Hardware Compressor vs. Software Compressor

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob's Mods
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Which do you like better, hardware or software Compressors

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    141
well personaly im all about the hardware, VST's are pritty good if you can aford the high end ones.

But i love the TL audio valve classic C-1 compressor very crispy the crunch you get when its driven is amazing.
Just the sound you get out of a valve compress its hard to get out of software.

I like tools and other VST setups ( tools user ) and there geting close and sound good if used in the right way as with evrthing its great in moderation, and the right situation
 
does anyone have a before and after clip showing the OMG factor of some HW compressor that's considered a Holy Grail...
 
I've used both hardware and software. I like software compression for mixing and hardware for tracking. Can't really say which one is better because they have different purposes. All i know is i wish i wouldn't have sold my compressor!!! I had a behringer autocom 1400 and one day i sold it because i needed cash. Dumn move! They discontinued after that and i haven't had the money to pick up another one on ebay. I tried to get the same sound with some waves plugins, but it just wasn't the same. I'm not saying the 1400 is good for everybody, but after i sold it i realized how good it was in my setup.
 
i think that some people are comparing software compressors (they are cheap & more often than not come free bundled with other software) Vs the cost of hardware compressors. Obviousley software wins hands down & i don't think the jump in price from soft to hard is relative to the scale in terms of quality. We all know that they both produce in terms of what we want them to do. But i love the colour some hardware compressors apply to tracks & i love the tactile nature of hardware. I use software for drums unless i'm wanting the compressor to pump along with the tempo. I love DBX compression on bass. I use hardware for vocals mainly as a limiter. Guitar i tend to leave alone, i'm not too keen on compressing guitar too much, if i have to i'll soft knee it like the vocals, but i don't like to remove too many dynamics from guitar & vocals. I think it's sexier & more fun using a harware compressor aswell. Depends what turns you on man. Software although useful in some circumstances & good value for money are really used due to my own lazyness more than not i think. :D
 
Would you compare the likes of NI's virtual instruments to the real old vintage keyboards like the pro 5? Turn round & say "nah the software virtual instrument is better because you can save your patches" i know i wouldn't ;)
 
tone_aot said:
All i know is i wish i wouldn't have sold my compressor!!! I had a behringer autocom 1400 and one day i sold it because i needed cash. Dumn move!
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You ARE 'joking', right?
 
Nope. I'm dead serious. I've never used any other compressor so that's all i know. I wanna get an fmr rnc tho. Should be a heck of alot better than that autocom.
 
I prefer the convenience of software.

I prefer the sound of hardware.
 
chessrock said:
Hardware comps can lend an awful lot of personality to a sound source.
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The thing personality comes from the fact if the compressor has similar adjustment when ever its used for a pecular sound .. either the hardware have the same knee character or attack or realease setting creatings personality effect....

I do agree hardware creates personality but why do we need that if we can do the same by softwares..

if you use the same setting in software too everytime it may give an illusion like personality effect..

:)
 
Keiffer said:
does anyone have a before and after clip showing the OMG factor of some HW compressor that's considered a Holy Grail...
Click to expand...

Absolutely no way - that would actually PROVE something!
 
I would say that both can be utilise in different context and can make wonders. Just use it as color pallettes. But I think sofware will take undisputedly all the market very soon!
 
Bob's Mods said:
Sonic,

Does this include the holy grail of all software compressors....the UAD-1 card?

I put this poll out for the reason you state, a decent hardware compressor seems to have more horsepower than software ones. I've been using the Kjaerhus Golden Compressor and it sounds like a reasonable vintage hardware one once you figure out how to set it. However a friend, who has been a pro (musician) for a good part of his life uses an Oktava Mk-319, Blue Tube pre, Cake Home Studio, Sound Blaster 16 and an RNC compressor. I've invested a lot more in my rig and yet his stuff sounds extremely good for the chump change he's invested. I figure its that RNC hardware compressor that makes the difference. A high quality hardware compressor seems to be able to compensate for other lesser gear in the chain to a greater degree than one would reasonably assume without hearing the mixes. It makes me wonder if I should pick one up and be done with it.
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Maybe your friend's stuff sounds better because he's just better than you at recording and mixing in general? Not being mean, just pointing out that it's not necessarily the products that you use, and I do have the RNC, but tend to use the UAD-1 1176LN most of the time (and I tend to not use compression all that much) just because it has a certain sound to it. The RNC is more transparent, although you can force it to get crunchy.
 
robin watson said:
Absolutely no way - that would actually PROVE something!
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IMO, this HW > SW compressor generality thing is generally group think... along the lines of the pre-amp thing...
 
agreed

rustyblue said:
I would say that both can be utilise in different context and can make wonders. Just use it as color pallettes. But I think sofware will take undisputedly all the market very soon!
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I agree this fact ................................softwares would make wonder..

now a days its just the digital race in audio field like the race in mega pixels in camera when it was out of average thing the digital cameraz completly overturned the industry..

just so audio digital race is on and once its over the average needed then the rating would be more than the human ear can feel then the ...

this thing would also be completly overturned in about few years

...in digital audio world...
 
the answer is a given, hardware compressors all the way. i think that there are some amazing software compressors but u just can't get the same sound that a piece of hardware has when trying to use software. this most definitely applies to the universal audio gear even though it cost a lot more than the software. and i love the dbx stuff and i just haven't found that same sound on a piece of software
 
The average software compressor is too accurate, too easy to mess up and has far too much control to directly compare with a hardware one.

I've got a rack full of the best hardware compressors money can buy, a few racks in fact, though no fairchild. At this point, I really just use it for bling factor or Jimmy rents it out to other studios.

Its WAY faster and easier to get 75% of the way there on hardware compressors than softweare ones, but for getting it exactly how I want it, it takes the same time either way, and the software can do so much more in some situations its just not worth patching in the racks.

If you can describe in detail what you want a compressor to do for you, its easy to get it out of a software compressor.

If you are saying " I'll know it when I hear it" then the hardware compressor will be MUCH better suited for you

different strokes for different folks
 
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