both sound great and are so close that if you go 15 mins for a coffee and somebody swap your HW for the plugin you will not notice when u come back ! and with the HW and Plugin you will dial them until you find the sound you like and within the context of a mix you will be so hard-pressed to find a difference ....what is surprising is that the plugin sounds a lil bit darker but in a good way but the smack on the snare both sounds 95% the same ...great you put chapters in the video
The hardware saturates the mids way better - I can hear the difference very clear. I did my own test with my Summing mixer and had the same result - it is just something with the saturation that polishes the signal. Been trying to get the same result itb (same mix, without the SSL Board) and I‘m not getting there, no matter what kind of saturation plugin I use. And It was just faders, didnt do any EQ, but had the G Comp engaged. And the phantom center was dead center - where itb I have the feeling that it smears the center a bit. The difference is just 5-10% overall, but the better I get, the more I hear those 5-10%. But you are right - most people wont hear the difference.
Actually the plugin narrows the stereo image quite a lot and you don't have to "listen carefully" for that, it's a pretty obvious side effect of the plugs in general.
Correct, summed through my ssl six the other day and was shocked what was happening to the stereo image. Try to replicate it itb and didnt come close (and I tried several methods with several plugins).
In the hardware, the left and right settings are set separately for attack and releases, etc., so they are not exactly balanced with each other (even if you put them really close) which also makes it sound wider, and in the plugin, left and right are always the same value, so it also sounds narrower
The hardware is dual-mono cause its two separate units & their slight setting differences help the stereo image. Since he's in Pro Tools he could have use multi-mono and set the left & right manually like he did with the hardware. It would have retained a better image! Kind of a well known secret 😄
In all these kind of shoot outs I feel the hardware sounds better but the plug-in is great for the price, and convenient. The slight difference of how hardware sounds better would add up on a track by track basis to make a finished mix more pleasing. It’s the cliche term, but hardware really does often sound more 3D and juicy, while plugins often sound flat and more sterile.
Once u learn Kotelnikov GE edition u will never claim that it does sound so much like pwm compressor that u can't tell and is also so transparent.Those emulations are total bullshit.Unisum Pro C and Kotelnikov can handle any compression task with ease and easily can sounds better then hw.Unisum is already used from a lot of mastering guys.
Great video!!! I feel like ITB in general, you really have to push your tools to their limit to get the right sound you want. With hardware, its kind of there already with some ideal settings. Like the issue with the plugin hitting that kind of limiter when pushing it on the drums, would require fiddiling with it more, EQ and dealing with harshness to get the same sound you got on the hardware in a few moves. Whether that ease the hardware brings is worth it to one or another is up to them i guess. Gotta use what works best for you!
In general I do prefer the hardware. The plugin adds a bit of "paperiness" to the sound. But the difference is not that big, tbh. So yeah, well done uad. As a matter of interest what sample rate are you running the session at? Some of what I don't like about the plugin might be aliasing
Very nicely done comparison thank you! On the full mix I agree about the drums being a tiny bit punchier with the hardware, but I actually like what the plugin did to the vocals better than the hardware. They were more lush and present sounding with the plugin to my ears, with the hardware they sounded a little cloudy, rougher and less present.
Maybe cool to add some blind A/B' ing to the videos in the future. Visual cues are decieving, i think we all adjusted a bypassed plugin parameters, and thought the sound was improving. Great content!
Yeah you'll be surprised how as soon as it's blind all the experts suddenly can't hear the difference. I blind test myself all the time just to check my own biases.
Excellent comparison. I’ve found that the real difference between pluging and hardware, is that the hardware-compressor most likely will still be in business 30 years from now and most likely still retain most of it’s value(plugins has absolutely no resale value) Soundwise plugins has comed such a long way the last years that the even the top dogs in the industry has moved completely in the box (for mixing).
I don’t doubt that Empirical Labs hardware will still be around 30 years from now, as Dave Derr has already shown, many times over the past 30 (or so) years that both he and his team at EL have been around, that they are most certainly innovators, and that they develop and build gear that is not only always of great build and sound quality, but that is also of great value in function and use, and adding great benefits in workflow to those who use it. But…your suggestion that Universal Audio “might not be around 30 years from now” is, IMO, being very shortsighted. UA has been around for a very long time now (much longer than EL) since Bill Putnam first started the company in the late 1950’s - and, because of UA’s innovation, designs, technology, commitment to build quality in equipment and design, (as well as in the coding and accuracy of their software), UA/UAD is solidly and deeply entrenched in the audio recording industry. They’ve given us 1176’s, LA2-A’s, 610 mic preamps, all of which have become ubiquitous in studios worldwide, both big and small. Based on their long and illustrious history, I doubt very much that they’re going away anytime soon…or even in the next 30 years…or 40…or 50… As far as the resale value of hardware verses software, yes, of course, the hardware - if it’s GOOD hardware - will almost always hold its value, and perhaps even greatly increase in value over time. But, I can say with full honesty that, having spent the last 4 decades as an audio engineer, and owner of several commercial studios, not ONCE during that entire time did I ever consider the potential future resale value of a piece of equipment as a deciding factor in my purchase…for that matter, I never considered it at all. Anytime I ever bought any gear (new or used) the only things I ever considered were: Did I want it? How the gear sounded How it could/would benefit my studio work flow, and enhance the quality of my recordings and mixes The quality of its build, and, of course, what I could afford. If a particular piece of gear that I’d purchased did happen to hold its value over time, or even if I was able to sell it for more than what I’d originally purchased it for, then yeah, of course I was happy about that…but, that was never a part of my consideration and decision making when I was originally buying the gear to begin with. 😉 Anyway…. FWIW.
