EQ and Compression plug-ins

Hulk wrote on 2/11/2004, 8:47 PM

I've just gotten back into multitrack recording and have been pretty satisfied with Vegas's EQ and Compression plug-ins. These are really what I use 95% of the time. For a reasonable amount of money (~$200 or so) are there EQ and/or compression plug-ins out there that are significantly better than the Vegas supplied ones?

I'm just looking for a parametric EQ and a single band compressor.

Thanks,

Mark

Comments

Cold wrote on 2/12/2004, 12:23 PM

Waves pluggins, brilliant but pricey.
Steve S.

Rednroll wrote on 2/12/2004, 1:27 PM

The best compressor and EQ plugins that are reasonably priced and that I use on a regular basis are from Timeworks. Check them out: www.sonictimeworks.com. The ultrafunk plugins are really good for the price also, but don't know where to get those anymore. Ultrafunk plugins, where purchased by Cakewalk and not sure what's going on there.

Hulk wrote on 2/12/2004, 2:16 PM

Thanks guys.

- Mark

Hulk wrote on 2/12/2004, 2:46 PM

I downloaded the sonictimeworks demo pack. Ran the exe file and then looked for the plugins in Vegas - not there. No support on the sonictimeworks site. I guess you're just supposed to be born with the knowledge of what to do to use the plugins.

Can anyone help me out here?

- Mark

Hulk wrote on 2/12/2004, 3:22 PM

Never mind.

- Mark

doctorfish wrote on 2/12/2004, 3:38 PM

I agree with Rednroll. For that price, the Sonic Timeworks stuff is the best I've heard. It's actually very good and definitely a few steps up from the Sony plugins. Waves also makes great stuff but it'll cost ya.

Dave

Hulk wrote on 2/12/2004, 3:52 PM

Wow, I just gave the Compressor x and eq from time works a go and they are really good. I can't go back to the Vegas plugins now...

MJhig wrote on 2/12/2004, 3:52 PM

If bang for the buck is the issue, you can get Sound Forge bundled with NR etc. for around $200 which includes respectable plug-ins such as Wave Hammer (Limiter, Volume Maximizer and Compressor), a Multi-band compressor, graphic, paragraphic EQ, Acoustic Mirror plus a ton of other effects not to mention Sound Forge and which ever app. you get bundled with it to boot.

MJ

MacMoney wrote on 2/12/2004, 4:08 PM

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ WAVES $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Tony Mac

Hulk wrote on 2/12/2004, 6:21 PM

I actually have SF too. The plugs you mentioned are very good, wave hammer and NR being excellent in my opinion.

But for eq and normal compression, no limiting, the Time Works stuff does seem to be significantly better.

The eq is somehow fatter and the compression more forgiving, more like my old 1176LN or my Drawmer 1960.

- Mark

stakeoutstudios wrote on 2/13/2004, 12:38 AM

If your after the 1176LN... you should really look into the Universal Audio UAD1. The plugins (especially the compressors and the cambridge EQ) are really the dogs nuts.

www.uaudio.com

risenwithhim wrote on 2/13/2004, 5:16 AM

Aaaaaaaargh!!! This is the pitfall of recording!!! Whether analog or digital, you just have to keep buying toys! I have a limited array of plugins, and NO outboard at this point, but I imagine if business picks back up I'll be buying all kinds of crap, just like my engineering "Jedi master" does.

But seriously, it will never be enough.

LarryP wrote on 2/13/2004, 6:27 PM

I've been very happy with Izotope Ozone. You can delete bands in the compressor you don't need. The Loudness Maximizer, while technically not a compressor, is good and seem quite transparent. Ozone does, BTW, like CPU cycles though 3.0 is better.

Izotope sells this as a mastering tool but I have found it very useful on the sub for the vocals in addition to mastering. It’s also a way to get a mono track if you need it.

Larry

rraud wrote on 2/14/2004, 6:04 PM

Unfortunatly Ozone is a CPU hog, so real-time multi-track is sometimes out of the question, but it is after all a mastering plug.
The WaveHammer can work good if used judiously, like-wise for the Track- EQ, otherwise Waves is great but overpriced.
The Sonitus Ultrafunk, aquired by Cakewalk is supposed to be re-releasing that series which was reallly good. But when that happens is anybody's guess.
Personally I don't like the UI on some of the Timeworks plugs, but they do sound good.
An optical type Comp/Lim I like is the Fishphones, Blockfish
but it's a VST so you need a VST-DX wrapper and the UI is not good there either. (But it's free and sounds good also)