Top 11 Best Variable-Mu Compressor Emulation Plugins In 2023 Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor (A2) Lots of cool things that appear to be based in reality but with a twist. This one sounded stiffer and more high-fi than the othersthough not by a lot. The Slate Digital FG-Mu (link to check the price of the Virtual Buss Compressor Series at Slate Digital) is a tube compressor plugin based largely on the Fairchild 670 and Manley Vari Mu. Use the three-band semi-parametric EQ to shape the sidechain signal to enhance the compression triggering and achieve de-essing. IK Multimedia is featured in My New Microphone's Top 11 Best Virtual/Software Instrument Plugin Brands. I tend to live in the gentle and transparent camp and have always had a hard time really digging way into a main mix compressor without feeling like something is being taken away from the mix. Not everyone has experience with all of these compressors, so I am offering a direct comparison under specific conditions so they can hear what is different and what is the same, thats all. When used this way, I rely on compressors that have a clean signal path and a transparent way of controlling the mix that is subtle yet effective. To learn more about compressor sidechain signals and semi-parametric EQ, check out the following My New Microphone articles: The Complete Guide To Sidechain Compression In AudioWhat Is Semi-Parametric Equalization/EQ In Audio? Thank you for your courage, and for having sharing links for all bands (it was a nice touch) Vari Mu vs Fairchild 670 | UAD, Apollo, and LUNA Forums I'm curious to know if anyone has ever done any head to head comparison of these different products, to see how they compare to one another. It is comprised of an optical compressor and a VCA compressor in series. It was a lot of work to put together! Fairchild 670 vs Manley Vari Mu for mastering? These sound pretty similar, though the Slate is not quite as open sounding on the top end. | SWEETWATER | THOMANN | AMAZON | REVERB |, The Best Compressor Plugins for Mix Bus (With Audio Examples), click here to download the full resolution files, My GO TOMix Bus: Three Pros Share Their Secret Weapons, The Best Ear Training Apps for Producers, Engineers & Recording Musicians, Mic Shootout: Affordable Large Diaphragm Condensers, Free Mini-Course on Mixing with Compression from Justin Colletti, 4 Magic Plugins That Might Just Fix Your Mix After All. A tube (aka "variable-mu," "vari-mu") compressor produces smooth compression with warm and pleasant coloration. Vari-mu Overview A valve is usually designed so that its mu or amplification factor is constant throughout its entire operating range. He has worked with At The Drive-In, Coheed and Cambria, Sparta, Gone is Gone, As Tall as Lions, and hundreds of other artists over the last 30 years. It may not be magic, but it can be pretty damn cool. [If you want to hear the runners-up in this category, you can download them here.]. Unlike traditional Vari-Mu designs, which use a single tube for compression, IRON employs a unique dual circuit topology. This type of limiter works by using the "remote cut-off" or re-biasing of a vacuum tube to achieve compression. Yes, the API doesnt work on everything, but when it does . NI Vari Comp - anyone use this? : r/audioengineering - Reddit The Elysia Alpha Compressor is a kind of desert island choice for me. The Stereo Variable Mu Limiter Compressor from Manley Labs is the GLUE that holds the mix together while crystallizing it into a professional, final product. The kick is tight, solid, while retaining good bottom end and the guitars are nice and spanky. (You can also click here to download the full resolution files.). Slate Digital's FG-Mu is part of the Virtual Buss Compressors: a suite of 3 expertly modelled compressor plugins. Tube-Tech CL 2A 4 4. Their Coral, Lime, and Sand compressors are among the most hardware-like plugins Ive ever used. The natural yet colourful tone offers superb glue compression and beautiful saturation when pushed hard. Since theyre different and the gain reduction circuits respond differently to the transients, it must have seemingly extended the decay of a reverb and brought it forward, thus making it more apparent. link to Audio: What Are Faders? Beyond the different models, this compressor is pretty straightforward in its control. Arturia also includes other parameters not featured in the original hardware in the bottom panel. It also often makes a great group compressor, especially in situations where the transformer selection adds to the sound like acoustic & electric guitars, bass, etc.). Because there is both a peak crest and a soft knee adjustment, it was quite easy to optimize it for a kind of dual operation. ), and