It's NOT a COMPRESSOR??? || Playfair Audio Dynamic Grading
Вставка
- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- Check Playfair Audio Dynamic Grading here: playfair-audio.com/dynamic-gr...
MIXING & MASTERING:
whiteseastudio.com/
AFFILIATE:
whiteseastudio.com/thomann
whiteseastudio.com/sweetwater
MEMBERSHIPS:
whiteseastudio.com/channelmember
whiteseastudio.com/patreon
MERCHANDISE:
whiteseastudio.com/merch
INDEX:
00:00 - Intro
00:18 - It's not a compressor!
01:32 - The U.I.
02:27 - Disclosure
03:21 - Testing
08:51 - Conclusion
10:46 - Support me! - Навчання та стиль
Glad you like it! And thank you for saying such nice things about my intelligence level! I'm no Einstein and as some in the comments pointed out, similar ideas have been out there before. I actually first learned about the Dynamizer from one of my pre-release testers. Never seen it in action, but it does have some similar ideas in it, although it definitely suffers from parameter/knob overwhelm.
How does it work on bringing out low level whispers/voices?
@@MATTETRUEFACT Things like that are really fun and easy to do, as you can see exactly where in the dynamic range the stuff you want to bring up are happening, especially with vocals. You can mark the proper range with the left markers (usually the one in the middle, which is called "body"), and then squeeze the right ones as you like. You then still have independent control over consonants (they usually go in the "punch" range on top), and the noise floor.
@@playfairaudio Thanks i`ll give it a try...
Not a bad idea with the design of the UI, just talking about the idea though. IMHO it looks really cheap you should consider paying an actual designer or someone with an eye for graphics. I think it could look way better, now it kinda looks like those cheap plugins you can get on pluginboutique (NO OFFENSE rly just being honest)
@@joost3783 Looks to me like the UI tries to present the concept in a pretty clean and simple way.
Not bad IMO. I'm interested to check it out.
Seems like maybe some are misunderstanding what this plugin does differently. A normal compression/expansion plugin has a single curve which gets applied across the whole dynamic range. This here has a multi-segmented response. The curve at the bottom isn’t a standard knee curve… the shape of the dynamics ‘curve’ is created by the segmented display in the middle. Look at the numbers on the left and think about what translating from one to the other would do to the audio, it may make more sense. It’s not new (Dynamizer), but it is not at all the same as other compression because it offers much more control over the dynamics of stuff hitting the quiet and medium part of the dynamic range (most of it, guitars, vocals, keys, etc). So you can deal with your drum peaks at the top, and then have a separate more detailed way of dealing with the meat of the track. Personally i would make those decisions during mixing and do individual level dynamics then. But this could be very useful in fixing a stereo track with no multitrack. (A live recording to stereo for example.)
excuse my lack of knowledge: how does this differ to a multiband compressor?
@@Digitt6 it doesn't compress differently on a frequency basis but on a level basis. It could be called a multirange compressor 😉
So youve actually tried this plug in than?
yesss!!!! you hit it on the nail!
Roger Nichols Digital had a plugin a lot like that, years ago. I loved it, but it went obsolete just before Roger passed away, because of some business issues.
I loved the RND stuff and am happy to see someone giving us another version of a plug-in I’ve been missing.
i believe RND just bought the company who made that plugin (Elemental Audio Neodynium) ... but yeah, it was a good plugin!
Coming from a (analogue) photography background I think the mayor shift in looking at dynamics in sound is by looking at this subject by comparing sound to the way light is controlled. Ansel Adams created the zone system. In the zone system you spot measure your subjects light reflections and bring them into a scale. So light intensity a becomes (negative) density a. Therefore the zone system has a range of output recipes to choose from containing how to expose your film and how to develop that film into a processed negative. Exposing this negative in an enlarger into a photographic print once again there are options in choosing your dynamic range in how the contrast (dynamic range) will be translated on to (photographic) paper by choosing the gradation of the paper in combination with the characteristics of the used developer. And to make things even more complex: you can expose specific parts of the paper more or less by playing with the light that’s projected onto the paper. This whole path is a long and complicated way by going from what you see (in front of your camera) to an image on paper. Translating this to audio: the path from a source sound (in front of a microphone to an edited recording). Adobe Photoshop was developed from the ground up translating these principles into digital image editing. Looking from this perspective this plugin looks logical and simple.
I had this plugin back in 2006... check out "Roger Nichols Dynam-izer demo video, Summer NAMM 2006". I thought it was pretty cool, but found it more useful for "problem solving" in mastering than mixing.
