I've had the honor of testing out the UBK-1 Compressor plugin from Kush Audio. I've been experimenting with it, and by know means have I really learned the full functionality and capability of this plugin.

However, I've been putting it through the works and thought I'd share some of the results.

Below I've posted a vocal clip from an emcee named Adam Zarate. He's pretty badass as a rapper and has a great ear for production and sound quality. I'm waiting on a link to his website, which I'll post up in thanks for letting me use his raw vocal sample for this post.

The vocal clips are as follows:

The dry vocal.
The vocal treated only with the UBK-1
The vocal fully treated as it sits in the mix with only the vocal and reverb returns solo'd.
A snippet of the complete mix. PLEASE BE AWARE THIS INCLUDES A 12DB BOOST FROM A LIMITER SO TURN YOUR MONITORS DOWN BEFORE LISTENING TO THE COMPLETE MIX CLIP

bump

Great product!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used this on my mix bus just experimenting and wow!!!!!!!!!!!

with UBK. Seems very good and perhaps under-priced by a hundred bones.
Greg is a mensch. Humble and very generous with his time. I would encourage anyone who can to visit the booth and chat it up with him while giving it a listen!

Congrats Matt! Now I'm drooling...

If the internet was a road...i RAN to his site...downloaded a free license and got hit with a Digidesign installer...

im so depressed

No worries, AU and VST to drop in about 4 weeks.


Gregory Scott - ubk

It really gives the vocal some meat - thanks for the clips Storyville.

I will be purchasing this one. Been awhile since I've been excited about a plug.

This is a beast comp plug. been demoing it for a while and im loving the push this plug has really sounds like im pushing a physical circuit. UBK hit it out the park and with all the great new plugs out recently Im most impressed wth this one. WARNING if you demo this plug you will have to have it!

Haven't demoed it yet, waiting for AU to come out.

Loved what Greg did to the Fatso based on his video tutorial. I have a Fatso and was very tempted to send it in for the mod.

This plug sounds like one of those must have pieces of gear.

Thanks for posting the files.

I would love to hear more experiments / before & afters with this plug

Not sure I can really facilitate a before and after - but here's a mix that has UBK-1 all over the place.

I like how this sounds, good atmosphere to it

Thanks - I don't quite think the mix is 100% 100%, I did it late yesterday and haven't had a chance to revisit it yet - but I think it's close. I'm thinking maybe a touch of 'verb on the drum overheads, and something about the vocals isn't totally on point for me. But it's close and the UBK-1 definitely played a major role in the mix.

UBK-1 was on:

Kick In
Kick Out
Snare
OHs
Drum Room

Keyboard

Percussion

Vocals

Bass.

I think the only places I didn't use it were the "violins" (which are actually bowed guitars), drum buss, and master buss. The bowed guitars I couldn't get it to not over-excite the sound and make it harsh. The drum buss just simply didn't need any compression - I worked the individual tracks I guess to the point where it was all synergetic. On the master buss I felt like things were getting too gritty too quickly (having put the UBK-1 on damn near everything else perhaps it was just too much). I used RComp and Massey L2007 on the master buss instead.

Yeah I'm looking forward to Christmas, prob be the first (and last) I spend that much for something digital ..lol

Thanks to GS, i actually understood the last part of your post.

I'm still a Noob to bus compression, though I use it, I'd like to get more out of it..so i could pick the right tools and methods...but for now...using something like this for individual sounds...seems to be what i need. My DAW(s) stock everything else seems to fit the bills...though the Waves Tape and Hybrid series may cause me to tell a lie....(about first statement)

Honestly - some of the stock DAW stuff gets slept on hard. Digi Lo-Fi, and AIR Lo-Fi - both AMAZING plugins. Logic compressors are very good, and the Logic shuffler is really cool. The Digi Gate I use all the time, the Digi EQ is very good.

RComp is super fast even in opto, which is part of the reason I used it on masterbuss. I want to ease off some of the stray transients before hitting the limiter. The other part is the release curve on opto mode can bring out a little lift in the elements in between the drums in a subtle way - makes it all sound a bit fuller. It's definitely not the best plugin for buss compression in the world but in certain cases it works.

Thanks for the examples Story
In the Adam (processed) clip what other plugins do you have in the chain?
Cheers

Agree with story re stock plugs being some great go to tools

Don't think this plug , however, is anything to rave about.

There are plenty of saturation/compression and eq plugs out there...their usually called channel strips.

although this seems to mimick the fatso, I don't think the fatso is all that great...I find the warmth and tranny stuff quite useless and the comp not as good as the distressor (which is a great comp)...and I find the plug even less useful because at least with the fatso you could find a nice sweet spot on electric guitars by pushing the input.

