I find the rnla really great with eq connected to side chain in/out.
It’s hard to make it sound bad with rolled of lows in the side chain.
I haven’t heard the “big boys” yet though.
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Yeah just another cheaper alternative, I had an electronic engineer friend make me a 3 mode switchable HPF that plugs in the sidechain insert, the RNC doesn’t like bass, it distorts it a little and drives it too hard. With the sidechain mod its a killer drum compressor or bus compressor in super nice mode though 
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BC1ltd…numbered from 1 to 100
Oh that’s sexy.
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Had the TK BC-2 mastering edition.
Basically the same but with stepped controls and tweaked internals.
All the TK gear sounds really good, punches above it’s weight price wise.
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Psyclone why did you sell it?
It’s no secret around here how much I love plugins 
Just couldn’t justify having it in the end
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Me too. I just like the way physical compressors look, but in the end I reach for whatever Buss compressor I will use for the day. It’s like buying a nice watch and not wearing it ever
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Yeah if you are working ITB anyway, no point imo.
Pure street cred only
OTB makes a bit more sense I guess
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pretty satisfied with my SA4k, even though its ”only” a VCA design. Adds a nice polish somehow. I’ll probably get a 2ch vari-mu at some point if some cheap clones ever become available, as I’ve heard vari-mu is the holy grail for grittier electronic styles like scrantzh and industrial techno. Stuff like the Manley nu-mu is almost in the finacial reach of mere mortals, so maybe there is hope for this in the future?
I can kinda understand not feeling it worth the hassle if ITB… But for me, final 2bus comp is okay OTB, I have everything patched up so that I just set my DAW output to 3-4 instead of 1-2 to go OTB and back again. Wouldn’t dream of using the same workflow for compressing individual tracks though, unless I was specifically aiming to ”wow” a client etc 
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i purchased a pair of nice watches a few months ago and hardly ever wear them 
actually they were incredibly cheap although look a million dollars.
my workflow is currently dawless, i neither trumpet that fact triumphantly nor look back longingly to previous times of ITB. it is how it is.
the Octatrack is front and center of the studio workflow and production scenario.
quite happy with the OT’s compressor. a bit harsh sometimes although the effect is quality and the individual track Volume is before it so that effects how the comp behaves.
Come to think of it, a Soft Knee parameter setting for the OT Compressor could be a worthy feature request.
if i were to use a hardware compressor it would need to be a linked stereo compressor, and put that on the Master Stereo Output when trying to record an entire track as a produced completed song recording … essentially in between the Octatrack and a recording device.
X-Logic multiband compressor might be nice in such a scenario, although i don’t really know how to use a multiband compressor. I guess it is like a frequency-responsive and band-limited series of five compressors all working at the same time
almost like an EQ yet not.
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API2500 for drums … or Telger Audiomanufaktur Cremé or VariMu
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yeah, was just checking into the tegeler audio VTC, looks tasty. Price seems quite reasonable too. You have one?
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Good call on both. I have a Tegeler Creme being delivered (hopefully today)… CAN’T WAIT! 
I still want an API 2500 though and will use a combination of the two. It’s something I do in software today on many mixes: UAD API 2500 with 1-2db compression into a VCA style compressor (usually the PA VSC-2) with another 1-2db. I love the result.
I plan to run a hybrid setup for mastering and looking for a handful pieces for color and character.
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Anyone tried Retro Instruments Powerstrip? Looks like it kills several birds with one stone.
have to check out the UAD API. Mostly using the UAD SSL on the masterfader for a little dip of around 0.5 db. Have the Waves API version and the old feed backward mode it sounds different then the UAD version. Has a nice little saturation and coloring. But not sure if its always good.
But speaking of UAD compressors … the Neve 33096 is also great for drums. also gives nice saturation and take away some of the lowend and brightness. alsmost sounds like oldschool house und jungle. Like that.
But I also thinking how cool it would be to have a real analog bus compressor for mixdown. Does it worth the upgrade from a UAD to a realy one? Or is it already so close that you wouldn´t can tell a difference?
anyone here using the the UAD Fatso??
I had UAD for years and the Fatso was my go to compressor for everything really.
Sounds awesome. Was one of my favourite UAD plugs.
Wraps everything in a big phat warm blanket.
Incredible on bass
ha that is interesting! yes the fatso gives good lowend and topend. I put that also always on the masterfader … but after several mixdowns of different tracks I find myself more often switching it off to have more clearity.
I used the UAD Shadow Hills on the master.
Just tickling the gain reduction meter, gave a real punch and cohesion to the mix
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I love the FATSO Sr UAD plug. I usually only use it on bass and drums though, not on the 2bus.
IME the UAD plugins nicely capture the ”essence” of their hardware counterparts, and in some cases sound spot on, but usually fall a lil short on the extremes of the operational ranges. Platinum records are being made every day with UAD plugs, so I’d say they’re good enough to get work done 
But! for weirdos like me, having and using a certain UAD plug for long enough time always gives me GAS for the hardware eventually. But every time, its a ”want, not need” type of thing. For example, now that I have a hardware SSL G bus comp clone, I’ve been procrastinating A/Bing it against the UAD plug in the fear that I will be unable to hear a big enough difference in sound between the two
Only area where I can hear a distinct difference against the plugins are in mic preamps. Even with all the UAD unison voodoo etc, my lowly DBX 386 tube mic pre with NOS mullards smokes the UAD 610A & 610B, every single time.
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Yeah wouldn’t use the Fatso on the 2bus either
Too much coloration
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