Alright, here is the followup to my quite popular thread

SSL Bus Comp Shootout (SSL X-Rack, Stam SA-4000+, Duende, Slate, Waves, bx_townhouse) .

This time, it's 11 contenders. Pretty much for a blind test, I know, maybe too much, but so it's rather complete. There's a raw file with all of 'em bypassed and two sets of files, all files are matched to the exact same LUFS int. loudness.

Participants (alphabetical order):

Analog Obsession BUSTERse (free)
bx Townhouse
Cytomic The Glue*
DMG TrackComp 2
IK Buss Comp
Slate FG-Grey
Smart C1*
SSL X-Rack
SSL native v6
UAD 2
Waves

* Smart was used in stereo mode, Glue with no OS to keep it as comparable as possible.

Settings:

Ratio 4:1
Att 30ms
Rel .1s
NO makeup gain

Calibration:

Different sine tones to give as exact as possible the same amount of actual gain reduction on peaks and average, despite what a needle may read.

Normal file set:

Max. 2db gain reduction - that's what me and most people I know would do.

+2db file set:

Same settings, mix pushing 2db harder into compressors - this is what I wouldn't do in real life. Still sounds okay, but is too much for my taste. However, it brings out the differences between the units a bit more.
With this set of files, especially listen to the transition between verse and chorus.

Setup:

Samplerate 44.1kHz
AD/DA Ferrofish/RME

Artist/Song:

On the Shoulders Of Giants - "Smallest Giant"
(EP coming out soon)

Download the files here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nh361i4s0x...20Pt3.zip?dl=0

NOTE: Strongly encouraged by many users in the above thread, I will keep this test blind forever, too. It's the only meaningful way. I will send every participant in the thread the key per PM asap.
You can directly PM me for the key, however I'd really appreciate you chime in and report your findings in the thread first.

Enjoy

Indeed I am excited : ) Thanks so much JSchlomo, this can have only been a tonne of work!

Will give it a crack. So, I take it the model's with the asterisk, like the Cytomic The Glue*, and Smart C1* are both hardware?

No, the * leads to the *notes, as these two have options the other don't have (dual mono for the Smart, internal oversampling for the Glue).

HW units are the Smart C1 and the SSL X-Rack.

It was. But my pleasure. ;-)

listened to my monitors and on headphones and came up with the following (I listened to the normal files):



Liked them the most:

H like, good depth C1?
D good room, punchy, good alround picture depth and glue, SSL X RACK/TRACKCOMP?
J Good picture, gluey, loses a little bit less depth though SSL Native?

Was okay, but not outstanding in comparison:

F maybe a little bit too gluey compared to the rest, noticeable at the voice, THE GLUE? (lol)
K I like, could grab a little bit more, sounds looser, otherwise not bad
I not bad, emphasises the sides, the guitars come out too loud to me, otherwise not bad
A good depth, a bit "boring" more natural, less saturation, could maybe grab a little bit more?
B SLATE, a little bit closed in, more emphasis on drums, also saturated more than the rest
G less glue? Vocals get a little bit lost

Not really liked them in comparison:

E bit 2d, muffled?
C Waves, a bit 2D, less room, drums seems to not fit the room of the rest, too upfront

Also, do the +2dB files have the same letters as the normal ones, or are they mixed through another time?

Curious to know whats what and what you ended up using for the track
Cheers!

EDIT: With further tweaking and mixing into it I am sure one could yield results with a lot of them. The snare was overall a tiny bit too loud for me, like 0,1-0,2 db or sth like that, that had an influence on which compressors I liked. Those who could glue that together, without losing their depth were my favs.

Thanx for your detailed response and sharing your findings.

The letters on the +2db files are the exact same, so you can compare exactly how the units behave when compressing more.

PM coming right up, you're def. gonna be surprised!

Hi!

Thanks for doing this test.

I like F and C the best.

I have a Warm Bus compressor and an X-Rack but only with the dynamics module, not the Bus compressor.

Please Pm me the results.

Best Regards
Fredrik Berg

Hi!,

I liked three, for different uses:

C: round sounding, transformer like.

F: More transparent/clear.

K: Punchy, transient pop out.

Can you PM the results please?.

Thank you!,
Daniel.

Thanx, guys, PMs sent!

Thanks for this massive undertaking! So helpful and much appreciated. I preferred A, E, D, F, H. G was nice & clean, C had more low mid (Townhouse?), I seemed to have a wider image, J was more gentle. B & K not as impressive as the rest. Looking forward to the key!

