I suggest to try the following tweaks on the Analog Obsession plugin in order to improve the results further: 1) enable 4x oversampling by clicking on the Analog Obsession logo (you'll see the logo turn red when oversampling is enabled); 2) enable the Transformer emulation (this will match the sound of the real hardware unit closer); 3) disable the Turbo timings (again, will match real hardware timings closer).
I believe Analog Obsession is simulating an actual analog VU meter where 0VU was calibrated to line level (+4dBu = 0VU) where Waves VU is calibrated for the digital hard limit of 0dBFS, matching what it would be in your DAW.
I felt the voice gained so much space with the AO. The Waves made it sound mono. Very very interesting! Thank you for being scientific about these comparisons. Analog Obsession deserves it :)
Love the blind test approach ! I wish all plugin reviews comparisons were blind ! Also loved that you volume matched. Sounds so obvious, and yet some reviewers / plugin in manufacturers don't do this ! It should be a given ! Btw, I use BUSTERse all the time. Great for drums and for gluing things together. Great video man :).
The reduction may be a result of the Turbo button not being engaged on the Buster. Turbo causes the compressor to compress evenly across all bands rather than just the mids. Just a thought. I notice that the Turbo was engaged during the second demonstration
I tested both with the turbo and non turbo button and the gain reduction difference was still there. I'm thinking cause it's just a 1k sine wave and not something like pink noise. For the comparison i left it on since it's supposed to act more like the hardware. I personally can't really hear a difference with it on or off when I was just messing around with the plugin.
Well, honestly, I prefer the "no compression". But to be fair to the comparison, wow, the difference is so subtle that it doesn't matter. Again, kudos to AO! Thanks for taking the time to do the comparison!
I felt like waves was tighter while the analog obsession compressor was fuller and didn't kill the low end as much. Both sounded good. I use both depending on the song.
For all those showing love for BUSTERse (rightly so) I strongly recommend Analog Obsession's LALA. Also FREE, and Modelled on the famous LA2A. Great for melodic instruments like acoustic guitars, pianos etc.
The Analog Obsession sounds punchier and fuller on this track, the highs also become a bit more prominent, those hats are a bit crispier on the Buster. Waves has been on the downswing for a while. This is an indie developer beating a huge company, another case in point the SSL E/G emulations are way better by BX/Plugin Alliance, than the ones available from waves, save for CLA Mixhub, haven't tried that yet, but I'll bet it's also somewhat gimmicky like many waves plugins. I guess if you can't achieve top sound quality, get a famous name to endorse you.
Thanks for the video. In both blind tests I found the Waves SSL to be better sounding. It does a nicer job at glueing the mix together. I noticed that mostly the snare and vocal sounds fit better in the mix with the Waves plugin and it sounded a bit punchier. Anyways I am happy to have the IGS bus compressor in my studio, so I don't really use a digital emulation that much anymore. Good to know though that there's a free SSL style compressor plugin out there.
@@Gang-25j Well, it's not a huge difference but a difference nevertheless. And that difference is the reason why I use a bus compressor at all. I usually have two compressors on my stereo bus now, doing a very subtle job in terms of compression. I do like the way it brings down "nasty" peaks; and the whole mix sounds way more smooth and creamy. At the same time more punchy. Maybe I got the wrong plugins but I wasn't able to get that with plugins. In all fairness I gotta say, for projects where time and money is a factor, I use almost only plugins.
With headphones I could hear a difference. For me the 1st test was AO. The 2nd I chose Waves. Both for warmth and presence. Not sure why the auto release would make a difference but it did. Overall both are good 👍
The buster boost dial sounds dope with the tilt turned a hair down. It boosts the transients without increasing the level. Especially with the secret settings on a drum bus.
I never liked the Waves emulation. It makes everything sound thin. It glues, sure, but is also a smallalizer. BusterSE works much more like a real SSL. I don't like the turbo mode, though. I prefer the cleaner action without it and also without the tranformer. I compared it to TK Audio BC-1 hardware with the same settings and the main difference between the two was in overshoot. At 10ms attack time Buster's output peak level was 2dB higher than hardware's when I level matched their RMS and the hardware also had more harmonic distortion. I then inserted Analog Obsession KOLIN after Buster with needle not moving, just that it's saturation shaved those overshoots and it added a bit of THD. The result? Very, very close to hardware. AO makes really great stuff.
Thanks for the video. I suggest when doing A/B comparos to loop the same short section and switch device each time it loops, rather than simply playing the song or sample program and switching as you go along. In this comparo I initially thought the #2 (Buster) had more low end. Then in the second test, where Waves was #2, it became obvious that the bass guitar itself was louder in the section where you made the switch. That’s the problem with continuous playing of the program. Thanks, again!
When other videos I would see did it by section I didn't like it as much as someone who would switch back and forth between the A/B. I like the sudden change, if there is one, of going back and forth. Instead of doing it with a looped section.
You may compare the metering with SSL”s own SSL mixbus plugin. There’s definitely something wrong when it seems like waves did grab a lot more of the energy in the low end/low mid area.
