Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Tips & Tricks
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- Lots of people recently got a free copy of the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor, but I've had a license for a while, so I have an opinion already.
If you're a Reaper user you might want to stick around till the end.
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That compressor interface looks like a spiders face
Well… I can never unsee this
Easy on the meds, man. Although now that I look at it...
@@whiskyngeets compression is my medicine 🤪
Happy lil spider!
You are 1000000% correct
I love how into these setting you take us Dan. I learn so much.
Dan rules the plugin test game!
Everybody seemed to be raving about the Shadow Hills compressor so when it was available for grabs I took it and tried it on a mixbus. For some reason I really liked it instantly and I don't yet know why.
I agree about the labeling, it is very difficult to read I have literally no clue what the attack and release values are as they are unreadable to me. What I assume makes this a mastering compressor is the fine degree of values you can pick from so that things can be more precise and gentle. What I also assume is that the discrete and optical work in tandem: you control fast peaks with the discrete one (to which you might also apply a higher ratio, a bit like a limiter though the ratios on offer don't come into the limiting territory) and you glue the music together with the opto. Similar like how some engneers use the LA2A and 1176 in tandem: LA2A for general smoothing, 1176 to grab high peaks.
I'm always a fan of the music you create for these videos. I'm here first for your insight but not without an expectation of the sounds I'm going to hear with it! Thanks for all the great content Dan.
They probably have the resources to make a button just pop up another, more modern, comprehensive and mouse usable GUI. That honestly would be a great plus, one for users who like big knobs (hehe) and other for users who like to work with a little less effort between their work and the tools they work with.
yeah yeah yeah fully AGREE! - PA is aware of that for years - but REFUSES to fix their old plugins, holding onto our money!
@@meghrajbaria5609 that is exactly how the unit looks like in real life.
@@meghrajbaria5609 I have a 43" in screen - it is as big as the hardware for me, lol!
They won't. They never update old plugins. How long has it been since they're older compressors have been without high resolution graphics. Years. That is not their business model. The business model is to sell you a new plugin every few months. There won't be any smarts and elaborate updates, tricks and redesigns.. the plugin is not the product. The subscription is... That being said their plugins are very good often but don't count on improvements. And they're not alone. It's the only section of the software industry that gets away with selling the same thing for years. This might mean that the musician is not as smart as the other software buyers?
What an interesting video (I always like Dan's videos, and his style of narration). As a retired person and musician who has been trying to learn how to mix/sound engineer, I have found it a huge learning curve. I have Shadow Hills Class A and love it, and now I have the ordinary Shadow Hill as a freebie. I have never really understood what the hell most of the knobs do (not helped, as Dan says, by the random interface) but I accepted that it was emulating some legendary bit of hardware and that - for some reason - cryptic interfaces were the norm in old classic pieces of hardware (which were perhaps used by those who had done a long apprenticeship in sound engineering). So I have tended just to choose a preset that gets me into the right sonic ballpark and then just to fiddle with things (and, as Dan says in the video, these might commonly be the easier to remember things like /Nickel/Iron etc). The main point though is that I just use my ears (and not any great understanding of the plugins internal workings) and go after a sound I like. And I have found the Class A variant to be a compressor I use a lot. And, because I don't really separate mixing and mastering (perhaps I should more, but....I'm an old man in a hurry ha ha) I will often have it on the Master buss. So, overall, I find that the Class A really adds something I want (glue/whatever) on certain types of music. I also find that quite a few plugins that I like from a sonic perspective baffle me as much as Shadow Hills does. So in conclusion, I think that whether an interface is well designed or not, it is ears (and referencing tracks as insurance against ears getting disorientated) that ultimately determine whether a plugin is doing a good job or not, as there is so much unknown stuff going on 'under the hood' anyway that the theoretical purpose of each knob switch may not translate well into getting the result you are seeking. What I will say though, is that the crappier the interface, the more time you may spend getting where you want to be, and the harder it is to remember for next time what it was you did that got you there. And yes I'm a Reaper user so thanks Dan for that excellent little bit at the end - might try that out ;-)
Awesome video! Just got the SH compressor and opened it up and the GUI is just overwhelming. Thanks for demystifying it!
Love it when you show plugin Dr results, good to visually see what's happening to confirm what you think you're hearing
Great insights in this video (as always)! I love watching your walkthroughs.
