What are the best UAD Plugins for Guitar Compression?

[Digiplay]

Happy Thanksgiving to all!


I had a similar Thread regarding what are the best UAD Plugins for Guitar Delay, and boy, the suggestions were/are all GREAT!!!

The Delay is for my Guitar Pedalboard that is used 99.9% for recording into my Apollo (going into LPX), and I've tried various Delay Pedals including the UAFX Starlight, the Boss BD-200/500, the Strymon DIG to name a few (haven't tried the Keeley Halo yet, but I might), and when I tried the various UAD Delay Plugins, I was BLOWN away with how pristine and spatial they were.


At that point, like Like Skywalker, I then knew the TRUE POWER OF THE PLUGIN


I want to now try various UAD Compressor Plugins to see how they will compete against various Pedals such as the Keeley Compressor Plus, the Ross, the Cali 76, the UAFX 1176, the Mary Cries, to name a few.


So which ones would you suggest, and if possible, ones that aren't DSP hungry (like my Lexicon 480 is)?

Thanks,
Jerry

 

[rjjuly]

They are all excellent example of the comressors they model - it all depends on how you want to compress. Best bet is to start with the LA-3A and the 1176(s).
- Richard

 

[Mengelking]

By far my favorite for electric is the UA 175b / 176.

 

[klasaine]

I almost always track through the 176. Most of the time I'm barely hitting it. Just bumping the meter a little bit.
I like the 175-B with percussive keyboard VIs like a Clavinet, Wurlitzer, and B3 w/perc 'on'.
*If I found a decent deal, a 176 would be a piece of hardware I would consider buying.

I like the LA3A for funk guitar strumming.
1176 for Telecaster country squish.
Fairchild 660 (mono) on an insert, post record.

I'm thinking about getting the uafx 1176 pedal. I off-loaded my Cali76 a while ago. For me, it was either too little or too much (and definitely too much money). The PRS 'Mary Cries' LA2A-inspired opto pedal works better for how I like to use an opto comp. I also dig the Keeley Comp Plus.

 

[chrisharbin]

Yep, 176, 175-B, LA-3A. I also really like the Softube VCA too, but those are the OTHER guys

 

[chrisharbin]

Oh, and this SCS comp is pretty dandy too.

 

[danisalat]

For the Cali76 (I am very lucky and own one of the transformer version!) I've sometimes replaced it with 1176 Rev A when using DIs in the box. It's pretty similar in behaviour. I sometimes even use it as parallel compression for heavy rhuythm guitars (it's a David Castillo trick).

I mainly just use the LA-3A for electric guitars, for acoustics that one or the LA-3A or 175/176.

 

[MakerDP]

I like to use the 176 generally followed by an LA-2A to smooth things out even further. Sometimes I will use the Neve classic one on the guitar bus to give all the guitars some glue.

As a general rule, compressors don't take much DSP at all.

 

[hotspot]

What are we talking about? Is it clean-ish or driven?
Just wonder why people compress their guitars by default. Don’t want to say there is something wrong with, just curious what you are after if you decide to compress?
If I track real amps there is always a good amount of compression from the amp.
Often enough to bring in compression for first time on busses for glue.

 

[chrisharbin]

For me, I sometimes like it on the front end as an effect. But as a general rule I don't use it much. But those I mentioned are what I use when the effect is needed.

 

[hotspot]

For me, I sometimes like it on the front end as an effect

You are talking about compression not for the sake of compression, but to get the effect of saturation, harmonics etc.? That's completely understandable and also something I do.

 

[klasaine]

What are we talking about? Is it clean-ish or driven?
Just wonder why people compress their guitars by default. Don’t want to say there is something wrong with, just curious what you are after if you decide to compress?
If I track real amps there is always a good amount of compression from the amp.
Often enough to bring in compression for first time on busses for glue.

Both clean and driven, mic'd amp or ITB for me (most of the time).
As I mentioned, I use the 176 or 175-B and I barely move the meter. It's more of a tonal thing with a slight push forward. Usually, I will want to slightly "chop the top off" of the more dynamic parts.
For Funk strumming or one-note muted parts - any of the 1176 or LA2 collection. *Elysia M-Pressor is great for this as well.
If I really want to destroy it - Valley People 'Dynamite' (I used to have the hardware when I was still recording to DA88).

When I want to use it as an 'effect'. I'll use a guitar pedal. Currently, the Keeley Compressor Plus is my favorite. *Thinking about a uafx 1176 though.

 

[hotspot]

176 or 175-B

Lovely, isn’t it?
What about the people that use LA3A as their favourite guitar compressor. There are a lot of them. What is the sonic advantage of it? For me, it doesn’t have that much of extra sound. Why this one when not for actual compressing?

 

[klasaine]

Lovely, isn’t it?
What about the people that use LA3A as their favourite guitar compressor. There are a lot of them. What is the sonic advantage of it? For me, it doesn’t have that much of extra sound. Why this one when not for actual compressing?

They probably like how it tightens up everything. Maybe it's more of a 'feel' thing.
Because it's so fast, it does affect the tone, just not in the same way the 175 or 6 does (those things are like amplifiers).
I don't really know how to describe it other than to say it tightens things up(?).

 

[hotspot]

They probably like how it tightens up everything.

I remember the LA3A is known for emphasizing the midrange. Maybe that's it. You probably can't generalize. It would be nice to know more about the circumstances and guitars used, amps and the desired sound.
Nevertheless, it's still interesting.

 

[klasaine]

It would be nice to know more about the circumstances and guitars used, amps and the desired sound.

In the early 90s I was recording almost once a week at a studio out here called "The Village Recorders" (still in biz, legendary place). I was doing a TV show. My "sound" for this shows cues was clean, warm Strat. I went DI to the board (I think a Neve 1080 something-?) and the engineer always had an LA3A on me. Sometimes chorus from a Lexicon pcm 42. It was and still is a great sound. If I dug in, the 3A would cut the top off (in a good way). Playing normally, it just kinda made it meatier/bigger.