B all the way. Listen to the bass guitar and snare. With the waves, it gets too tamed and gets 'snucked' in the back while the bass guitar on the analog obession plugin just 'vibed' well with the bass guitar. Very impressive and thanks for the comparison. I was going to buy the Waves but I will stick to the Analog Obsession. :)
Yoo I actually leaned more toward Compressor B in the blind test hearing more of a rich punchiness from that bass guitar. Wild that it was the Analog Obsession one 🔥
buster ftw! but yeah, testing with a sine wave, "4" on the meter is actually 2 dB of GR, "8" is 4 and "12" is 8. Seems like an easy fix, just re-write the labels!
I'm a big fan of BusterSE. I've got several hardware G-Comp style comps - in particular I love the Stam SA-4000-5 MkII for just how much it nails the 80's era E-Series desks. But the BusterSE, of all the software emulations I have used, is the only one I would be fine subbing in if I needed the hardware on other duties. The SSL X-Native one is close - but frankly it should be a lot closer given the fact it's... I don't know... got the SSL name on it? I'd take any of these over the Waves version.
Waves got busted by the buster! Geez, for me there is no comparison. BusterSE sound so much better than the Waves version, so much more open en glued together while the waves sounds honestly flat and lifeless. When I initially heard the blind test I was like just hoping A was not the Buster and was glad when it was indeed B. Incredible
@@SoundcastStudios That's unfortunate but I guess it really goes down to what one really needs. It's hard to find great software that emulates hardware with effective CPU minimization. But still good Plugins
The AO BusterSE plug sounds more open (although still glued), but it has this really annoying way of very slightly bumping up the mids around the low/high-mid crossover, and moves the mix up laterally. It's still my pick, though.
The Waves version adds high end and is a hair more aggressive. The AO sounds fuller and more open on the top. I like the AO more, but am not a fan of renting software, in this case through patreon. I wonder if the AO software continues to work after you cancel your patreon account?
The Waves is colored and 2D. Listen to the detail difference in the kick vs bass and the stereo image + clarity during the switches. AO is miles ahead.👂🏾🎛️
I agree the Waves sounds flat and the AO has lovely depth With Auto-release the Waves got flabby and spongy on the low kick while AO stayed tight and punchy. 👍🏻
I looked at it a while back but was put off by the fact that the buster doesn't change the linear frequency response. It stays completely flat throughout every function. Linear frequency response is a big thing to add that character of the unit. Obviously nailing the envelopes of the compression and modelling the harmonics is key but I think leaving the frequency response flat kind of makes the comp feel uncomplete as it should have a tonal character just passing through the plug if modelling the hardware.
@@SoundcastStudios nearly all analog emulations model the linear frequency response of the unit. If you stick any 'analog' plugin compressor into plugin doctor you'll normally see a particular linear frequency response of the modelled unit. Just seemed a bit odd that a plugin dev called analog obsession wouldnt model the linear frequency response of the unit they are modelling. I'm probably just being too much of a plugin geek though haha when you get start getting underneath the hood of plugins it kind of ruins the fun of it all. Interesting and you understand a lot of what your hearing but removes the mystery and magic out of plugins
I appreciate this comparison, and I'm curious what kind of chain you have your voiceover mic going through? in headphones theres this almost painful push/pull feeling happening, like maybe a gate or something with a strange release time?
@@SoundcastStudios thank you for responding! I've noticed this in a lot videos and haven't had much feedback from creators to confirm my suspicion. I think if you adjust the noise floor to a more natural level, or change the release characteristics it could help. From my time in an anechoic chamber I know that zero noise actually confuses the ears/brain. You're not alone, there are some well known electronic producers who think it's cool to drop the floor out completely sometimes, and it has the same effect. The silence is deafening. For reference, my somewhat quiet room in the suburbs sits somewhere between 30 and 50dB depending on if the fridge is running
thing is, waves aren't actually very good at analog modelling imo (we all know by now that analog button just ads hiss right?). you need Slate, UA or Softube for that. freeware caught up to waves a long time ago in many areas. Both These both sound flat to me, not much 'modelling' going on other than compression curve estimates, can't hear the circuit path. so I'm not surprised AO comes close, because it doesn't come close to the hardware and neither does the waves. Try the Slate VBC Grey and then you'll hear what these are missing.
@@SoundcastStudios I have been researching this topic, and it is hard to find an interface that will output 20 channels of audio from my DAW. Most of the interfaces come with a lot of mixers style stuff that I don't need ( X-air 18 ). I get the attraction of working a console, mostly speed, however maintenance of analog equipment is a factor, but there are lots of old analog style consoles for sale so if it breaks down I can get another one. Thanks for replying. Mix on.
@@seanwalsh999 you'll need to connect multiple interfaces to get that many outputs. Prosunus Studio 192 has a maximum of 24 in and 24 out i beleive. So you can pair one with 2 digimax preamps and you'll have all the outputs you'll need
Just as I expect the waves sounds muddy in comparison. A lot of waves plugins sound muddy to me, I assume it’s some low mid eq they put on all of their plugins to fake the analog sound.