I been using my Distressor plugin for a couple of years now and find they work good enough. But since you have an SSL I would love to see how it stacks up to one of my favorite plugin alliance vst which is the "SSL 9000 J" I also love their amek 9099 and lindell 80. These all seem to make it onto my all of my mixes in one way or another. Thanks for all your content.
I find that compressors are one area where hardware is clearly superior in most ways, apart from recallability. I have never preferred a plug in to a physical unit in any comparison that I have done or heard.
I prefer the hardware for it's depth and width. When you do a comparison on a single instrument in a full mix, then you will even experience a bigger contrast between the hardware and the plugin.
@@Gang-25j the people who say this simply have less attuned ears, imo. If you don’t hear a difference, great, use plugins and stop worrying about it. No need to convince people in the comments, use what works for you.
@@Gang-25j i agree with original commenter, but i also agree with you. i use hardware (wesaudio NG76) and software 1176’s, and it’s crazy how more polished the hardware can be if dialed in right. but mixing with hardware can be so slow with printing each stem, so i only use it on lead vocal tracks or would use on instruments tracks that i plan to keep in mono. if you gotta pump out a lot of music on short turnarounds then in the box is 100% worth sticking to.
they're close because neither is doing much, they excel at high GR, I have a pair and when I want to use 3dB of GR I just stick to plugin, but with more I go with HW. You can hear it in the last example
Hi, i have 2 elx8 in démo in the studio. I m comparing with UAD and it s really close and as you said when don t push it hard ...well, i really don t know if i will but them. Because of money. But when i track i feel so good , running piano and beat through it inspires me. Considering i have little latency if i do this with the uad.... I also have an overstayer svc comp which is Amazing, really a beast.. Also i have an IGS 176 and an Acme opticom in 500 format. I go with it when tracking vocals etc.... If you can give me advice would be great....thx !!
It's funny how TH-camrs always say something likw "the plugin is really good, I kinda almost prefer it" when it sounds clearly inferior to the hardware every single time...
I'd bet you $1000 dollars I can put a ITB compressor and outboard compressor side by side and you couldn't pick the correct one everytime.. you see him switching back n fourth so your brain tells you that it's better
why does no body start showing how to connect a distressor? - what the hell a "floating pin" is or whatever. All I know is, there's a cord and it plugs in. When my Distressor manual says "if you use a single-ended XLR ouput, leave unused pin floating," that might as well be written in the language of Martians. How does one leave an unused pin floating? - Please help.
Put a slight low end boost and they will be even closer. I feel light the hardware is getting converted again affecting that slight difference in sound.
Great video bro. I would not expect a plugin to sound like a hardware counterpart. It is a matter of if both sound good or not and not using the same settings for both. Two of the same hardware have a different sound and have to adjust them to sound as close to each other...
Great video! Personally I would love to see IK Comprexxor comparison with both the plugin and hw. The hardware is not an option for me, but I would like to know if it is worth upgrading from the IK Multimedias plugin to something else or is it more or less all that can be had in plugin domain :)
@@thomasvopstal I think you can still get it for free after filling some survey. I think it is worth it since IK plugins are pretty decent most of the time (even if it is not the most faithful distressor around) :) It is described on bedroomproducers blog how to get it free.
the plugin is thin compared to the hardware. and hardware sounds wider, because the two units have a difference in channels and settings, despite the same values. if the uad wants to be like hardware, they need to do dual mono processing and seriously work on the saturation of the top and bottom. in the video there is a question, is the difference worth the overpayment and inconvenience? my answer is "yes", since the compression that sounds in the distressor plugin can be done in pro-c2, it makes no sense to buy another plugin for such compression.
Super interesting. I liked the hardware on the nuke setting. But other than that, i´m happy to have the plugin. Thanks for this video Thomas. Greetz. Carsten ✌🏼
And finally one big question ! : first of all i m convinced the hardware and plugin are really close BUT how can you do without the hardware is you use it for tracking ? I run my drum machine to the distressor, then to an analog eq, then to the audio interface !!! No solution ???
@@thomasvopstal Sounds like my plug-in library hehe. I think it is a great plugin though! It's not a 1-1 emulation so I'd like to see what the difference is.
I would like to see a comparison where you make a mix using analog gear vs digital, you set your time make your best with analog then you try digital without trying to copy the analog settings.
Hmmm it is close but the hardware has more debth, 3 dimensionality and a pleasant warmth to it. I only use software but if i had the money i would buy the analog stuff. Maybe i'm an exception but digital makes me restless. My ears don't always hear it but my brains notice it.
