Manley variable mu limiter compressor uad audio plugins. All signal transformer are lundahls oversized models. Anyone who has heard the classic fairchild 670 series limiters in action has an idea of this variable mus capabilities but the sound is even. In order to do the diversity of this compression topology justice, three different.
The renowned manley stereo variable mu limiter compressor is a favorite of producers and recording engineers and one listen to what this device does for your sound will make you a believer, too. Mar 20, 2018 often used in mastering, varimu or variablegain is a tube based compression type. The vbcs are unofficially sourced from three classic designs. Anyone who has heard the classic fairchild 670 series limiters in action has an idea of this variable mus capabilities but the sound is even sweeter with the variable mu.
The new tracks 5 dyna mu vari mu compressor limiter is based on an iconic american coveted piece. Therefore it has become an expensive collectors item. It was meticulously analyzed for months over every single detail, unveiling all of its secrets. In fact, since its introduction, its quickly become an industry standard mastering tool and its the limiter compressor responsible for an incredible amount of hit records over the last decade. Manley stereo variable mu limitercompressor vintage king. The manley vari mu is on sale at the moment and i have read great things about it. Mjuc is the most effortful klanghelm plugin to date. This incredibly affordable software compressor from klanghelm includes 3 separate and distinct models.
He will also try an spl iron mastering compressor plugin to see what it sounds like. The renowned manley stereo variable mu compressor limiter is a favorite of producers and recording engineers and one listen to what this device does for your sound will make you a believer, too. Thanks to its transformers and alltube modeled heart, it can impart an audible magic which makes a mix bloom, amazingly gluing all the parts together. Sonic studio masteringediting digidesign pro tools playback digital processing hardware weiss eq1 mkii equalizer junger do1 dynamics processor waves l2 ultramaximizer limiter.
As far as ssl type i found this works for me only in parallel for mastering and i have better options anyway, its predictable control of a very specific nature and that surely does not work for all musicgenres. Now, this modern classic is available exclusively for uad2 hardware and apollo interfaces. Gyratec x compresor varimu stereo mastering mansion. The ultimate mix and mastering workstation from the creator of the first desktop mastering software. Manley stereo variable mu limiter compressor manley. Apart from the classic input, threshold and output controls it introduces switchab. Manley variable mu stereo compressorlimiter sweetwater. When manley released what is ostensibly their version of the most venerable of the variable mu compressor designs the fairchild 670 it quickly became well regarded in the mastering and mixing rooms of the world. There are several reasons to use a variable bias tube compressor. It is one of the very few compressors that has become a real standard in mastering studios and contributed to most hit records over the last decade and probably the next. At that time i had been recording for 25 years and did not really believe in magic boxes, but simply going through the vari mu made my mixes sound better to me. Igs audio tubecore 500 series varimu compressor 500.
I was just wondering, those of you who have the 670 and the manley variable mu compressor, do any of you use the 670 for mastering. The price of this plugin makes the desirable effect of variable mu compression available to the masses. Feed backfeed forward modes, independent triode and pentode output stages, dualmonostereo link operation, attackrelease controls and two step hpf. Igs audio tubecore 3u vari mu mastering compressor pro.
Developed under manley labs rigorous scrutiny, the manley variable mu compressor plugin is a thorough modeling of the legendary tube limiter. Obviously, these dont use tubes so youre not going to get that true vari mu sound. The new tracks 5 dyna mu vari mu compressor limiter is based on an iconic american coveted piece of hardware praised for its subtle but instantly recognizable sonic fingerprint. Sep 14, 2017 tracks dynamu compressorlimiter indepth. Analog processing hardware shadow hills mastering compressor manley varimu limitercompressor. Vari comp is an allpurpose, easytouse, twochannel compressor with breathtakingly transparent sound. Nov 18, 2015 unlike optical compressors, vari mu compressors see more use in mastering, even if strictly for the sound of the circuitry more than its compression. If anything ever goes wrong with your cables, just send them back to us with a copy of your invoice, and well repair them for free. The igs audio tubecore 3u is a fully symmetric transformer balanced stereo mastering compressor. What program audio sounds great with a varimu compressor. The tubecore 500 is a true tube mono compressor where compression is achieved using the remote cutoff of tube biasing. Gyraf audio gyratec 10 varimu stereo compressor the g10 is a true tube stereo compressor based on the classic variablemu principle.