For your comment at 12:00 of wanting an interface update, they did fix a lot of the problems you highlighted in their updated "Class A" version of the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor (the red version on plugin alliance). They added mid-side processing, the ability to link left/right parameters when in duo mono, and other features, as well as simply sounding better to my ears. Still has the marketing factor of looking like the hardware though (UI not visually easier in that sense)
They should add that to this version. Even with my loyalty offer, the Class A version is still $100. Regularly it's $329. There are debates to be had about whether or not that price is legitimate, but regardless, that's an insane price to pay for just a few basic quality of life features that should already be in this version.
@@whatskraken3886 Plugin Alliance always charged for those and released them as a new product you have to pay for instead of just updating the plugin which already exists.
Rhe Class A version is much easier for me to get good results from, for some reason . . . I had all but abandoned the SHC , until I recently opened up the Class A . . . !?@y@?! . . . And it was a YT tutorial that got me to try it again . . . Now I have more faith it my ability to get better results from both of these Shadow Hills MCs . . . So, big thanks to Dan, and to the other guy who broke down the Class A . . . I'd been using the SPL Iron over the Shadow Hills . . . Yet now, the Class A gets equal consideration from me . . . ! . . . :-)
(-;
@@whatskraken3886 Its on plugin alliance, so like any other plugin on there, you can get it for 30$ if you wait for a sale which happens quite often
Thanks for running us through this interface, Dan. It sure is tricky.
Had a great long chat today with a new friend in Brissie talking audio, we're both super grateful for how deeply you dive into things and how well you explain it Dan! Thank you so very much, you're teaching so many people important stuff!
Hi Don, great review as always! As a SHMC hardware owner I just think you missed one thing. For me the best of it is using both compressors together, opto + discrete. That is the magical thing for me. And also when doing this, the output of the opto influences the discrete compressor both in gain reduction and in sound, as it comes first. Try it! Opto just kissing and discrete half to 1dB. Slowest attack, fastest release, 3:1. Settings changes depending on the music of course (mainly the ratio and release time for me). Thanks again for all your videos.
How do you find the plugin compares to the hardware?
@@nghtfall yea what he said
Donald lol
@@nghtfall There is a shootout: hardware vs software emulation. The software doesn't sound similar.
@@nghtfall I think they did a pretty good job. But I use the UAD version of it that sounds a little better to me.
Looking at the hammerstein graph you can see they modeled the harmonics to be the same all over the spectrum. Other companies like Arturia, Slate Digital or even cheaper ones like Kazrog, FuseAudioLabs or Klanghelm have more complex harmonic contours. They even change it for different gains or emulate things like trafo hystherisis saturation.
I find that hammerstein test quite useful to check for realistic emulations.
Since you seem to know what you're talking about, I have a small question.
Do the small bumps on the hammerstein analysis reflect how the distortion actually works/sounds? Or are the small variations simply the result of the testing method?
That song is just so insane, really takes you into yourself.
You may already know this but the "Class A" version that Brainworx/Plugin Alliance put out addresses several of the things you mention, by adding a little footer to the main screen with the highpass control, parallel mix control, M/S mode, as well as a mono-maker and stereo width control.
The big win with that plugin bundle isn’t the mastering compressor imo, it’s the BlackBox tube saturator.
Agreed
I prefer the console
@@eegoal that focusrite sounds sooo boring. Even more boring than any SSL strip.
Maybe good for jazz/classical tho
Totally agree - thats why I BOUGHT IT A MONTH BEFORE IT WAS FREE... :D
@@saftpackerl same here!
Mr. Worrall - after this video, I headed over to my Apple subscription and created a playlist for all of your music.
Sorry to say, I have been woefully negligent. I should’ve listened much, much sooner. There really is nothing comparable to it. It’s beyond refreshing.
I had the pleasure of listening to the piece used in this video “Reincarnation” with headphones.
In short, I haven’t been this excited about a mix since Floyd’s, “Wish You Were Here”.
I think the community would greatly benefit if you could kindly give a tutorial on how you mixed this amazing song.
A few points of interest popped out: My ears couldn’t believe what you did at just beyond the one minute mark.
Aside from sweeping frequencies, I have no clue how you pulled that mind blowing pan effect.
