The RS124 is one of my faves! Really appreciate you doing the A/B test. The Chandler adds kind of a soft focus, rolling off some highs, adding some depth, and compressing very organically. The Waves lacks the Chandler's tone and depth - it sounds much more open in Studio mode and much more aggressive in Cutter, but in a 2D plugin distortion way. I still think it's usable in a pinch. The Acustica is closer in tone, but there's something odd about the compression action, almost like it's fluttering or wowing erratically in some cases. They do a great job of modeling harmonic distortion, phase shift, etc. but I've always found their compressors miss the mark in some way that's hard to put my finger on (their EQs are spot on, by contrast). As someone else suggested, I always have to wonder if it's better to align gain reduction using your ears or something like Plugin Doctor instead of relying on each unit's metering. When I do that in my own A/B tests, I often find I end up with the settings and metering looking pretty different from one unit to the next when they're audibly / measurably aligned. Just a thought.
It really is such a beautiful compressor! Probably my favorite tone of any compressor overall. I appreciate you checking out the video and sharing your thoughts! One note on the calibration, I'm not depending on the metering of the hardware or the plugins(definitely not Acustica! haha). I run test tones into the compressors and then follow up with an instance of VUMT after to gauge the actual amount of gain reduction happening. Acustica meters are all over the place and coffee is probably the worst of the bunch. It jumps to 20db out of nowhere like it's an 1176 with all buttons in. I do use plug in doctor a bit but don't trust it as much as some other RUclipsrs tend to. It has given some very odd results in my testing. So, I stick to the old tried and true method of test tones / VUMT.
Thank you for doing this! It's always interesting to hear how the hardware compares to the plugins and you're doing a great job to show the differences! Acustica sounds very close to the hardware to me, while Waves has a harsher tone and peaky/aggressive attack sometimes. Hardware has a nice presence on everything that making it sounds radio ready, bass is also better on the hardware, but for its price Acustica is doing pretty well. I only have a free "Coffee the Pun" eq from Acustica, but even the free one is good and high quality.
I'm so glad you're finding these videos useful, that means a lot! Acustica definitely did a great job on Coffee. I wish they would add the hold feature and it would be nearly perfect!
Great shootout and I'm glad I discovered your channel. The HW of course is very solid, and Waves has its place with the HPF getting closer to it, but to my ears Acustica Coffee nailed it better, from the headroom saturation to the tonal balance of the hardware, the low end balance seems more focused and the high end isn't as emphasized as the Waves emulation (even though is very subtle), the midrange seems more natural and with a feeling of overall depth when I hear Coffee and the HW in action, things I miss on the Waves which may seem "honky" at times, but as I said, imo they're all tools which may be good in certain situations. Hope to see more shootouts, good work man!
I'm so glad to have you here, thanks for checking out my channel and for sharing your thoughts! I have some other shootouts here that I hope you'll find interesting: ruclips.net/p/PLUZ1qLFHNr5DQ6KtiTiHi0PLqLMroNlIj
That was an excellent comparison. It revealed that the Chandler hardware has so much more depth, smoothness and mojo than the software emulations. But if I wasn't aware of this, and all I had was the software, I would be quite content with the software! Apparently my ears don't notice anything lacking in the software UNTIL they hear the hardware -- then it's as if the 3-D hardware reveals that the software was really only two-dimensional. The software emulations turned out to be like Diet Coke compared to The Real Thing.
I'm so glad you found it useful! I happily used RS124 style plugins for years as well until the hardware was released. The hardware truly is something special!
