DUENDE NATIVE vs SSL XRACK (samples inside)

[jipchen]

I like A a bit better, but as always the difference is nearly un-noticable to me. Personally, I think it's no difference worth a lot of money..
Perhaps a full mix with every signal processed with plugins versus hardware would reveal the big difference, but I doubt anybody will ever create such a shootout.

I'd really like to hear the duende vs ssl on distorted guitars, though.

 

[phisk]

I like A more.

 

[AEL89]

Listening on NS10s... There's quite a big difference. The transient on B sounds way more smeared. A has more in the 700-1k region and a sharper attack. I'm going to say B is hardware simply because of the difference in transients, but that doesn't necessarily mean I prefer it...

 

[MicSlut666]

Which conversion was used for processing both files?

 

[fak0u]

To me A sounds richer, warmer, fuller, and definitely LOUDER
Also the "gate settings" sound different between A and B, A tends to sound "longer".

 

[crillemannen]

Ok man time to reveal the answer

 

[dcb]

ANSWER:
A = XRACK
B = DUENDE

personally love both, but the xrack sounds more natural and yes way more middy. next up will be guitars, i promise!
;-)

please keep in mind that both files ran thorugh the gssl and ssl dynamic strip,
they both sound really good for a real snare.(but thats as always up to taste)
so if you own duende your still not gonna have the sound that i created here.

i will post more direct comparisons soon! this was just a quick starter. still
duende is really good, but as some guys stated a little more scooped. takes
away some of the liveliness in the mids. thats where hardware shines!

 

[jipchen]

Damnit I keep voting for the analog stuff in all recent digital-vs-analog threads.
I want to believe the difference is not worth the extra money but then why do I pick the real deal so often? Nooooooooooo ... must not .. buy more stuff

Thanks for the comparison anyway.

 

[Ermz]

Wow, I picked the digital one for once! I have a feeling that the settings weren't matched 100%, hence the large mid scoop on the Duende one. I think that ultimately sold me... plus I kinda liked the overall smoother sound of it.

Given my recent experience demoing it, combined with this, I'm starting to get really sold on the Duende strip. I think it's time to give Waves the arse.

 

[gabriel g.]

Haha thats what I meant. B had the same scoop sound that the waves ssl has.
So I voted for b as the plugin.
I did know that you used the duende, but I thought maybe that midscoop is a moddeling thing....

did you run both through a ad/da converter?

 

[dcb]

Wow, I picked the digital one for once! I have a feeling that the settings weren't matched 100%, hence the large mid scoop on the Duende one. I think that ultimately sold me... plus I kinda liked the overall smoother sound of it.

Given my recent experience demoing it, combined with this, I'm starting to get really sold on the Duende strip. I think it's time to give Waves the arse.

haha, yeah, first time i see people get really confused.
still gabriel your totally right - that mid scoop is typical for plugins.

i did scoop the mids, but both eqs had really close settings (but again not perfect though) but the characteristics are always there with software.
of course both ran through the same ad/da.

in a mix the stronger mids shine, and yes it seems louder, punchier, more natural and has more impact. i feel you can get a way with less scoop,
still they fit in the mix pretty well.

anyone got a good idea how i coud do a mix shootout duende vs xrack?

ermz : i believe you can make brilliant mixes with duende, its really really good. my way to go now is duende (for backing vocals, synths, fx) combined with xrack for the important stuff (drums, vocals, guitars, bass)

moar clips maybe on thursday!

 

[dcb]

Wow, I picked the digital one for once!

ERMZ : lets do this :
do you have a great guitar stereo stem with a nicely mixed backing track?

mix it with duende cchannelstrip eq, tell me the settings, send me the file
and i will run i through the xrack and let people choose again,
what they think is which ? would be interesting!
i do have the uad stuff too, could throw that in too.

 

[crillemannen]

I actually prefered the ITB version of this one hehe. Well i spend allot of time with the Duende plugins (channelstrip) and it is the best ITB eq plugin i used by far.
Im waiting for the heavy guitars, see if hardware shines there

Great test man, keep em coming

 

[Ermz]

I'm with Christian here, the Duende has really impressed me lately. I've been using it a fair bit in my prep sessions and it's been caning the Waves as a workhorse. Still using my outboard and Nebula on the important stuff, but for any non-essential dynamics (toms, backing vox etc.) the Duende is niiice.

Danny, what I'd be mostly curious about is the bus compressors, mate. Do you think you, Plec and I should get a decent stereo mix and compare your g-bus rack unit, his actual AWS bus comp and my DIY GSSL to see how they differ on really high gain reduction settings?

 

[fak0u]

i would love to hear those Bus compressors comparisons too !
And why not add Waves (SSL) and The Glue

 

[Ermz]

I've done tons of those tests in the past, as have others on GS. The hardware always wins and The Glue almost always comes last in blind shoot-outs, because it's too clean and unexciting. The Waves is just a more distorted, smaller version of the hardware, with plainer transients.

I'd be curious to do this in order to test the difference between the analogue ones, because I'm still not sure whether Randy-level bus compression is only possible on the actual desk. The highest I've managed on my unit was 8dB, and that was only with auto-release.

 

[Charles J]

GOD DAMN! This is the first time I've picked the plug over analog in a freakin' WHILE! =D

I gotta agree with Ermz and say that I am TOTALLY loving the Duende stuff. I picked up the Buss Compressor, X-EQ and the Drumstrip and while I HAVE used the EQ, I'm still not totally sold on it. Just need to give it more of a chance!

But the Bus Compressor, good LORD is that thing sick.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

I've done tons of those tests in the past, as have others on GS. The hardware always wins and The Glue almost always comes last in blind shoot-outs, because it's too clean and unexciting. The Waves is just a more distorted, smaller version of the hardware, with plainer transients.

I'd be curious to do this in order to test the difference between the analogue ones, because I'm still not sure whether Randy-level bus compression is only possible on the actual desk. The highest I've managed on my unit was 8dB, and that was only with auto-release.

Randy uses about what? 12dB GR? The thing is, even on the desk getting 12dB even at the start of the mix is a VERY delicate situation (talking about the aws 900 here), because with auto-release it works, but with any other release, even the shortest one it's still quite pumpy, this probably might come down to the engineer as I've only managed around 8dB as well, more than that and it just start's to feel a bit too mushy

 

[Ermz]

He reportedly goes 12dB reduction with 100ms release. That's always baffled me. Either he is a genius or I've been had severely.

 

[findingthesound]

With my gcomp in x-rack on the two buss i always lost clarity and pump too much past 4 db... Like you I can't understand what he does to make it work....it's crazy! I hesitate to say that's a desk thing but if Pedro says that it doesn't work on his Aws900...