Hi Thomas, we can say objectively, that they sound close. And we can ask instead - is the hardware worth it? If you are struggling financially and if there are more pressing things to buy, no its not worth it. All that said, hardware continues to outperform plugins for me in crucial ways. I won’t say I can’t mistake one for the other, I’m continually frustrated why I cannot consistently id the hardware over a plugin. But the experience of hardware in the room, its responsiveness, its broader and greater range of sweet spots, is quite a different experience. While not watching blind, its clearer that the HW is open and natural, the musicality seems preserved. The plugin does this weird thing of bunching up the dynamics and makes the audio tighter and smaller. I hear this in every plugin , doesn’t really matter what the topology is. The difference in practice, is that I get bigger, clearer more authentic sounding recordings and mixes with 2 pieces of hardware, and perhaps a plugin compared to 6-7 plugins as I try to make audio sound right in the speakers. Even then the result is not pleasing to me.
Hello. I m now testing 2 distressors, i like, but they are 1400 dollars each and i have the uad....i notice the difference yes, it makes the glue better, more harmonics... And also perhaps would be great when tracking because i like tracking with characterfull sometimes.....
If no one told you want an individual track was compressed, you wouldn’t being able to tell what comp was used or if it was software or not..cut the bs
I am very surprised by the quality of a plugin. This is really an easy choice as you save money, space, cabeling and time for recording stems through it. Plus usually you would need at least 2 of hardware units. Fabfilter Pro Q + Distressor plugin is enough to achieve high quality mixes these days. Better investment in high quality studio monitors
Exactly, this is what frustrates me about HW vs PI. Its one thing to find a sound in seconds you like on HW, but quite another to chase an established great sound for 30minutes.
Definitely the hardware,the hardware just flat out sounds more natural as it should.They both sound good,your average listener wouldnt give a rats arse but us gear heads,producers,engineers etc always do. Hardware wins
I think the hardware is more there to make our workflow easier anyway. Just getting to that sound quicker and with less steps. But yeah both are great, plugin really surprised me tho
Something that's often overlooked is that the hardware has cables and a AD/DA converter to pass through when comparing. Those values need to be considered. These days one must ask, is it worth it in your workflow? Great video! They're so close.
Plugins are always colder and lacks the warmth of hardware, for this reason I will always buy hardware if i can afford it it. The thing about software is that they can warm up software by adding some low end warmth if they wish, but they often aren't interested in making software identical to their hardware counterpart.
The problem is we just love machines 😂😂 Plugins this days Very good sound Easy to use Cheap And normal people can’t hear the difference We talk about 5 % difference U hear 👂 3350 dollar difference 😂😂😂 ?????? Answer is noooooooooooooooooo
So KIIVE audio Has a Distressor And the Softube MikeE Comp Both of those are a little closer to the hardware then UAD I challenge you to Shoot out Acustica Audio SANDE+ And TimP Nebula L Bus Comp Or the SANDEQE+ and the SAND3 Bus Compressor By Acustica Audio against your SSL Comsole
I know it looks that way! But the glass is there because communication with the liveroom is very important in a recordingstudio. Also the glass is set at a certain angle which refracts the soundwaves so it won’t reflect back to the listening position. All walls are set at an angle to prevent standing waves. Trust me, there’s been a lot of designing and calculations involved in building this studio😅
I gotta say 100% hardware is better but I really don’t know what I’m hearing with it. It sounds more alive I guess. The plug-in didn’t get me excited about the sound. It almost sounds like its a distortion.
The uad have cardboard sound this is up the dsp chipset those are better for reverbs and delays and indeed uad delay and reverbs sounds amazing as this papery subduenes make them very dark and deep.Fgxa chips in the antelope audio are better for transients and their distressor sounds cleaner more punchier
Definitely, the plugins are 98% sounding like the physical equipment, meaning any insignificant differences can be remedied with a few small tweaks. YOU CANNOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE!!!
I agree with you; I was firstly thinking hw was way better; but i had 2 distressors, with british mode for 2 weeks and did a lot of comparison (on mixbus, vocals, guitars, drumbus, pianos). They re similar, more than most of others plugins, here uad created a very very good job (their 1073 preamp too). These 2 distressors are for sale, and i think i won t buy; because so close to hardware , and also i have an overstayer svc comp , and have others priorities. Well of course if i had lot of money perhaps i ll keep for it is cool to turn the knobs and get the thing....
I think you must listen to these comparisons with headphones (unless you have a pinpoint accurate, listening room) The difference isn’t subtle. The way the hardware handles stereo information and transients is far superior than the plug-in. Plug-in simply throws a blanket over the mix. While it does a good job unifying the mix, it narrows the stereo field. The top end loses the space around it. Whole mix becomes 2 D from 3D. the plugin made it sound like every other digital processed and compressed material out there. So Do you still buy the hardware? Money is only a problem when you don’t have it. And how many musician/engineer has the budget nowadays? of course you can get the job done with a plug-in, even with stock plugins. It just wont have that sonic finesse. And yes “99% people listens music on cheap earbuds speakers bla bla!” A sensitive ear can still ear the difference. But you have to put your money into where it counts. We live in times where music has almost no financial value unless you had millions of streams.. so you do yours maths. Plug in are getting better just like robots and AI, will it still beat the real thing? So far not
From what I understand the recall on the UAD version is an advantage, but the Slate FG-Stress which is licensed by Impriracle Labs is the better (more accurate) sounding plugin.