And then there’s all the incredible guitar work along with the slinky bass at the end. I can’t figure out what that is: Bass? Processed baritone guitar? Synth? It’s like a beautiful smearing effect for the harmonies above.
I mean everything about it from the reverbs to the programming of the drums. Just incredible.
An insider‘s look into your mix process for this song would be a master class for generations to come. Cheers to you good Sir 🍻
Searching a way for "cheap" mid/side Compression the whole time, thanks dan!
Always Intrigued by your reviews, which makes me watch it more then once to properly capture the details. I recently purchased the class A and would be nice to see how you would like the improvements they made, as few you've mentioned here.
Came for some wry Dan Worrall commentary; rewarded with a free plugin bundle I hadn't heard about. Cheers!
Thanks Mr Worall, it's the most informative review of that plugin Ive seen so far.
Just started playing with this exact compressor yesterday and DAN just hit home on every one of my grievances.
Thanks for another lesson! Really appreciate the no BS format!
„Class A“ Version is one of the best sounding software compressors on the market ! Anyways-thanks for showing some love for the PA stuff :)
I don't get why they just didn't make it as an upgrade? is there a reason you should have both? is the class A more for mastering or something?
@@kevincook4598 it has a few different features that would make it appropriate for mastering, yeah, but mostly it has some different behaviors for the discrete comp especially. So it basically has a different sound in addition to additional features.
@@kevincook4598 I think they sound so different that they didn’t want to change peoples older projects in a significant way
I prefer the Class A "red LED" version of this plug in, most of the times anyway.
Thanks for the Reaper tip.
They aren't that different tbh. One saturates slightly brighter and modern (HiFi maybe), the other has more grunge if i recall correctly.
@@TransistorLSD there is a huge difference in that the Class A has the extra panel down the bottom which resolves a lot of the issues he brings up in this video
@@TransistorLSD different enough to always pick out blind tests I've done. The good thing about Reaper is it has toggle bypass key command and it has been very useful to me when I don't want to see, but only listen to what I prefer.
Both SHMC versions have their uses, but generally this "green" Shadow Hills is more useful on the drum buss than the 2buss. The "red" Shadow Hills has an open sound that sounds better for the 2buss, in my ears anyway.
@@nectariosm Yes they are significantly different IMO.
I need the green one fixed, so it gets all these features. Could care less about the 200 dollar Red , frankenstein version. Too clean, and for that I use Kotelnikov, Weiss etc - the real good stuff. I enjoyed the red, but I want my money well invested from that Green, so give me scalable graphs, link and M/S.
Personally I have mix feelings about this plugin and this is coming from a mastering engineers perception, first according to my listening test the sound of the "transformers" to me these settings behave more like oversampling, there is some subtle coloration but not that much, second is the attack time, and this what differentiates a real mastering compressor from a mixing compressor, the attack time that this compressor offers is not enough to be a mastering tool, 30ms is to short in my opinion to me a 50ms attack is a good number for a mastering context because of the relationship between the lowes fundamental frequencies in a mix and the initial portion of the transients. To your point about the interface, I have to agree 100% the interface makes perfect sense in the analog domain because of the recallability, but in the digital domain doesn't make any sense at all because the recallability is there when you re-visit the session, the parameters will be there waiting for you the same way as you left them the last time, and lastly the mode switch, while in the analog domain you have to manually move the ON/OFF switch in the digital domain a simple click should do the trick but plugin alliance treats the interface is if you where literally interacting with an analog tool, you have to drag the mouse up and down to change the state of the switch witch is not user-friendly.
exactly why I don't use it for mastering. 30ms attack time is way too fast for the slowest setting. You're correct in a 50ms to 100ms option would be the right ballpark.
Yeah, I absolutely love this thing on a drum bus for some punch, but otherwise it's tricky. I guess for faster stuff 30ms might work but then I might just go for an SSL style anyway
I don't know if it's the case here or not and I assume that your ear backs your assertions, but I wanted to remind that attack/release times on compressors are not standarized, so 30ms on one compressor might mean totally different times in another.
30ms is best!
@@artvandelay2731 True. The slope of the attack itself affects how it sounds. A very sharp slope sounds way faster than a slower slope - even if they're the same length, time-wise.
I've subscribed to you just for this review alone. Absolutely incredible breakdown and very informative. Thank you very much!
