Slate VBC will change your life

[David Polich]

...because you are essentially mixing into a distorted version of reality...

I think this is the best explanation I've heard to date. I, too, never mix to compression, EQ, or anything else on the master buss. I've just never been able to voice my reasoning as eloquently and Kubi.

Phil

I'm not trying to argue the rightness or wrongness of either method, but I definitely see the other side too. I just had a project mastered and it changed the instrument relationships within the mix. By mixing into a master comp you can hear it's effect while you're mixing and the mix instrument relationships won't be shifted by adding it later. Both methods make equal sense to me logically.

As far as VBC specifically, I thought it was literally a "bus compressor" and to me "bus" could mean drum bus, vocal bus, master bus etc. But now that I have it and just browsing through the presets it appears it was only really meant to be "Master bus compressor". The name seems misleading to me, but maybe I'm misunderstanding.

Actually,I think perhaps you are misunderstanding VBC. Try it on a drum bus or a group bus (guitars, background vocals, etc.). Don't go by the presets entirely...they're all set with about a 1.0db makeup gain, for one thing.
Try dropping the makeup gain back to zero.

I honestly can't imagine anyone not hearing a difference with VBC.Then again, I met a girl 30 years ago at an Oklahoma City gig who, in the course of conversation, said taking acid didn't affect her at all.

But humor aside, the difference VBC makes is really
is apparent to me. It's not a maximizer like FG-X, and you can set it to be subtle or really extreme. I like it more on the subtle side where it just
puts the mix in that sweet spot and I can everything distinctly and in the pocket.

[David Polich]

Just got the email from Slate - VBC is on sale for $199 (20% off) through the
end of September -

http://www.slatedigital.com/online-shop ... ompressors

[philbrown]

I take it all back. The FG-Red is rocking my world right now. The funny thing is the meters are not moving at all! I have a couple of favorite plugs where the make-up gain sounds extra-good - this is definitely one of those. Sometimes the mojo of these plugs isn't derived from the function itself - like an EQ with no EQ dialed in, or a comp when the meters aren't moving at all, you just want the vibe of the thing in the signal chain. The UA Trident EQ is like that for me- the gain on it is musically sweet. I have the drive of the FG-Red Drive set at about 1:30 ATM. It's early yet, but I see VBC as adding a nice color and sheen more than compression for compression's sake, although there's definitely compression going on even with meters not moving if you ask my ears.

Slate FG-X is my next purchase.

Just got the email from Slate - VBC is on sale for $199 (20% off) through the
end of September -

http://www.slatedigital.com/online-shop ... ompressors

My timing is terrible! UA's Ocean Way just went on sale and I just bought that one too.

[David Polich]

Agree on the FG Red. I'm really digging it more and more. You're right,
it just puts a nice "sheen" and smoothness on the mix. It may end up being
my favorite one of the VBC comps.

[sndmarks]

I'm about to start a mix and REALLY want to put VBC through its paces and try it out.

I am hesitant, however, to mess with anything after the whole ilok dustup a little while ago. Is that resolved and back to normal? Don't want to blow a deadline due to a stupid software issue.

[philbrown]

I'm about to start a mix and REALLY want to put VBC through its paces and try it out.

I am hesitant, however, to mess with anything after the whole ilok dustup a little while ago. Is that resolved and back to normal? Don't want to blow a deadline due to a stupid software issue.

I thought the same thing. You'll be fine.

[bayswater]

I was concerned too, but I finally had to update iLok yesterday to activate some updates. It worked perfectly. Previous reports said the licence updates were slow, particularly on the iLok 1, but I found it considerably easier and faster to use the new application rather than the old web based method.

[corbo-billy]

Previous reports said the licence updates were slow, particularly on the iLok 1, but I found it considerably easier and faster to use the new application rather than the old web based method.

I confirm your impressions .

[philbrown]

Timely: I just received my issue of SOS and there's a nice article/review about VBC complete with technical graphs, etc.

[sndmarks]

Thanks guys. Yesterday's install went easily.

Played with the plugs to get familiar last night and getting ready to spend the day mixing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[mikehalloran]

Since it requires an iLok 2 and comes with one, I will buy it at the sale price, wait till it gets here, try it and, assuming all is well, move my other licenses over afterwards.