For everyone here, have you advice on the ssl bus+? Made in china!! Or Rupert neve 33609?...which one or another will be better for all accoustik compression, and why not for mastering too... thanks
Hey Josh, how you going - I was on the verge of buying the RS124, I loved it - but somehow, rather than buying it, instead invested in a PCM90 and Vintage Klark Spring Reverb, long story! Anyway, vocals are coming around again and I'm still without a high end compressor. In reflection, and having mixed the RS124, I wondered if the clean, openness of the CL1B might have worked better. So where are you currently at? I found your review of the Retro 176 and you seemed quite smitten. Do you still think the 176 is the best vocal compressor, or is that the 124? Cheers Jon
Hi Jon, thanks for checking out the videos! I really appreciate the support man. I have a list of compressors I think truly excel on vocals that I rotate through(depending on the project/voice). In no particular order they are: RS124 Retro 176 Retro Sta Level BLA Bluey Magic Death Eye I've been blessed to own all of them at some point over the years(sometimes multiple times haha). The RS124 is my favorite tone of the bunch but it has the least control(slowest). Retro 176 has the most control but can be a tad bright on the wrong voice(turning the interstage transformer off can help). Sta Level is a big, beautiful tone and on some voices(like my friend Patrick Rock I've used in a bunch of the videos) is the absolute perfect fit. The Bluey is pure rock and roll...thank God it has the wet/dry blend LOL. The Magic Death eye can grab a vocal while only doing 2-3db of compression better than anything I've heard. It just gives it a huge hug basically. More times than not I use 2 of these on the lead vocal. The current favorite combo is the RS124 followed by the Bluey. For whatever little bit of extra control is needed after the RS124, the Bluey grabs it. It's such a perfect combo. If I could only have one, it would be the 176. Because it works on tracking and mixing(can even use it on different settings in both stages on the same vocal without too much build up). One of these days I'll be able to afford to keep them all at the same time haha...but for now don't be surprised if I continue to cycle through them in the rack depending on what project I'm working on. Based off of the above list, you can tell I like compressors that are really bringing a heavy does of tone to the table. I have owned a C1LB and C1LA as well as LA2A clones. While I like them, I never felt like they brought something clearly special above plug ins. A lot of vari mu comps as well as the Bluey definitely do in my opinion. I hope that's helpful!
The hardware and the Coffee sounded very similar. The hardware was slightly smoother. The Waves didn’t sound as good but didn’t sound bad. I think cost is the biggest factor. The difference in price between the hardware and the Waves plugin is pretty significant. Waves frequently has sales where you can get the plugin for under $30. United Plugins Royal Compressor is my favorite plugin version of that piece of hardware. It doesn’t have the side chain filtering you get with the Waves but it sounds great. It also models 3 different original units. Probably not as good as the real deal but still pretty nice.
I agree, coffee was very impressive! I tried to include the royal comp but never could get the calibration to quite match. I do like that plugin as well though. It can't get as clean/transparent as coffee or the hardware but it does have it's own, more agressive sound that I like in some cases. Thanks for checking out the video and for sharing your thoughts!
Great shootout! I agree with others that the Hardware comes out on top, Acustica second, and then Waves. All are usable, but the hardware just has that magic. Thanks as always for the great content.
Acustica is incredible, Yes the hardware has a lot more mojo, I hear especially a really nice saturation on high mids... I think that's not an impossible result to get in the box... maybe one of the 3 Arturia Pre saturators would be perfect
I can get close but have never quite been able to nail it down in the box(particularly for vari mu comps). If you figure out, definitely report back! Thanks for checking out the video and for sharing your thoughts 👊🏼
@@SeawellStudios MagicdeathEye from DDMF , VariComp from NI or VCL 25 A+ Kazrog Iron or Kelvin from Tone Projects - DONE ! I don't understand why people always try to match analog gear using one plugin only !??
@@kianhendrick3794 if hardware is quicker(my experience says it is) I don't want to spend time stacking 2-3 plugins to try and match it. I have experimented with that and have used all the plugins you've mentioned and it still hasn't beat good vari-mu hardware. I've owned the hardware Magic Death Eye and compared it to the plug in, as great as the plug in is, we've still got a long ways to go! These shootout demonstrations aren't to bash plugins, these are to provide material for people to first, see if they hear a difference and second, see if that difference is enough to justify the extra cost. Me using hardware on my mix or you using plugins on yours isn't going to affect the other at all so no need to be upset about it. Use what works for you and be secure and happy in that! As long as you're happy with the quality of your work, that's all that matters ✌🏼
I listen to compressor shoot out and fell in love with the Chandler Limited RS124 it stood out the most after listen 300 times in AirPods and high quality head phones it brings the highs down but sound pleasing on every note and tone , right now I have the tlm103 I was thinking of getting a u87 but I think ima go with the Chandler Limited RS124 do you think that would be a good pair
I think the coffee is close to the hardware. With tweaking you can get there. The software versions are just missing that umph. The sound is different. Its falling flat in a way.
