michael japan
I've never tried Pro-MB. Only UAD/Waves/Izotope. Gosh, all I can say is that it works for me. I and many other people I work with professionally have been using it for years. I know that is not much help to you.
 
You are the only person in a situation to compare. What do you like better about Pro-MB?

Ah ok, well mainly the interface. I haven't A/Bd them soundwise yet but found no problems with Pro-MB so far, and it gets good reviews. One benefit for the sound is you can create bands as needed and where you haven't created a band, the audio is left completely untouched.

The interface kills any other MB compressor I've seen so far.

It is a lot like QuadCurve but (IMO) better.
1. You can insert multiple instances (e.g. pre/post compression)
2. Every single parameter is very simply automatable
3. There's a mid/side mode, plus you can EQ left and right (or mid and side) separately
4. You can create bands where needed up to a maximum of 24 (!)
5. It has a linear phase mode, so it doubles as a mastering EQ
6. The frequency analyzer is way more customizable (set resolution and speed, and you can show pre and post at the same time)

You wouldn't regret adding it to your setup. It's my go-to EQ for most stuff now, but as you know, I was trying to get away from PC, and I know you're not.

A rather smooth video demo by FabFilter here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNkaGACWuhs
 

CakeAlexS
Well for me PC is very much a love/hate affair for all the obvious reasons that have been debated before. You do make a strongly tempting case with these plugins.... Oh god they are VST3. Now I know how a junkie feels when they need to get a fix... (and boom goes the dynamite).

Haha you sound like me a month or two ago :)
They're really good, but money is money and they'll probably be on sale again or have a better version out next year.

Compressing multiple times with different EQ settings isn't the same thing at all. Of course it's possible to make things worse with MB compression but the same goes for any tool.

Remember that also BlueTubes has MB compressor you can demo for free.
This nomad package is on sale through Cakewalk for $300
http://www.nomadfactory.com/products/isp/index.html
on sale here...
http://www.store.cakewalk.com/b2cus/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=30-NFIS3.00-20E
This comes with at least 1 multiband compressor
http://nomadfactory.com/products/ess/
 
I think the FabFilter stuff is amazing. I've only demo'd.
http://www.fabfilter.com/products/pro-mb-multiband-compressor-plug-in
 
Melda...
http://www.meldaproduction.com/plugins/product.php?id=MMultiBandDynamics
 
And of course if you are willing for fore-go fast-bounce, you can use hardware. :-)
 
I must say that I find the FabFilter stuff tempting. It does such a good job of accenting what you are hearing with visual feedback. Still, what you hear is the only thing that matters. Sometimes, I think that less visual feedback forces you to your ears which is great practice. I like playing with the BlueTubes plugs for this reason.
 
Don't forget the Blue Cat plugins (not the same as Nomad's BlueTube) that are for sale on the Audio FX tab of the Cakewalk store.
This is a link to the Blue Cat MB Compressor
http://www.store.cakewalk.com/b2cus/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=30-BCM51.00-30E
 

Izotope Ozone 

Anderton

Guitarpima
Anyone else got tips for use of MBCs?

Got two for you.
 
1. Don't think of it as a dynamics processor. Think of it as a five-band graphic EQ which lets you vary dynamics within a particular frequency range. For example, you can isolate just the bass frequencies and compress them, while applying no dynamics to the midrange and just raising or lowering the level of that band somewhat...while expanding the high frequencies just a teeny bit so they aren't overbearing. Remember, most multi-band "compressors" are really multi-band dynamics processors, so you can expand as well as compress.
 
2. As crossovers for multi-band processing. I described this in my Advanced Workshop video in the section on multi-band distortion, but the important point is not to use any compression, e.g., ratio of 1:1.
 
I always start with no dynamics and apply dynamics only where necessary. I rarely use dynamics in all the bands. FYI many "maximizers" are really multi-band compressors, they just hide that behind the interface to make it easy for people to squash their mixes The Concrete Limiter is an exception, it's stereo.