then I work on the balance between them. The Zener Limiter has an unusual gain structure, and when compressing complex material like a full-on rock mix, its not always easy to keep it out of compression without turning something down in front of the limiter. So, I modified my approach and came up with a better plan: As an additional test, I figured it would be more useful to try the compressors on a few different types of music and then curate things a little bit by selecting only the ones that performed the best for that specific task. I could name a bunch of other UAD plugins, and that is kind of the thing. It has a 1.5:1 ratio in compress mode and goes from 4:1 to 20:1 in limit mode, depending on the amount of gain reduction applied. Waves is well known for its outstanding plugin emulations of world-class hardware. We're currently living in the age of digital audio, and in-the-box mixing within a digital audio workstation is commonplace. I can always dig out 2 5 more dB with a mix and still sound transparent with it. In the last 10-15 years however (and in some cases earlier) the 2-mix compressor has become elemental to the work of so many top-flight mixers that it was worth exploring what a more heavy-handed approach can bring to a mix. The Klanghelm MJUC is compatible with Mac OS and Windows OS and comes in AAX Native, AU and VST formats. All the major bases are pretty well covered here, including: This is an emulation of the famous all-tube compressor by Manley which employs the same gain-reduction method as a Fairchild 670. Ive had somewhat similar experiences with Mike Major, with slight exceptions. Millennia TCL-2 10 10. Choose between internal and external sidechain signals and control the gain of the sidechain easily. Top 11 Best Analog Mix Bus Compressors of All Time I find that the choices available are more fully exercised when Im mastering because the different comps offer more tools with which to shape things. Each of the 20 vacuum tubes and 11 hand-wired transformers has been considered in this truly remarkable digital recreation of a classic. The mix seemed slightly clearer with this compressor, which allowed me to hear more detail within the stereo image, specifically on the percussion. After having gone over multiple plugin emulations of this legendary hardware, there isn't much else to say regarding the character and controls. This compressor plugin has a spectacular all-tube character, like the original hardware it emulates. I could live with these three if necessary. I use mostly UA (I mean a *lot* of UA, and almost always in Pro Tools, FWIW) and seem to change up that 2-bus compression almost per project, but I have to say I do like the Shadow Hills. I also found that the Slate seemed better if I drove it a little further into compression than the Vertigo. I hope that some of these observations will inspire you to take a step back from how you mix and see if a different approach can jump-start your mixes. Dial-in the straightforward controls and hear the sound of the 670 and Vari-Mu clearly with this superb plugin. Although optimized for mastering, the Manley T-Bar Mod Variable Mu Mastering Version is a high-end, esoteric piece of kit that delivers miraculous results on individual tracks and stems. There are plenty of excellent analog variable-mu/tube compressors and plugin emulations of such compressors. I have tried it a dozen times and cant ever get to the point that Im like OK! For this third and final test, I went much further into the compressors and made them work a little bit. Whenever I write an article or do a review of something, my main goal is to offer you, the reader, some perspective and information that you may not be able to find anywhere else. When Im mixing, I work on my different instruments (drums, bass, guitars, keys, vocals, etc. When theyre barely working, the differences between them all were somewhat insignificant. This beautiful plugin sounds great, looks great and runs on surprisingly little CPU, making it a deserving plugin for mix buses and, if necessary, every single track in a DAW session. I have limited experience with their stuff but Im pretty impressed thus far. This program-dependent compressor practically does the job for you and offers soft and warm distortion if you drive it super hard. No matter; it really added something that I dont even think could be achieved if you paired a compressor with a good EQ. While I would still test each compressor in the normal (for me), transparent manner, I also did my best to use the compressors in ways that are atypical of my approach, compressing the mix more aggressively. I have tried the UAD API 2500. Thanks for the tip! Manley Variable MU Compressor/Limiter - Thomann UK Thank you!!! Universal