I've learned so much from you and White Sea Audio over the last couple of weeks. I just got a copy of PluginDoctor and am finally getting to understand what my plugins are actually doing. I'm pretty shocked at how far off of the intended frequency a lot of EQs are. I just had a look at Waves' Pulteq EQ emulation and PSP Warmer, and can't believe the range that Plugin Doctor is revealing. Dialling in a boost at 100hz, in the Pulteq it reaches it's peak at about 500hz (although it's so wide it's almost peaking at 2khz), dialling in the same boost on the PSP peaks at about 35hz. Aiming for 100, and getting 35 or 500...that's a pretty huge variation. I know obviously they're different plugins and both trying to create/emulate analogue character, and that this is shelf EQ rather than bell, and obviously you should always use your ears (backed up by a spectrum analysis) to decide if a setting works or not. But knowing just how wide off the mark some of these frequency settings are will definitely speed up the process of finding the right setting. For example, now I know that if I want the PSP to boost around 100, I should go straight to 300 as a starting point.
Thanks so much for all the great tutorials. It's been really eye opening for me.
Snap !!
I had this one already, but none of the others in the 'SoundWide' Freebie Bundle.
Although not my Main DAW, I got Reaper for
1) The Video Arranger Track and Functions
2) Analysis purposes and plugins. After seeing you Dan using it that way. 😉
P.S.
Pay for it again ?
Sounds like they heard you - re Class A version
Linked Parameters ... M-S .. etc 😜
Except theat came out a couple of years ago ... 🙄
Stayed for the Reaper tip. Wasn't disappointed.
thanks so much, i recently got it as well and i was also having the same thoughts you described about the interface, well put. Also incredible content as usual.
I love your music, and oh yes, you thoroughly informative and entertaining tutorials Dan. Thank you!!
Just what I needed, grabbed this bundle and this was immediately going to be put to the side just because of the gui. Was very confused by the optical and discrete settings on both sides of the compressor
Still haven’t watched video yet, but just wanted to mentioned how when they promoted the free plugins I quick jumped to the group chats to tell my engineering buddies about the sale and got myself some free licenses as well but failed to realize that the sale was happening because all of the companies involved in the sale were merging under one umbrella! Which is very interesting. I hold from being speculative whether it’ll be a good thing or bad thing as one on the outside truly never knows but it’s interesting and Important to keep an ear on what’s going on with these companies that have a huge influence on our line of work.
Sorry for the rant and thank you Dan for the content!
I've been looking for a video like this for months! Thank you! Subscribed 👏🏽
"...and bob's your uncle." I didn't know that phrase and I love it!
Can we just take a moment to appreciate Dan's thumbnails 😆 genius...
hey, je viens de regarder 2 tuto de ton cru...et ce sont les meilleurs que j'ai eu l'occasion de visionner. Super clair, très complet et objectif. Je trouve énormément de compétence et de pertinence dans la critique que tu fais des plugins que tu examines !!! Bravo...je crois que je suis définitivement conquis après 2 reviews...pourvu que les autres soient aussi qualitatifs :)
Thanks so much for the tips...........I've been kinda frustrated with the SH. I find it so temperamental and to easy to get pumping, and not in a pleasing way for mix buss or mastering. I'm not a mastering person, but I'm learning. I know some pro mixer/mastering people that have the real hardware, and they use it more as a coloring box. They only just kiss the gain reduction. The gain reduction is determined more by how hard they hit it. As I'm learning, to me the best mastering comp from PA is the Elysia Alpha. It's much easier to understand and to get some good transparent reduction right off the bat.....AND the soft clip feature is great!
I'm going to give the SH another shot using your tips..........thanks again :-)
It’s funny, I first used this plug in as a master bus comp on a live tour on an Avid desk, using the UAD version. As someone who is comfortable with analog gear I found myself constantly confused with the interface and knobs, so ultimately I found a preset I liked snd used it with minimal tweaks. Yes, it SOUNDED great for my purposes and I used it the whole tour, but damn did you ever nail the gripes I had with the user interface in your review.
I am glad he wasn't just getting on the hype train for Plugin Alliance stuff. It lets them get away with plugins like this that put no thought into designing a clear usable digital interface. Does this plugin have some awesome capability to it? Undoubtedly. However, not making a clear interface and providing EXTREMELY clear indications of gain reduction are inexcusable sins for the amount this plugin has sold for in the past.