[daniel.sneed]

I sometimes mix with and sometimes without. Depending on the project.
IMHO, it's a question of relative dynamics between the playing source and the listening target. Which I see as a part of each project.

Sometimes bands have reasonable dynamic, sometimes they have huge dynamic. AFAICT, it's not a matter of talent. Maybe different approaches of playing music, and different aesthetics.

Generally my *end products* are asked to present moderate dynamic.
It depends of destination: CD, live, radio, headphones, dramatic shows, exhibition, trailers...

Often, bus compression does help me when trying to reduce dynamic.

[toodamnhip]

Word and word!

VBC is a new level of software compression. I really do think it's a hint of the quality of things to come.

re. mixing into a buss compressor:

To me personally, mixing into a preset compressor is like mixing into a master EQ. Putting the cart before the horse. How would you know how to set the compressor before the mix is finished? So then, if you mix into a compressor and the settings aren't optimized for the mix because the mix doesn't exist yet, aren't you simply trying to compensate for a slightly off setting on the buss compressor, thereby messing up the mix in the first place? In other words, if the buss compressor were a mastering EQ and it was set to boost the highs at 14k, wouldn't that cause you to lower 14k in those elements in the mix that should be carrying them, because you are essentially mixing into a distorted version of reality?

Needless to say, I never mix into a buss compressor. I always build the mix from the ground up - I get everything into a good place using levels and pan ONLY, then I start applying EQ and compression to individual tracks, then I start applying compression and EQ to subgroups like drumkit or background vocals, then I add time-based processing where needed, and only at the very very end apply anything to busses.

As Ronan Chris Murphy says, you have to be able to get the mix to a point that makes you smile using nothing but pan and level. If you can't do that, you need to fix the elements until you can. Then proceed with processing. Words I live by.

I get a decent mix going and then something will tell me that I need to hear this thing pop through bus compression. It's just an experience thing I guess. At that point, I will put compression and other stuff on the master bus. Yes sometimes what I put on the master bus makes 90% of the mix better but ONE element might then sound off, such as the highs on the drums etc. So I might have to go back in and compensate. But the result is an improvement to 90% of the sounds so adjusting the one or two exceptions is a small price to pay.
There are as many way to mix as there are artists that use different paint brushes and use paint brushes in different ways.

[mhschmieder]

If only money grew on trees...

I've simply spent too much on other sales recently so had to pass this one by, but if he keeps renewing the sale with a later deadline, I may be able to join. For immediate deadlines though, I had to make do with what I have, even though I am starting to get more impatient with how my existing plugs take on busses/stems, final mixes, and mastering (at the level of EQ and compression, at least). Just for rock, mind you -- I'm finally seeing the value in some of these traditional pieces of gear that are being emulated in the digital world.

Regarding the earlier bus-level plugs, I haven't had the time to work with them effectively yet, and time is money (or at least very precious). If I don't get fast results I have to back out to the plugs I know better. Similarly with his mastering plug-in, which I've stopped using for now. The controls are just different enough that I can't quickly dial in something better than I can with ozone, even though I know it's a better plug overall (in terms of audio quality).

[Tobor]

I'm kind of like Mark on this, just bought FG-X a few months ago and was just starting to get familiar with it when I went to 64 bit and of course now can't use the FG-X because it's not 64 bit yet (although they're promising an update soon on the website).

Doesn't FG-X include a bus comp as well as the limiter? Since I have the VCC, shouldn't VCC and the FG-X get me pretty close to what I could expect from the VBC?

It's like every couple months the latest 'pixie dust' springs up on Aisle 5 and everybody proclaims they can't live without it, six months later you've got to replace it with the 'new' pixie dust on Aisle 7 before you've even worked with the old pixie dust long enough to get familiar with it. What we won't do for that last 10%. If I'm being honest with myself, it's not like I'm mixing hit records here.

Anyway, giving this a bump to see what everybody's latest take is on the VBC. Weak willed and slave to fashion as I am, I'll probably have to crumple like a cheap suit and throw my money down for the VBC as well.

The Emperor needs some new clothes.