Coffee definitely impressed me the most out of the plug-ins. I still couldn't tweak it in a way that would match the hardware but if I were in a situation where I didn't have the hardware, I'd definitely reach for Coffee first. The metering is wacky though which unfortunately you see a lot with Acustica.
The Waves held up very well actually. Especially on the bass and drums. Sure it lacks a little punch over the 3300 dollar hardware kit, but for 29 bucks, not to mention the mix option and ability to run through it in real time (good luck doing that with the Acustica) you're definitely getting the vibe and saving a ton of doe.
With any of these hardware vs plugins shootouts I do, I definitely want each person to check the differences and decide what is or isn't worth it to them. One of the most important areas for me to have hardware is on the lead vocal. That is where the hardware RS124 is worth it to me. I'm totally ok with someone else deciding the other way. All in all, I think it's a great time to be creating music and the tools we have available are amazing! Thank you for checking out the video and for adding your thoughts!
Thanks for checking out the video! They certainly can be CPU hogs but have gotten much better over time. Thankfully Coffee is one that I don't have any issues with running out of CPU. I'd highly recommend taking advantage of the demos through the Aquarius App first though just to make sure you system can handle any Acustica plugins that you're interested in.
Coffee is pretty close on the warmth and high end. It does sound like it adds a bit more harmonic continent that makes is sounds fatter than the original RS 124, Noticeable mainly on the vocal. The cool thing about the waves version is it keeps the ring in the room mics. Coffee did not. Ill go with the waves just for how it sustains. Maybe the Waves has more accurate model of release time and GR and the Coffee is better on the transformer modeling?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Ryan! I agree and I actually appreciate more and more their differences the more I use them. The chandler hardware is almost always on the lead vocal but it's great having coffee and waves available for stereo tracks like piano and drum rooms/aux.
Waves isn’t as rounded, it sounds to me like it’s trying to prove how vintage it is, but ends up a bit too hyped as a result. The Acustica just has that gluey analog vibe without trying to convince you.
Hardware is more coloured than Coffee first of all. Also sounds like Coffee needs to be compressing a little harder to properly match the hardware compression, but I think if you do that the actual compression action is gonna be pretty much identical to the hardware. Difference I think is gonna be in the colour. And the waves just sounds too splattered, like it's trying too hard.
Coffee, on bass in particular is really where it jumped out to me as a serious contender to the hardware. The metering on it(like pretty much all acustica plugins I’ve used) is sporadic to the point where it’s almost unusable. Sounds amazing though! Thanks for checking out the video and for taking the time to share such great feedback! It’s very much appreciated.
Hey, I have the RS124 on trial alongside the Gainlab dictator, Dangerous and Rupert Neve 5254 bridge diode. Primarily for vocals, any good settings you like for tracking and post track? I’m very impressed. The Gainlab isn’t in the same league, the 5254 is great sounding but not right for vocals here, the Dangerous will be very interesting. I want to try a CL1B, but this is difficult to organise. I wonder if the RS124 might not be nearly as flexible, what do you think? Regarding comparisons, I don’t want to ruin anyones day but plugins simply don’t capture all the nuance of these high end hardware pieces, the RS124 in reality is incredibly satisfying - vocals sound present and forward but not in any sort of displeasing way, all the edges are transformed into musicality and one is immediately struck by the romantic, evocative finish. A very inspiring experience that plugins have never come close to delivering.
I appreciate you sharing your experience with the Gainlab as that's one I've wondered about! The Tube Tech is definitely more versatile than the RS124 in attack and release times but no where close in that beautiful tone in my opinion! I"d much rather have the RS124 and do any volume automation needed that it isn't fast enough to catch(or follow it up with something fast like the Black Lion Audio Bluey to grab the peaks). Keep me posted on your journey Jon, I'm very curious to hear your thoughts after you get the Dangerous compressor!