So much hearsay in this comment section. the plugin sounded very similar to the hardware. considering that it costs 1/10th of the price and you can use it as much as you want, the plugin seems better. Every comparison video I see places exactly the same settings on the hardware and the plugin. If they are providing different results, the engineer should be able to adjust attack and release times to more accurately model the hardware.
The Hardware grooves a little more and sound more alive with higher GR. Its always the same, doesnt matter what kind of comps we try to match (1176, SSL, LA2A, etc) the hardware has always something extra.
I think Kiive Audio's Xtressor....would be competive with both of them....Kiive Audio is so close...its no point in getting the Hardware...waste of Money...put that into marketing....
It is so freakin comical when there you tube pinheads say they hear a difference. its like the guys tha hear the difference in cables or a wire in a guitar.
99% of people listen to music through the $1 headphones that come with their smartphones and will never distinguish whether the music was recorded , in my opinion.
Not sure if you know this but phones don't come with headphones anymore now you have to spend 200 for the official pair. And they actually sound so much better than they did 10 yesrs ago. Phone speakers on the other hand.... garbage lol
It’s never mattered about the end user being able to distinguish gear. It’s never been expected. It’s about the end result and it pleasing the ear. They don’t know how you achieve that end result - that’s the magic.
No plug in can ever compare to the real thing oh and the plug-in you get a picture of the EL8 😂. So your trying to tell me a $3500 EL8 the real thing a plug-in sounds the same BS iv been doing this for 35 years I’m not buying it.
I’m really curious if we think we still live in the 1970’s or in 2023 with cellphones that sound better then analog wired home phones.. can’t fix stupid
This is how comparisons should be made. Thanks!
both sound great and are so close that if you go 15 mins for a coffee and somebody swap your HW for the plugin you will not notice when u come back ! and with the HW and Plugin you will dial them until you find the sound you like and within the context of a mix you will be so hard-pressed to find a difference ....what is surprising is that the plugin sounds a lil bit darker but in a good way but the smack on the snare both sounds 95% the same ...great you put chapters in the video
The hardware saturates the mids way better - I can hear the difference very clear. I did my own test with my Summing mixer and had the same result - it is just something with the saturation that polishes the signal. Been trying to get the same result itb (same mix, without the SSL Board) and I‘m not getting there, no matter what kind of saturation plugin I use. And It was just faders, didnt do any EQ, but had the G Comp engaged. And the phantom center was dead center - where itb I have the feeling that it smears the center a bit. The difference is just 5-10% overall, but the better I get, the more I hear those 5-10%. But you are right - most people wont hear the difference.
Actually the plugin narrows the stereo image quite a lot and you don't have to "listen carefully" for that, it's a pretty obvious side effect of the plugs in general.
Have yet to hear a plug-in that didn’t narrow the stereo image.
@@chrisalexander7819 waves s1
Correct, summed through my ssl six the other day and was shocked what was happening to the stereo image. Try to replicate it itb and didnt come close (and I tried several methods with several plugins).
In the hardware, the left and right settings are set separately for attack and releases, etc., so they are not exactly balanced with each other (even if you put them really close) which also makes it sound wider, and in the plugin, left and right are always the same value, so it also sounds narrower
The hardware is dual-mono cause its two separate units & their slight setting differences help the stereo image. Since he's in Pro Tools he could have use multi-mono and set the left & right manually like he did with the hardware. It would have retained a better image! Kind of a well known secret 😄
In all these kind of shoot outs I feel the hardware sounds better but the plug-in is great for the price, and convenient.
The slight difference of how hardware sounds better would add up on a track by track basis to make a finished mix more pleasing.
It’s the cliche term, but hardware really does often sound more 3D and juicy, while plugins often sound flat and more sterile.
Once u learn Kotelnikov GE edition u will never claim that it does sound so much like pwm compressor that u can't tell and is also so transparent.Those emulations are total bullshit.Unisum Pro C and Kotelnikov can handle any compression task with ease and easily can sounds better then hw.Unisum is already used from a lot of mastering guys.
Great video!!! I feel like ITB in general, you really have to push your tools to their limit to get the right sound you want. With hardware, its kind of there already with some ideal settings. Like the issue with the plugin hitting that kind of limiter when pushing it on the drums, would require fiddiling with it more, EQ and dealing with harshness to get the same sound you got on the hardware in a few moves. Whether that ease the hardware brings is worth it to one or another is up to them i guess. Gotta use what works best for you!
In general I do prefer the hardware. The plugin adds a bit of "paperiness" to the sound. But the difference is not that big, tbh. So yeah, well done uad.
As a matter of interest what sample rate are you running the session at? Some of what I don't like about the plugin might be aliasing
Great comment, probably aliasing or oversampling artifacts indeed
Dude, such a great video. Well done!
Thanks so much! Means a lot!