The renowned manley stereo variable mu limitercompressor is a favorite of producers and recording engineers and one listen to what this device does for your sound will make you a believer, too. Mastering compressors professional mastering equipment. Vari mu is also typically slow but plenty are used for mastering. Digital processing software, plugins waves mercury bundle. Vari mu ii is a mastering grade compressor, which of course excels in mixing too. The original design is owned and trademarked by manley and costs so much, youd need to remortgage your studio. It can be used either transparently as a leveller with long attack and release, as a compressor to add glue slow attack with fast release, or as a limiter fast attack and fast release. What are the differences between the different types of.
Pulsar mu is a stereo compressor operating in either leftright or midside modes, designed with mixing and mastering applications in mind, but also flexible enough for tracking. Igs audio tubecore mastering varimu compressor reverb. Modeled on the sound of boutique highend studio gear, this firstever software emulation adds highpass sidechaining and parallel compression all while running as. The mk2 models the urei 175 or 176, also with a few unique features added. The most faithful emulation of a modern yet legendary tube compressor limiter perfect glue for mixing and mastering. Manley variable mu limiter compressor universal audio. Thanks to its transformers and alltube modeled heart, it can. The new tracks 5 dynamu varimu compressorlimiter is based on an iconic american coveted piece of hardware praised for its subtle but instantly. Anyone who has heard the classic fairchild 670 series limiters in action has an idea of this variable mu s capabilities but the sound is even. It took almost two years of extensive, dare i say excessive, research and development. Apr 01, 2016 a thoroughbred classic finally in software form.
Using varimu compression on lead vocals free pro video. High end, ear selected software plug in suite from the main software developers. Hand crafted labs varis, varimu, class a, valve mastering compressor. It is built using the 3u enclosure, which improves front panel clarity and makes it easier to replace tubes located at the back. This is not the overly fat and big tube compressor sound which in fact is too often just messy, woolly and dark sound of bad transformers and too much distortion.
Apart from the classic input, threshold and output controls it introduces switchable high pass filter in the sidechain, parallel compression mix knob, independent attack and release switches and user replaceable tubes. To create mjuc ive researched and analyzed each and every variable mu implementation i could get my hands on to get the best of tube compression into a single processor. Knif audio vari mu ii stereo bus compressor black pro. The manley variable mu limiter compressor has been our best selling product for many years. In 1994 i was having a project mastered at disc mastering inc in nashville and heard my first manley vari mu compressor. Aug 27, 2018 this is of course a bit simplified, but its the main reason why a varmu sounds different than a vca or fet compressor for example. The mk1 is a model of the fairchild 670 with a few unique features added. Gyraf audio gyratec 10 vari mu stereo compressor the g10 is a true tube stereo compressor based on the classic variable mu principle. Fet field effect transistor in comparison with an opto or vari mu, a fet compressor offers just like a vca a very quick transient response, and are solid state by design.
Manley stereo variable mu compressorlimiter mastering. An industrystandard mastering tool the variable mu mastering version is the perfect addition to any professional mastering facility. The fairchild 660670 compressor limiter is arguably the most iconic of all dynamics processors. He says the spl is also a variable mu compressor but sounds more modern. This compressor is extremely well programmed so does mimic the characteristics of an extremely complex tool. This vari mu type compressor limiter delivers an incredible magic touch that makes everything that passes through it shine and sound more musical and emotional, thanks to its tube signal path and gain reduction mode. I believe that the informed mastering engineer appreciates versatility and transparency. Because it relies so heavily on its tubes and because it often uses warmer transformers than an opto compressor for example, a varimu compressor adds the most colour to a source.
Gyraf g22 dual stero varimu compressor vintage king. Top 20 best compressors of all time page of 20 attack. Fuse audio labs releases vcl515 plugin based on rare 60s. Check out our offer of handmade studio compressors. Can be used as a mono tracking compressor or as a matched pair as an advanced mastering tool.
Developed under manley labs rigorous scrutiny, the manley variable mu limiter compressor plugin is a thorough emulation of this legendary tube limiter, and is based on the coveted 6ba6 tbar tube mod unit. For years they have served many of the greatest engineers around the world. The gyraf g22 dual stero vari mu compressor is an updated, dual version of the venerable g10 vari mu compressor. Cable type no preference db25dsub analog db25dsub digital 2 channel snakes 2 channel snakes 4 channel snakes 8 channel snakes 12 channel snakes 16 channel snakes 24 channel snakes 8 channel boxes 8 channel boxes 12 channel boxes 16 channel boxes 24 channel boxes adda converters aesebu cables. Varis is a mastering grade all tube hand built pointtopoint design vari mu compressor. From fet and vca compresion to classic opto and vari mu solutions.
