McDSP Compressorbank tips

[Still No SSL Yet]

I find that with this plugin I have to work harder at getting it to work on most signals, but when It works, It does so really well. I'm curious what are you guys using this for, and settings, tips etc... What I've been doing lately is borrowing comps from friends and using my spare time to tweak plugin settings to match or at least come close. I find my presets come wayyy closer than those that come with the plugin. Just wondering is you huys have any suggestions

[Dutchmuzik]

How about sharing your presets with us, Can you email them to me ?

[Mark Haliday]

I have found with CB that even a long experience in working with hardware compressors is not enough for instant gratification !
The problem with CB is that you get to tweak parameters that are normally hardwired into "normal" outboard stuff and this can easily change any good preset and make it sound like a cheap compressor pedal for guitar... even if that is useful sometimes ;-). BUT the opposite is true, and you can get some great results with it

The big progress came for me from reading again and again the short pdf manual (you only get that one when you install) with all the presets description. I then proceded to replace all their somewhat cryptic names with the "real" ones to make them more obvious (LA2A, 1176, neve , Avalon etc.

By the way, most common realworld compressors can be emulated with the CB1 algorithm, so you can forget CB2 &CB3 for a while (unless you are looking for some very specific effects), so as not to get drowned in the details.

Antoher thing to know is that attack and release times on the presets are not always realistic (often way too long,)notably LA2A. But you can sometimes find the right time constants on the manufacturers sites like www.uaudio.com for example.

For the moment I use mainly variations on the "blackface" (1176..), "LA to A" (LA2A) and Avalon (forgot what the original name was for that one), more rarely the dbx overeasy emulation settings.

You will notice when comparing these presets that the critical setting that makes the difference between say a dbx and a 1176 blackface is the "knee" (you should have your CB set to display the curve to make this visible). Unfortunatly knowing that will not make this setting easily tweakable !
That's what presets are for after all...

good experimenting
[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[lwilliam]

I usually start with either one of the blackface presets or the "Old Smoothie" presets and back off the threshhold (quite a bit), decrease the attack time and lengthen the release time (or set it to 300ms or thereabouts). This is for lead vocal tracks, which is mainly what I use it for...

Obviously, these settings won't work for everything, but it might give you an idea.

Hope that helps...

[Patheticus]

I don't care about emulation. Sure it's nice some times, but I usually find myself tweaking the plug in till it's perfect for specfic sound. And perfect for me usualy means present but not audible.

I do agree that you should start with CB1 until your totally comfortable with it. I rarely use CB2 or 3.

I know non of what I said is helpful, but I felt like talking.

~Kris

[Peter Duemmler]

I mostly use CB3 (the pre-EQ for Hi-Pass and the post-EQ for rudimentary shapings; that´s often enough processing I need on tracks).
And I´m mostly using compression that indeed IS audible. Too transparent is boring. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Peter

[tld]

Originally posted by Dutchmuzik:
How about sharing your presets with us, Can you email them to me ?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">...or post them to my co-op [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

http://www.digitalaudiorock.com

Tom