This one isn’t bad. I’ve used the waves one too. It’s ok. Much slappier in the highs and less lows. Not sure which I’d prefer. Probably the softube one.
The hardware you have is less like the original 160VU than you might think it is. Different compressors. The Softube VCA isn't like a 160VU, as it has a ton of controls, while the hardware has none. Most hardware of course has a tone, while plugins are more plain. Hardware often gets darker as it ages, and new or serviced units sound closer to plugins in many cases.
You're right, completely different compressors. I still feel like the tone, punchiness and overall quality of the hardware sounds nicer in the ix though. The plugin with it's controls is super useful though. It definitely has that sound, that punch. As I always say on this channel, different tools for different jobs.
I prefer hardware compression basically 100% of the time, when available. The really cheap $350 range clones of classic compressors available these days are better than any plugins. Having said that, a real DBX160VU costs as much as a car nowadays, so it's nice to have plugins at least attempt to mimic it.@@diyrecordingstudio
Would be interesting to hear the plugin samples with the same D/A-A/D signal path that the hardware samples followed, to see what if anything that might have added to the sound.
Honestly it's just out of the Quantum 4848, into the hardware and back again. It's all just the hardware doing it's thing. Interesting concept, but I think some people out there cleverer than me have tested the real effect of conversion I/O and it was pretty minimal if at all.
You have the drive set to off, but for a more authentic representation of the 160VU hardware, you need to have all the dials set to whete the orange marker is on each dial. With the drive off, perhaps it is making it a little less grimy than it normally would be, hence more harshness/less rounded highs than your hardware. The other thing is the 160VU hardware sounds different than the dbx hardware you have.
Thanks for the heads up regarding to the Drive Dial, it's default is off so it wasn't obvious. However, I did mess with the drive dial and honestly it made stuff sound worse. I cut that section out of the video because i actually felt it was unfair to the plugin to add it in. Obviously my hardware is different, I guess the question is though, which one do you prefer? Does it matter if the hardware is a different model? Does the hardware do a better job of giving that 160VU sound versus the plugin? Thanks for the info, much appreciated!
I'd love to know how other emulations like UAD/Waves/Analog Obsession/Stock Logic Compressor would compare, if any of them get closer to the hardware. Very good video nonetheless.
I cant focus becuse of the track used as an example 🤣
Hi, there the hardware is more defined and spatial. But I'm not sure how it would be in the blind test. Sometimes we want to hear something
Nice comparison, what other dbx emulation do you recommend ?
This one isn’t bad. I’ve used the waves one too. It’s ok. Much slappier in the highs and less lows. Not sure which I’d prefer. Probably the softube one.
@@diyrecordingstudio Aight, thanks man
Arturia?
The hardware you have is less like the original 160VU than you might think it is. Different compressors.
The Softube VCA isn't like a 160VU, as it has a ton of controls, while the hardware has none.
Most hardware of course has a tone, while plugins are more plain.
Hardware often gets darker as it ages, and new or serviced units sound closer to plugins in many cases.
You're right, completely different compressors. I still feel like the tone, punchiness and overall quality of the hardware sounds nicer in the ix though. The plugin with it's controls is super useful though. It definitely has that sound, that punch. As I always say on this channel, different tools for different jobs.
I prefer hardware compression basically 100% of the time, when available. The really cheap $350 range clones of classic compressors available these days are better than any plugins. Having said that, a real DBX160VU costs as much as a car nowadays, so it's nice to have plugins at least attempt to mimic it.@@diyrecordingstudio
The softube plugin isn't even based on that unit right? Anyhow prefered the hw in this video
Would be interesting to hear the plugin samples with the same D/A-A/D signal path that the hardware samples followed, to see what if anything that might have added to the sound.
Honestly it's just out of the Quantum 4848, into the hardware and back again. It's all just the hardware doing it's thing. Interesting concept, but I think some people out there cleverer than me have tested the real effect of conversion I/O and it was pretty minimal if at all.
You have the drive set to off, but for a more authentic representation of the 160VU hardware, you need to have all the dials set to whete the orange marker is on each dial. With the drive off, perhaps it is making it a little less grimy than it normally would be, hence more harshness/less rounded highs than your hardware. The other thing is the 160VU hardware sounds different than the dbx hardware you have.
Thanks for the heads up regarding to the Drive Dial, it's default is off so it wasn't obvious. However, I did mess with the drive dial and honestly it made stuff sound worse. I cut that section out of the video because i actually felt it was unfair to the plugin to add it in.
Obviously my hardware is different, I guess the question is though, which one do you prefer? Does it matter if the hardware is a different model? Does the hardware do a better job of giving that 160VU sound versus the plugin?
Thanks for the info, much appreciated!
Nothing will fix those recordings.
Yes, because they don't need fixing
Hahaha, thanks mate. Can't please everyone.
I'd love to know how other emulations like UAD/Waves/Analog Obsession/Stock Logic Compressor would compare, if any of them get closer to the hardware.
Very good video nonetheless.
Thanks Joshua. I did one recently of the UAD la2a versus the real hardware. Very obvious difference.
@@diyrecordingstudio Very cool, I'll check it out!
Ya, the plugin is for sure "flatter". It takes the transients away quite a bit to my ear. Where the hardware accents it more.
Yeah that's typically what I hear in these shootouts too. Thanks for the comment.
Wasn’t totally knocked out by this either. That being said, a freebie is a freebie
Yeah 100%. Can’t knock it if it’s free.
Ya the hardware is way better
Yeah I like it too. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Pls use a better musical example next time.....seriously
Nah, I'm just gonna keep supporting local artists. You don't have to love em, but I'm gonna keep pluggin em.
Many plugins introduce mud and harshness. Sad!
Yeah I think so too. The more I do these videos, the more I hear the same! Thanks for dropping a comment!