I usually do 2 or 4:1, max attack, auto release, 2-3 db compression. This is my standard setup and I adjust as needed (all master 2 buss). I use the sidechain and like it for 75% of my mixes. I figure I can really hone in on the low end in mastering and I want to allow my kicks to not drive the compression as much. I set it between 60-80. I never mess w vgain. I rarely use headroom. My recordings are usually pretty quiet and I dont hit this hard so I have to lower the threshold a lot. That comes from the analog console days I think.

Well the wider stage can be explained by more variation between the left and right channel as is more indicative of older components. Manufacturers sought to iron out these discrepancies. The wider spectrum could probably be attributed to additional harmonics that were also seen as an undesirable thing in the early days.

Whatever the reason is though, is almost pointless as it’s about what you find desirable and functional in your setting. I’ve been checking out Iron and Shadow Hills lately. Let me say, there’s a reason why the have good rep.

I’d like to put up the Shadow Hills against the PuigChild, not to see which one is “better”, there is no such thing really, but it’s to see hw they sonically compare and how they could compliment each other. Iron was designed to be a more fully featured Fairchild, hence the interest. If I had a Manley I’d compare that too.

Well I went down the path of trying everything.

Townhouse
Waves SSL
Puig 670 or whatever it is Waves
PA Iron
PA Shadow Hills Class A


Townhouse is the most lively of the bunch. It doesnt compress like Im used to. I think when I made my first impression comments I got push back because I compared it to the waves ssl and it was more open and lively. But after using it a lot it just doenst glue the track together like I used to an ssl comp doing. I stick to my ssl settings but maybe I need to compress past 4db on this software?

Waves ssl is the most ssl like to me (I worked on a 4k g for years). It lacks the depth maybe but that can be so many things in my memory. When I say the most ssl like its because of the way the metering works (its a little slow) and how it glues the track together. Its not as open as the townhouse but thats good and its good to have both options.

Puig is instantly warm. Its more narrow to me but also adds heft. I dont use it much on master buss though. I do like that I can do dual mono so I use it in buss channels for guitars a lot.

PA Iron I just got because I wasnt happy with the way the SH worked. I only used this on 1 mix and 1 master so far but it does what I want. I only used the stock mastering settings in the manual too because there are so many options with eq curves and tube saturation that it gets overwhelming. But on the stock recommendations this does everything you want. Glues the track togther. Controls bass without it getting loose or boomy. Adds heft in a transparent way. You can also really push this past the normal 1-3 db of reduction and it doesnt smash the signal in a negative way. Very good so far and Ive only touched the surface.

SH Class A I dont really like. Ill find uses on tracks but its not a modern compressor for what I am doing. I have not bypassed optical and use only discrete because opto is flabby to me. I feel like this doesnt really compress things like I expect. And with the low end flub it doesnt do it for me.

Man I switch all the time because of the vibe I'm after for the track or because I want to try something different. As I most likely would have alluded earlier. It seems interesting to me the at someone keeps switching because of a specific sound they remember.

You do realise though, that our brains never recall anything accurately. That's why eye-witness accounts of traumatic events are never consistent. It's also why we also tend to remember the past as "better" than what it actually is. What I'm trying to get at, is this ghost you're chasing might just be that... a ghost. You might be chasing the impression of a sound that you're brain has no way of accurately recalling.

In which case, just go with the vibe you like, even if isn't an SSL and clearly, you've tried a few alternatives. There will never ever be a perfect solution, that's why I always suggest having several.

I picked this up for $25 USD last weekend - the bargain of the century so far.

Killer plugin compressor, really amazing.

And I hear a familiar sound in it, a sound I heard in a shytload of my favourite recordings done at the Townhouse in the late 70s/early 80s, particularly the explosive drum sounds (think XTC).

LOVE IT.

I'm a fan of the Townhouse as well. Got it super cheap on sale a while ago. Great plugin. I havent noticed any aliasing but it does have some saturation in its tone. Very cool vibe. It's only sort of SSL bus comp like but in general I use it in the same kind of circumstances.

