Anybody Using Sonnox Plugins in LE

[The Dougfather]

Hi all,

Really interested int the elite bundle but just wanted to know what the sound quality, performance and CPU footprint was like. The McDSP Emerald pack is also an option but the RTAS restriction is the let down for me with regards to Peak, Logic etc.

Cheers

[JeremyPaulCarroll]

Hi there....
I own both the Sony Oxford and McDSP plugins. The Sonys are very good for certain things and the McDSP are very good for others

I will always choose the McDSP EQs and compressors over the Sony. Also, the McDSP tape saturation (Analogue Channel 2) is exquisite. The Sony Oxford Inflator is very useful too - both on individual instruments and on lack-lustre mixes.

The Oxford reverb is fantastic - I haven't really played with the McDSP reverb - it's yet another convolution jobby. I like the fact that the Oxford reverb is an algorithm reverb rather than a convolution. I find that convolution reverbs can sound too precise in a musical context ("Hey! That electric guitar REALLY sounds like it was recorded underwater in a subterranean cave!!" When clearly it wasn't.)

One of the most indispensable plugins from the Oxford set is one of the ones that I use least - the Transient Modulator. It's one of those things where NOTHING else does the job quite like it - it allows you to play around with the leading edge of a sound by adjusting the level of the initial transient and it does this in a way that a compressor/expander doesn't really touch. You can soften pick noise on an acoustic guitar or (and this is where it is really useful) if you have a transducer signal (i.e. plugged-in acoustic guitar) it allows you to put back some of the missing transient that gives away the piezo flavour of cheap pickups.

On the McDSP side.. the ML4000 multi band dynamics unit is incredible. it works as a great mastering tool, but also is fantastic if you need to have a multi-band expander - it's amazing for cleaning up and breathing life into flat and dull recordings. (by the way - as you can probably tell, I do a lot of mixing of live recordings. Usually very badly recorded ones).

Anyway, the Sony products have greater CPU usage - quite a lot heavier I would say.

If I had to choose between two bundles (and I own them both) then the McDSP wins hands down - despite the lack of VST/AU.

One more thing which is worth mentioning: when I demoed the McDSP bundle, I phoned them up and they gave me three additional demo periods after each one expired. They understood that as an audio professional the only way I can try products out is in a commercial environment. I don't have time to play around with products to demo them. I need to use them in a real life situation. When I phoned up the fourth time to extend my demo, they gave me an extra month. Nice to find a company with a great ethos.

Hope this helps,

Jeremy.

[The Dougfather]

Thanks for taking the time Jeremy, just what i needed, your a true gent.

I hear you on the CS side, regarding my project le bundle problem, Colin McDowell politely emailed back so their very much in the Digi way of doing things.

[JeremyPaulCarroll]

You're welcome... one other point to mention is that it's a very good idea to get the boxed product for McDSP (rather than just a download). It's a bit more expensive, but you do get a pre-loaded iLok with all the licences on (and it's bright green!!). Also - more importantly - you get a comprehensive manual which runs to a few hundred pages.

The reason why I mention this is because to get the proper use of the plugins you really, REALLY do need to read this. Many of the different variants of the compressor bank (for example) use the same graphical front end, but behave in quite different fashions. All this is detailed in the book.

Cheers!

Jeremy.

[Che_Guitarra]

I use their Transient Modulator plug. Kinda like a compressor and gate but not really (?!). It's the absolute bees knees for drums - if the attack is a bit soft or hard it can be fixed, so too if the decay is a little long or short.

Manipulative ability ranges from fractional correction to a speaker melting attack. It leaves no sonic imprint in terms of a specific tone/character, the signal is transperant unless pushed to the extreme.

I'll use this before anything just to get the drums vibing correctly - it's like a perfect mic placement plugin.

But it's a drums/percussion only plugin. Doesn't quite work on vocals or guitars. Sounds interesting, but useable? I'm unsure.

Can't say it's a CPU hog. No install side effects, never fails to load, etc...

[mindnoise]

Hello,

aaaahm, just to mention that I can fully support Carrol´s view.

Sonnox Reverb, Transient Mod and Inflator just kill anything similar out there.
But so does McDSP ML4000 and Channel G, too.

while you simply cannot go wrong with either company, why not pick the better part of them all.
Spending al little more money on individual plug-ins might actually SAVE you money,
as you don´t need to buy another flavor of the same, because it didn´t satisfy you in the first place.

And the McDSP are usually much more CPU friendly than the Sonnox.

best

[The Dougfather]

Thanks for the feedback everybody.

I'm going to take your advice and get bits and pieces of both bundles. I've downloaded all the demos in the past few days and if i'm honest i prefer the Sonnox in terms of transparency and non coloration but as stated by most, there are just some killer McDSP, more so the standalone single units that are must haves.

Cheers