Master Buss Compressor Setting

Vocals too high in the mix? Too low? Not even sure? Snare sounds wonky? And how do I make everything louder than everything else? Step in, step in, for your mix Viagra from people who know the secrets.
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paulman
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by paulman »

miroslav wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:53 am
paulman wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:36 am I just really like my UA plugins that I bought back before I became poor again.
If I started over with my plug-in hoarding...I would be looking hard at the UA stuff...though TBH, when I started buying lots of plugs, UA didn't have the huge selection of great plugs they have now.
That said...I'm not hurting for plugs...I've got a ton of Waves plugs, and as much as people drool over the UA stuff, most of the Wave stuff is good too. I mean, there are some identical plugs by UA and Wavers, and people are always comparing...but both are good, there just might be some minor sonic differences. Like I know UA's Neve channel is probably a bit closer to the original hardware, but Wave's Sheps' version is quite good too...just a slightly different flavor.
I also have most of the stuff offered by Plugin Alliance...and all their stuff is top-notch.

The best thing about the UA stuff is that you get the additional DSP processing power rather than depending on the computer entirely...so if you're the type that uses a lot of plugs per track, per mix...it help quite a bit.
I know here, KC uses the UA stuff.
I keep looking for a deal on a quad core PCIe card, as that would work for my computer...but still not cheap when you add in a decent amount of plugs.
Not that I need more plugs. :facepalm:
I have the UA Neve preamp plugin, and maybe it's because I don't know how to make the best use of it, but I've been having better luck with the UA preamp that comes for free with the hardware. I tend to get harsh sounds with the Neve. The Neve EQ has been very useful, though. As far as Waves or UA being better, the only thing I own from both is their Fairchild comps, and since I've never used the real thing I have no idea which one is a better model. I just usually get what I want out of the UA one. I really like the TG12345 console from Waves. On a master it can really help with that whole clear yet warm thing that I'm always after, and it's often good on instruments depending on the situation.

I love the DSP with UA, and the fact that you can use the plugins seamlessly while tracking, but my Apollo Duo fills up on processing power faster than I'd like it to. Fortunately I've been finding some great non-UA plugins (took me a while to realize how much great free stuff there is), and my computer can handle far more plugins than my Apollo can.
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rayc
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by rayc »

The number of freebies is amazing. The range is even more amazing but quality is the issue - or rather the time and effort it takes to ascertain the quality is the issue for me. These days I don't bother with anything VST/plugin DLL etc unless it comes with a recco from someone who's ears and work I trust.
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rayc
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Greg_L
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by Greg_L »

rayc wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:35 am The number of freebies is amazing. The range is even more amazing but quality is the issue - or rather the time and effort it takes to ascertain the quality is the issue for me. These days I don't bother with anything VST/plugin DLL etc unless it comes with a recco from someone who's ears and work I trust.
A big part of my judgement of plug-ins is how easy is it to use right away. I don't want a learning curve with a plug in. I don't wanna use presets either. I want something that's engineered well enough to be usable quickly. But it needs to be tweakable too. None of that one-knob shit. That's pretty much it for me. If I find a plug that catches my attention and it's easy to jump right into, then I'll use it somewhere.
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rammer24
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by rammer24 »

Greg_L wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:06 am A big part of my judgement of plug-ins is how easy is it to use right away. I don't want a learning curve with a plug in. I don't wanna use presets either. I want something that's engineered well enough to be usable quickly. But it needs to be tweakable too. None of that one-knob shit. That's pretty much it for me. If I find a plug that catches my attention and it's easy to jump right into, then I'll use it somewhere.
Yup. Me too. If it's a compressor, I want a simple attack, release, ratio, and threshold. That's it. Fuck off. Same with EQ's, etc....Don't make it complicated and don't bother programming pre-sets. It's not that hard to do, I have no idea why some EQ's and compressors look like the dashboard of the Delorean in Back to the Future.

I must admit that I am influenced by the GUI. It has to be simple, but it also has to look appealing. That's the main reason I'm just not able to use any of the JS stuff in REAPER. Too generic looking. I know they work fine, but I just can't do it.
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rammer24
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by rammer24 »

Greg_L wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 2:45 pm Vocals - I savagely murder the shit out of vocals. I just like the way it sounds.
Ever since you mixed my tune, I've been doing the same thing. I used to meticulously set the compressor so that I get about 4-6db compression. When you smashed the shit out of them, I loved the way that sounded. I actually liked my vocals after you did that. Since then, I just lower that threshold motherfucker as low it will go on my last few songs and it sounds great. So, that mini-mic "contest" was good for something after all. :D
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Greg_L
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by Greg_L »

rammer24 wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:50 pm
Ever since you mixed my tune, I've been doing the same thing. I used to meticulously set the compressor so that I get about 4-6db compression. When you smashed the shit out of them, I loved the way that sounded. I actually liked my vocals after you did that. Since then, I just lower that threshold motherfucker as low it will go on my last few songs and it sounds great. So, that mini-mic "contest" was good for something after all. :D
Lol. Yeah smash that shit! It sounds good on vocals.
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miroslav
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Re: Master Buss Compressor Setting

Post by miroslav »

Maybe that's what I need to do also...:D
When I was trying out that dual compression setup on the vocals in that mix I posted...I wasn't really pushing them too hard.

I've been reworking that mix, I may have something today/tomorrow...I think some of the clarity issues are now gone....a lot of small shit.
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