DON'T BUY a DBX 160a.. buy the TimP n60A instead.. and I'm not joking!!

ANALOG HARDWARE vs PLUGINS || real DBX 160A vs TIMP n60A || Budget VCA compressor shootout
My name is Paul Third and this week on mixing wednesdays we are comparing a budget analog compressor vs digital plugins in the form of Tim Petherick's n60A nebula 4 libraries. Tim has sampled a dbx 160a using convolution technology similar to that of acustica audio plugins.
Many will see this as analog vs digital audio engineering fodder but its more of an audio test and plugin comparison against the hardware counterpart. How close does the plugin emulation recreate the sound of the dbx compressor and can its extra features (lookahead, sidechain hpf detector and harmonics) give a different or better result.. only one way to find out.
This was originally going to be a music production software compressor plugin shootout with dbx 160 plugins but as there is a difference between the dbx 160 vs 160a I thought it was best to focus on the timP plugin.
🌠SUPPORT THE CHANNEL
/ mixingwedesdays
🏷️ PRODUCT LINKS
//Buy my dbx 160a here//
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dbx-160a-U...
www.timpetherick.co.uk/downlo...
audient.com/products/audio-in...
🎶 FOLLOW MY DEBUT ALBUM JOURNEY
• MY DEBUT ALBUM JOURNEY
🎤 RELEASING A SONG?
Music distribution playlist: • Playlist
Songwriting playlist: • MIXING SESSION WITH PA...
⬇️ OTHER VIDEOS LIKE THIS
ANALOG HARDWARE VS PLUGINS PLAYLIST (15 VIDEOS)
• ANALOG HARDWARE VS DIG...
📖 CHAPTERS
0:00 intro
0:41 dbx 160a features
2:00 timP n60a features
3:00 160a vs n60a on kick, snare, drum room, bass & vocals
5:20 How close is timP to the hardware limiter?
8:10 TimP tweaked vs hardware
10:36 does TimP n60a sound better than the dbx160a?
12:58 uncompressed vs dbx 160a vs timP N60a
🖱️CONTACT ME
Email: [e-mail]
Instagram: / paulthird_uk

[@PaulThird]

Just buy it ehhhh.. 🤓 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dbx-160a-US-seen-on-Mixing-Wednesdays-comes-with-US-EU-transformer-plug-/265190719272?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286 Also listening back I should have utilised the lookahead in the bass example to smooth it out a bit more so it was closer to the hardware. That's ear fatigue at play right there 😅

[@PaulThird]

Funny you should say that. My electric bill is that high im actually due them more money haha 😅

[@goseason2343]

I have two 160a’s and I will never sell them. It’s a Beast. It’s like hot sauce, could put it on anything.

[@PaulThird]

Want to buy another? Haha

[@nexusobserve]

@@PaulThird I only have one. I'm game

[@PaulThird]

Ebay links in the description haha.. BUY!!! 😂 This buying and selling analog gear is like a heroin hit every time hahaha.. I NEED TO BUY AND COMPARE MORE!!.. MORE!!!

[@nexusobserve]

@@PaulThird look at Orban equipment! Very interesting radio gear, great limiters and eq. Hungarian engineer not many know, I did recording and mastering for his twin brother

[@goseason2343]

@@theredfaceofficial I’m actually looking into 500 series lunchboxes

[@mrnelsonius5631]

Very few plugins have made me feel like “wow this changes everything”. Mostly thanks to TimP’s work Nebula is one of those plugins for me. There were sounds I just could never seem to get that fell right into place once I started exploring that platform. I never thought I’d be one of the people saying “yeah there’s usability quirks and some hoops to jump through but the sound quality is worth it”. But here I am, Nebula and most of Tim’s stuff has to be one of the best investments I’ve made in audio software

[@PaulThird]

You are 100% right. The drawbacks of nebula is definitely worth it for Tim's libraries 👌

[@osbornebinghamjr.559]

wow guess I'm buying TimP this week....lol... great show sir !!

[@PaulThird]

I'm still waiting on the day Tim let's me down in a shootout 🙌 he's just that good! haha

[@martijnvandongen]

Paul, this video is so funny! Thanks for you comparison. TimP is the man, it's so amazing! I can still remember the first time I bought Nebula and thought after a few hours, what the hell did I buy? I don't understand anything of it (was I think 2 years ago when there wasn't that much documentation). It turns out one of my best buys ever. TimP, Cupwise, AlexB, AINTB amazing developers for the Nebula platform!