Great video! I’d love to see a TUBE-TECH CL 1B vs the UAD version!
Check out my page, it’s already there😉
I have TUBE KC-1 Comp
It sounds amazing and easy to use
The hardware adds more groove and feel. But they're close. Much closer than I expected.
It also surprised me how close they are!
"More groove and feel", come on dude really.
Very nicely done comparison thank you! On the full mix I agree about the drums being a tiny bit punchier with the hardware, but I actually like what the plugin did to the vocals better than the hardware. They were more lush and present sounding with the plugin to my ears, with the hardware they sounded a little cloudy, rougher and less present.
Hardware across the board for my ears.
Thank you
Yup hardware won !
Maybe cool to add some blind A/B' ing to the videos in the future. Visual cues are decieving, i think we all adjusted a bypassed plugin parameters, and thought the sound was improving. Great content!
The new ones are all blindtests!
Yeah you'll be surprised how as soon as it's blind all the experts suddenly can't hear the difference. I blind test myself all the time just to check my own biases.
Excellent comparison. I’ve found that the real difference between pluging and hardware, is that the hardware-compressor most likely will still be in business 30 years from now and most likely still retain most of it’s value(plugins has absolutely no resale value) Soundwise plugins has comed such a long way the last years that the even the top dogs in the industry has moved completely in the box (for mixing).
I don’t doubt that Empirical Labs hardware will still be around 30 years from now, as Dave Derr has already shown, many times over the past 30 (or so) years that both he and his team at EL have been around, that they are most certainly innovators, and that they develop and build gear that is not only always of great build and sound quality, but that is also of great value in function and use, and adding great benefits in workflow to those who use it.
But…your suggestion that Universal Audio “might not be around 30 years from now” is, IMO, being very shortsighted.
UA has been around for a very long time now (much longer than EL) since Bill Putnam first started the company in the late 1950’s - and, because of UA’s innovation, designs, technology, commitment to build quality in equipment and design, (as well as in the coding and accuracy of their software), UA/UAD is solidly and deeply entrenched in the audio recording industry.
They’ve given us 1176’s, LA2-A’s, 610 mic preamps, all of which have become ubiquitous in studios worldwide, both big and small.
Based on their long and illustrious history, I doubt very much that they’re going away anytime soon…or even in the next 30 years…or 40…or 50…
As far as the resale value of hardware verses software, yes, of course, the hardware - if it’s GOOD hardware - will almost always hold its value, and perhaps even greatly increase in value over time.
But, I can say with full honesty that, having spent the last 4 decades as an audio engineer, and owner of several commercial studios, not ONCE during that entire time did I ever consider the potential future resale value of a piece of equipment as a deciding factor in my purchase…for that matter, I never considered it at all.
Anytime I ever bought any gear (new or used) the only things I ever considered were:
Did I want it?
How the gear sounded
How it could/would benefit my studio work flow, and enhance the quality of my recordings and mixes
The quality of its build, and, of course, what I could afford.
If a particular piece of gear that I’d purchased did happen to hold its value over time, or even if I was able to sell it for more than what I’d originally purchased it for, then yeah, of course I was happy about that…but, that was never a part of my consideration and decision making when I was originally buying the gear to begin with. 😉
Anyway….
FWIW.
I been using my Distressor plugin for a couple of years now and find they work good enough. But since you have an SSL I would love to see how it stacks up to one of my favorite plugin alliance vst which is the "SSL 9000 J" I also love their amek 9099 and lindell 80. These all seem to make it onto my all of my mixes in one way or another. Thanks for all your content.
I find that compressors are one area where hardware is clearly superior in most ways, apart from recallability.
I have never preferred a plug in to a physical unit in any comparison that I have done or heard.
Have those all been BLIND comparisons, though … ? 😊
I prefer the hardware for it's depth and width. When you do a comparison on a single instrument in a full mix, then you will even experience a bigger contrast between the hardware and the plugin.
Sound like the same old reused bs comment
@@Gang-25j someone needs some ear training. And it ain't me.
@@Gang-25j Agreed. They only say this when they know the results. Can't pass a blind test
@@Gang-25j the people who say this simply have less attuned ears, imo.
If you don’t hear a difference, great, use plugins and stop worrying about it. No need to convince people in the comments, use what works for you.
@@Gang-25j i agree with original commenter, but i also agree with you. i use hardware (wesaudio NG76) and software 1176’s, and it’s crazy how more polished the hardware can be if dialed in right. but mixing with hardware can be so slow with printing each stem, so i only use it on lead vocal tracks or would use on instruments tracks that i plan to keep in mono. if you gotta pump out a lot of music on short turnarounds then in the box is 100% worth sticking to.
they're close because neither is doing much, they excel at high GR, I have a pair and when I want to use 3dB of GR I just stick to plugin, but with more I go with HW. You can hear it in the last example
That is exactly the reason why i show the overcompression as well!