Upward - Downward - Compression - Expander with a fanzy interface that confuses you in a good way, making you use your ears instead of represented numbers like ratios etc. I like it!
I don't think that's all there is to it nor do I think that was their goal... the fact that you can't look at numbers anymore when using it is just a side effect
@@ProdDJD u're right, there is also a knee and curve parameter
@@troeteimarsch ...
No this is good. This makes sense straight off. I’d like to hear this on stems not just the output buss. I can see this working interestingly with single instruments. It’s very targeted.
Very intuitive for anyone who has used OTT
Hmm, a nice alternative UI. Not sure if it would make any sense, but one interesting thing could be to have separate attack/release settings for different bars.
Doesn't need week or months...just sit down with the tutorials and I guarantee you'll be having your wow-moment within an hour.
I had my moment a few months ago during pre release beta phase and now it's the one plugin in years that's gotten into every project.
One bus instance can replace dozens of individual per-track compressor instances.
Unbelievable - but true. This thing is amazing really.
I bought the plugin when it came out a few months ago ... and I like it! You can do pretty drastic changes on your input signals in no time 😃 You would need a chain of compressors and expanders to replicate that.
Try Melda MCompressor.
Nice track! I love the sounds and playing.
This is exactly what we need! My mind has never really wrapped around the visuals of compression, in a way that I can lock in like how EQ is easy to gauge. The is flipped sideways, so maybe I’ll be able to hear/see better
It's one cool plugin!
I can't see myself using it, but it really is an interesting way of presenting dynamics processing.
Dayum - very intuitive and well designed and implemented
This doesn't look new. There was a company named Elemental Audio Systems which had several products, and Neodynium is the one which offered these features and more.
Thanks for a review, looks interesting to try
It reminds me of Kilohearts' dynamics snap-in with an added multiband split but with loudness instead of frequency. It's definitely an interesting take on controlling dynamics. Not one that can't be replicated with other plugins, but definitely in a way that's much more efficient.
This reminds me of the levels controls in photo processing apps like Photoshop or Capture One where you can directly map input levels to output levels. Very similar interface. Very cool!
Ansel Adams "Zone Method". There is an image processing program, "Light Zone" that works this way.
This thing looks awesome
Man, this is something I've been daydreaming of about a ten years for now. I knew exactly what this was as I saw the thumbnail. This is very intuitive for me.
Finally someone else with an ability to code had this epiphany too. I'm sure to get this at some point.
I'd watch the full and long deep-dive-video on this. I suspect it will me especially useful on more complex soundscources like vocals or a full mix. But this video wasn't enough for me to 100% wrap my head around its usability. It's some kind of multiband-compressor/expander, but instead of having multiple bands for different frequencies, you have multiple bands for different dB-levels. The only way of really knowing if this is worth something is to see it being used routinely. If it saves time or changes the approach in a positive way, this may very well be a gamechanger, without changing the game. All it did was changing the interface - drastically (as far as I can tell right now).
love that interface..
Oh that is really quite different approach. Interesting!
Is it sort of like an adaptive dynamic compressor? Woodpressor has an adaptive setting that adjusts to the input level. I’d be curious if you reviewed Woodpressor. One of my all time favorite hardly known compressors.
Loved to see those recommendations for Kirchhoff and Focusrite Console from Plugin Alliance. I also really like the purple MC77 as an 1176 alternative.
Interesting. I'm not sure a histogram is the best display for compression though. It's good in the sense that it's making you use your ears because your eyes can only guess dynamics with a histogram! (as it's always behind).
I'd like to see these controls on a live scrolling 2d spectrogram like isotope Rx etc.
This is refreshingly different😮💪🏾
This--and the array of dynamics processors operating on the same principle that others have mentioned--make me think of the "Loud Split" tool from BitWig's (drama-inducing) Spectral Suite, which enables one to isolate frequencies from the rest of a signal based on their loudness. Cool stuff that's a bit over my head, but for sure has a ton of useful and creative applications.
exactly what i was thinking. this is loud split, but in a more specific way
This plugin is really awesome. Example if you would had put this on a drum group and pulled down the lowest right (output) ladder. (it looks like a ladder)
then it would have taken out the ambience and made it more dry sounding or if you brought the bottom up a lot it would have brought out more reverb. Imagine automating this for chorus changes of energy or even just drying out tracks, it's so amazing!!!!
Remind me of and old company many years ago name Elemental Audio It was a compressor that was something like that visual graphic
Does it have example presets?
