Hardware vs. Software compressors

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Basically, I am wondering if anyone can explain a fundamental difference between hardware and software compressors, since I can't hear it for myself. Or paraphrased, why get any hardware compressor over, say, Waves or comparable brands? (and I don't mean for anyone to bring up the pricetag of Waves or any discussion of cost vs. value, I only mean in terms of sound purely.) Thanks...
 
Some people say plugins don't capture all the "vibe" of a good hardware unit and they never sound quite like the real thing. I think they get pretty darn close. The main reason I still keep a hardware compressor in my rack is because it works before the A/D conversion. Only a hardware compressor can knock down peaks before clipping occurs, the plugin would be acting on a audio file that is ALREADY clipped.
 
Along with what reshp1 said, all compressors have a characteristic sound, including plugins. The trick is to match the compressor with the source so that the characteristics of both the source and the compressor help each other and not hurt.
 
I tend to use both myself. So far everything that's been said is right on the money. Like reshp said, the hardware will catch peaks and clip them before the signal hits the computer. The software plugin can fine tune the already clipped audio to fine tune it. And yes even software plugins have their own vibe to them as well. It'd make sense seeing that different companies make them all and what worked for one company may not be what another one is trying to go for. But the trick really is experimentation in order to figure out which one works best for you. It's all about you anyway.
 
Farview said:
Along with what reshp1 said, all compressors have a characteristic sound, including plugins. The trick is to match the compressor with the source so that the characteristics of both the source and the compressor help each other and not hurt.
Click to expand...

And *that* is the true art of it all :)
 
well ive never actually tried using a software comp while i was tracking...but i have used delays distortions ect.. on my inputs track and have had it work in real time...so why wouldnt ya be able to do it with a compressor too?
 
Why would anyone *want* to use software compressor plugins while tracking?
 
ummm...for the same reason they would use a hardware compressor for!...to catch peaks and clip them before the signal hits the track
 
thats what im asking..ya can do it w/ delays and what not...why the hell not with a comp?
 
Markaholic said:
thats what im asking..ya can do it w/ delays and what not...why the hell not with a comp?
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By the time the signal hits the plugin, it has gone through the converters. A plugin can't keep you from clipping the converters because the plugin is after the converters.

The only advantage to recording with compression is to get a good signal to the converters without clipping them. You can only do that in the analog domain.

You can record through plugin compressors but, why? It give you more tweeking options if you do it in the mix. You can't un-compress something.
 
Farview said:
By the time the signal hits the plugin, it has gone through the converters. A plugin can't keep you from clipping the converters because the plugin is after the converters.

The only advantage to recording with compression is to get a good signal to the converters without clipping them. You can only do that in the analog domain.

You can record through plugin compressors but, why? It give you more tweeking options if you do it in the mix. You can't un-compress something.
Click to expand...

that's what I was getting at.
 
I'm new, but it seems to me that what is trying to be said here is that if you want to use the compressor for its technical, signal-related peak-hindering value, you cannot use a digital compressor. Digital compressors are only used to achieve the sound of compression, not the actual act of compression, am I right?
 
Neito said:
I'm new, but it seems to me that what is trying to be said here is that if you want to use the compressor for its technical, signal-related peak-hindering value, you cannot use a digital compressor. Digital compressors are only used to achieve the sound of compression, not the actual act of compression, am I right?
Click to expand...

You are correct in spirit - however, software compressor actually do compress. And that is very useful for making things sit better in mixes.
 
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.
 
Toki987 said:
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.
Click to expand...

If the hardware is an analog unit, there can be no comparison. It will always sound different that a plugin. If it is digital, though....

In theory, a software plugin and a hardware unit employing the same algortihms would yield the same results. In practice this is very rarely true.
The hardware has convertors and other circuitry that influence the sound in subtle ways.

Also, hardware manufacturers are notoriously secretive about the algorithms they employ in their hardware units, for good reason. Lexicon will never release a software plugin of any of their reverb hardware for the very reason that they fear piracy of their algorithms.

However, what we have been talking about here is the use of a hardware compressor as a limiter to tame peaks before they get to conversion. Once he signal hits conversion, it's too late. Since plugins work after conversion, they cannot be effective as limiters in this application.
 
I always get most of my signal processing doen before my sound enters into the computer. It just makes everything easier.
 
fraserhutch said:
Also, hardware manufacturers are notoriously secretive about the algorithms they employ in their hardware units, for good reason. Lexicon will never release a software plugin of any of their reverb hardware for the very reason that they fear piracy of their algorithms.
Click to expand...

Lexicon does make a few reverb plugins..i know ones called the Lexicon Pantheon and i think another is the lexiverb or something
 
fraserhutch said:
If the hardware is an analog unit, there can be no comparison. It will always sound different that a plugin. If it is digital, though....

In theory, a software plugin and a hardware unit employing the same algortihms would yield the same results. In practice this is very rarely true.
The hardware has convertors and other circuitry that influence the sound in subtle ways.

Also, hardware manufacturers are notoriously secretive about the algorithms they employ in their hardware units, for good reason. Lexicon will never release a software plugin of any of their reverb hardware for the very reason that they fear piracy of their algorithms.

However, what we have been talking about here is the use of a hardware compressor as a limiter to tame peaks before they get to conversion. Once he signal hits conversion, it's too late. Since plugins work after conversion, they cannot be effective as limiters in this application.
Click to expand...

Very good. Thanks
 
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...
 
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