The UBK-1 does seem to do a good job of softening things up...if that is what you want for some reason.

Browns The New Black

I think it's important to actually use a product before you comment on it.

No this plug most definitely can NOT do what most other sat plugs can.

No I don't consider the "good work" someone does when deciding whether I like a product they designed. I consider that when I consider TRYING the product out.

Greg being a great guy is not an issue for me.

I don't much like this plug and I don't like the UBK fatso much either.

Niether impacts sound in a greatly positive way for me.

I'll go from testing to making gravy train mixes in less than 2 sessions.

Which is totally valid. Comes down to what you're doing and how you're doing it.

I think this plug shines for making things "thicker", for heavy compression, and for curving over transients. It's not a plug I've liked for subtlety or for pushing things forward. RComp, RVox, and RenAxx all cover that ground for me very nicely.

Greg's intention for this plugin was to design a compressor that "creates movement". It definitely does that - but getting that sweet spot is a little tricky and I'm still learning it. What makes it unique as a compressor is the curves and the amount of swing you can get from those curves. As I get to understanding how to really get the most out of this plugin I think I'll be able to put up examples of using the compressor to create rhythms and dynamics.

K, got the session open. In order I have:

UBK-1 to thicken and supply harmonics

REQ to open it up. A cut in the lower mids, a cut at 1.4khz, and a notch boost at 2.4khz

RVox doing the slightest bit of gain reduction just to push things forward.

RDesser - this gig I was charging hourly and I didn't want to run the client's bill by manually riding all the esses.

URS Fulltec EQ - I love this EQ, best top end in the box. +4db at 10khz.

REQ again. For whatever reason I felt a little more tweaking necessary, I have a wide cut around 230hz, Q was 0.68 and I was only doing 1.4db of attenuation. Then I have a narrower 2db lift at 15khz. I guess I was trying to make it shinier.

AIR Enhancer. I'm barely hitting the thing, it's just adding a touch of "pizzazz".


The saturation from the UBK-1 and the AIR Enhancer one at the beginning of the chain one at the end hits on the original sound. Basically the initial sound was a bit thin and dull (sonically speaking) - so I had to create the illusion of a thicker and livelier sound.

Not meaning to Hi Jack this thread, or Storyvilles Time...

But I was wondering do you apply that chain to every aspect of the rappers performance?

i.e. (Lead, Double, Adlib, Talking, Etc) to get everything to THAT level first..or is there a chain and method for each part?

I usually bus all my tracks to one fader...and compress/de-ess/Boost there...and on individual tracks, I'd gate, compress, eq one at a time...even etc etc...

but i have a feeling im using too much resources?

Hahahaha. Taking my time eh? That'll cost you ten billion dollars! But this time I'll waive the fee.

No, I don't use the same chain on adlib vocals. First thing I use on adlibs is my brain. I need to know what role they play - are they supposed to be big and upfront, or are they just supposed to put certain words in "bold" print. If they're supposed to be upfront as much as the vocals, I may use a similar or the same vocal chain. If not, I tend to skip things like exciters, and I'll usually eq them differently to compliment the lead. I tend to be a bit heavier on the compression on adlibs as well.

The chain varies - sometimes it's much shorter - sometimes there's all sorts of shit on there as I beat the adlibs to a pulp. Totally varies based on how I think the adlibs (or how the producer/client thinks the adlibs) should feel.



Anyways - speaking of derailing threads - I'll be Austin, Texas this week so ATX Slutz hit me up!

Maybe if you used the plug as I have, then your opinion would be valid. As it stands, it isn't...and your personal attack is weird and inappropriate.

I'm sure I know how to use a plug in, but as Story also suggested, you get to know them the more you use them. The truth is that when you actually work at this stuff, you will have a good idea within an hour of using something as to whether it's worth investigating further.

I have no interest in investigating further, but am interested in opinions of those that have actually used the plug.

To each, their own.

Can't wait to use this on my R&B.

No it's not personal. It's a review of a product, which I thought we were doing here. I'm not sure what you are doing, but it isn't reviewing this product. If you want to praise a company, that's fine. IIf you'd like to review a plug for people, it's usually a great thing to actually use it first.

After testing the UBK-1 out, I conclude that your money will best be spent elsewhere...but try for yourself and let us know here what you think!

Defending BD here. As much as I like the new UBK plugin (and I'm a fan of Greg approach to sonics) BD is allowed to "not" like something as well. Pointless to have a go on that basis!!