The mastering version of the variable mu limiter compressor uses expensive greyhill rotary switches with gold contacts where conductive plastic pots were used. Unlike optical compressors, vari mu compressors see more use in mastering, even if strictly for the sound of the circuitry more than its compression. Input and output attenuators as well as threshold switches are 23position elma rotary switches and the rest are 11 position elma switches. It offers variable mu type operation, combined with spls 120v technology. The name fet suggests that these compressors use some sort of transistor. The compressor allows you to work either in dual mono or midside mode ms. There arent many compressors that can be compared to fairchilds legendary 670 without a certain amount of hyperbole and wishful thinking. A gold standard among mixing and mastering engineers, the variable mu adds clarity and cohesion to stereo buses or your entire mix. However, there are plenty of software alternatives out there. The variable mu mastering version is the perfect addition to any professional mastering facility. New uad vari mu compressor lets hear some examples on the master bus. Modeled on the sound of boutique highend studio gear, this firstever software emulation adds highpass sidechaining and parallel compression all while running as a standalone plugin inside your daw.
Model mk3 looks to be the most hifi and sounds similar to a 670 in the way that it adds punch. Often used in mastering, vari mu or variable gain is a tube based compression type. Use it on drums to make them snappier or to bring out the natural ambience of the room using parallel compression. The variable mu uses a compressionlimiting technique similar to the beloved vintage fairchild 670. Obviously, these dont use tubes so youre not going to get that true varimu sound.
On the other side, there is the ni solid bus comp into the ni varicomp. This varimu type compressor limiter delivers an incredible magic touch that makes everything that passes through it shine and sound more musical and emotional, thanks to its tube signal path and gain reduction mode. The manley stereo variable mu mastering version incorporates detented and logable steps built with 1% metal film resistors on sealed goldcontact grayhill switches. It can be used for levelling, limiting, or just to add a bit of analog warmth with its emulated tube signal path. As manley labs flagship compressor since 1994, the variable mu is a tube and. It is one of the very few compressors that has become a real standard in mastering studios and contributed to most hit records over the last decade and probably. Sontec inspired stereo linked, custom 5 band analog equalizer exclusive to safeandsound mastering studio uk. Versions with the ability to utilize midside processing can be especially effective in a mastering role. Lets kick off with a stunning tripledecker unit, and one of the best software emulations of analogue gear that weve encountered to date.
The dyna mu is an amazing emulation of a wellknown american tube compressor celebrated for its warm sound and vivid colored tone, which thanks to ik multimedias virtual circuit modeling, is perfectly recreated and indistinguishable from the hardware. It doesnt have as many features or intricate controls, but that. The dyna mu will work wonders on full mixes as well as single tracks. Its adjustable attack and release settings are optimized for mixing and mastering, but are flexible for most tracking situations. It can be set to dualmono, but still keeps a backwardscompatibility g10 mode where one set of knobs controls real stereo, preferable during mastering. But id also like to get a new compressor, and im having a hard time deciding between the manley vari mu with sc and the tbar mod and the api 2500. The tubecore was designed as a studio mastering compressor. It emulates a modern yet legendary tube compressor which is an industry standard for mix and mastering. Manley stereo variable mu limiter compressor manley labs. And as a result its found inside mastering houses and highend studios the world over. A decent plugin emulation can now be considered pretty much a standard tool, and there are quite a. The vari mu is found in a lot of professional analog mastering studios because its performances are comparable to fairchilds legendary 670 compressor. Reverbs guide to audio compressor types reverb news.
Knif soma eq knif vari mu 2 compressor bettermaker 232p mk2 equalizer hendyamps michelangelo equalizer rupert neve designs master bus processor overstayer stereo vca compressor eq avalon design 747sp compressor eq sknote ms4 stereo pwm compressor mammoth cave audio wooly mammoth deluxe. If anything ever goes wrong with your cables, just send them back to us with a copy of. The density switch adds a second vari mu stage to reduce the dependence upon where you have your attack and release settings. Daniel wyatts mastering tips mastering 101 daniel wyatts mastering tips. All of this hardware software debate is a pretty narrow level concern and a very high level discussion. He says he wants a variable mu compressor because they sound thicker and have a relatively fast response. Nov 25, 20 lets kick off with a stunning tripledecker unit, and one of the best software emulations of analogue gear that weve encountered to date. Crane song solaris dac lowest jitter of any published dac adc. Knif vari mu ii mastering compressor thermionic culture phoenix mastering plus compressor rupert neve portico ii master buss processor dangerous music compressor pendulum audio es8 pendulum audio pl2 limiter. Tdr kotelnikov as transparent clean, sonoris mastering compressor. A gold standard among mixing and mastering engineers, the variable mu. This compressor from the 1950s is still considered one of the best tube compressors ever made. If someone cant get a great mix from using it, its not the fault of the tool.
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