I need to try this
Basically it's the same as a compressor, but you can vary the output gain of the compressor based on the level of the input. Is this even possible with other compressors? I guess it also could function as a noise gate if you go the opposite direction with it...
Interesting! My background comes from designing and building my own speakers/amplifiers and playing with synthesizers but I'm a complete newb when it comes to mixing and mastering. I find this fascinating as it seems a very logical approach to me. I think because I know very little about how to correctly use existing audio compressors (this is on my to do list) it's not interfering with my understanding of how this works.
I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around compression for years and it’s still not even close to being like a parametric EQ where I can instantly gauge what’s going on. Maybe a different approach like this plugin will help us
Cool, it's a bit like the new Bitwig Spectral Loud Split device but focusing moreon dynamic control than split control like Loud Split.
how does it compare to a multiband compressor ?
The output gain would be clicking on the centre bar of the output section, and dragging it up / down to change the overall output.
Cool, I remember doing this with the compressor in Cool Edit back in 1998.
I have to admit the interface was very different, on the COol Edit I knew what I was doing instead of playing some whatever Tetris you have to do to use this -compressor- innovative dynamics manipulator.
I really like this compressor in CE. I draw what I want and it's ready. :)
What is the name of the track you're using ? thanks
Great plugin! Would be even better to have a multiband functionality, with added ability to map a certain input frequency range as a sidechain operator to an adjustable output frequency range. The mirrored histogram view would be an excellent tool for adjusting and visualizing this
what's the song name?
What's interesting is that I've picked up that compression is not an easily intuitive concept when compared to EQ. Mostly because compression as we have been used to doing it started out as solving a technical issue: making sure a broadcast signal does not overload the transmitter. Furthermore, the first compressors were broadband as far as their application. Over the decades, compressor designs have allowed for either selected frequencies to be compressed or not (multi-band/spectral) or even having another signal affect the compressor (side-chain). So it looks like this particular tool is trying to incorporate all of this and "redesign" the compressor so it can be more intuitive than before.
All in all, I think it's a brilliant idea and definitely one of those "why didn't I think of this" or "why wasn't this done earlier" things =]
It looks to be the same functionality as the Roger Nichols (RND) "Dyna-mizer". That was one of my favorite plugins years ago.
The display is showing what appears to be a statistical distribution of energy in the signal. You'll notice that at first it bounces around but then settles down into a shape that describes where most of the energy in the signal is most of the time. In the case of this track most of the energy lives at - 28 or so decibels.
This is very similar to how LUFS metering works in many programs including Reaper.
I'm only guessing but it appears as though the controls allow altering the distribution by directing curve segments up or down.
Roger Nichols (RIP) had a plugin with a similar control scheme back in the early 2000s.
It was called Dynamizer.
Isn't this just a less flexible version of dsm v3?
Very similar to a plugin which I used a lot many years ago:
Dynam-izer from Roger Nichols Digital
yo this is just another spectral compressor. not sure if it needs the gui as all you need is the transfer curve in the lower right. if you dont like ilok just use mSpectralCompressor or sonible smart compressor (its has nearly the same visuals on the left)
Really approve not jumping into conclusion. The interface seems quite optimal to even out vocal levels transparently and with precision, for example. But only time can tell if it sounds as good as it looks.
will u make a new video about this?
This is really interesting and could still be a great value at $99 special price right now...but damnit I just spent $500 this week on plugins, I don't want to spend anymore this November!!!! lol ARGH for those curious I bought: Amplitube MAX upgrade, Claro from Sonnox, StudioSession From FLUX, and an RX10 Advanced Crossgrade with Post Production 7 Crossgrade from iZotope (it was cheaper this way?) I mean they are all excellent plugins, but damn it adds up :*(
I feel your pain 😫
Would be interesting with a MB option!
Looks like this plugin does similar to drawing your own compression/expansion curve in Image-Line Maximus (which is totally underrated, IMHO). Not sure of what other plugins allow this.
XTT by VINAI x W.A. Production is a similar plugin with a much more straight forward UI (although not near as creative). You should make a comparison video! Also take in mind I’m an audio newbie, so it could very well be that one of these plug-ins does something the other does not and vice versa
This plugin is awesome 👍 too pricey for my need but for drum processing it is awesome.
I'm very interested in this Dynamic Grading.
It 'almost' made it into my Black Friday budget ...