PM sent, thanx for joining!

Thank you for this

I listened to the normal versions on headphones (Sonarworks calibrated), and I liked F the most; I thought it had a bit more clarity than the rest. C takes second place followed by J.

Thanx for chiming in, PM coming.

Can I get a PM with the answers? Thanks.
p.s. Why not just have a link to a website page (or even just another 'answer' thread) somewhere with the keys, instead of having to PM everyone?

Because everyone could visit that before listening. Many participants of the previous thread have encouraged me to keep this blind. PM coming.

True, but someone could also, as I did, just ask for a PM before listening. I just want to know which plugin to buy! Lol. But either way it's a great resource, so thanks! I don't have any intention of owning the hardwares to these, so very happy to have something that is, to some, indistinguishable.

p.s. I was a little confused about whether this was simply an extension of the first thread, adding some additional contenders, or a completely new list including new answer keys. Because the first part mentions "adding" the IK to the list for the second part. My initial thought was the answers would be the same, (i.e. Waves would be 'X' in both lists, and new compressors would just be added onto the end). But it appears to have new answers with the letters for each rearranged. So if someone loved 'F' in this thread, that's not the same 'F' as the first thread.

Exactly. Different song, different letter key, starting afresh. I want these to be just about listening, no bias, just blind. Contenders are the same plus added new ones.

I liked F the most, through headphones. PM please, great work

So...how do you expect to have accurate results comparing compressors when you're not even compressing the audio? You didn't even mention threshold settings- which is when the audio actually gets compressed, dialing it in.. And if you really want to know how each plugin or hardware reacts to incoming audio, you should dial back that threshold considerably and raise the gain- that's when a compressor shows it's true colors.


Great job op! You've proven nothing

Maybe you should better read, before flaming around.

"Max. 2db gain reduction - that's what me and most people I know would do."

Thanx for stating the obvious.

I could explain that I meticulously matched the thresholds so all units really compress the same and didn't up the makeup gain since pretty much every one hates the makeup on SSL comps. I could also ask if you bothered to read how much I compressed or listen to both sets of files.
Instead I just admit I'm a complete ****** and don't know how to use these comps.
I beg your pardon for taking the time to do this. Since you know how to do it right and own all these hard- and software units, I'm looking forward to your shootout which will showcase how each of these compressors sounds when it compresses too much and how accurately the plugins model the noisy and soundshrinking makeup of the hardware.
Wait, with dialing back the treshold and raising the gain instead you must have meant the input gain. I'm so stupid I couldn't find it. Maybe because there is none on this design.

Thanks for doing this, JSchlomo. Listening on headphones. I liked many of them for different reasons, but if I had to pick one it would be E. Would love to know results when you have a chance!

I would be lying if I said that I noticed something perceptibly different between these... I'm listening on customer headphones..

So I guess that any plugin would make me happy Probably need to train more my hearing (or get a decent equipment to hear it)
Can you send me the results please?

It may be a bit of both, but one thing I would recommend is focusing on specific elements as you listen through each one. So, for example, listen to all of them, focusing on just the sound of the kick drum. Then the snare, vocal, etc. And try keeping your volume a little lower than usual (a lot of people will turn up to try to focus but that can be counterproductive).

This is a challenging but great set of recordings to train your ears because the OP did an excellent job of matching the various clips!

Reminds me of how a far down the chain of importance a bus comp is.

I did have a favorite but may have just been how they reacted to the mix. I liked the least amount of poke on the drum transients. I,J,F in that order

Pm please

It would be interesting to hear the files with autorelease engaged (I'm more of a autorelease guy). The differences are then ususally easier to spot, this is where the really good comps shine imho.

But still, try to listen at the front to back depth, the room and how every instrument interacts with each other. The vocal and the drum transients (kick/snare) may be the easiest for that.

Thanx! PM coming. I'll just add that for me it's the opposite: bus comp is very high in the chain of importance. It affects every track.


Thanx, guys! Coming right up!

FWIW, I did try auto for this purpose. But it was super boring and negated all the punch and movement the fast release did bring. It's not that I never use auto, but 19 out of 20 times, I'll switch back to fast and enjoy the excitement. But you're right, the auto release showcases a unit and indees this is where some plugins may fall a little short.

I agree a bus comp is important just which brand of Ssl is not. I own a Alan smart c1, waves, uad an another that I picked as my favorite on this test. In my normal use the one I picked as my favorite is actually my least favorite Ssl type bus comp. so I say it’s how you mix and set the comp that maters more that which one you use.