Resonant Serpent
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/25 22:57:57
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Out of what you listed, I'd go with the CLA plugs. They're a really good deal. Myself, I'm a big fan of the Slate plugs and consider the Mixing Rack to be an excellent investment. I also can't live without the buss compressors or the tape. Don't know how much you were planning on spending, but the CLA course with the plugs is a deal. http://www.audiolegends.com/get-the-cla-course/ Looking at your studio picture, I'd get the monitors away from the wall and out of the corner if you can. You'll reduce reflections and have a more accurate picture of how your mix will translate.
A deep chesty bawl echoes from rimrock to rimrock, rolls down the mountain, and fades into the far blackness of the night. It is an outburst of wild defiant sorrow, and of contempt for all the adversities of the world. - Aldo Leopold
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Sanderxpander
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 06:16:31
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You can put your Waves licenses on a generic USB stick. I keep mine on a tiny one that I keep in my wallet. I also use it for general file transfer. WUP is fine, not really that different from the Platinum deal that Cake has now.
CLA bundle is good value though I personally prefer the Cake CA2A. Their 1176 beats Cake's though by a fair bit in my opinion. There are better ones available but as a bundle on sale it's tough to beat IMHO.
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chuckebaby
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 07:24:28
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Pragi
Hi Chuck,
is your audio interface a saffire or a scarlett interface ?
I´m just curious .
regards and have a nice day
Scarlett 18i8 I plan on updating within a year or so, not that this is not good enough but I need more inputs/outputs. Jesse G
Hey Chuck, have you discovered the secret to learning more about using the MCU with Sonar yet?
thanks man yes, it is amazing how much you can customize the MCU. I also have 2 foot switches (Tascam RC 30F) hooked up for punch in recording / play. but when im editing I use the foot pedals for other things. the MCU is awesome. im come from the old school of 8 - 16-24 track analog recording (my previous desks) so it was the hands on thing I was missing. grabbing faders, knobs. the MCU really brings you in to that creative mode where you can work faster. only problem is, now im addicted. I want an EXT 
Windows 8.1 X64 Sonar Platinum x64 Custom built: Asrock z97 1150 - Intel I7 4790k - 16GB corsair DDR3 1600 - PNY SSD 220GBFocusrite Saffire 18I8 - Mackie Control
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tlw
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 10:09:39
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The Cakewalk LA-2A is just as good as if not better than the Wave's equivalent I think. The Waves' 1176s are no better than the equivalent Sonar module. The Waves 1176(s) do sound a bit different to Sonar and each other on some material, but it's the kind of difference that isn't "better", more a matter of taste.
For brick-wall limiting, Cakewalk's Concrete Limiter is pretty much as good as Waves' L2 and has an additional "bass" switch.
Really the Pro-channel and Sonitus compressors cover most compression needs pretty well. The main reason to get third-party compressor plugs is because they are different, not better. Out of the third party ones I have (several Waves plus others) the +10dB gets by far the most use. It's good for a huge range of things.
Sonar Platinum 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit, I7 3770K Ivybridge, 16GB Ram, Gigabyte Z77-D3H m/board, ATI 7750 graphics+ 1GB RAM, 2xIntel 520 series 220GB SSDs, 1 TB Samsung F3 + 1 TB WD HDDs, Seasonic fanless 460W psu, RME Fireface UFX, Focusrite Octopre. Assorted real synths, guitars, mandolins, diatonic accordions, percussion, fx and other stuff.
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streckfus
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 11:22:50
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I was hesitant about jumping on the Waves Wagon because of their WUP, but all of the plugs I've purchased recently are version 9 and fully compatible with Windows 10, so I think they're future proof for a while yet.
I agree that Cakewalk's CA-2A is top notch, I really don't use the CLA-2A at all because of that fact. However, not being a huge fan of the ProChannel, I do prefer the CLA-76 over Cakewalk's emulation. Even if I was a ProChannel guy, I still prefer the CLA-76 over Cakewalk's. I won't go as far as to say it's better, I just prefer it. Same with Waves SLL Bus Compressor, although Cakewalk's is pretty good.
Regarding stacking, yeah, that seems to be a pretty common practice. Grab the peaks with one compressor, smooth things out with another. Sometimes the 1176 will get hit first then the 2A, sometimes the opposite. I'm also a fan of FabFilter plugins so I'll often use the Pro-C 2.
One thing I've found, especially with the modeled compressors, is that it's really easy to overdo it. I absolutely love the character of the 1176, especially on vocals, but my voice in particular gets pretty harsh and honky if I'm not careful. Plus there's always the issue of sibilance whenever you're doing a lot of compression. That's probably my least favorite part about mixing vocals. These days, it's pretty much standard for a lead vocal track to go through a lot of compression to keep everything audible and on top, but having to fight that with a De-Esser or clip gain automation is a pain. (And I do a lot of vocal stacks, so the issue is amplified in my case.)