@@SoundcastStudios I mean obviously it’s just my opinion and I’m not saying all waves plugins are bad but from my own experience whenever I’ve used a waves plugins that imitate analog gear they all seem to have some weird low mid mud to my ear. Would be interesting to see if I could prove this maybe with a frequency analysis.
something interesting. to my ears the waves did sound duller than AOs. the interesting part is I have the real plug-in you can get on solid state logics website & ive read people saying that version makes your songs the dullest.. AO sounds better but maybe waves is more faithful to the real one.? anyways I mix my songs with this thing put first on the master bus with extreme settings adjusting as I get further down the mix, I then take it off to hear my songs pop. this can be like the ns10s. you get something that sounds bad & you make it sound good on that
its almost no difference, just the first test I noticed waves is quite tight? im not a pro so im not sure. but at some point the waves sometimes is quite over compresing when its too loud
The voice is too much compressed somewhere, like muffled, voice in general must be front or cut more through the mix, more dynamic, it leads the song. Thanks to share and for your videos!
I think the TURBO button on Buster works in a similar way to the ANALOG button on Waves SSL. It gives the Buster a more analog sound, a little bit warmer and heavier.
I definitely can hear a high end difference and would go for the Waves, but I’m more an API 2500 dude for the mix Bus. Anyway, the Analog Obsession is free and it does a really really good job.
You have a better ear than mine cause i had a hard time hearing a difference. I'm curious if i could make this sound like an API 2500 with the sidechain features, just a thought.
@@SoundcastStudios it’s not something very noticeable specially in a song like this, cause the guitars are highly there to take the ears attention, so try to pay attention to the top frequencies of the snare and the hi-hats although in this mix they are a little behind. About the Analog Obsession meters I had the same problem, right now they are kinda unusable for me, I never take them in mind, maybe in the future the bro fix their way to work. Not easy to sound like the API 2500 by waves with the analog obsession or the SSL, 4 reasons that come in my mind so fast are 1. The tilt filter of the API, it will not work the same than just using side chain for the lows with a HP filter. 2. The link level between L and R. 3. The Punch, the punch of the 2500 is superb compared to the SSL bus compressor and that was one of the reasons why I love that ond, unless you use the discrete section of the Shadow Hills Class A which is basically a special SSL bus compressor with extra mojo and it’s very punchy too (the green version has not the same punch nor other subtle tasty details). 4. The Character: you can even use the 2500 as a Clipper and add lots of character to the sound, using it in old style and in manual mode. Anyway the 2500 by waves still miss that mid range present on API stuff but it’s a compressor that doesn’t takes away anything from your sound and what it adds is special. That one or the Shadow hills are my go-to mix bus compressors when looking for punchy VCA character.
Hm, to me ANOBS has more low end, Sir. And Waves was tighter. This makes me wonder, how they would compare at the same meter readouts. hm ? ;-) many greetings!
SSL sounds flat af! The AO gave much more life to the track, you could feel the bass "bounce", and the vocals seemed to breathe a bit better. Damn, I'm impressed :O
the waves makes the snare sound sharp and harsh to my ears. seems like it looses some low end as well. I've used a lot of Analog Obsessions plugs and they all sound good, but can be glitchy.
The Buster had more lows in the first example and less in the second. I don't think Buster tracks exactly the same based on numbers. I think trying to dial in the same exact sound on each would be more telling.
I talked to the creator of the plugin and they told me the metering wasn't linear. Not sure whether that is more or less accurate to the hardware but just thought I should mention it.
there's so many people on the web making reviews, who miss exactly the point. if you want buster to sound the way it was intended, you need to engage the transformer. i promise you, that's where it starts to shine. i recommend it to everybody, but wouldn't use it without the transformer. and then somebody tries it without accessing the actual features and "struggles". how could they not? with the transformer on, in my opinion it beats the ssl native. and if you want a truly cool, modified ssl bus compressor, try specomp. you could also try to engage the oversampling function, to see what that does.
The over sampling seems almost unfair to compare it to the waves version since it doesn’t have it. If you prefer it without over sampling then you’ll love it even more when oversampled. The way I see it is the buster is being held back and is still winning which I think is great.
@@SoundcastStudios it is good for analog obsession, but holding it back won't demonstrate what it can really do, which is the purpose of demos, isn't it? and since it's real ability in signal processing, and not a cheat, why would it be unfair? by the way, ssl native have just released their new bus compressor, with oversampling and added attack and release times, as new features, just like buster, so it could be they took it from there, since i'm not aware of many models that have those.
I think waves is better for this song, it's cleaner and neat, without allot of color. The AO plugin seems to add allot of color to the track, especially in the highs. It kind of reminds me of old punk music from skateboard videos.
Well, it seems like u actually forgot to set the waves to Auto Release when comparing them that way. It looks like waves release is set to 1 instead of auto. 😄
The different maybe got something to do with the boost which you have emgaged. The boost amifies the trsnsients en the tilt the freq where the trainsiemts should be boosted.
