Hardware vs. Software compressors

[Farview]

Farview, You seem to be pretty sharp on this stuff. I have a question for you, please. Maybe I can make this sound simply sensible...

If a hardware compressor has its on processor inside to manipulate the stream of data, and a software compressor uses a virtual processor loaned to it by the OS to manipulate the data stream, are they not equal in capacity providing the computer has a processor fast enough and the algorithims used by the virtual processor are written well enough?

I guess the question could go to anyone else that knows, as well.

Most hardware compressors are not digital, so it isn't a matter of signal processing power. Hardware units are purly analog, so they have much more headroom (generally) than the digital convertors. So it is much harder to clip it. Hardware compressors can be used to lower the peaks before the signal gets to the convertors.

mic->preamp->hardware compressor->convertors->software

mic->preamp->convertors->software->plugin compressor


It's not that a software compressor does anything different it is just that it is in a different place in the signal chain.

 

[fraserhutch]

Lexicon does make a few reverb plugins..i know ones called the Lexicon Pantheon and i think another is the lexiverb or something

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I should have said that they won't make plugin versions of their flagship products. The plugins they do make are nothing like their flagships.

 

[fraserhutch]

I've never heard of a hardware unit that compresses using digital algorithms, but I would think the same applies to it as does plugins: if you clip the A/D converters there isn't anything the compression algorithm can do. The difference, I would imagine, is that the A/D on the hardware unit would probably have a lot more headroom than the standard +4dB. I guess in the analog realm, if you clip your mic output, or preamp, there isn't anything the compressor can do either, it can't unclip something upstream in the signal chain. Er...I'm not sure I answered your question...

Digital compessors do exist. I was just covering those bases in case anyone wanted to quibble. I agree, I am not sure how useful they'd be.

 

[travelin travis]

so when using a compressor as a limiter to tame peaks for tracking, is a high dollar compressor really needed? would the average home recorder hear a diffference in a high dollar compressor and a cheap compressor when used as a limiter?

 

[fraserhutch]

so when using a compressor as a limiter to tame peaks for tracking, is a high dollar compressor really needed? would the average home recorder hear a diffference in a high dollar compressor and a cheap compressor when used as a limiter?

Cheaper units tend to colour the sound in not-so-pleasants ways.

 

[travelin travis]

your sig........

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"...

I think most of us have crossed it

 

[Farview]

so when using a compressor as a limiter to tame peaks for tracking, is a high dollar compressor really needed? would the average home recorder hear a diffference in a high dollar compressor and a cheap compressor when used as a limiter?

Any compressor will do the job, the better the compressor, the better job they do. There are different types of compressors as well, suited toward different jobs.