your favorite transparent dynamics plugins, not hardware emulators

rovergear 🎙️ · 28th January 2024

Hey folks,

Curious what you all prefer for all-round versatile compressors that aren't trying to emulate hardware. As the years go by I end up just using FabFilter Pro C2 for more and more. It is professional, well-coded, clean UI, very versatile - can add some mojo if needed. But I'm always on the lookout for other tools. Toneprojects Unisum is another favorite.

I have tried heaps of other plugins from Softube, Waves, Plugin Alliance, but nothing has really clicked.

Anything else out there you'd recommend?

the fxs · 28th January 2024

Fir Comp

alibling · 28th January 2024

Pulsar modular p11

Edit: sorry, it is not really clean, but u can nevertheless get a lot of mileage out of it.

Hide · 29th January 2024

Sonnox Oxford Dynamics
It's my go-to compressor using almost 100% every in my track.

jpanderson80 · 29th January 2024

TDR Kotelnikov - focused on fast workflow, clean sound, and mostly buss/mastering duties

superwolf · 29th January 2024

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpanderson80 ➡️

TDR Kotelnikov - focused on fast workflow, clean sound, and mostly buss/mastering duties

I second Kotelnikov. The breakthrough for me was getting used to the dual release time control. Such a satisfying and gentle way of compression. It’s a really heady and deep plugin; I probably need to do my annual rewatch of the Dan Worral overview.

norbury brook · 29th January 2024

for transparent compression I've found sonible smart comp to be very good. Main probelm you might find is , it doesn't sound like compression when used well

which is why I use it when i do.

M

abell1234 · 29th January 2024

Logic stock comp, the digital premium or platinum digital or whatever it’s called.

singaiya · 29th January 2024

For tracks, Fir comp. Clean and transparent, and unlike many comps it does not alias at the fastest attack settings.

For busses and master, Kotelnikov GE. Super deep, and with new, innovative functions, like frequency dependent ratio.

Both are very reasonably priced too.

50-pence · 29th January 2024

Quote:

Originally Posted by the fxs ➡️

Fir Comp

All day, every day.

+ MDWDRC2

thermos · 29th January 2024

MDWDRC2 slays all by 1,000,000 miles

n8pee · 29th January 2024

Quote:

Originally Posted by superwolf ➡️

I second Kotelnikov. The breakthrough for me was getting used to the dual release time control. Such a satisfying and gentle way of compression. It’s a really heady and deep plugin; I probably need to do my annual rewatch of the Dan Worral overview.

Any tips for this? It's hard for me to think through setting two release times.

Wayne · 30th January 2024

Klanghelm DC8C is worth mentioning. Very versatile, clean and/or not.
https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/DC8C

sirjuxtable · 30th January 2024

Another vote for Kotelnikov. Although, I did use Logic's transparent comp quite a bit before I got the TDR plugins. I just got so used to using the Kotelnikov for everything transparent that I forgot about the logic one.

joeq · 30th January 2024

mark down one more vote for Kotelnikov
not only super-transparent, it has a very deep feature set. I have had it for several years and feel like I have only scratched the surface of its functionality.

rovergear 🎙️ · 3rd February 2024

thx for the replies. will check out kotelinkov. <3

Co. · 3rd February 2024

Kotelnikov is amazing and I'm using Klanghelm DC8C more and more.
One rarely mentioned transparent compressor is flux Solera. I usually don't use it on busses, but very often on single tracks. With compression, expansion, decompression, deexpansion and a lot of tweakability, it can be a real transparent problem solving compressor. I often use it before reverbs, to get their response just right.

jdgreen · 3rd February 2024

your favorite transparent dynamics plugins, not hardware emulators

Great video from the Kotelnikov thread.

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