I don’t have the boost engaged. I have turbo on since the manual says “this mod added to keep original sign of hardware” so I just assumed it would make it closer to the hardware and a more accurate comparison.
AO stands out a mile, and I'm listening on a laptop, more detailed, by the way, I use the AO, looks like you had the Threshold set wrong, 0db isn't in the same position has the wav's.
Nobody Noticed the Mistake in the comparison between the two !!!! During your last comparison with auto release button, you forgot to switch on the auto release button on Waves SSL compressor. That's why the comparison may not be the same as the first one with manual release control. Maybe you must go through the video ones again as fixed that mistake
@@SoundcastStudios Ya it's overall good except that one section. I m glad you replied even on an old video of yours. Trully a great human being you are.....
Wow I thought for sure comp b was waves .comp b sounds so much smoother and creamier...anolog obsession makes awesome plugins for sure...just wish they used less CPU...though not in this comparison. Plugin alliance is my all time favorite awesome plugins that sound awesome and dont use alot of cpu...
Waves its better but with free Analog Obsession you can't go wrong, and yes if you are wearing good headphones you can easy hear the different Waves its more smooth than Analog Ob...
I suggest to try the following tweaks on the Analog Obsession plugin in order to improve the results further: 1) enable 4x oversampling by clicking on the Analog Obsession logo (you'll see the logo turn red when oversampling is enabled); 2) enable the Transformer emulation (this will match the sound of the real hardware unit closer); 3) disable the Turbo timings (again, will match real hardware timings closer).
Great advice man, thank you! I guess turbo could fix the 4db difference in the meters right?
wow im impressed by analog obsession, seems to sound more open, also having all these additional options is incredible
the additional flexibility really makes it way more versatile in my opinion
I believe Analog Obsession is simulating an actual analog VU meter where 0VU was calibrated to line level (+4dBu = 0VU) where Waves VU is calibrated for the digital hard limit of 0dBFS, matching what it would be in your DAW.
Exactement.
I felt the voice gained so much space with the AO. The Waves made it sound mono. Very very interesting! Thank you for being scientific about these comparisons. Analog Obsession deserves it :)
I try my best to be as scientific with these comparisons as I can. Thank you for watching
Listen to the bottom end on the snare and the snare tail - the buster sounds fuller and more detailed to my ear
Definitely! I heard the same.
wow that was a lot of words to say literally nothing
@@whatskraken3886 take your lane ass to another video from here on out
@@whatskraken3886 bro is mad he bought waves
@@onstandard his nickname should be Salty McSalterson
I definitely noticed B preserved the nice mid and high-mid transients. Good job Analog Obsession!
Love the blind test approach ! I wish all plugin reviews comparisons were blind ! Also loved that you volume matched. Sounds so obvious, and yet some reviewers / plugin in manufacturers don't do this ! It should be a given ! Btw, I use BUSTERse all the time. Great for drums and for gluing things together. Great video man :).
Man.. The Buster win for the depth and wide and the bottom end!
The reduction may be a result of the Turbo button not being engaged on the Buster. Turbo causes the compressor to compress evenly across all bands rather than just the mids. Just a thought. I notice that the Turbo was engaged during the second demonstration
I tested both with the turbo and non turbo button and the gain reduction difference was still there. I'm thinking cause it's just a 1k sine wave and not something like pink noise.
For the comparison i left it on since it's supposed to act more like the hardware.
I personally can't really hear a difference with it on or off when I was just messing around with the plugin.
Well, honestly, I prefer the "no compression". But to be fair to the comparison, wow, the difference is so subtle that it doesn't matter. Again, kudos to AO! Thanks for taking the time to do the comparison!
i have a very hard time hearing a difference between them.
Yes I eargree
I've been using the Buster se for a while. No surprises I got both blind tests correct, no need to buy the waves one now! Analog Obsession killed it.
Buster deals better with low end. I feel like waves is smoother. I feel both are great so it just depends on what you want
The fact that it’s free is amazing
I felt like waves was tighter while the analog obsession compressor was fuller and didn't kill the low end as much. Both sounded good. I use both depending on the song.
For all those showing love for BUSTERse (rightly so) I strongly recommend Analog Obsession's LALA. Also FREE, and Modelled on the famous LA2A. Great for melodic instruments like acoustic guitars, pianos etc.
I made a video on that plugin too!
@@SoundcastStudios Oops, I missed that ! Great stuff mate.
Analog obsession adds that analog low end feel to the bass
The Analog Obsession has more bass. Waves is tighter. I like them both! Thanks for sharing!
The Analog Obsession sounds punchier and fuller on this track, the highs also become a bit more prominent, those hats are a bit crispier on the Buster. Waves has been on the downswing for a while. This is an indie developer beating a huge company, another case in point the SSL E/G emulations are way better by BX/Plugin Alliance, than the ones available from waves, save for CLA Mixhub, haven't tried that yet, but I'll bet it's also somewhat gimmicky like many waves plugins.
