compressor Hardware or plugins?

[Bad Mac]

I think a hardware compressor would work better than a plugin. Do you agree?  That being said, there are obvioulsy situations it makes more sense to use a plugin. but in general. Which do you think works better? The hardware or software?

[DeeringAmps]

Tracking analog, mixing plugins. I recently sold off all but my LA-610 (go to for Vocals and Bass). I just wasn’t using anything else. Bare in mind that I don’t do drums, heavily driven guitars are compressed by the amp. Half or more of the time I’m using virtual amps anyway. 
HTH

t

[Alan Tubbs]

As Dearing said, recording through hardware works for me.  No much, just a general shaping (which also keeps from mucking up a take).  Software works great esp. for further dynamic control.  You can take a third swing during mastering with more gentle control.  In general, I try to get more tone (including saturation) from analog, and more dynamic control with software.

I am reviewing the new RND Orbit 5057 summing mixer which is a perfect example of the power of analog.  Here at home I never ran a mix through a mix buss analog chain.  I wanted the cleanest version.  But with the orbit I turned up my home interface to 11, trying to get more sound into the mixer since the transformer just got sweeter and sweeter the more volume you pumped in.  I was actually leaning forward into and between the speaker pair.  Fun stuff and sounded great afterwards.

[Jim Roseberry]

On 6/26/2021 at 8:39 AM, Alan Tubbs said:

I am reviewing the new RND Orbit 5057 summing mixer

Hope it works well for you!

I had a 5059 Summing Mixer.  Loved the sound and flexibility

Couldn't get over the fan noise... so I returned it.

[Alan Tubbs]

No fan on this one.

[msmcleod]

Unless I'm recording quick sketches,  I pretty much always track through analog pre's.  Occasionally I use a hardware compressor (mainly on bass guitar), but most of the time I'll compress ITB.

The only analog hardware compressors I've got are in my TFPro P3's (same as JoeMeek MQ3), which are optical, and the TFPro HooterSound B1, which is a VCA compressor.  Both units are very coloured, so I'll only use them if it suits the sound.  The P3's compressor is pretty good for spoken word though.

My Alice 828 has a nice sounding limiter on it which works well. It's been handy for overheads in the past, as long as it doesn't have to work too hard... but I rarely take it out of the studio nowadays (and my studio is way too small for real drums).

 

[Mark Morgon-Shaw]

Depends - Hardware is nice to track with on the way in but kinda moot if you produce in the box music

I hear a lot of  situations where people own very nice gear but what comes out the other end sucks and conversely there are folks working entirely in the box that produce professional tracks.   

In my world ( Production music for TV libraries ) it's much easier to work in the box because you need to be able to recall the exact same mix to deal with edit requests which may happen months after you delivered the track.

So hardware for the ultimate sound quality, plugins for the convenience but bearing in mind many home studio owners won't have the skills to outperform what could be  done in the box.