@@SeawellStudios Hi Josh, Dangerous arrives later today, but been able to settle into the rs124 and do some comparison to the Gainlab. The 124 is the most musical piece of hardware, any setting pretty much works, it never sounds bad. After trying your setting and the superfuse, which is very gratifying, I thought the more transparent settings, non-superfuse would be lacking. Not true at all, though the effect is less visceral, I quickly preferred it, the result for me was a more compelling, honest vocal performance, the vocal is reigned in ‘transparently’ but all the while the 124 impression is still acting on the material. Switching back to superfuse, I found it wasn’t as tasteful, though I can absolutely imagine scenarios that it would be useful. Bass of course is awsome, bringing up the ping all the while centering the instrument. Tracking acoustic through the 124 with the Flea 47, finally captured my 57 Gibson J45 in a manner that I had all but given up on. The magic of the 124 is its ability to soak up unwanted high end and retain all the good stuff. The Gainlab is just not in the running by comparison. I’m not keen on the busy front fascia and all the stepped settings, I would opt for the original stereo dictator over this dual mono. I particularly disliked the stepped threshold. Its not badly made at all, but its design is not elegant and I found it off putting. Compared to the 124 its harsh and thin sounding. That sounds rather damming, I think it’s unfortunate that its being a/b’d with the Chandler. I do however get the sense I wouldn’t have liked it, it sounds to me like a high end version of the ART Pro VLA, and I felt the sweet spot was very narrow. In contrast to the 124, it seems only to have one single good sound, and I didn’t feel it was working with the material, rather just sounding like a tube compressor. I have a feeling - just intuition, that the original dictator might be a better compressor, despite the insistence that the circuits are the same. For me personally, the GainLab was underwhelming, but its half the price the of the Chandler!
Thanks for reporting back more of your findings 👍🏼. I completely agree about the RS124. It's just so musical! It's my absolute favorite tone out of a compressor...ever.
What a great comparison. The Acustica just killed the Waves plugin. The waves sounds too two-dimensional compare to hardware. The Coffee has more 3 dimensional sound that identical to the real hardware.Just subscribed - hope to see more Acustica comparison to real hardwares !
Thank you! I appreciate you checking out the video and sharing your thoughts. I'd definitely like to do more hardware vs Acustica shootouts. I've been a big fan of Acustica plugins for years now. I hope they make a 176 vari mu compressor emulation soon! Next up I think I'll do an 1176 and some of my Lexicion Reverbs against the Acustica versions.
Inside of a DAW for Home Recording unliess...your Recording Live.....the Acustica Audio Coffee beats them all because it sound really Rich....almost a better Color than the Chandler Cloan..on here...but its consistant and giving you 90% of the Depth from the Hardware and Clarity.....as a Home Studio Own....I think Coffee hands down is the best Value with the Best over all Polished sound....Coffee is on Sale and I definatley buying it Your getting $40,000 worth of Accurate Live Analog 18 Core Sampled Chandler Gear in a Plugin...for $109 that can be Arranged and used however you want a Strip or 5 seperate Units
This remains one of the best comparisons in pro audio youtube
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you found the video useful.
The RS124 is one of my faves! Really appreciate you doing the A/B test. The Chandler adds kind of a soft focus, rolling off some highs, adding some depth, and compressing very organically. The Waves lacks the Chandler's tone and depth - it sounds much more open in Studio mode and much more aggressive in Cutter, but in a 2D plugin distortion way. I still think it's usable in a pinch. The Acustica is closer in tone, but there's something odd about the compression action, almost like it's fluttering or wowing erratically in some cases. They do a great job of modeling harmonic distortion, phase shift, etc. but I've always found their compressors miss the mark in some way that's hard to put my finger on (their EQs are spot on, by contrast). As someone else suggested, I always have to wonder if it's better to align gain reduction using your ears or something like Plugin Doctor instead of relying on each unit's metering. When I do that in my own A/B tests, I often find I end up with the settings and metering looking pretty different from one unit to the next when they're audibly / measurably aligned. Just a thought.
It really is such a beautiful compressor! Probably my favorite tone of any compressor overall. I appreciate you checking out the video and sharing your thoughts! One note on the calibration, I'm not depending on the metering of the hardware or the plugins(definitely not Acustica! haha). I run test tones into the compressors and then follow up with an instance of VUMT after to gauge the actual amount of gain reduction happening. Acustica meters are all over the place and coffee is probably the worst of the bunch. It jumps to 20db out of nowhere like it's an 1176 with all buttons in. I do use plug in doctor a bit but don't trust it as much as some other RUclipsrs tend to. It has given some very odd results in my testing. So, I stick to the old tried and true method of test tones / VUMT.