Hi, i have 2 elx8 in démo in the studio. I m comparing with UAD and it s really close and as you said when don t push it hard ...well, i really don t know if i will but them. Because of money. But when i track i feel so good , running piano and beat through it inspires me. Considering i have little latency if i do this with the uad.... I also have an overstayer svc comp which is Amazing, really a beast.. Also i have an IGS 176 and an Acme opticom in 500 format. I go with it when tracking vocals etc.... If you can give me advice would be great....thx !!
It's funny how TH-camrs always say something likw "the plugin is really good, I kinda almost prefer it" when it sounds clearly inferior to the hardware every single time...
Correct, I havent heard good itb compression with more than 10dB GR. It always sound chocked - doesnt matter which manufacturer
I'd bet you $1000 dollars I can put a ITB compressor and outboard compressor side by side and you couldn't pick the correct one everytime.. you see him switching back n fourth so your brain tells you that it's better
why does no body start showing how to connect a distressor? -
what the hell a "floating pin" is or whatever. All I know is, there's a cord and it plugs in. When my Distressor manual says "if you use a single-ended XLR ouput, leave unused pin floating," that might as well be written in the language of Martians. How does one leave an unused pin floating? - Please help.
Put a slight low end boost and they will be even closer. I feel light the hardware is getting converted again affecting that slight difference in sound.
In my opinion, if the converters altered the sound that much I would change them to something more transparent!
Great video short and creative, with an funny ending 😆
Great video bro. I would not expect a plugin to sound like a hardware counterpart. It is a matter of if both sound good or not and not using the same settings for both. Two of the same hardware have a different sound and have to adjust them to sound as close to each other...
About the A/B test: both are amazing.
Great video! Personally I would love to see IK Comprexxor comparison with both the plugin and hw. The hardware is not an option for me, but I would like to know if it is worth upgrading from the IK Multimedias plugin to something else or is it more or less all that can be had in plugin domain :)
Awesome! Let me see if i can get my hands on the IK plugins!
@@thomasvopstal I think you can still get it for free after filling some survey. I think it is worth it since IK plugins are pretty decent most of the time (even if it is not the most faithful distressor around) :) It is described on bedroomproducers blog how to get it free.
the plugin is thin compared to the hardware.
and hardware sounds wider, because the two units have a difference in channels and settings, despite the same values.
if the uad wants to be like hardware, they need to do dual mono processing and seriously work on the saturation of the top and bottom.
in the video there is a question, is the difference worth the overpayment and inconvenience?
my answer is "yes", since the compression that sounds in the distressor plugin can be done in pro-c2, it makes no sense to buy another plugin for such compression.
Super interesting. I liked the hardware on the nuke setting. But other than that, i´m happy to have the plugin. Thanks for this video Thomas. Greetz. Carsten ✌🏼
Thank u 4 your honestly .....
Hardware actually just sounds naturally fucking groovy.
And finally one big question ! : first of all i m convinced the hardware and plugin are really close BUT how can you do without the hardware is you use it for tracking ? I run my drum machine to the distressor, then to an analog eq, then to the audio interface !!! No solution ???
Literally sounds exactly the same in the car
It would be interesting to see how the arousor stacks up against these
I’ve got it actually, might give it a shot someday!
@@thomasvopstal Sounds like my plug-in library hehe. I think it is a great plugin though! It's not a 1-1 emulation so I'd like to see what the difference is.
I would like to see a comparison where you make a mix using analog gear vs digital, you set your time make your best with analog then you try digital without trying to copy the analog settings.
I did exactly that but opposite! I re mixed a song i did in the box on the ssl with outboard gear! It’s in The Virtual Internship
the hardwaarreeee broooooo just so much more crunch
The Analog is pumping but vst sounding punch and stable
Plugin needs something like Vari mu type compressor to tame -0.5db ish transients to put some weight/warmth to it .
Thank you for the great video! Another difference I've personally heard was a bit of unpleasant harshness in the higher mids with the plugin.
I bet my face looked just same as you made it on 6:37 LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
Hardware vs Plugins argument will never end 😂
I wonder if they can be guessed on a blind test...
Hmmm it is close but the hardware has more debth, 3 dimensionality and a pleasant warmth to it. I only use software but if i had the money i would buy the analog stuff. Maybe i'm an exception but digital makes me restless. My ears don't always hear it but my brains notice it.
Awesome! Yeah the hardware units are great! Especially for tracking!
Hi Thomas, we can say objectively, that they sound close. And we can ask instead - is the hardware worth it?
If you are struggling financially and if there are more pressing things to buy, no its not worth it.
All that said, hardware continues to outperform plugins for me in crucial ways. I won’t say I can’t mistake one for the other, I’m continually frustrated why I cannot consistently id the hardware over a plugin. But the experience of hardware in the room, its responsiveness, its broader and greater range of sweet spots, is quite a different experience. While not watching blind, its clearer that the HW is open and natural, the musicality seems preserved. The plugin does this weird thing of bunching up the dynamics and makes the audio tighter and smaller. I hear this in every plugin , doesn’t really matter what the topology is.
The difference in practice, is that I get bigger, clearer more authentic sounding recordings and mixes with 2 pieces of hardware, and perhaps a plugin compared to 6-7 plugins as I try to make audio sound right in the speakers. Even then the result is not pleasing to me.