Later perhaps 🙄
As I see it, the direction sound engineering is going will involve a level of machine learning/artificial intelligence running in the background making the job of the engineer and producer easier as it handles the "boilerplate" technical details for you. This software simplifies the process greatly by concentrating a complex process down to some lever and level sliders. This is the future of fast and high quality engineering. Fewer complications, better results faster.
I don't understand that interface. The waveshaper type of thing on the right bottom looks more easy if it had like knobs control
The by far best plugin ever released
(after about 5 seconds watching) Multi band dynamics (possibly spectral compression) with an interface that's been flipped / inverted vertically w/ multi band I/o metering. Input on the left output in the right with combined threshold controls running up the center and a simplified set of controls... A different and perhaps possibly useful way to interact with a standard type of dynamics processor.
We also miss the auto gain, if I would use this plugin i would just expand everything because that sounds louder and thus better.
I agree with you and Dan Worrall. Put auto-gain on everything!! It’s ‘hard to do,’ but any developer implementing this feature has just given themselves a leg up on the competition.
He always uses such bangers when he demos these plugins lol. I don't think there's been one I didn't like
I dunno. Most are decent but Sandstorm wasn't great.
I'd like to see a follow-up video 👍
I watched the tutorial video.
Am I wrong in thinking what this plugib does is group frequencies by their volume level instead of their range. So the punch of a drum might be at 80-120hz, the body at 120-800hz and the floor above and below that (fake numbers that mean nothing but you get me)
You then compress or expand those frequencies based on their current level.
That's kinda what it sounded like to me, but I'm using bone conduction headphones driving down the road, so I'm not positive.
Kinda neat though. Seemed to be quite transparent as well.
No, not frequencies, but loudness ranges. Think of a histogram in digital photography. It shows and manipulates the amount of energy throughout the dynamic range, not the spectral range.
@spocintosh but loudness of what? He talks about pinch and body in the dev's tutorial - those are words associated with frequencies usually. So, I think it still has to be loudness of frequencies. If you have a single note sound you're compression in different areas, you have to have a definition if thise other "parts" of the sound.
It is usual dynamic processor with free customisable curve like BlueCat's or Adobe Audition native dynamic processor and so on...
it IS interesting...but IS IT NEW? It's basically a new take on Elemental Audio Neodynium, one of my fav compressor plugins back in the day (later known as Roger Nichols Digital Neodynium and finally rebranded as RNDigital Labs D4)
This can be deifined as a multi threshold compressor expander, at least i think, it seems very cool too smooth out or put in front elements of the mix!
just wondering how this is different from drawing a custom curve in mdynamic's 'Processing Shape'? anyone?
Uh-oh, I must have missed something... What was the name of this track??
Why not just have the controllable dots on the line itself? wouldnt that be better?
I'm on the edge about buying Scaler 2.7 ... it's over a 1 GB download. The plug-in is about 50mb huge.
I like the scaler idea, but I don't care about the extra instruments, etc.
Do you know of any alternatives OR should I get it while it's on pre-black friday sale?
I got the 99 bucks pluginboutique bundle with scaler, neoverb, fm8 and autotune access. Feel like there's no reason not to get it.
@This Guy channel members have access to videos a week early
Audiomodern Chordjam
You can choose not to download the extra instruments (if I remember correctly). That should reduce the download by a lot. I end up using MIDI routing half the time anyway.
It’s definitely compression lol, but it’s a great way to control it.
I personally would find it easier… maybe they should make a plugin controlling plugin??
You insert their plugin, then insert the desired plugin into their plugin.
Then see the input and output in the same way.
Wonder how’d they control a eq?
Here is Roger Nichols with this same basic plugin c. 2006: ua-cam.com/video/8Mqqw-cbK0g/v-deo.html
yes it‘s Rogers Dynamizer
Is it similar to the Melda MCompressor? I ask about the "fine" control, which is presumed in this Playfair.
The Melda has a multi-point curve, extremely configurable. Each section or point has its parameters and modes. It can be at the same time an expander with a noise gate and a compressor, and that at any height of the dynamic range.
I have to see more about this Playfair Audio Dynamic Grading.
The soft knee thing is a joke, having such control of the Melda's curves... The zoom that the graph has allows you a lot of precision.
Apart from the fact that it has a knob for RMS (Peak up to 100ms).
Something it doesn't have is Dry-Wet, and I don't understand it. Another thing missing is a second graphic for Mid-Side mode, or for multi-channel. Or a graph for Peak mode and others for different RMS, I usually use several compressors in series for this.
So a multiband compressor. But instead of bands of frequency ranges it’s bands of amplitude ranges?
This One Is Changing The Compression Game.