Very nice shootout! Coffee is very impressive for a plugin.
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree, coffee is very impressive. I just wish the metering wasn't so sporadic on it.
Wish there were A-B's with units 'in' and 'out'. Thanks for the video
Thank you for doing this! It's always interesting to hear how the hardware compares to the plugins and you're doing a great job to show the differences!
Acustica sounds very close to the hardware to me, while Waves has a harsher tone and peaky/aggressive attack sometimes.
Hardware has a nice presence on everything that making it sounds radio ready, bass is also better on the hardware, but for its price Acustica is doing pretty well.
I only have a free "Coffee the Pun" eq from Acustica, but even the free one is good and high quality.
I'm so glad you're finding these videos useful, that means a lot! Acustica definitely did a great job on Coffee. I wish they would add the hold feature and it would be nearly perfect!
Great shootout and I'm glad I discovered your channel.
The HW of course is very solid, and Waves has its place with the HPF getting closer to it, but to my ears Acustica Coffee nailed it better, from the headroom saturation to the tonal balance of the hardware, the low end balance seems more focused and the high end isn't as emphasized as the Waves emulation (even though is very subtle), the midrange seems more natural and with a feeling of overall depth when I hear Coffee and the HW in action, things I miss on the Waves which may seem "honky" at times, but as I said, imo they're all tools which may be good in certain situations.
Hope to see more shootouts, good work man!
I'm so glad to have you here, thanks for checking out my channel and for sharing your thoughts! I have some other shootouts here that I hope you'll find interesting: ruclips.net/p/PLUZ1qLFHNr5DQ6KtiTiHi0PLqLMroNlIj
That was an excellent comparison. It revealed that the Chandler hardware has so much more depth, smoothness and mojo than the software emulations. But if I wasn't aware of this, and all I had was the software, I would be quite content with the software! Apparently my ears don't notice anything lacking in the software UNTIL they hear the hardware -- then it's as if the 3-D hardware reveals that the software was really only two-dimensional. The software emulations turned out to be like Diet Coke compared to The Real Thing.
I'm so glad you found it useful! I happily used RS124 style plugins for years as well until the hardware was released. The hardware truly is something special!
Nice to you maestro, very next 125hardware to waves/HF Roll... But for keeping Space and warmfull...hardware IS the better!! Thks
For everyone here, have you advice on the ssl bus+? Made in china!! Or Rupert neve 33609?...which one or another will be better for all accoustik compression, and why not for mastering too... thanks
Hey Josh, how you going - I was on the verge of buying the RS124, I loved it - but somehow, rather than buying it, instead invested in a PCM90 and Vintage Klark Spring Reverb, long story! Anyway, vocals are coming around again and I'm still without a high end compressor. In reflection, and having mixed the RS124, I wondered if the clean, openness of the CL1B might have worked better.
So where are you currently at? I found your review of the Retro 176 and you seemed quite smitten. Do you still think the 176 is the best vocal compressor, or is that the 124? Cheers Jon
Hi Jon, thanks for checking out the videos! I really appreciate the support man. I have a list of compressors I think truly excel on vocals that I rotate through(depending on the project/voice). In no particular order they are:
RS124
Retro 176
Retro Sta Level
BLA Bluey
Magic Death Eye
I've been blessed to own all of them at some point over the years(sometimes multiple times haha). The RS124 is my favorite tone of the bunch but it has the least control(slowest). Retro 176 has the most control but can be a tad bright on the wrong voice(turning the interstage transformer off can help). Sta Level is a big, beautiful tone and on some voices(like my friend Patrick Rock I've used in a bunch of the videos) is the absolute perfect fit. The Bluey is pure rock and roll...thank God it has the wet/dry blend LOL. The Magic Death eye can grab a vocal while only doing 2-3db of compression better than anything I've heard. It just gives it a huge hug basically.