Dan never minces words about this kind of thing, yet offers the good feedback where deserved, and its why we all appreciate him so much 🙂This one particularly hit home because I have real world experience using it and everything he says is spot on.
So happy to have found your channel, great stuff Dan.
At last a proper review with practical reasons behind pros and cons thank you👍
thanks man. just picked up the red version about a month ago. forgot I had the thing for a minute, working on a home master now and needed some tips.
Thanks, Dan. I've now watched all these videos and all Greg's videos on Kush Out of Hours. It's time to start from the beginning here and try out all these things for myself. Over the past month, my hearing is starting to be more discerning about the effects of compression.
I shall now refer to you as One Foot Worrall, because, you are a Leg-end. That was a great review, thank you.
Thanks a lot. I rly though I was doing sth wrong with the dual mono feature, but it turns out they actually didn't waste a single thought on the usability of it.
I'm glad you started off by saying you hate the interface, really. That thing is seriously overwhelming and cramped, but designing the interface to look like the real stuff is something PA just can't stop doing, even if it makes something annoying to use
Looking forward to the bandcamp release of the amazing background song. Thank you for these videos.
Already up! Track 3, "Reincarnation"
dan-worrall.bandcamp.com/album/wonky-music-that-youll-probably-hate
Sadly, it's the adherence to hardware interface design that's the main reason I hesitate to fire up many of the Plugin Alliance plugs. I hope this will change, or they will lose an increasing share of returning customers. This compressor, Knifonium, Engl amps, Elysia Alpha... The list could be made long. Glad I use Reaper and can link parameters, as you pointed out in this video.
Maybe I missed it but one thing I had to figure out is the Optical compressor is fed directly while the Discrete compressor is fed by the output gain of the Optical compressor. Means you have to chase threshold settings on the Discrete after you move the Optical gain.
Just got my hands on the bundle. I'm somewhat new with plugin alliance but feel I've made the right decisions with purchasing, glad I didn't get this and blackbox before the bundle was available. I was testing these on a track I recorded previously, and I feel I got my head around the controls quickly enough, but you uploaded this right as I finished testing and wasn't sure. About to get back into it so thought I give your insights a watch and I feel a lot more confident this time.
Thanks as always
Congrats on the 70K Subs, Dan! Keep it up!
Some of the basic control ui grips like M/S mode & control linking are included in the “Class A” version, which does sound different and have different headroom. But yeah, annoying to have to constantly match settings for L/R when in dual mono.
Sometimes the the opto is a squishy eater, so I don’t use it on everything, especially when I want that transient clarity. But on certain material, it’s really nice to have that opto rounding the mix, before running into the discrete. And the output gain of opto driving into the discrete does change the sound and vibe. I just barely touch the meters usually. But on individual instruments the 3:1 and the 6:1 ratios are really nice. I make great use of this comp for many different sources and love it. On individual instruments, the transformer colors can really really help bring a more natural sound, it can help something sit right or pop in the mix depending on what you need (bowed strings as a good example).
You have to admit that the 6E5 'Magic Eye' tube is excellent !
I love this plugin and the more expensive version does have control synching in dual mono (also red LEDs (which must cost more?)). Thanks for the tips!!!
Oh yeah finally a tutorial i would love listening to about the shadow hills
for ableton live users i use a trick for the dual mono mode where the compressor is saved as a macro with the controls of both sides mapped to the same macro
ALWAYS here for these…
Thank you for shedding this much light over the shadows of this icon!! Instructive, constructive and enjoyable 👏👏👏
always a pleasure, thank you dan
Excellent video (as ever), and the bass tone is amazing!
1:15 in and i’m loving this guy. i had the same thoughts.
There are few audio channels on YT that you can trust. This is one.
Thanks for the discrete threshhold compensation nudge to compare attack rates. sometimes i do it without thinking anyway, but to hear it stated like that and in use with snapshots...nice one
I use it in the final mix according to what type of tracks, sometimes I like it as it is and other times I use a la2a on top of a vertigo, for the type of music in which I use it that is techno at speeds of 130/140 I do not see the need to change the settings too much and in my case it goes well, no more than 2.5 reduction attack 30ms release to the minimum, maximum knee or just less than maximum, in my case it works for me, in another style you may reason in what Obia says because you know what it is. That you talk, finally to me if I like it because it is the copy of the real and it is with which I learned to master in his day...thanks for the video
Thank you thank you thank you! Right to the point and easy to comprehend
and this is why im subbed to your channel ...
