Blind Bus Compressor Shootout - Can You Guess the Plugin? | Plugin Alliance

Hear a blind comparison between the Bettermaker Bus Compressor, Brainworx bx_glue, Three-Body Technology Cenozoix Compressor, and Kiive Audio XTComp. Guess which plugin is which, then check your answers with Charles Hoffman.
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Learn more about Bettermaker's Bus Compressor:
www.plugin-alliance.com/en/pr...
Learn more about Brainworx's bx_glue:
www.plugin-alliance.com/en/pr...
Learn more about Three-Body Technology's Cenozoix Compressor:
www.plugin-alliance.com/en/pr...
Learn more about Kiive Audio's XTComp:
www.plugin-alliance.com/en/pr...
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Bettermaker Bus Compressor
00:58 - Brainworx bx_glue
01:28 - Kiive Audio XTComp
01:52 - Three-Body Technology Cenozoix Compressor
02:24 - Comparison Details
03:31 - Blind Test 1
04:21 - Test 1 Answers
04:31 - Blind Test 2
05:53 - Test 2 Answers
06:10 - Blind Test 3
06:58 - Test 3 Answers
07:08 - Blind Test 4
08:18 - Test 4 Answers
08:32 - Blind Test 5
09:37 - Test 5 Answers
09:49 - Download and Installation
#pluginalliance #musicproduction #megaplan #bettermaker #brainworx #bx_glue #threebodytechnology #cenozoix #kiiveaudio #xtcomp
Song 1: Virtus - "Phonk"
Song 2: Pharaohs - "Everything"
Song 3: Daniel Kroft - "Get to Know Me"
Song 4: Tri State Corner - "Save My World"
Song 5: Virtus - "Sword Dance"
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SYNC ID: MB01A91DHYGEPA8

[@PluginAllianceTV]

Demo all of Plugin Alliance's products for 30 days. Start a free MEGA Plan trial here: www.plugin-alliance.com/mega?

[@Taylor370z]

Hmm. I was able to guess which one was the Bettermaker was every time cause it was so distorted in a bad way. Specifically was watching this to see how it sounded due to the sale.. glad I watched.

[@AltayEkren]

I love Cenozoix, it's so damn good. I picked Cenozoix in almost all tests.

[@MaxDropPro]

This was a really cool challenge! It was interesting to hear the different characters each compressor brought out in the audio. Without knowing which was which, I found myself leaning towards “bx_glue”. It feels like listening to the radio on air every time! Charles Hoffman's reveal was definitely eye-opening, can't wait to try them all out myself!"

[@Marvotronics]

Is it that VCA THD section that makes every Bettermaker example distorted? Not in a good way.

[@CyrilleBoucanogh]

it all depends on the tuning and source. THD itself doesn't sound like bass clipping what you might not like in these demos. This effect might come from the behavior of the filters of the control signal chain.

[@weeschwee]

I read your comment before I heard the examples and instantly recognized the Bettermaker in the first 3 or 4 examples because of the distortion. I didn't expect to be able to pick out any compressor, but the Bettermaker just seemed like a downgrade in quality. I think I couldn't tell between the XTComp and the Bettermaker the last couple of examples. They both seemed a little over saturated to me.

[@critical-thought]

I think this comparison pointed out that compressor choice depends on the source. And probably on the knob settings.

[@KevinSimpson031]

I really love the bx_glue, I just wish the 2 bands had separate thresholds

[@peterpeper4837]

I could consistently recognise and prefer the Kiive Audio XTComp

[@hepphepps8356]

I will never let the «Bettermaker» anywhere near audio. This test at least confirmed that. It is just bad sounding. The bx plug won out pretty clearly here. The xt comp just doesn’t sound right in my ears, but that is the same feeling I always got from distressors in the first place, and I never ever ended up applying one after audioition ever, so it might be great for those that has found a use for distressors.

[@2024style]

That bx gave it a nice color on the first test but the Kiive XT is the winner for me it was able to be much cleaner and close to the type of sound I'm looking for thanks for making this maybe another video comparison on the other plugins would be great

[@Harrysound]

I think I went for the BX glue every time except for the acoustic where strange the Xtressor won

[@mixedbyebm]

I was able to tell the kiive audio plugin with ease in every example except the last one. It's punchy in all the right ways. The others were harder, except the bettermaker usually sounded a bit distorted, not necessarily in a good way.

[@MURPHSOUND]

Im a real world tracking engineer that owns an acual analog SSL G-Buss comp, so trust when I say the BETTERMAKER is one of the best compressors I ever used and sounds great in the car, ect. Try 4:1 ratio, 1ms attack, auto release, 100% wet, w/ RMS detection. Lower the threshold untill 3db gain reduction. Thank me when you win your Grammy!

[@xsxs6557]

Ohh yeah!! That is true Thanks a lot 🤩

[@BukanIbuMu]

I still don't win any Grammy

[@MURPHSOUND]

@@BukanIbuMu Promote like crazy, get a lot of streams and submit your song. GOTTA BE A LIKED OR LOVED SONG

[@MURPHSOUND]

Im open to listen to pretty much any genre, long as that Bettermaker on the mix! (not playing)

[@phantom_him]

Bit of a level matching issue on that first test, but I picked the BX and Cenozoix every time. Last one was a bit hard to pick -12 db on a bus comp? O _ O

[@PluginAllianceTV]

You'll tend to hear the biggest difference when pushing compressors to more extreme settings; that was the purpose of the last example. The unprocessed mix in the last example is extremely dynamic, meaning heavy compression was required to tighten everything up. It's usually more ideal to fix large level discrepancies at a mixing level rather than a mastering level, but that's not always an option. You might find yourself in a situation like this if you're asked to master a track by a client that's new to mixing.

