Slate VBC Vs. Hardware Test

[Nimvi]

Going to take a guess at Slate's clips too.
I think 1, 4, 6, 8 are one group and 2, 3, 5, 7 another.

Since I have no experience with a hardware SSL buscomp, I have no idea which one is which, so any guess I would take would just be a coin toss. But I will say that both of them had something going for them.

I thought the 1,4,6,8 group had a very cool low end punch. I liked the way the cymbals blended with the mix on those tracks.
But the 2,3,5,7 group had a lot more clarity. This made the track sound a bit more aggressive, which I liked. In general, I thought these tracks sounded a bit tighter.

Just for fun, I'm going to guess that 2,3,5,7 is the hardware.

And I'm changing my vote from yesterday to A. Fuck the police.

 

[Deadstar]

hope B is VBC and my iLok2 will be delivered today!

 

[ArthurD]

I guess B is the hardware.
But i hope it is Slates

 

[Slate]

Thanks for posting Sacha! Just a note, make sure to update so you are sure you have the fixed FG-GREY and if you've tested the GREY against other emulations, retest with this new update (Ermz?).. And yes, regardless of whichever you prefer, great song and mixes Sacha!

Also, as has already been said, I posted comparisons with the actual modeled units... Despite the fact that we do have a transformer emulation on the FG-GREY, it is still very subtle under 5db of GR so I think the test is still pretty fair! The test also compares the FG-RED vs Focusrite RED3.
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-...irtual-buss-compressors-now-available-49.html

Cheers,
Steven

 

[Sacha]

Thanks for posting Sacha! Just a note, make sure to update so you are sure you have the fixed FG-GREY and if you've tested the GREY against other emulations, retest with this new update (Ermz?).. And yes, regardless of whichever you prefer, great song and mixes Sacha!

Also, as has already been said, I posted comparisons with the actual modeled units... Despite the fact that we do have a transformer emulation on the FG-GREY, it is still very subtle under 5db of GR so I think the test is still pretty fair! The test also compares the FG-RED vs Focusrite RED3.
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-...irtual-buss-compressors-now-available-49.html

Cheers,
Steven

Thanks Steven! It is indeed the latest update. What's your guess?

I'll post up the answers soon if there are no more opinions...

 

[Max Morton]

If A is VBC, I'll buy it and mix a song about how wrong I was disliking it using nothing but Slate plugins

 

[rispsira]

On my phone now ill listen asap because i have to decide wether to get it or not before the sale ends! Thanks Sacha

 

[rispsira]

If A is VBC, I'll buy it and mix a song about how wrong I was disliking it using nothing but Slate plugins

Oh so ur the only one who prefers A it seems! Interesting ill listen as soon as i can!

 

[indecizo]

I agree that B retains a tad more of low end, however they both sound good already and too close to say one is better than the other.

 

[Sacha]

Alright, so some of you may be surprised to learn:

A IS THE HARDWARE
B IS VBC

It might be placebo but to me personally I still here a TOUCH more clarity and life in A. Not sure if that's worth $2800 price difference or couldn't be accounted for in other ways.

However, I also mixed into the Obsidian and just slapped VBC on and tried to match the settings quick.

In conclusion I think ITB tools are getting pretty damn amazing! It's a good time to be a producer. Analog might still make getting great results a bit faster and easier (all subjective), but there's really no excuse not to do good work!

 

[Fbarre]

Yes! I preferred B!

 

[Max Morton]

Wow... Well, at least I won't have to buy VBC. But now I've got GAS for some outboard compression.
Great test, Sacha, thank you very much! Did you use Lynx or RME converters when running outboard bus comp?

 

[Nimvi]

Heh, that's awesome Though I did end up changing my choice to HW the day after, I think the first impression of VBC was very good. Especially those lows... damn. The only gripe I had with it was that at lower volumes it seemed to lose power, but that could very well be a setting issue.

Now I wonder what the results for Slate's test will be.

 

[Sacha]

Wow... Well, at least I won't have to buy VBC. But now I've got GAS for some outboard compression.
Great test, Sacha, thank you very much! Did you use Lynx or RME converters when running outboard bus comp?

Lynx

 

[AllanD]

Looks like it's time to purchase VBC.

 

[Ermz]

Nice! I'm impressed, and will have to check out VBC soon. Doing a 4-way GSSL and VBC test soon in order to verify this stuff for ourselves.

I agree that there's more clarity in A - that was actually one of the things which made me feel it was the plug-in originally. My hardware has a more distinctly mid-heavy sound, so B felt like the appropriate choice. That being said, VBC did a great job here, and you've got to wonder how much merit there is in dropping several hundred to a few grand for a single hardware bus compressor these days when the differences are so minute.

 

[El_Gato]

Holy shite! downloading to listen on monitors.

 

[Matt-Steele]

WOW! Wasn't expecting that. So... the digital plug in sounds fatter yet less detailed than hardware. Interesting.

Thanks for the test!

 

[Nimvi]

Sacha, I was wondering: is that low-end fatness there in the unprocessed version and kept intact by VBC, or was it actually added by the plugin?

 

[worldwideweapon]

6-8db on both

What attack, release and ratios on these?