Are you used to the sound of a poorly calibrated 1176d? Easy, change the q-bias. Remember having a brighter LA2A? No problem, just adjust the brightness.

The models also come with some extra parameters for each that allow you to further tweak how the hardware simulation responds. (note: the LA2AвЂ™s attack/release characteristics allow you to select the вЂeraвЂ™ of the LA2a in a way, as various versions had drastically different response characteristics). TrackCompвЂ™s modes have little red notches that show you the ranges the hardware offers, and you can exceed these values while still using a component simulation of the real hardware. Outside of how incredibly good these modes sounds, they come with a feature that no other excellent emulation (thereвЂ™s many!) I know of has: the ability to exceed the hardware parameters.

1176 rev D (The new 1176s are based on this).

It uses SPICE simulation to recreate, component by component, the sound of: Tone ControlДMG Audio TrackComp has thoroughly been the most exciting product IвЂ™ve used in years. Tiltshift is much simpler and faster to use. Pro-Q 2 requires the setup of numerous bands and controlling of those bands to replicate this functionality. Tiltshift 3 has an easy to use built in high and low pass along with a range control that easy adjusts how much influence the respective shelving filters have. I am aware of it, and IвЂ™ve used it quite a bit. So with smaller less destructive changes, you can create more audible changes. A 2db tilt actually changes the spectral balance by ~4db over the whole signal (lowend moves 2db in gain, and the high end moves 2db in the opposite gain direction). So small changes end up sounding more drastic. The beauty of tilt-type tone controls is that it affects the whole spectral balance of the signal. When the high-shelf is increased in gain, then the low shelf is reduced in gain, and vice versa. This can be seen as 2 complementary shelves: a high shelf and a low shelf. Tiltshift is a very simple plugin that implements a вЂtiltвЂ™ tone control. That is A LOT of time spent in a VST in 9 days.ДЇor making broad adjustments, which the majority of EQ changes I make are, nothing beats these 2 plugins. IвЂ™ve owned them for approximately 9 days, and IвЂ™ve used them in total for about 27 hours. I recently purchased Goodhertz Tone Control and Tiltshift. 90% of the time I grab apQualizr 2, but I canвЂ™t live without Pro-Q. ThatвЂ™s just one example of the many problem solving things you can do with apQualizer that you canвЂ™t do with Pro-Q 2.

We end up with less hi-hat and a snare thatвЂ™s still bright and awesome. No high-cut during the snare, but high-cut during the rest of the part. The apQualizr settings make it so that when the snare hits, the high band rises in gain to 0.

That cut alone makes the snare sound very dull and lifeless. The result is that for most of the playback, there is a deep high end cut that reduces the leakage of the hi-hat. The Compression module controls the gain of a high band. I have a midrange band that feeds a compression module. In the image above IвЂ™m cleverly and cleanly solving a common issue: hi-hat leakage in to the snare mic. The modulation system is unequaled in Pro-Q 2. Compensated analyzer (I LOVE this feature!).It has some functionality that I find superior to Pro-Q 2 for most general use work, and after forcing myself to use it as my вЂfirst tryвЂ™, IвЂ™ve grown to love it even more. I already used it a lot, and during this test I used it the most of any plugin (according to Timesink). I know I was biased towards apQualizr 2 going in to this. I suggest reading this post about what I want in an EQ. Also using - Tone control and Tiltshift.P.s.: Next 30 days is coming soonвЂ¦ рџЌЋ Contents Note: Pro-L 2 came out the day I released this, so itвЂ™s not considered. I think it goes without saying that I wouldnвЂ™t choose a product that I feel is sonically inferior. I wonвЂ™t be talking about the sound quality of these products unless thereвЂ™s some exceptional aspect of them worth mentioning. IвЂ™ll discuss if thereвЂ™s any products I felt were superior for my uses, if thereвЂ™s any products I found a new respect for, and if I feel that the fabfilter option is simply the best in its class. This post is to help wrap this up and show my conclusions. I felt like I rely on them perhaps too heavily. So a little over a month ago, I decided to not use any Fabfilter products for 30 days.

Fabfilter saturn review