You could really do this with compressors and expanders or am I wrong? The curve it shows on the bottom right looks exactly like a compressor's curve (even though with more control of the shape). Edit: That's actually what you said :D An interesting way to *control* compression. And I agree it's a good approach to compression. And imo you could just draw the compressor curve and that would be more intuitive.
Yep. It's just the way you control it that's different. It's not a completely "novel way to dynamics" either, there are devs who have made plug-ins exactly like this before. Elemental Audio Neodynium for example.
there are only so many "methods" of dynamic control. I think the whole point of this is to get a new approach. I think its cool but obviously its nothing you cant achieve with other tools.
@@nj1255 It actually looks like the exact same mechanism. It looks as though you can't buy it anymore though if I'm not mistaken?
@@flipnap2112 Very true. And the approach definitely looks useful
The curve on the bottom right isn’t a standard dynamics curve as we know it from compression, it refers to how the segments of the main graph behave. The ‘curve’ on this plugin is actually not a curve, it’s a multi-segment line. So if you don’t set it to a curve-ish shape it’s not a curve. You can set it up any way you want, not just in a curve or straight line.
I’m not sure if this is new, but I have never seen anything like it and it is instantly compelling. We definitely need more companies breaking ground for in-the-box mixing and mastering. I think the reason this does not have auto gain is because it is all about increasing or decreasing loudness through the settings across the dynamics spectrum, not the frequency spectrum. When you limit the dynamics across the grades, then drag up the ceiling, everything will get louder! It really feels like 100 little limiters with variable input/output gain all working together. Super cool.
RNDigital Labs D4 was released in 2008.
They have a good beginner tutorial on their site...
This plugin seems to make a lot of sence. adjusting compression next level.
this uses the same principle as the old vst called Neodymium by Elemental Audio (no longer available through their website)
I was looking in the comments if anybody remembered Neodynium. That one was a beast! This new one looks more simplified with a slicker UI.
It reminds me a bit of a fancier version of Har-Bal
I’m thinking of designing a plug in called “Snake Oil” and have it will have a bunch of dials, switches, and adjustments but none of them do anything.
I oil all my snakes in the box these days
Can I get the web link that you used to buy plug-in doctor?
I didn’t understand the interface but mixing or mastering are not my swords… I love the fact they are trying a new way of make things more efficient, and I hope they have succeeded!
Finally what I’ve fucking wanted LOL. Up down comp done this way
Thank goodness compressors actually exist.
Hmm, maybe sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel
it‘s an old idea : ua-cam.com/video/8Mqqw-cbK0g/v-deo.html
yeah but sometimes going from a wooden carriage to an air conditioned one helps. I dont think they're trying to reinvent anything, just bringing in a new approach. im all for it
Agree. It’s not the same thing, a standard compressor has 1 curve that gets applied to everything from the loudest peaks to the quietest sonic detail. This is a tool that allows you to create a compression ‘curve’ that isn’t just a standard curve. That traditional standard curve is great, it comes from the properties of physical world, optical compression etc. but this idea could be useful in fixing a live mix done to stereo for example. Something where you might hear it and say ‘this live recording can’t be fixed the levels are way off and compressing it will just make it sound worse,’ could potentially be salvaged using this method.
This just might be the sauce from taming old sample records.
Dynamic EQ, right? With some fine tune control over the compression/expansion.
GUIs need and can be re-thinked. That's what this plugin shows us.
This once, I don't agree with your conclusion. I doubt it would make me produce faster or better. Maybe it's good that some companies are trying new things with their user interfaces, but it's still a commercial product that makes pretty bold claims. Made me curious for 5 minutes but that's it.
If we wouldn't have compression this interface shows us we would just use a wave shaper that doesn't distort.
You should check out the new Fairlight Vocal Leveler in Reolve 18.1. It's like vocal rider and MV2 in one.. similar to this but with a much simpler UI. They could totally sell that as a plugin but i guess it's Resolve only...
'My English is not good enough to describe this all. My intelligence is not high enough as well.'
😂😂
What a great way to force you to listen
I like the concept, but it's not original in any way. Elemental Audio Neodynium (originally called Roger Nichols Dynam-izer) did this long ago.
makes absolutely no sense how they represent amplitude on the X and Y axis at the same time. Like at any given moment, 3% of your amplitude is < -10 db, 20% is between -10 and -5 db, at the same time is completely false …. unless they are separating amplitude by frequency, which they are not claiming to
The only flaw: you cannot control the knee for the compressor/expander/gate parts of the curve.