More times than not I use 2 of these on the lead vocal. The current favorite combo is the RS124 followed by the Bluey. For whatever little bit of extra control is needed after the RS124, the Bluey grabs it. It's such a perfect combo.
If I could only have one, it would be the 176. Because it works on tracking and mixing(can even use it on different settings in both stages on the same vocal without too much build up). One of these days I'll be able to afford to keep them all at the same time haha...but for now don't be surprised if I continue to cycle through them in the rack depending on what project I'm working on.
Based off of the above list, you can tell I like compressors that are really bringing a heavy does of tone to the table. I have owned a C1LB and C1LA as well as LA2A clones. While I like them, I never felt like they brought something clearly special above plug ins. A lot of vari mu comps as well as the Bluey definitely do in my opinion.
I hope that's helpful!
The hardware and the Coffee sounded very similar. The hardware was slightly smoother. The Waves didn’t sound as good but didn’t sound bad. I think cost is the biggest factor. The difference in price between the hardware and the Waves plugin is pretty significant. Waves frequently has sales where you can get the plugin for under $30.
United Plugins Royal Compressor is my favorite plugin version of that piece of hardware. It doesn’t have the side chain filtering you get with the Waves but it sounds great. It also models 3 different original units. Probably not as good as the real deal but still pretty nice.
I agree, coffee was very impressive! I tried to include the royal comp but never could get the calibration to quite match. I do like that plugin as well though. It can't get as clean/transparent as coffee or the hardware but it does have it's own, more agressive sound that I like in some cases. Thanks for checking out the video and for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks for this video man.
You're so welcome! Thank you for checking it out 👊🏼
Great shootout! I agree with others that the Hardware comes out on top, Acustica second, and then Waves. All are usable, but the hardware just has that magic. Thanks as always for the great content.
Coffee was really impressive! It jumped out to me on the Bass example when I was printing all the files. Thanks for your continued support! 👊🏼
Acustica is incredible, Yes the hardware has a lot more mojo, I hear especially a really nice saturation on high mids... I think that's not an impossible result to get in the box... maybe one of the 3 Arturia Pre saturators would be perfect
I can get close but have never quite been able to nail it down in the box(particularly for vari mu comps). If you figure out, definitely report back! Thanks for checking out the video and for sharing your thoughts 👊🏼
@@SeawellStudios MagicdeathEye from DDMF , VariComp from NI or VCL 25 A+ Kazrog Iron or Kelvin from Tone Projects - DONE ! I don't understand why people always try to match analog gear using one plugin only !??
@@kianhendrick3794 if hardware is quicker(my experience says it is) I don't want to spend time stacking 2-3 plugins to try and match it. I have experimented with that and have used all the plugins you've mentioned and it still hasn't beat good vari-mu hardware. I've owned the hardware Magic Death Eye and compared it to the plug in, as great as the plug in is, we've still got a long ways to go!
These shootout demonstrations aren't to bash plugins, these are to provide material for people to first, see if they hear a difference and second, see if that difference is enough to justify the extra cost.
Me using hardware on my mix or you using plugins on yours isn't going to affect the other at all so no need to be upset about it. Use what works for you and be secure and happy in that! As long as you're happy with the quality of your work, that's all that matters ✌🏼
I’m buying the coffee plugin and a u87 thanks for this
You're so welcome! I'm so glad you found some videos on my channel helpful in narrowing down the gear you're looking for.
Coffee is always on my shortlist for a channel strip or compressor.
I listen to compressor shoot out and fell in love with the Chandler Limited RS124 it stood out the most after listen 300 times in AirPods and high quality head phones it brings the highs down but sound pleasing on every note and tone , right now I have the tlm103 I was thinking of getting a u87 but I think ima go with the Chandler Limited RS124 do you think that would be a good pair
Check out my full review of the RS124 if you haven’t yet:
ruclips.net/video/6MCEhct_gBY/видео.html
It does indeed pair well with a U87 👍🏻
I love that piece of Hardware
It’s soooo good 🔥
I think the coffee is close to the hardware. With tweaking you can get there. The software versions are just missing that umph. The sound is different. Its falling flat in a way.