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Brian Walton
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 14:08:27
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hodshonf
after about a month and a half with Sonar Platinum and COUNTLESS hours of learning, the gorgeousness of simple GOOD compressors and EQs finally hit me.
i have been starting each session with a clean slate. no templates, no plugins.
i've been pretty ham-handed with VSTs simply to get an exaggerated feel for their effects.
taking the plunge with multi-track drum loops was a HUGE eye-opener. i've struggled with stereo loops for years.
i was using the Klanghelm free comp VST MJUC Jr.
http://klanghelm.com/contents/products/MJUCjr/MJUCjr.php
pretty nice. game changer for me.
which leads me to contemplating biting the bullet with high quality comps.
the Nomad BT plugins look pretty nice, BUT...
i have my eye on 3 possibilities:
1. stick with the Sonar Nomad series.
2. buy the Softube Mix Bundle for $329
3. buy the currently heavily discounted Waves CLA bundle.
what's the scoop on WUP? searches reveal VARIED opinions.
something to be concerned with regarding 3 simple compressor VSTs?
this is just for personal project stuff.
Get the cheap paid version of Klanghelm, it is fantastic. Much more than the free one. Only way I could see improving it realistically is offering a Pro Channel version and dropping some of the proccessing power it requires. I haven't maxed a project out with it, but I could see it as a possiblity if you individually put it on every track on a really large project and ran it all in HQ mode. Looking for something better is kind of like throwing money away. **edit** I see you threw your money away. 
post edited by Brian Walton - 2016/05/26 14:31:37
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Sanderxpander
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 14:37:19
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Somehow I never really connected with the Klanghelm DC8C. Must be me, it seems very well featured. I love and use Pro C2 though for a full-featured comp.
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Brian Walton
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 15:22:33
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Sanderxpander
Somehow I never really connected with the Klanghelm DC8C. Must be me, it seems very well featured. I love and use Pro C2 though for a full-featured comp.
FWIW, I was referring to the paid version of the MJUC Klanghelm compression, it is much more straightforward, I think.
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Sanderxpander
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 15:40:38
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Oh sorry their new one. I haven't checked it out yet. Honestly I was a little disappointed with their support on SDRR (which I do like and use but it doesn't work as VST3 in Sonar) and since DC8C didn't mesh with me I kind of lost track of them. I'll check it out, they're nothing if not cheap but thorough!
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mmarton
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 17:04:57
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+1 for the paid version of MJUC. If you like the free one, you'll love the paid version. Fwiw, I've been going BACK to hardware. I have a Drawmer MX30 and Foote FCS P3EX for compression, and an Elysia Xfilter for EQ. I also have the Slate VMR, VBC, and VTM as well as some waves plugs so it's not like I don't have enough plugins, besides all the Sonar stuff but for me, going otb through some good outboard beats almost all my plugins. MJUC is next level though, as close to hardware as I've come in a plugin...
Happy Sonar Platinum 64 bit Registered Owner Epi Casino, Les Paul, Strat, Martin GPCPA3, Cort C4Z bass, Roland D20 Synth, TC Konnekt48, Sansamp BDDI, Roland JDXI, APS Klasiks, Windows 10 64bit
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kitekrazy1
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/26 22:27:24
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I'm still an idiot with compression but.... https://pae.izotope.com/ The folks at Izotope has a good explanation. I watched Groove 3 and I didn't care for it much. These are nice and short and to the point.
Sonar Platinum, W7 Pro 32GB Ram, Intel i7 4790, AsRock Z97 Pro 4, NVidia 750ti, AP2496 Sonar Platinum, W7 Pro, 16GB Ram, AMD FX 6300, Gigabyte GA 970 -UD3 P, nVidia 9800GT, Guitar Port, Terratec EWX 2496
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bladetragic
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/27 00:40:48
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Hmm, it kinda seems like you're confusing "high quality" comp with more expensive or name brand. There are several options that are great and very cost effective.
You're already on the right path with Klanghelm. Honestly you could just grab the MJUC paid version and it would probably suit most of your needs. It's a great "high quality" comp. Dave Pensado recently did a vid using it on one of his mixes.
In addition to what is already provided with Sonar, you should also check out SkNote's plugs. Disto (newest released based on the Distressor) is great, as well as their c165 and others. All of this stuff is around $30 bucks.
The Boz +10db/HoserXT package is nice if you catch the $100 sale they run from time to time. Basically $50 for each w/ the sale. Another good deal for a quality comp and 2 nice eq's.
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SimpleM
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/27 07:38:46
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I do not see that the Waves CLA stuff is on sale. Just CLA2A is $249 right now so what is this $146 deal you guys are speaking of?
Well, I did find the CLA bundle but it is $199...
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streckfus
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Re: The Joys of Compression - Sonar Nomad BT vs Softube Mix Bundle vs Waves CLA Bundle
2016/05/27 09:43:21
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Sonar Platinum | Win 10 Pro/64-bit | Core i7-6700K | 32GB DDR4 2400 RAM | ASUS Z170-AR | ASUS GeForce GTX 970 | Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 | Yamaha HS8s
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