Audio has a knack for producing surprisingly perfect reactions of classic hardware in plugin form. Its compression sound very natural due, in large part, to the emulated high control voltage and simple signal path. Its hard to hold that many sounds in your head at once, especially when the differences are minute, so that didnt sound too productive to me. Even still, I set them up to add something musically beneficial, and in all instances, the compressed mix was subjectively better than the unprocessed mix. Thanks again for the shootout! Its almost as if we cant truly complete a mix until weve applied the magic dust that our favorite comp seems to impart. With so many options to choose from, I've compiled what I consider to be the 11 best variable-mu/tube compressor emulations plugins. With extensive research and development spanning practically all variable-mu compression implementations, the MJUC has been ultimately developed with 3 distinctly magnificent tube-compressor algorithms. sknotes SDC is a fantastic emulation of the Shadow Hills! Izotopes Ozone has improved over the years, but it is a bit of a beast to deal with; besides, multiband is not the topic here. For more info, please check out his YouTube channel and his music. Thats not illustrative in any way. What is a variable-mu compressor? best regards. In typical T-RackS fashion, The Dyna Mu is designed for operational mode with L/R and M/S channels. The UTA UnFairchild is a painstaking recreation of the classic sound of this circuit. The real truth is the difference from box to box. The precious vintage Fairchild 670 also uses this technique and is one of few all-tube compressor to do so, that we know of. A variable-mu (variable gain) compressor is an analog compressor centred around a vacuum tube. Engage auto-gain for improved A/Bing and adjust the Saturation knob to get the perfect amount of vacuum tube warmth. Original Fairchilds are . I had so many others to choose from (probably too many) that I felt it wasnt necessary to include. Still you took the grand-risque of posting it, while it could only be a failing (Shootout) with the impossibility of objectively hearing anything but three 30 seconds clips, that gave us the chance to perhaps discover new bands with different compressors applied to them. Manley Variable Mu Stereo Compressor Limiter with T-Bar - Sweetwater 4 Types of Analog Compressionand Why They Matter in a Digital For the first test, I used a song from The March Divide, with whom I just completed a record. Variable Mu Mono Manley Laboratories, Inc. Developed under Manley Labs' rigorous scrutiny, the Manley Variable Mu Limiter Compressor plug-in is a thorough emulation of this legendary tube limiter, and is based on the coveted "6BA6 T-BAR Tube Mod" unit. My use (and love) of a good 2-mix compressor didnt develop overnight, and in the beginning, it didnt always seem to help in the way I expected it to. The sonic diversity of variable-mu compressor topologies is on full display with this superb plugin. I can remember some stuff I mixed way back when that really sounded strange on the radio. Menchville vs Maury - High School Football 11/18/2022 - YouTube For more information on system requirements and authorization instructions, check out the UAD Plug-Ins Manual. . Use the Timbre knob to shape the tone of each model. link to What Are The Step-By-Steps Of Mixing Music? Which Compressor Plugin Should I Choose for My Mix? | Waves For this reason, I've created My New Microphone's Comprehensive Audio Plugins Buyer's Guide. Rupert Neve Designs Portico II MBP 5 5. From subtle overtones and gentle tone shaping to distinctly analog soft-clipping saturation, the Arturia brings the sound of the famed Gates STA-Level Tube Compressor to the world of audio plugins. There are two modes with this compressor. I have a bunch of 2-mix-worthy comps at my disposal and have used them all at one point or another with some success, so it knew it wouldnt be hard to clearly show what each one does on the same piece of music. IK Multimedia T-RackS gets its second mention with this one. I just wanted to point the limitations of this particular shoutout . Not a lot of coloration per se (unless you use the peak limiter function), but for thickening up & widening, it does the job. Whether the compression task on a drum bus, acoustic guitar, vocal, snare drum or even the master channel, you can count on the Pulsar Audio Mu to deliver transparent yet warm results we have come to expect from world-class variable-mu compressors. It doesnt appreciably soften the sound of anything either. Vari-mu compressors are known for their smooth and natural sound and are often used on vocals, drums, and bass.
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