I guess if you can't achieve top sound quality, get a famous name to endorse you.
Thanks for the video. In both blind tests I found the Waves SSL to be better sounding. It does a nicer job at glueing the mix together. I noticed that mostly the snare and vocal sounds fit better in the mix with the Waves plugin and it sounded a bit punchier. Anyways I am happy to have the IGS bus compressor in my studio, so I don't really use a digital emulation that much anymore. Good to know though that there's a free SSL style compressor plugin out there.
Hardware compression is way more fun
You can’t tell a huge difference between igs and plugins lmao.. and I have a rack of 8 igs units.
@@Gang-25j Well, it's not a huge difference but a difference nevertheless. And that difference is the reason why I use a bus compressor at all. I usually have two compressors on my stereo bus now, doing a very subtle job in terms of compression. I do like the way it brings down "nasty" peaks; and the whole mix sounds way more smooth and creamy. At the same time more punchy. Maybe I got the wrong plugins but I wasn't able to get that with plugins. In all fairness I gotta say, for projects where time and money is a factor, I use almost only plugins.
Same. Waves was better
Great comparison video. Well done. I had a difficult time telling the difference.
With headphones I could hear a difference. For me the 1st test was AO. The 2nd I chose Waves. Both for warmth and presence. Not sure why the auto release would make a difference but it did. Overall both are good 👍
The buster boost dial sounds dope with the tilt turned a hair down. It boosts the transients without increasing the level. Especially with the secret settings on a drum bus.
Funny, I preferred waves in the first test, but analog obsession for the auto release test
I never liked the Waves emulation. It makes everything sound thin. It glues, sure, but is also a smallalizer. BusterSE works much more like a real SSL. I don't like the turbo mode, though. I prefer the cleaner action without it and also without the tranformer. I compared it to TK Audio BC-1 hardware with the same settings and the main difference between the two was in overshoot. At 10ms attack time Buster's output peak level was 2dB higher than hardware's when I level matched their RMS and the hardware also had more harmonic distortion. I then inserted Analog Obsession KOLIN after Buster with needle not moving, just that it's saturation shaved those overshoots and it added a bit of THD. The result? Very, very close to hardware. AO makes really great stuff.
Thanks for the video. I suggest when doing A/B comparos to loop the same short section and switch device each time it loops, rather than simply playing the song or sample program and switching as you go along. In this comparo I initially thought the #2 (Buster) had more low end. Then in the second test, where Waves was #2, it became obvious that the bass guitar itself was louder in the section where you made the switch. That’s the problem with continuous playing of the program. Thanks, again!
When other videos I would see did it by section I didn't like it as much as someone who would switch back and forth between the A/B.
I like the sudden change, if there is one, of going back and forth. Instead of doing it with a looped section.
AO Buster is on each of my mixes!
With different ratios you have different knee. Check how much Waves plugin compress at 2:1 compared to 4:1, then do the same for AO plugin.
Can't believe analogue obsession rocks
You may compare the metering with SSL”s own SSL mixbus plugin. There’s definitely something wrong when it seems like waves did grab a lot more of the energy in the low end/low mid area.
maybe if i can get my hands on it
great shoot out man, really well put together
Thank you greatly
if it was possible to subscribe twice i coud do it, you've remind me about analog obsession plugins so now i'm back again because of your reviews
B all the way.
Listen to the bass guitar and snare. With the waves, it gets too tamed and gets 'snucked' in the back while the bass guitar on the analog obession plugin just 'vibed' well with the bass guitar.
Very impressive and thanks for the comparison. I was going to buy the Waves but I will stick to the Analog Obsession. :)
it's a really good plugin especially with all its sidechain features
Yoo I actually leaned more toward Compressor B in the blind test hearing more of a rich punchiness from that bass guitar. Wild that it was the Analog Obsession one 🔥
buster ftw! but yeah, testing with a sine wave, "4" on the meter is actually 2 dB of GR, "8" is 4 and "12" is 8. Seems like an easy fix, just re-write the labels!
I'm a big fan of BusterSE. I've got several hardware G-Comp style comps - in particular I love the Stam SA-4000-5 MkII for just how much it nails the 80's era E-Series desks. But the BusterSE, of all the software emulations I have used, is the only one I would be fine subbing in if I needed the hardware on other duties. The SSL X-Native one is close - but frankly it should be a lot closer given the fact it's... I don't know... got the SSL name on it? I'd take any of these over the Waves version.
I liked the analog obsecion better without any doubt and it's free that makes it even more superior.
it's very good
Waves got busted by the buster! Geez, for me there is no comparison. BusterSE sound so much better than the Waves version, so much more open en glued together while the waves sounds honestly flat and lifeless. When I initially heard the blind test I was like just hoping A was not the Buster and was glad when it was indeed B. Incredible
I like analog obsession here... because it preserve the low end
Analog Obsession has more punch and fuller sounding. I use both but been leaning more towards the Analog Obsession lately.
and it's free!
yeah analog obsession is the truth...mayve that metering is a fix that has to happen. Definitely sounds good.