Thank you so much for this breakdown... Best on this plugin yet !!!!
Thanks for another great video, Dan. I've always ended up preferring other mastering compressors over the SHMC, but I now realize that it's likely because I didn't really understand how to get the best out of it. Based on your advice, I'm also looking forward to seeing where the optical side (by itself) may work well as a glue compressor too. Cheers!
Hi Dan. Have you ever tried out any of Melda's plugins? If so, are there any standouts that you enjoy? If not, they may be of interest to you. They are great for a deep dive. I love your videos. And I've learned a ton so far. Thank you for the great content!
Melda's anti-aliasing is phe-no-me-nal. They've the best saturation plugins/analog emulations imo. Their whole suite should be included in every daw. They just do everything, and better than everyone.
He knows Melda Productions. He even did a tutorial for them back in 2011.
Oscillators in MeldaProduction audio effects (creative possibilities):
ruclips.net/video/r-69N5m3crY/видео.html
I use Melda's Flanger, best flanger plugin I've ever used, hands-down. It's very straightforward and always sounds great - most flangers sound terrible until you find a sweet spot.
@@adamgreenhill110 Yess. 4 main knobs, + 1 awesome saturation, no bullshit. And a ton of fine-tuning options under the hood as usual.
Even without oversampling the signal is clean af, it's perfect
I got this last year and I do like the sound of it, but the skeuomorphic GUI is ridiculous. Too many companies making products for people who want to play “Sound Engineer Hero” instead of providing useful tools for people to create music. The transformer emulation is nice though, and overall I do like the effect this has on my mixes and drum busses. Thanks for the Reaper tip, Dan. Love your channel.
That plugin always has confused me. Especially after having worked with Acustica Aquamarine, where the knobs are arranged in a different way. Now I understand much more of it. Thanks very much!
Dan going full White Sea Studios on that interface 😊
Great video! I downloaded this during the week, and it had me baffled. But not any more 🙂
They improved this plugin with the Class A. I was so happy. I had the UAD version and I hated it because of the dual mono thing. The Class A fixed that at least.
Also possible within Studio one. Add both buttons to a single macro knob and adjust the "trans" parameter (click the blue wrench icon) to taste.
♪♪Dan Dan, Dan the man.. If Dan can't teach you no one can.♪♪
Much respect!!!!
Nice outro man. Thanks for the tips
Killer tips, as always, Dan, Thanks a lot...and keep them coming :)
Found the song! "Reincarnation" on "Wonky Music That You'll Probably Hate". I'm mind blown - I didn't believe musicians that good were ever capable of getting a song recorded, let alone whole albums.
really enjoyed the song in the background!
Would love a deep dive on the Hammerstein mode of Plugin Doctor. I have a basic understanding of what it is showing on a kind of theoretical level, but am curious what different looking graphs for different plugins (or different modes or settings of the same plugin) mean really.
I like the fact 5 of the plugins I didn't have full licences for (but was waiting to pay for when they came on discount) were included in the package. Nice bonus! 😂
Also, I don't hear any huge differences in the Steel/Nickel/Iron settings. It's so slight. Mostly in the low frequencies I can hear a change where Steel sounds like it's a bit heavier in the lows. Your measurements show this. Never thought of analysing the plugin in this way, which is why I appreciate your in-depth analysis. The harmonic content changes look quite significant, although they don't "sound" as significant. I'm sure with more training I could hear the subtle changes on certain content.
You have to be so careful with the compressor in a mastering setting. It's so aggresive, so I tend to use a max of about 0.5dB GR just to capture the flavour of the compressor. Whether it helps or hinders a master comes down to trying it and seeing if it works, then you can make the decision to either keep it or go with another compressor. I usually try it out on every master to see what it does then decide afterwards whether to use it or not. It is a great sounding compressor plugin, though. Definitely one to keep in the arsenal.
Thanks for another great one...👌
reaper is great because its routing and parameterization adds another layer of abstraction on top of everything
I have wanted this one for a while and just got it thanks to Soundwide. Thanks for promptly enlightening me on it's use, Dan, low ratio seems key to making the pumping style work, I like the transformer sounds too and am definitely gonna use those and the opto which just lemme say, opto rules.
