Here’s a usable demonstration video on some cool compressor techniques some of you might find useful.
Saturation-
Compressors can be more than compressors at times. Make use of built in harmonics saturators if and when needed. (At 2:17)
Side chain-
Some compressors have built in side chain filters. Other can be routed to a side chain filter. This might tell a compressor “nuke everything, but ease off frequencies in the range of 350-750hz”. Or in the UAD example, its saying “smash the drums, but go easy(er) on anything below 500hz”. Pretty cool. The ‘smash’ comes from nuking the upper-mid range, but the warmth on the low end is more preserved. (at 2:30)
The knee-
Some people understand what the ‘knee’ does in theory, but don’t actually know when to adjust this control. Here’s a demonstration of what it can do on a piano (at 4:50). Though its technically incorrect, I reach for this knob when I want to play with the ‘clarity of the compression’. In other words, if I want a different flavor of the attack sort of. Avid was known early on for giving users incredibly precise control over the knee. SSL was known for very not-precise knee control, but still providing the feature in an intuitive usable way.
Hey Jonathan, good stuff…but I have to ask you. What are your thoughts on UAD audio examples? I so wish those guys would hire me to do their before and after videos showing examples. They are by far some of the worst I’ve ever seen. All they do is boost volume on their examples not really showing a good before and after. Ugh, it annoys the living crap out of me! I’m a die hard UAD user and have quite a bit of their plugins…but they never sold me based on their horrible video’s. LOL! I was hoping the video you put up was something you did.
I watched UAD videos till I was blue in the face, as their octo + everything bundle was gonna cost a LOT of money. Here’s my take on the making everything louder: you have to see thru the fluff. Some of it, like their Fatso and Massive Passive videos (I think) really show off the plugin. Others like the 610b and Neve 1073 demos, where the juice the level and say “Look! Warm!” are indeed bullshit. But when I actually started playing with the 610 and 1073 plugins for example, there was a subtle and highly transparent clarity in the way they actually do model tube saturation, that in my opinion is unique from Soundtoys, Waves, and Slate, who are also known far and wide for modeled saturation circuity.
What I think UAD does well in the videos is they showcase a variety of applications, they move through features quickly, and they don’t waste time like Slate does telling you “For the first time ever…Only at slate digital…you’ll be the envy of all of your friends…truly a mesmerizing sound, and a must have for everyone from beginner to pro”. I mean UAD does do a better job giving you facts.
Same here. The videos weren’t enough. In addition to not always being able to hear what the plugin ‘really’ sounds like, I had questions that the videos didn’t a address. I wanted to know why you had to buy the bundle, then upgrade the legacy versions of LA2A and 1176’s. I also wanted to know what specifically they were charging you for in upgraded V 2.0 of the Neve, or the Fairchild. I wanted to know why I should buy an SPL Vitalizer from them instead of an SPL Vitalizer from Plugin Alliance. So I had to call them on the phone and keep barking up the damn ladder until I was transferred to someone who could actually answer the question.
I’m really looking forward to doing some videos soon. My new facility has a video editing suite under the same roof, and I’m attaching both the audio and video rooms to the same server repository. I’m hoping I can shoot and edit a ton of little video demos and shootouts much easier. If I was doing these videos, I’d most certainly drop the output volume as I’m raising something else. Even if the plugins don’t have a attenuator link, I can do it manually from 2 assignable knobs on the System 5. So that way you hear the true affect, without the illusion caused by something simply being louder.
Yeah, I agree there too. I just wish UAD would get their levels correct so that you don’t hear a major difference where volume could be the reason you actually hear a difference. Some of their examples are so subtle, it sounds better with the plug off…or exactly the same. Kinda like the old saying (which I disagree with) “the best compressor is the one you never hear”.
I hear compression no matter how subtle when a good compressor is used. That’s how it should be. If you can’t hear the thing, it’s not doing anything. LOL! We don’t have to hear a compressor pump and breathe to know it’s working. When you hear your instruments stop lashing out and remain consistent while only stepping over the line due to dynamic worth, you’re hearing a good compressor. I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from. I just like to hear and see sound examples. UAD is so bad, I stopped watching and just try the darned things out on my own.
Yeah we do video editing as well here. It’s nice to have all the bases covered, that’s for sure. And it makes for examples right on the fly that can really help others. I wish I had the time I once had to do stuff like that. I actually miss it. But then there was always some joker thinking I was trying to rule the roost because I “know stuff” and can show it. It gets old constantly fighting with people while you attempt to help others. One day I just didn’t have enough frequent flier miles to go and kick the shit out of enough people.
Though it was at one time, and many great recordings were mixed with the CLA compressors and the SSL plugs, I think we just have better stuff to work with in the modeling realm these days. However, I still use a TON of their non-modeling stuff. The Trans X, MV2, X noise, Doubler, PS22…anything thats not supposed to be mimicking something else are often really usable. Take the Center, or the MondoMod, their good stuff. The R-comp is still a mainstay in a lot of broadcast environments for spoken word dialogue. Oh! And their C6 multi band is on almost every recording I mix. I like the in-phase for re-alligning stereo piano mics and overheads that were improperly placed…hell…I actually want to start another thread and see who’s still using waves plugins lol. I also use their R-de-esser. And the H-delay. Once again, all things that aren’t copying something else lol.
I agree 81% with this and disagree 19%. Because he has 26 plugins. I like 5 of them. And 5 divided by 26 is 19.
I don’t think his Bricasti is a joke. Its the best Bricasti emulator I’ve heard. I think its way better than the Altiverb or the Waves version of the Bricasti. I like his Repeater Delay, and I absolutely adore that Bomber. It acts like the UAD SPL transient designer, providing attack and sustain. (Slate transient = intensity knob counterclockwise, sustain = intensity knob clockwise. -vs- UAD transient = top knob, sustain = bottom knob). But its better than the UAD on some tracks because when you juice it still gives you a fun mangled but usable mash of goo. The UAD, if you really juice it, everything just falls apart. Finally I like his version of the Focusrite Red 2 or 3 or whatever…but his SSL emulator is a fail. Also like those Earth and Air modules. So…
Oh c’mon…they have a few good ones. That Massenburg EQ was worth every penny. I think their reverb was really nice because of the extensive control over early reflections. And if I have a dull sounding church choir, I can nuke them with the inflator and my clients go ‘wow dude…that’s awesome’.
So this time I disagree with you 21% because they make 14 plugins and I like 3 haha.