I think in the first test the AO plugin has more bass that the waves one and in the second test the inverse happens.
6:52 But the Waves was still on one buddy!!!!! Forgot to put it on AUTO lmao!!!!! Great videos dude!!!
BTW I love Analog Obsession 😉
The Waves one was keeping the bass and kick better but maybe you can use the sidechain to bring it back on the AO version
The Waves is tab brighter or the Analogue is a tab warmer
interesting analysis
Basically, two different plugins for different usage
The question is... Which one is more cpu intensive once you start to stack up tracks. Thats when it gets interesting
@@Metalpazallteway I just did a quick test and AO is more CPU intensive. Uses roughly 2.5 more cpu than the waves version.
@@SoundcastStudios That's unfortunate but I guess it really goes down to what one really needs. It's hard to find great software that emulates hardware with effective CPU minimization. But still good Plugins
The AO BusterSE plug sounds more open (although still glued), but it has this really annoying way of very slightly bumping up the mids around the low/high-mid crossover, and moves the mix up laterally. It's still my pick, though.
analog obsession is less transparent but for a free plugin it's amazing
I do believe it can be made to sound more transparent with all the sidechain features which is something i really like.
The Waves version adds high end and is a hair more aggressive. The AO sounds fuller and more open on the top. I like the AO more, but am not a fan of renting software, in this case through patreon. I wonder if the AO software continues to work after you cancel your patreon account?
you can download for free, you don't even need to be a patreon member
it looks like the make up gain on the Busterse is at 0 but on the waves its like on 4 that might be why the metering is different.
The Waves is colored and 2D. Listen to the detail difference in the kick vs bass and the stereo image + clarity during the switches. AO is miles ahead.👂🏾🎛️
I agree the Waves sounds flat and the AO has lovely depth
With Auto-release the Waves got flabby and spongy on the low kick while AO stayed tight and punchy. 👍🏻
Good video, but it looks like you didn't switch to auto release on the Waves version
I just checked the video and you are right! I made a mistake sorry about that.
@@SoundcastStudios No worries, thanks for making the vid
@@trevorsanders6684 i hope at least the .1s release was helpful
What If I like the best no compression? Should I practise my instrument ? 😁
I'm impressed 👍
So why when you select auto release on AO you don’t doing same on Waves?
I messed up with that unfortunately
I looked at it a while back but was put off by the fact that the buster doesn't change the linear frequency response. It stays completely flat throughout every function. Linear frequency response is a big thing to add that character of the unit. Obviously nailing the envelopes of the compression and modelling the harmonics is key but I think leaving the frequency response flat kind of makes the comp feel uncomplete as it should have a tonal character just passing through the plug if modelling the hardware.
Does the waves compressor do what you like in that regard?
@@SoundcastStudios nearly all analog emulations model the linear frequency response of the unit. If you stick any 'analog' plugin compressor into plugin doctor you'll normally see a particular linear frequency response of the modelled unit. Just seemed a bit odd that a plugin dev called analog obsession wouldnt model the linear frequency response of the unit they are modelling. I'm probably just being too much of a plugin geek though haha when you get start getting underneath the hood of plugins it kind of ruins the fun of it all. Interesting and you understand a lot of what your hearing but removes the mystery and magic out of plugins
@@PaulThird very interesting info on this. I had no idea. I'm curios to experiment more, thanks
it felt like B kinda opened the low end a little bit while A did a great job taming transient's!
thanks greatly for your input
I agree yea I heard a bit more boxiness on the snare for compressor b
The waves is narrowing the stereo image
I'm getting this because it's great, so close, and tired of dealing with Waves Contral BS and extending licenses.
I personally have them both.. BUSTERse!! -MTTRACKS
I appreciate this comparison, and
I'm curious what kind of chain you have your voiceover mic going through? in headphones theres this almost painful push/pull feeling happening, like maybe a gate or something with a strange release time?
that's all i have a gate. Probably set the gate too high
@@SoundcastStudios thank you for responding! I've noticed this in a lot videos and haven't had much feedback from creators to confirm my suspicion. I think if you adjust the noise floor to a more natural level, or change the release characteristics it could help. From my time in an anechoic chamber I know that zero noise actually confuses the ears/brain. You're not alone, there are some well known electronic producers who think it's cool to drop the floor out completely sometimes, and it has the same effect. The silence is deafening.
For reference, my somewhat quiet room in the suburbs sits somewhere between 30 and 50dB depending on if the fridge is running
@@draztiqmeshaz6226 i might try an expander instead of a gate next time, thank you
@@SoundcastStudios perfect, yeah. You're welcome. Thanks for being open to feedback!
thing is, waves aren't actually very good at analog modelling imo (we all know by now that analog button just ads hiss right?). you need Slate, UA or Softube for that. freeware caught up to waves a long time ago in many areas. Both These both sound flat to me, not much 'modelling' going on other than compression curve estimates, can't hear the circuit path. so I'm not surprised AO comes close, because it doesn't come close to the hardware and neither does the waves. Try the Slate VBC Grey and then you'll hear what these are missing.