Hello. I m now testing 2 distressors, i like, but they are 1400 dollars each and i have the uad....i notice the difference yes, it makes the glue better, more harmonics... And also perhaps would be great when tracking because i like tracking with characterfull sometimes.....
If no one told you want an individual track was compressed, you wouldn’t being able to tell what comp was used or if it was software or not..cut the bs
I am very surprised by the quality of a plugin. This is really an easy choice as you save money, space, cabeling and time for recording stems through it. Plus usually you would need at least 2 of hardware units. Fabfilter Pro Q + Distressor plugin is enough to achieve high quality mixes these days. Better investment in high quality studio monitors
Don‘t know if anybody asked before or if the question is silly, but shouldn‘t the Plugin be tested in multimono?
That’s actually a really good question…
Yes, and that's an intuitive question that you only ask through some user experience
hardware is more deph and lows and mid sounds more round, i have the UAD and works well anyway
My issue is the latency. How is the latency with the plugin? Please let me know
🤣🤣🤣 the ending!!
I can’t help but notice that the hardware is the one that you like to dial first. That’s got to count for something.
Exactly, this is what frustrates me about HW vs PI. Its one thing to find a sound in seconds you like on HW, but quite another to chase an established great sound for 30minutes.
@@jongriffin2608 only if you don’t know what you’re doing, and what kind of setup you have.. seems just like a mouse setup on your end
nice video as always here !
is that a Lexicon 480 on your desk ? would love to ear how UAD's fight with it
It is! I’m still in doubt if i should compare with the uad or the relab plugin, but that episode is definitely coming up!
@@thomasvopstal All three ;)
Definitely the hardware,the hardware just flat out sounds more natural as it should.They both sound good,your average listener wouldnt give a rats arse but us gear heads,producers,engineers etc always do.
Hardware wins
I think the hardware is more there to make our workflow easier anyway. Just getting to that sound quicker and with less steps. But yeah both are great, plugin really surprised me tho
@@thomasvopstal I definitely agree 1000% my man…
Dope content 💯💯💯
Love that plugin, would love to have the hardware tho
They’re cool, but the plugin is already really great
It gets close enogh, IMHO.
Something that's often overlooked is that the hardware has cables and a AD/DA converter to pass through when comparing. Those values need to be considered. These days one must ask, is it worth it in your workflow? Great video! They're so close.
Plugins are always colder and lacks the warmth of hardware, for this reason I will always buy hardware if i can afford it it. The thing about software is that they can warm up software by adding some low end warmth if they wish, but they often aren't interested in making software identical to their hardware counterpart.
The problem is we just love machines 😂😂
Plugins this days
Very good sound
Easy to use
Cheap
And normal people can’t hear the difference
We talk about 5 % difference
U hear 👂 3350 dollar difference 😂😂😂 ??????
Answer is noooooooooooooooooo
I do high end / ultra high resolution audio mastering !! Can i get a song to master for you Boss .
So
KIIVE audio
Has a Distressor
And the Softube MikeE Comp
Both of those are a little closer to the hardware then UAD
I challenge you to
Shoot out
Acustica Audio SANDE+
And TimP Nebula L Bus Comp
Or the SANDEQE+ and the SAND3 Bus Compressor
By Acustica Audio against your SSL Comsole
I feel the hardware sounds better.... Thank you!
Why does your studio have glass where a bass trap should be? Surely your gonna get standing waves forming where your sat in the mix position..
I know it looks that way! But the glass is there because communication with the liveroom is very important in a recordingstudio. Also the glass is set at a certain angle which refracts the soundwaves so it won’t reflect back to the listening position. All walls are set at an angle to prevent standing waves. Trust me, there’s been a lot of designing and calculations involved in building this studio😅
@@thomasvopstal Ahh fantastic, thanks for your explanation!
I gotta say 100% hardware is better but I really don’t know what I’m hearing with it. It sounds more alive I guess. The plug-in didn’t get me excited about the sound. It almost sounds like its a distortion.
Found the hardware to definitely improve clarity, separation and space a bit compared to the plugin. Can be perceived even through iPhone speakers…
The uad have cardboard sound this is up the dsp chipset those are better for reverbs and delays and indeed uad delay and reverbs sounds amazing as this papery subduenes make them very dark and deep.Fgxa chips in the antelope audio are better for transients and their distressor sounds cleaner more punchier
Definitely, the plugins are 98% sounding like the physical equipment, meaning any insignificant differences can be remedied with a few small tweaks. YOU CANNOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE!!!
You also think so with the overcompression? That’s where the plugin really didn’t do it for me
Well, some of us CAN hear a noticeable difference without looking at the screen - and it's not something which is simply adjustable using eq.
I agree with you; I was firstly thinking hw was way better; but i had 2 distressors, with british mode for 2 weeks and did a lot of comparison (on mixbus, vocals, guitars, drumbus, pianos). They re similar, more than most of others plugins, here uad created a very very good job (their 1073 preamp too). These 2 distressors are for sale, and i think i won t buy; because so close to hardware , and also i have an overstayer svc comp , and have others priorities. Well of course if i had lot of money perhaps i ll keep for it is cool to turn the knobs and get the thing....