Coffee definitely impressed me the most out of the plug-ins. I still couldn't tweak it in a way that would match the hardware but if I were in a situation where I didn't have the hardware, I'd definitely reach for Coffee first. The metering is wacky though which unfortunately you see a lot with Acustica.
Any idea how many gigabytes Coffee takes up once installed? I love Acustica plugins but the channel strips take up a lot of space. Thanks!
3605 mb is the size listed in the Aquarius Installer.
Nice
The Waves held up very well actually. Especially on the bass and drums. Sure it lacks a little punch over the 3300 dollar hardware kit, but for 29 bucks, not to mention the mix option and ability to run through it in real time (good luck doing that with the Acustica) you're definitely getting the vibe and saving a ton of doe.
With any of these hardware vs plugins shootouts I do, I definitely want each person to check the differences and decide what is or isn't worth it to them. One of the most important areas for me to have hardware is on the lead vocal. That is where the hardware RS124 is worth it to me. I'm totally ok with someone else deciding the other way. All in all, I think it's a great time to be creating music and the tools we have available are amazing! Thank you for checking out the video and for adding your thoughts!
Thanks for making this comparison. Are the Acustica plugins "resource hogs"?
Thanks for checking out the video! They certainly can be CPU hogs but have gotten much better over time. Thankfully Coffee is one that I don't have any issues with running out of CPU. I'd highly recommend taking advantage of the demos through the Aquarius App first though just to make sure you system can handle any Acustica plugins that you're interested in.
@@SeawellStudios Thanks!
Coffee is pretty close on the warmth and high end. It does sound like it adds a bit more harmonic continent that makes is sounds fatter than the original RS 124, Noticeable mainly on the vocal. The cool thing about the waves version is it keeps the ring in the room mics. Coffee did not. Ill go with the waves just for how it sustains. Maybe the Waves has more accurate model of release time and GR and the Coffee is better on the transformer modeling?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Ryan! I agree and I actually appreciate more and more their differences the more I use them. The chandler hardware is almost always on the lead vocal but it's great having coffee and waves available for stereo tracks like piano and drum rooms/aux.
Waves isn’t as rounded, it sounds to me like it’s trying to prove how vintage it is, but ends up a bit too hyped as a result. The Acustica just has that gluey analog vibe without trying to convince you.
I agree, I think the Acustica plug-in held up the best in this shootout.
Hardware is more coloured than Coffee first of all. Also sounds like Coffee needs to be compressing a little harder to properly match the hardware compression, but I think if you do that the actual compression action is gonna be pretty much identical to the hardware. Difference I think is gonna be in the colour. And the waves just sounds too splattered, like it's trying too hard.
Coffee, on bass in particular is really where it jumped out to me as a serious contender to the hardware. The metering on it(like pretty much all acustica plugins I’ve used) is sporadic to the point where it’s almost unusable. Sounds amazing though! Thanks for checking out the video and for taking the time to share such great feedback! It’s very much appreciated.
Superfuse of Waves sounds much closer to the hardware, but I think Acustica plugin sounds better overall.
I agree, I think the Waves does the more agressive superfuse thing better. It really stands out on the mono drum room mic example.
Hey, I have the RS124 on trial alongside the Gainlab dictator, Dangerous and Rupert Neve 5254 bridge diode. Primarily for vocals, any good settings you like for tracking and post track?
I’m very impressed. The Gainlab isn’t in the same league, the 5254 is great sounding but not right for vocals here, the Dangerous will be very interesting.
I want to try a CL1B, but this is difficult to organise. I wonder if the RS124 might not be nearly as flexible, what do you think?
Regarding comparisons, I don’t want to ruin anyones day but plugins simply don’t capture all the nuance of these high end hardware pieces, the RS124 in reality is incredibly satisfying - vocals sound present and forward but not in any sort of displeasing way, all the edges are transformed into musicality and one is immediately struck by the romantic, evocative finish. A very inspiring experience that plugins have never come close to delivering.
I appreciate you sharing your experience with the Gainlab as that's one I've wondered about! The Tube Tech is definitely more versatile than the RS124 in attack and release times but no where close in that beautiful tone in my opinion! I"d much rather have the RS124 and do any volume automation needed that it isn't fast enough to catch(or follow it up with something fast like the Black Lion Audio Bluey to grab the peaks). Keep me posted on your journey Jon, I'm very curious to hear your thoughts after you get the Dangerous compressor!