[@skiskate5]

​@@PluginAllianceTV that seems fair, I enjoyed this- you should do more like it without a doubt. In the future though, maybe it would be better to stick with the same settings on THD/saturation/tone/Cenozoix "drive"? I know this wasn't supposed to be a scientific comparison, but feel like that may have been an unnecessary variable in comparing compressors. Would also be interested to see those inspired by the SSL (or VCAs in general) competing against each other purely in auto-release settings throughout every test, if only for my own curiosity- feel like a lot of the auto-release algos have their own vibe. On that note, Townhouse would be great to see too, and VSC-2 👍 (ah, jeeze, and totally unrelated to VCAs- SPL Iron is hella slept on for bus compression, or at least it was by me until recently)

[@correametal]

I was able to answer right 4/5 for the Kiive Audio XTComp. The others not even once 😂

[@mixedbyebm]

me too. the distressor has a really distinguished sound

[@Freogeteknet]

Dang... guess I have to get bx glue now... was almost always my first or second choice. XTcomp seemed to work really great when you pushed it in the last example and also to bring forth the guitars in blind test 3 but didn't really like it in the other examples. With all the nice features I'm sad to see that the Three-body one never scored high for me

[@CyrilleBoucanogh]

I recognized all of them in Test #5. The previous 4 I was training ha ha;)

[@Justin-yd8ty]

Well, I guess I like the Bettermaker Compressor most 😀

[@ISHQ-K377]

Just looking like a wow , these plugins .

[@cameronmckenzie7049]

Horses for courses..as usual. All good

[@kelvynification]

I’m terrible at discerning the subtle differences in compression but I chose the Bettermaker most times.

[@Harrysound]

I would just listening to the transients to start with. Things like the snare make the most difference and then there’s the low end and the vocals etc but overall just say “yeah this one is better than the second one which was my favourite before” and you don’t have to know why.

[@bco0t6]

I’ve been disappointed in plug-in alliance the past year or so, no real innovation since that merge with native instruments, just “new” looking interfaces and GUIs that I personally don’t find appealing, miss their bax eq, ssl, and Amex era

[@lematrix01]

Sorry, but this is not true! BW have so much new stuff always coming , IMO to much new Plugins. Sure we can talk about the new GUIs for the own BXBrainwork Plugins, i personally like the old, clear and clean style more. But that’s how it is

[@hepphepps8356]

They have definitively grinded to a halt. I have a distinct feeling they are entering their shitification-era.

[@skiskate5]

Honestly, if we're talking about Brainworx's own plugins, especially the bx_[FX] series, maybe that's totally fair- I don't use many of them so wouldn't know. But a large portion of Plugin *Alliance* are offerings from other plugin developers, some of which are helmed by incredibly smart people doing some great, unique, and innovative work. If we're going to talk about the alliance of plugins as a whole- considering that this is a comment section for a video that's half made up of other developers' product, after all- I think that hate is pretty undeserved. Kiive is solid and they're Distressor is great IMHO, and as for TBTECH, they absolutely kill it- for instance, whether you love Kirchoff or hate it, you can't argue that it was innovative design and quality execution. Obviously the Cenozoix here following the same concept. (when I say the video is half other developers, I'm assuming the bettermaker is ultimately Brainworx modeling under the hood- and it didn't sound pleasant in that first example at least, I'll give you that)

[@ReynaldoIvanPena]

Song? 4:45 ?

[@NUANCEZONRISE]

Kiive all day

[@DVNT]

I chose the Cenozoix as #1 almost every time, been telling a lot of people about that comp. I didn't love the Bettermaker in trials but it actually sounded great on 1 example here. I hated the Brainworx bx_glue in tests & sure enough it came in last place for me on every single one of these shootouts. But it's probably SSL style and I honestly really dislike the SSL sound (it sounds thin & cramped to me, I don't get the appeal! API sounds bigger & Neve sounds warmer... and everything/anything sounds more 3D than SSL, why do people like that sound???)

[@jasonsteakums6067]

Totally with you there. I don’t find SSL to have much character at all which may be why some people love it, but at that point why not reach for your built-in DAW’s standard digital compressor plugin? Manley vari-mu for flat and wide, API for punchiness, pumping and movement, and SSL for..transparent characterless-ness I guess?

[@DVNT]

@@jasonsteakums6067 💯

[@bobflapsbeatproductions6397]

The VCA THD of the bettermaker is nothing like sublte! Even if it is a zero setting or 1% it is already saturating, everything above 5% is distorting, which might be good for a solo bass but not on a full mix! How can you make such a comparison and turn the VCA THD so high??? This can only be done if you don't know your plugins! I tested the bettermaker and actually liked it a lot, prefered it to other SSL competitors but the biggest problem is that it bevaves as a dual mono compressor, so you might get a different stereo image and you can't turn it off! Obviously this is a not wanted bug, which have been reported to PA months ago... The fact that this isn't communicated so far and haven't been repaired should keep you away from buying it.

[@bobflapsbeatproductions6397]

These compressors have also different attack and release settings! What kind of comparison is this??? Totally useless...

[@ERJ175]

The silent gaps between the sound samples completely ruin the A/B experience. Delete this video and do it all over, plugin alliance. So amateurish.

[@nadersharif]

I wouldn't bother mixing a crap song.