The Acme Opticom has a great sound too. Both are very analog sounding. Not that it's SSL style at all. Much different compression style on these two.

Coloration can be good or bad, depends on what you want. As I get better with sorting out problem frequencies I'm finding I reach for heavily colored compressors and tape less than in the past. I still use them but it's more on busses than individual tracks.

Pinned on my Master Fader for the past 4 or 5 tracks I've done lately ... it has a secret sauce when coupled with a Manley Massive Passive & Softube Weiss Limiter !

Man, I love the Opticom too. I'll use it just as a pass through "color box" sometimes.

They've finally added scalable UI :

I remember when I got it. I was like, wow, that sounds nice.

It is so simple and when it works it just slots right in

It's great for that.

Townhouse was the best buss comp I'd heard at that time, I haven't check much new stuff out though. I might have to do a massive shootout of everything again , though I don't have my main monitors here.

I’m wondering why such a brightening boost. Was that transformers?

Is it just me or is it impossible to turn the "analog" noise off completely?

Even with V-Gain all the way down it still comes through.

Not here, nothing...

VST 2.4 version, Reaper v6.13, Windows 10 LTSC.

It appears that way here also but as soon as another compressor is placed after it or the master gain increased it comes through.

I don't know if this applies but UAD said that some noise is inevitable to an analog modeling code. What they have said is that it is "always quieter than the real one was" so in the sense of comparing Townhouse to the hardware that it copies, that would be the measure of its success with noisiness.

Hmmm, that's a shame. It's my new favourite comp but the noise really causes me issues. I need to follow it with a gate but that impacts other elements of the track.

I admit that I have never had the issue, but the Waves plugins, some of them, gave me a big problem like this.

It could be a compound problem, perhaps some noise in front of the compressor on an individual track.

Maybe the overall gain staging structure could be tweaked.

Have you done some scientific test of the plugin?

Yep, all of this. Your post followed my exact logic.

I started wondering where the noise was and then traced it back to townhouse. It indeed was compounded by duplicate instances (drumbuss and master). I muted the second instance and it was fine but as soon as there was any compression or limiting on the master it appeared again.

I then started a brand new project with just two tracks of townhouse and immediately the same issue. The threshold is relatively high and the ratio is only 2:1 so I’m not even slamming it.

Well that’s strange. Never had any issues with noise being to much even at the default settings. But i only use it on busses or the master fader. Have you tried messing with the headroom settings?

Hmmm, no. We could be onto something. Headroom settings you say. Interesting... will check it out tonight.

Might also look into:

Thanks but mentioned I looked into that already

I might make a video because I can’t be the only person with this issue.

It's bothering you Mushy, and I hope you get it solved, but for me, I love noise.

It took me a while to grasp the relationship between noise and perceived brightness.

I like the fact that many plugins offer variable amounts of noise, or none at all, depending on what the program material calls for.

But uncontrollable noise, less desirable. Especially when followed by a comp or limiter.

Any luck?

Woof! It is awesome also on acoustic stringed instruments!
This thing is solid

Thanks Jeff and everybody else who assisted. This is the moment when I walk back into the thread with my tail between my legs

I opened up the project where I noticed the issue and immediately needed to turn down the volume due to the noise. The point being that it wasn't just a tiny bit in the background, it was as though a synth was playing white noise at a reasonable level. I then went through each of the tracks (150 odd) and muted them one by one and guess what.... the issue was Colour Copy.

I didn't even know it had a noise circuit included but after disabling all instances the noise was completely gone.

So essentially in the first phase of my testing I had the compounded issue of Townhouse noise added to compressed Colour Copy noise. Then after reducing the v-gain on Townhouse I was still listening to compressed Colour Copy noise. The reason I then thought it was Townhouse was because when I bypassed that the noise was gone which, in hindsight, makes sense because the many many Colour Copy instances were no longer being compressed.

TL;DR: All fixed now and thanks to everybody for their help. The noise in Townhouse can indeed to reduced to an inaudible level and I'm back in love wih it.

Good to hear that you found the cause!