Not with higher GR - hardware usually leaves the material more intact, where the plugin chokes
I think you must listen to these comparisons with headphones (unless you have a pinpoint accurate, listening room) The difference isn’t subtle. The way the hardware handles stereo information and transients is far superior than the plug-in. Plug-in simply throws a blanket over the mix. While it does a good job unifying the mix, it narrows the stereo field. The top end loses the space around it. Whole mix becomes 2 D from 3D. the plugin made it sound like every other digital processed and compressed material out there. So Do you still buy the hardware? Money is only a problem when you don’t have it. And how many musician/engineer has the budget nowadays? of course you can get the job done with a plug-in, even with stock plugins. It just wont have that sonic finesse. And yes “99% people listens music on cheap earbuds speakers bla bla!” A sensitive ear can still ear the difference. But you have to put your money into where it counts. We live in times where music has almost no financial value unless you had millions of streams.. so you do yours maths. Plug in are getting better just like robots and AI, will it still beat the real thing? So far not
IMO the plug sounds veiled and the hardware sounds open. I've used both, both great - but yeah 100% hardware all the way.
From what I understand the recall on the UAD version is an advantage, but the Slate FG-Stress which is licensed by Impriracle Labs is the better (more accurate) sounding plugin.
On the YT algorithm, a lot of the differences are really inaudible
I like the open-ness of the hardware...but I like the $ of the plugin. That's where the decision lies. If $ was no object, it's an easy decision
Hardware sounds very good
In theory both should be able to do the same.
Its just a mathematical change in waveform.
would this guy know what stereo linking is ? smoked too much weed probably..
I preferred the hardware overall
Hardware adds groove
So much hearsay in this comment section. the plugin sounded very similar to the hardware. considering that it costs 1/10th of the price and you can use it as much as you want, the plugin seems better. Every comparison video I see places exactly the same settings on the hardware and the plugin. If they are providing different results, the engineer should be able to adjust attack and release times to more accurately model the hardware.
He is not selling his distressor all this TH-cam marketers
The hardware one unit is about $2000, the plugin is $100...many of us, blind test didn't knew what was each other...!
The Hardware grooves a little more and sound more alive with higher GR. Its always the same, doesnt matter what kind of comps we try to match (1176, SSL, LA2A, etc) the hardware has always something extra.
@@hinky7729 Indeed, the hardware have always something extra. But the price difference makes sense in small studios?
@@Miss_Pixie absolutely not - I get your point. And lets be honest - most of us have a daily job and we are not mixing the next madonna hit :)
Plugins and hardware differences like
You play vadio on youtube 1080p hd is plugins
And play 2160p like hardware 😅
Never selling mine
The hardware wins every time
Yes. Sell it!
I think
Kiive Audio's
Xtressor....would be competive with both of them....Kiive Audio is so close...its no point in getting the Hardware...waste of Money...put that into marketing....
It is so freakin comical when there you tube pinheads say they hear a difference. its like the guys tha hear the difference in cables or a wire in a guitar.
HARDWARE HAS MORE AIR! DITCH THE HARDWARE:))
hardware
Hardware all day
Send them to me I want more
What should i be trying next?
@@thomasvopstal retro sta level please) some vari mu comp. intresting about mu color vs plugin color
UAD Distressor hasn't been updated in 10+ years. It's garbage compared to Softube Mike-E.
Hardware knocks better
Don't like the hardware actually, not very musical
99% of people listen to music through the $1 headphones that come with their smartphones and will never distinguish whether the music was recorded , in my opinion.
Not sure if you know this but phones don't come with headphones anymore now you have to spend 200 for the official pair. And they actually sound so much better than they did 10 yesrs ago. Phone speakers on the other hand.... garbage lol
It’s never mattered about the end user being able to distinguish gear. It’s never been expected. It’s about the end result and it pleasing the ear. They don’t know how you achieve that end result - that’s the magic.
Source for that number, please!
$1 dollar headphones.
They pay .004 cents per spin on Spotify. Music is worthless
I can make a shitty mix for you… (if you want… I have a few) and I can guarantee no one will appreciate it… with bad or good headphones
You like the plugin better? 🤮 as he sits behind a very expensive console here’s an idea sell your console use plug-ins only see how you like this 😂
No plug in can ever compare to the real thing oh and the plug-in you get a picture of the EL8 😂. So your trying to tell me a $3500 EL8 the real thing a plug-in sounds the same BS iv been doing this for 35 years I’m not buying it.
well that's why I got a real moog synth no cap
Plugin so much better than the hardware. Plugin has more depth and width and warmth.
I hear it exactly the other way around. Much more depth, width and warmth with the hardware 🙃🙂
@@vicneve1169 Nah bro, the plugin is more punchy, open, better transient, organic attack and release, better box tone and has deeper lows as well.
Let's agree to disagree😉
@@vicneve1169 Or let's just agree that you're wrong.
@@gffg387 nope😄
hardware makes the plug in seems like trash kkkk
boring
I’m really curious if we think we still live in the 1970’s or in 2023 with cellphones that sound better then analog wired home phones.. can’t fix stupid