Dan you are the man. I did indeed just get this bundle
Am I crazy or this guy has an amazing voice for reviews?
I must confess that back when I briefly had a PA subscription that this was one of those plugins I loaded up, twiddled around with for about 10 minutes - before concluding I just couldn't be bothered. In the end the only thing I used it for was the transformer modes which I found could be used instead of EQ in certain use cases. I think it should be the law that every plugin has a sort of 'Makes User Friendly Sense' mode.
"I think it should be the law that every plugin has a sort of 'Makes User Friendly Sense' mode."
Tokyo Dawn Records does a fantastic job of this, all of their plugin interfaces are simple and clear but also powerful.
Kotelnikov the mastering limiter has good metering that clearly shows gain reduction, and has two lights that glow for its rms and peak compressors so you can easily balance them while barely knowing what you are doing. Also, I don't even know how to make this limiter sound bad, you can drive it to crazy gain reduction and it sounds fine.
Limiter No.6 has an extremely clear interface as well, with a complex set of processors pre-setup in a sensible chain for you, a Compressor, Clipper, High Frequency Limiter, Peak Limiter and Output Protection Limiter WITH a LUFS meter built in.
Nova is easy to use as well and is ridiculously powerful.
SlickEQ is easy to overlook, but it has the killer feature of having auto gain compensation, so when you make a huge boost, it automatically lowers the overall gain so the perceived loudness doesn't change.
I really think TDR sets the bar for what features digital plugins should have, and how their UI should be structured.
A lot of your complaints are addressed in the 2nd version (Class A) that has the BX Extra Unit/additional panel down the bottom.
Your totally justified desire to link controls in dual mono mode is addressed in the 'Class A' version of this plugin. It's actually superior in almost every way ... but is not free!
Great video! Got the SHMC from the Soundwide bundle and going to test it thoroughly, thanks for the tips! (Ps. What's Soundwide going to be? The end-all plugin subscription platform?)
Please take a look at Kirchhoff-EQ by Three-Body Technology. it's new and it has some very unique and competitive features.
I may be wrong, but I believe the Hardware In/Out switch only bypasses the output transformers. So leaving the compressors in and hardware out should do just that.
Thank you, Dan - very helpful.
Thanks Dan!!! You’re incredible man!
Interface UI/UIX of Black Box Hg2 from same freebies pack is even worse. I'm glad that im not only one that thing about this things
I don’t know if it’s par for the course, but it’s worth mentioning that this optical compressor drastically squashes the stereo spread, so I’ve been bypassing the optical only using a tiny bit of the discreet section and mainly utilizing the plugin for a little harmonic color. I’ve liked it so far for that. And yes, that interface is functionally terrible.
Thanks for this!
You can reset PA plugins knobs to their original value it's either ctrl+left click or alt+left click on the knob or fader or whatever you tweaked. Not sure which of those two shortcuts is it, every plugin manufacturer has his own shortcuts in plugins...
Yeah that nonlinked dual channel mode make no sense users perspective, but there is also Shadow hills mastering compressor class A from Plugin Alliance and that's much better users perspective you have Mid side option there as well as parameter link option and what I also find really useful is headroom knob which is there also.
None of the usual reset options seem to work for that high pass filter setting on the top bar however... Maybe I missed something though.
The class A version is a lot more usable and more in line with the features other newer Brainworx plugins has.
@@martinolssonbass and that is the slap in the FACE! SHMC Green typically sounds better than RED to me, but being an older Plugin PA is LAZY (or greedy?) and does not want top add HI res graphics, a link button and M/S. It's been years . Come oN! Instead they release a 200 dollar Class A, and forget people who bought into SHMC green.... These are investments, and PA needs to finish their job. I don't wanta new release....fix your old plugins you already are holding my money, and enjoy my money in your pocket!
Knowing Plugin Alliance... they didn't implement MS processing so they could sell another version that does have MS processing
I am with you. Slap in the face. Nor LINK mode, nor scalable graphics. They have our money and NEVER update older plugins. Pretend they work on it. I didnt need a red - I want my 50 dollar Green to be fixed first.
Thanks Dan, thanks Shazam! Thanks again Dan.