Slate Digital Releases Virtual Buss Compressors – Three Unique Analog Modeled Buss Compressors

Slate Digital has possibly released some of their best analog modeled software to date.

The Virtual Buss Compressors is a collection of three compressors, each modeled in a non-linear fashion after three different hardware compressors. During development, every single element of the hardware devices was modeled including the subtleties like dynamic harmonic distortions, dynamic phase distortion, saturation and anything else that colored the sound. Each compressor has some unique tweaks compared to the original models making them even more flexible.

The Virtual Buss Compressors can be purchased as a “Rack” (all three compressors) for $199 MSRP or they can be purchased individually. Purchasing the “Rack” edition from Slate Digital grants buyers a free iLok 2. The plugins are available for Mac and PC in AU, RTAS and VST formats. Here is more info from Slate Digital:

A new gate to heaven for our mixes.

Overview

Virtual Buss Compressors comprises three unique sounding, 100% analog modeled dynamic processors that are ideal for program material.

Every nuance of real analog compressors has been modeled; including the exact nonlinear characteristics of their transformers, tubes, VCAs, amplifiers, phase distortions, harmonic distortions, and timing.

The Compressors

All of the compressors in the VBC bundle have a variable hi-pass filter AND a mix knob that can be used to control the ratio/percentage of the compressed signal to the dry signal. Each compressor can be used in series, and the series rearranged by dragging and dropping (see information on “The Rack”). Compressing a mix with each one doing a very little amount can sound amazing! And, using the compressors in series within the ‘Rack’ also makes it very easy to A/B/C the compressors on source material. Finally, VBC will come with stock presets made by some of the industry’s top mixers.

FG-GREY

The FG-GREY starts off with a very precise model of the classic British “4000 series console compressor”. I’ve used the hardware model for many years but until studying the unit in the modeling process, I never fully appreciated just how magnificent the piece is. It has a way of being able to tighten, glue, and ‘gel’ the components of the mix in ways that can go from fairly transparent in auto release mode, to very aggressive in manual mode.

FG-RED

This compressor is based on the classic RED faced compressor that has been a favorite of mix legend Chris Lord Alge, who first showed it to me when I visited his studio years ago. I thought it was odd actually. Here was this compressor that nobody else seemed to really use, and it was on a setting at 1.5:1 and the attack looked very fast for a Mix-Buss compressor. This was puzzling because I usually associated a faster attack with a loss of transient punch, but if you’ve heard Chris’s mixes you know that they are the exact opposite of that! So being the classic gearslut, I bought one, (I got the unit with both input and output transformers). The first thing I did was put it on my mix in the settings that Chris showed me… 1.5:1, attack around 10/11 o’clock, auto release, compressing just 2-3db tops. And…. WOW! One of the clearest, punchiest sounding rock mixes I’d ever heard come out of my own speakers. This unit was amazing!!!

FG-MU

I’ve been lucky enough to hear some of the most classic tube based buss compressors such as the Fairchild 670 and Manley Vari Mu. There is some real magic that happens when your mix goes through a brilliantly designed piece of tube gear. The midrange thickens, the lows get tighter and rounder, and the top end opens up with a beautiful sparkle… and even better, those harsh upper mid overtones seems to get tamed. For the FG-MU, we put all of these wonderful qualities into the algorithm. First and foremost, to hear the FG-MU, you don’t even have to do any compression. Just going through the processor without any gain reduction will inhibit a beautiful open sound due to the modeling of the tube circuit path. Even when I’m using the FG-GREY or FG-RED, I love using the VBC Rack just so I can have the audio pass through the FG-MU!”

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