Pristine Vintage British Love for Ultra Modern Applications

Admittedly I have a fetish for old vintage gear. Suprise huh? Not really... but for the application in which I am applying it might not be as common as most. First off, this plug-in slams, and slams HARD. One of my secret interests as a techno producer is combining very modern gear (i.e.- Reaktor, Massive, Battery, etc...) and processing said devices with old boutique, obscure (to some) vintage devices, yielding a cutting edge production sound with luscious vintage squish, warmth, and character. Upon realizing that Chandler released this device as a plug-in I was certain I had to research it immediately. This, I thought was the secret sauce I was searching for, for so long that wasn't going be financial suicide for me. I studied many early Beatles recordings to gain a clearer insight into what I was getting myself into and took the plunge. This may be the best gear investment I have ever made! Warmth, Squish, Character, Definition, PUNCH! Its all hear. :P I prefer using the 1969 version if I want to get a sound REALLY warm and squishy, almost 3-D (basses, pads, etc...), and usually opt for the 2005 set on limiter for drums. My drums punch like I never expected them to, its easy to make them slam way harder than you intend if you're not careful!! The most fun set-up for me is to have all my individual channels compressed with variations of this device then set a 2005 limiter on the master channel. Send a signal to a return with a reverb set-up, and have the reverb limited as well (squashed room delight!), set the limiter on the master to a solid setting and listen to the kick "side-chain" the song as it plays!! The pumping effect with the reverb ducking when the kick slams is dramatic and incredible. Can you say main room frenzy!?!? Holy crap am I a happy camper!! Thanks Sweetwater!!

-Justin Pennell (aka Milkplant)

PS- The i-lock dongle is annoying though, there has to be a better way to protect licensed products!

I've Skipped Across the Pond!

I downloaded the demo and was expecting good things, based on the reviews. I wasn't prepared for the mind-boggling, I-can't-believe-my-ears sounds that it cranked out. It's an instant "guy with a DAW" to "big time high dollar studio" converter. I'll be buying it (from Sweetwater, of course!). Three thumbs up.

This isn't an outboard compressor?? It's a what?? A plug-in??

This wonderful tool from the guys at Chandler Limited has quickly become my favorite plug-in dynamics software. This is not really a surprise to me because I am a big fan of their outboard gear, such as the seductive Neve 1073 clone preamp that Chandler dubs the LTD-1. Wade at Chandler has hit the nail right on the head with this one. You can tweak the settings and get a wonderful, vintage-sounding compression or you can play lightly and leave little clue that you have been reducing your recording's dynamic range. This is not really a "transparent" compressor/limiter, though. It definitely imparts a character but that character is a highly prized (at least to me) vintage sound.

I definitely prefer the 2005 limiter to the 1969 (and you get both with your purchase). You can really slam your tracks when the 2005 is set to limit.

Overall I would have to say that this is my new favorite plug-in dynamics device. It gets close to the real outboard thing for a fraction of the price and is worth every penny. My previous favorite compressor plug-in, the Sonalksis SV-315, is still in my arsenal when I need a truly transparent action or I need to convince the listeners that I simply have a great engineer who knows my music and is simply "riding the faders". But to add some juice to a recording, you can't beat this superb piece of software!!