+1000 and how I use it as well. One of the things guitarists with high gain may experience is "whoomfing". 8 out of 10 times you can curb this with high passing. However, certain notes while chugging will lash out with a "whoomf" type sound. A Multi-band will control this so good, you can actually leave your bass a bit hotter if need be and the whoomfing will be gone. This "whoomf" thing usually happens on A, Bb and B chords that you chug on for metal guitar.
 
Another use....say you have a bass guitar with a low B. And say any time that low B hits in the song, it lashes out louder and makes its presence known a bit more. You can automate there....or you can select the frequency via multi-band, set your threshold to police that frequency on the bass and call it a day.
 
A MB will also do wonders on mastering when you just need to tighten up some low end after you've finalized your eq or if you find a mix has some sub low frequencies that just need to be controlled in spots. The best thing about the MB is you shouldn't have to use much to notice a difference. Lower ratios work really well (2:1 and 4:1) and like Craig mentioned, you don't need to mess with all bands. This is where people using Ozone mess things up. They grab a preset and tweak it until it sounds good not realizing that there are times when you don't have to touch everything to make a difference for the better.
 
To be honest, I don't use them to compress at all. For me, they are a great way to control mixes or instruments that sound good for the majority that may get a bit strange in spots. Set the MB to police any spots that push, and it will control things beautifully without you even knowing it's working. :)
 
-Danny

Sanderxpander
Another reason to use FF Pro-MB, since it only processes any frequency area if you have created a band there.

Absolutely & don't always associate MB for only correcting problematic mixes or tracks.
Along with using upward compression & expansion it can make the dynamics in your tracks move instead of squash.

FF's Pro-MB is very musical & excels overall the other MB's I've used.

It's very transparent ( just like Pro-L) in many cases I now use it to completely replace the more typical comps used on track & instruments w/o the typical MB problems.

Haven't tried this one but give it a shot, it's free, both 32 and 64 bit.
OTT Multiband Compressor
More info here.

I have it and I'm just wondering why. I think it's one of the oldest perhaps? Even Waves have since then moved on to C6 and LinMB. C4 doesn't have the best reputation for transparency, even with the bands switched off, ultimately leading (more than ten years later) to people like FabFilter trying specifically to keep audio completely transparent when not processed.

I wondered if I should upgrade (it's not included in my Horizon bundle) but went with the Fabfilter stuff instead and fell in love with Pro-MB. What specifically do you like about C6?

bitflipper
I take all endorsements from big-time mixers with a grain of salt. None of those guys pay for their plugins, but some do get paid to talk them up.

pretty much the case, with lots of things. thankfully the demos give you an un-biased view :)
 
I just bought FF MB, and yep.. it's not cheap (but I have a bundle, so the true price is less thankfully :) ).. but they are one of the 3-4 companies who are easy to deal with on many fronts.. which is what I like. Not the cheapest, sure but sometimes it's not totally about that either. I do own ozone 5 / alloy as well (as I got it instead of FF de-esser for about the same price)..
 
I don't like how waves do upgrades and I don't want UAD card clogging up my pc either...
 
I've said it a few times earlier this year, from now if folks want the FF plugs, put a few $ or £ in the bank every week for a year, by the time the xmas sale comes around they should be able to get em. Yes the initial wallet hit is a lot, but after a while you'll be glad you did :)
 
if I hadn't got the FF things, I'd have gone for the Melda things instead... a few mates that do movie fx use their stuff a LOT.
 
I also like PSP and fxpansion, but thats personal preference.

A large part of the strength of a MB comp is that you don't have to lower the volume of an entire wave, but can instead address a specific frequency area inside that portion of the wave. If anything, it's LESS intrusive than lowering the total volume. When used well, of course.

Everybody knows: The best multi-band compressor is the one you least can afford!
 
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