Did you ever find a work around for the lack of inserts in your Soundcraft board?
there is no workaround sadly
@@SoundcastStudios I have been researching this topic, and it is hard to find an interface that will output 20 channels of audio from my DAW. Most of the interfaces come with a lot of mixers style stuff that I don't need ( X-air 18 ). I get the attraction of working a console, mostly speed, however maintenance of analog equipment is a factor, but there are lots of old analog style consoles for sale so if it breaks down I can get another one. Thanks for replying. Mix on.
@@seanwalsh999 you'll need to connect multiple interfaces to get that many outputs. Prosunus Studio 192 has a maximum of 24 in and 24 out i beleive.
So you can pair one with 2 digimax preamps and you'll have all the outputs you'll need
In the auto release test, the waves plugin is clearly NOT set to auto release.
I definitely messed up on that
I apologize
Just as I expect the waves sounds muddy in comparison. A lot of waves plugins sound muddy to me, I assume it’s some low mid eq they put on all of their plugins to fake the analog sound.
interesting? I've never heard someone say this
@@SoundcastStudios I mean obviously it’s just my opinion and I’m not saying all waves plugins are bad but from my own experience whenever I’ve used a waves plugins that imitate analog gear they all seem to have some weird low mid mud to my ear. Would be interesting to see if I could prove this maybe with a frequency analysis.
something interesting. to my ears the waves did sound duller than AOs. the interesting part is I have the real plug-in you can get on solid state logics website & ive read people saying that version makes your songs the dullest.. AO sounds better but maybe waves is more faithful to the real one.? anyways I mix my songs with this thing put first on the master bus with extreme settings adjusting as I get further down the mix, I then take it off to hear my songs pop. this can be like the ns10s. you get something that sounds bad & you make it sound good on that
the only thing missing are some effects, reverbs and delays
I completely agree
The song is really cool, is it out?
scarlet blue - reach her
its almost no difference, just the first test I noticed waves is quite tight? im not a pro so im not sure. but at some point the waves sometimes is quite over compresing when its too loud
The voice is too much compressed somewhere, like muffled, voice in general must be front or cut more through the mix, more dynamic, it leads the song. Thanks to share and for your videos!
I prefer buster with auto release ratio maybe to high for mixbus.
I think the TURBO button on Buster works in a similar way to the ANALOG button on Waves SSL. It gives the Buster a more analog sound, a little bit warmer and heavier.
i really couldn't hear a difference when i was testing out the plugin off camera but that is what the info on it says.
@@SoundcastStudios It's a slight but on my headphones BD DT770 I can hear it :)
TUrbo engages compression across all frequencies rather than just the mids - that's my understanding
Analog button on Waves SSL just generates the noise
analog obsession wins again
I definitely can hear a high end difference and would go for the Waves, but I’m more an API 2500 dude for the mix Bus. Anyway, the Analog Obsession is free and it does a really really good job.
You have a better ear than mine cause i had a hard time hearing a difference.
I'm curious if i could make this sound like an API 2500 with the sidechain features, just a thought.
@@SoundcastStudios it’s not something very noticeable specially in a song like this, cause the guitars are highly there to take the ears attention, so try to pay attention to the top frequencies of the snare and the hi-hats although in this mix they are a little behind. About the Analog Obsession meters I had the same problem, right now they are kinda unusable for me, I never take them in mind, maybe in the future the bro fix their way to work.
Not easy to sound like the API 2500 by waves with the analog obsession or the SSL, 4 reasons that come in my mind so fast are 1. The tilt filter of the API, it will not work the same than just using side chain for the lows with a HP filter. 2. The link level between L and R. 3. The Punch, the punch of the 2500 is superb compared to the SSL bus compressor and that was one of the reasons why I love that ond, unless you use the discrete section of the Shadow Hills Class A which is basically a special SSL bus compressor with extra mojo and it’s very punchy too (the green version has not the same punch nor other subtle tasty details). 4. The Character: you can even use the 2500 as a Clipper and add lots of character to the sound, using it in old style and in manual mode. Anyway the 2500 by waves still miss that mid range present on API stuff but it’s a compressor that doesn’t takes away anything from your sound and what it adds is special. That one or the Shadow hills are my go-to mix bus compressors when looking for punchy VCA character.
You have to turn up the make up/ volume knob for the meter to start reading and it's kind off accurate.
Just like the that of the waves, turn up the volume a little.
Analog obsession more open sound. : )
Hm, to me ANOBS has more low end, Sir. And Waves was tighter. This makes me wonder, how they would compare at the same meter readouts. hm ? ;-) many greetings!
Could you please give us the name of the track? I love it.
Reach her by Scarlet Blue
@@SoundcastStudios thank your that’s a very well song omg. Is so Underrated.
