have! Their Masteringcompressor 'Soft' takes 4 DSP. Gives you a 1500€ compressor...

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 3:20 pm

Well I have the Timeworks Bundle, and I like the mastering compressors A LOT. But the Soft Mastering Compressor has phase errors (I can hear them in the top end), which Michael Olsen admits exist, but not with the VST version

I some how doubt there will be a fix, quite frusterating since these plugins really are some of my favorites, and I paid a lot of cash for them. The STW Hard Mastering Compressor is awesome, though. I have a little experience with the TC Finalizer, but wouldn't spend that much on a such a specific DSP-based rackmount effect at this point (especially considering I have CW DSPs already to put to work).

So I'm most curious about the Orbitone and Creamware plugins. I would buy OptiMaster, but I'm waiting for the next version of /SP to see what's included before I jump in. I'm waiting until then to try the Orbitone out for myself, but...

Anyone else care to comment? I await your responses with great interest...

I'm looking to find some new mastering compressors

kimgr · Post by **kimgr** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 10:52 pm

Also check out my 3band compressor/limiter called "Final Liza".
Demo available at http://www.d-media.dk

Kim.

Funktastico · Post by **Funktastico** » Fri Jan 18, 2002 6:08 am

How about C4 ?
I don't know if it's in phase / has other probs? Anyone? It sounds good to my ear anyway...

[ This Message was edited by: Funktastico on 2002-01-18 06:08 ]

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Wed Mar 06, 2002 2:19 pm

I still really like this thread, wish more people had experience particularly with the TC Finalizer vs. CW stuff (OptiMaster, Orbitone, Finaliza etc). Anyone out there?

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:42 pm

Call me strange but I've been doing all my masters on DSP dev's multicomp ever since I've got it. It still gives me headaches at times, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I takes a lot of experimenting to get the job done, unlike T-Racks and other "twist 1 knob and el-finito" type of mastering devices.

Sunshine · Post by **Sunshine** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 3:01 am

I haven´t tried all the units that are availible, so I can´t make a direct judgement right know...

The question is how to judge the quality of a Mastering Conpressor?? To do so you have to take a look at the existing mastering compressors around! Whether they are in analog world or in digital world doesn´t matter. The fact that there still are many analog mastering processors like "Prism Maselec", "Avalon 2044" or "Millenia Media TCL-2" gives you the idea, that a MC must at least sound very round and smooth, which is the case whith the units mentioned above! Ok, then when you look at the digital compressors, you´ll find some "Finalizers" from DBX, TC and Drawmer, which are all good units... But lately a hear from some engineers say, that they do prefer the "M6000", because it sounds clearer and more transparent... Almost everybody wants to achieve the "final polishing", whithout loosing soundquality!! This means that the best sounding mastering compressor on our Creamware platform, must be the most transparent, musical and versatile Compressor. Whether it´s a single band or multi-band, it should add a minimum amount of digital distortion, otherwise you loose more than you win...

Regards,
Sunshine

[ This Message was edited by: Sunshine on 2002-03-07 09:37 ]

Post by **hubird** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 5:07 am

For Mac my winner is Waves Renaissance compressor.
I have also the SPL Dynamax hrdware compressor, with external key input to compress more intelligent.
I don't know mutch about this, but I have this personel experience.
If you compare this SPL machine with a software compressor like the Waves one, you immediately see the huge difference: soft comprs can go mutch further than hard ones, if you look at compressor amount.
That of course is coz digitally the processor can 'look forward' and choose the perfect parameter values for the very moment.
So the notorious pumping of a overhard working HWcomp stays out of door in digital circuit.
I ask myself often if there exist HW compressors which get the astonishing result of soft ones, concerning the compr. amount.
I allmost sold the SPL, but yet I decided to keep 'm, in order to compres b-e-f-o-r-e leading a signal to the computer, f.i. human voices or other mice recordings.
And sometimes I use the DeCompres funktion, which is great to expand a drumloop with to mutch noise between te peaks, amazing what happens then!

LTBM!

Sunshine · Post by **Sunshine** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 10:20 am

Yes of course... some hardware compressors do compress more than the soft ones. All the units I mentioned above, have got an "opto" circuit, which is some sort of look ahead algo.. I think it´s still preferable to compress in the front-end, although the quality of soft-compressors has risen... If you compare the UAD-1 1176 whith the original, you´ll find that the original does compress more, but still sounds musical, when the UAD-1 version looses its musicality earlier whithout compressing the same amount.

Regards!
Sunshine