[Ardour-Users] Current best method for multi-band compression within Ardour?

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sun, 18 Nov 2018 04:48:24 +0100, Robin Gareus wrote:
>Calf's multiband compressor may be nice to sculpt some interesting
>synth sounds, but it is likely not very useful for any serious work.
>The cross-over filters are not flat (even if the custom GUI shows it as
>flat), and there are various 180deg phase-shifts across the spectrum,
>easily measured: default, supposedly no-op, settings look like [4].
>Zamulticomp and XT-MT handle this correctly.

It could be used very well for excellent good stereo sum compression
in a Peter Gabriel alike style, if you do audio engineering instead of
measurements. I don't know if his engineer actually does use multiband
stereo sum compression, but it's possible to imitate this sound doing
it. I actually used it and I replaced Fons' EQ with your EQ based upon
Fons' EQ. Your EQ version 20161230 (yes outdated) is useful, even while
there is an algebraic sign error.

Most free as in bear software has got some issues, but sometimes it's
possible to ignore those issues.

We worked with dirty phases when using EQs for decades and lot of those
analog recordings done with odd EQs do still sound better than any
"done with Linux" recording I ever heard.

I remember that you once posted a link to a double bass recording, where
you were unable to get it as present as you wanted. This is were Calf's
multiband compressor works very well. The pros and cons of what I call
Peter Gabriel alike style stereo sum compression could be discussed. I
also don't claim that Calf's multiband compressor is good, but since
it's not easy to find usable plugins among the trillions of completely
unusable Linux plugins, IMO Calf's multiband compressor is not that bad
as you claim.

Dirty phases are an issue for all kinds of recordings. It's better if
the used gear (or software) does cause as less as possible dirty
phases, but by one way or another audio engineering always has to
struggle with dirty phases.