I'm seeing the Waves is set to 100ms release time when you're testing the auto time
Yeah I slightly messed up on that part
What is the song? Love it!
added song to description
@@SoundcastStudios Thank you. And it's one T.
I don't know about the "metering" of any plugin. They all differ by several db's
I guess what really maters is "What's coming in and what's going out"
I talked to the creator of the plugin and he said his metering isn’t linear so by that Im guessing Waves metering is linear?
SSL sounds flat af! The AO gave much more life to the track, you could feel the bass "bounce", and the vocals seemed to breathe a bit better. Damn, I'm impressed :O
You should try the britpressor! :D
Prefered the analog obsession one in the blind test
the waves makes the snare sound sharp and harsh to my ears. seems like it looses some low end as well. I've used a lot of Analog Obsessions plugs and they all sound good, but can be glitchy.
i agree with that they can be glitchy.
The Buster has a pop when engaging and disengaging it.
The Buster had more lows in the first example and less in the second. I don't think Buster tracks exactly the same based on numbers. I think trying to dial in the same exact sound on each would be more telling.
I talked to the creator of the plugin and they told me the metering wasn't linear. Not sure whether that is more or less accurate to the hardware but just thought I should mention it.
there's so many people on the web making reviews, who miss exactly the point. if you want buster to sound the way it was intended, you need to engage the transformer. i promise you, that's where it starts to shine. i recommend it to everybody, but wouldn't use it without the transformer. and then somebody tries it without accessing the actual features and "struggles". how could they not? with the transformer on, in my opinion it beats the ssl native. and if you want a truly cool, modified ssl bus compressor, try specomp.
you could also try to engage the oversampling function, to see what that does.
The over sampling seems almost unfair to compare it to the waves version since it doesn’t have it.
If you prefer it without over sampling then you’ll love it even more when oversampled.
The way I see it is the buster is being held back and is still winning which I think is great.
@@SoundcastStudios it is good for analog obsession, but holding it back won't demonstrate what it can really do, which is the purpose of demos, isn't it?
and since it's real ability in signal processing, and not a cheat, why would it be unfair?
by the way, ssl native have just released their new bus compressor, with oversampling and added attack and release times, as new features, just like buster, so it could be they took it from there, since i'm not aware of many models that have those.
@@Tryggvasson erat part is the plugin is free so people can always try it for themselves and really figure out if they like the plugin or not.
I think waves is better for this song, it's cleaner and neat, without allot of color. The AO plugin seems to add allot of color to the track, especially in the highs. It kind of reminds me of old punk music from skateboard videos.
interesting, i didn't really hear a huge difference between them
what's the song
Scarlett Blue - Reach Her
Lol I have a right choice when listening from iPhone
Well, it seems like u actually forgot to set the waves to Auto Release when comparing them that way. It looks like waves release is set to 1 instead of auto. 😄
Yeah you’re right, I didn’t catch that
The different maybe got something to do with the boost which you have emgaged.
The boost amifies the trsnsients en the tilt the freq where the trainsiemts should be boosted.
I don’t have the boost engaged.
I have turbo on since the manual says “this mod added to keep original sign of hardware” so I just assumed it would make it closer to the hardware and a more accurate comparison.
@@SoundcastStudios your right its the turbo my mistake
AO stands out a mile, and I'm listening on a laptop, more detailed, by the way, I use the AO, looks like you had the Threshold set wrong, 0db isn't in the same position has the wav's.
I set it all up using the tone generator and not based on the material
danmmm i liked the analog obsession one.
It's a good plugin!
Nobody Noticed the Mistake in the comparison between the two !!!!
During your last comparison with auto release button, you forgot to switch on the auto release button on Waves SSL compressor.
That's why the comparison may not be the same as the first one with manual release control.
Maybe you must go through the video ones again as fixed that mistake
Yeah sadly I messed up
Overall the test is still accurate except for that one section
@@SoundcastStudios Ya it's overall good except that one section. I m glad you replied even on an old video of yours. Trully a great human being you are.....
Waves seemed more transparent and buster had more color
I think it's the opposite🤔
Waves was not on auto release when he said it was.
yeah i messed up on that part
Kinda of hard to tell with a track that has already has been mixed and mastered. But definitely a good video.
The track wasn’t mixed and mastered
Nice song
Waves controls the dynamics a bit better. AO makes it a little louder, and more 3D.
interesting perspective
I prefer the Buster, the snare sounds a bit smoother and less clicky to me
i like how varied people preferences are
Wow I thought for sure comp b was waves .comp b sounds so much smoother and creamier...anolog obsession makes awesome plugins for sure...just wish they used less CPU...though not in this comparison. Plugin alliance is my all time favorite awesome plugins that sound awesome and dont use alot of cpu...
I’m glad you found it helpful
Waves its better but with free Analog Obsession you can't go wrong, and yes if you are wearing good headphones you can easy hear the different Waves its more smooth than Analog Ob...
i have sennheiser hd 650s and struggle to hear the differences in a blind test
The waves comp seemed to thin things out and was more invasive to my ears.