@@SeawellStudios I’ll report back ;) Cheers!
@@SeawellStudios Hi Josh, Dangerous arrives later today, but been able to settle into the rs124 and do some comparison to the Gainlab. The 124 is the most musical piece of hardware, any setting pretty much works, it never sounds bad. After trying your setting and the superfuse, which is very gratifying, I thought the more transparent settings, non-superfuse would be lacking. Not true at all, though the effect is less visceral, I quickly preferred it, the result for me was a more compelling, honest vocal performance, the vocal is reigned in ‘transparently’ but all the while the 124 impression is still acting on the material. Switching back to superfuse, I found it wasn’t as tasteful, though I can absolutely imagine scenarios that it would be useful. Bass of course is awsome, bringing up the ping all the while centering the instrument. Tracking acoustic through the 124 with the Flea 47, finally captured my 57 Gibson J45 in a manner that I had all but given up on. The magic of the 124 is its ability to soak up unwanted high end and retain all the good stuff.
The Gainlab is just not in the running by comparison. I’m not keen on the busy front fascia and all the stepped settings, I would opt for the original stereo dictator over this dual mono. I particularly disliked the stepped threshold. Its not badly made at all, but its design is not elegant and I found it off putting. Compared to the 124 its harsh and thin sounding. That sounds rather damming, I think it’s unfortunate that its being a/b’d with the Chandler. I do however get the sense I wouldn’t have liked it, it sounds to me like a high end version of the ART Pro VLA, and I felt the sweet spot was very narrow. In contrast to the 124, it seems only to have one single good sound, and I didn’t feel it was working with the material, rather just sounding like a tube compressor. I have a feeling - just intuition, that the original dictator might be a better compressor, despite the insistence that the circuits are the same. For me personally, the GainLab was underwhelming, but its half the price the of the Chandler!
Thanks for reporting back more of your findings 👍🏼. I completely agree about the RS124. It's just so musical! It's my absolute favorite tone out of a compressor...ever.
Does Acustica have a good distortion plugin (exept Crimson)??? I mean distortion, not saturation
I haven't tried them yet but check out Gainstation 2 and Aero to see if there's anything there that might be what you're looking for.
@@SeawellStudios just checked. There is no good distortion in those two... Gainstation 2 is not about distortion... AERO is kind of wierd sound
Pumpkin Pro
Diamond Saturator
What a great comparison. The Acustica just killed the Waves plugin. The waves sounds too two-dimensional compare to hardware. The Coffee has more 3 dimensional sound that identical to the real hardware.Just subscribed - hope to see more Acustica comparison to real hardwares !
Thank you! I appreciate you checking out the video and sharing your thoughts. I'd definitely like to do more hardware vs Acustica shootouts. I've been a big fan of Acustica plugins for years now. I hope they make a 176 vari mu compressor emulation soon! Next up I think I'll do an 1176 and some of my Lexicion Reverbs against the Acustica versions.
On the vocal i much preffer3d the coffee its my fav sound very smooth and glued the hw is too much in the face
I find the waves and the original hard to discern. OTOH I find acustica's sounded better than the others
I agree, I think the acustica was the most special of the plug ins. Couldn't quite get into the hardware territory but it was impressive!
Inside of a DAW for Home Recording unliess...your Recording Live.....the Acustica Audio Coffee beats them all because it sound really Rich....almost a better Color than the Chandler Cloan..on here...but its consistant and giving you 90% of the Depth from the Hardware and Clarity.....as a Home Studio Own....I think Coffee hands down is the best Value with the Best over all Polished sound....Coffee is on Sale and I definatley buying it
Your getting $40,000 worth of Accurate Live Analog 18 Core Sampled Chandler Gear in a Plugin...for $109 that can be Arranged and used however you want a Strip or 5 seperate Units
Coffee is one of the most impressive plugins for sure!
Hardware sounds like silk
Aucstica Adio beat that Cloan.....unless you can get the Orignal Units...seems...Like Acustica is the Next Best thing Going...
Acustica was impressive but I don't think it beat the hardware.