[@PaulThird]

And that's only me scratching the surface of nebula haha 😅

[@tmutt9er1]

Hey Paul I love all your videos. I have watched them all more than once. I was just curious if you happen to like the Acoustica Diamond Color EQ in relation to other mastering EQ's

[@PaulThird]

Diamond color eq is the last eq on my mixbus. That thing is MONEY!! heavy on CPU as its last in the chain but my god it doesn't need much to give results. Its the only thing I don't mix through. Leave it for the very end and use it and normally gives me the results I want. Just gives you a sound you weren't really thinking of. Hard to explain. Need to be demo'd to hear it 🤓

[@agentviktor3297]

The win and 32bit only version from DeLaMancha is a nice one too. I have no idea, how accurate, but very punchy, nice extra options. Real, obsolete gem.

[@PaulThird]

That's based off a 165A. Wonder what the difference is between 160 & 165 🤔

[@AftertuneMusic]

TIM IT'S THE MAN!! i really like his emulation, i hope to order soon other stuff from him (Tim we need more TAPE ) 😆 Btw someone know some great emulation for STEREO IMAGE for nebula?? I didn't find anything online.. if someone know something it's very appreciated a lot

[@AftertuneMusic]

Btw hardware feels more on low end but Tim work it's ridiculously good compare the fact that hardware have his own DSP circuit which means that's it's dedicated to do THAT work instead of CPU that handles ton of background task at the same time, i think the limit of CPU in audio processing (the fact that audio it's not a multithread processing) it's one of the biggest architecture issue ever for ITB mixing and mastering... Unfortunately audio passing though gears will have more character in general but the tone/saturation/angle phase can be replicated (with a lot of patience and work) still can't feel the with that hardware can add to sounds (btw timP it's a real pro in the nebula game, i wish more.stuff from him 🥺)

[@aisharpproductions1351]

I'm not surprised by this test, Paul. It sounds exact. LOL You're so used to his compressors sounding exactly like the hardware, you're so nonchalant! Ha!

[@PaulThird]

I didn't even think about that 😂 your so right. I have such a high expectation of him that I'm never surprised when he nails it now. I'd be more surprised if he didn't. What's scary is I'll bet if there is the tiniest detail he thinks he can tweak and improve he'll do it. It's all about the craft for him. I'm still in the cream puff he's not done a 33609.. I tell him all the time 😂

[@TheSaxjan]

Maybe the closest comparison I ever heard although I picked it always right in the blind test. TimP did a meticulous work here.

[@PaulThird]

The bass is still annoying me as I know I should used the look ahead. I just know it haha

[@TheSaxjan]

@@PaulThird Nobody's perfect but you're damn close :-)

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@NicStride]

I felt like the phase was a bit nicer on the hardware (It's hard to describe, but on the first few hits of the snare roll the tim P had some subtle stuff happening, and I felt the same on bass) and on the more percussive/low end elements, I felt like the DBX had more 3D depth. I liked the Tim P more on vocals though, for some reason felt 3d-er. :)

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@ClemBennett]

Thank you for this! I worked live audio for years where the 160A (and X) lived on almost all live rigs, before everything went digital - and plenty of them still thrive out there. Is it the best compressor ever? Who cares? It was a sound and I know it better than any other piece of outboard gear. So glad someone made a plugin version and I will get it straight away. People idolise the old VU 160 and ignore these punchier, nastier 160s. The tests: On kick - I could not hear much difference but thought the TIMP let more LF through Snare - The DBX sounded better on the snare, by a hair. That THWACK, I look forward to pushing the TIMP harder Bass - The DBX sounded better but it's not the best ever bass guitar comp anyhow Vocal - TIMP won for me. The DBX sounded more choked, the TIMP more transparent

[@PaulThird]

I know I think that's why this specific shootout doesn't get many views as so many seem to idolise the 160 which is a shame as the 160a is still a great comp

[@hettovennik2887]

Isn't it funny though - i heard the biggest 'improvement' on Kick & Bass especially and preferred the timP there.

[@SleepsUnderBeams]

The n18a TimP's giving away with it is also quite a lovely thing.

[@PaulThird]

I was surprised he didn't seperate it but he's good that way to his customers

[@SleepsUnderBeams]

@@PaulThird Absolutely

[@Kayford1979]

It definitely is….I just tried it and I preferred it over the n60a …at least with for now..tested it briefly

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@xadovitch6630]

I've compared Tim p a60 with my hardware dbx 166 xs. It sounded very close, the plugin being a bit sweeter. The 166 in insert followed by the tim p a60 preamp was very nice

[@PaulThird]

I noticed the same. It took me a while to get really close to the hardware and it was first trying to reign in that extra bit of sweetness. Can't remember how I done it, was either the harmonics or the lookahead. Think it was the lookahead that tonally got me a bit closer. You can see in the bass where I didn't use the lookahead and its the only I listen back to and think yup just a bit sweeter but at that point I had some pretty bad ear fatigue haha

[@thetransposedheads]

i hear dbx is softer, darker, mids are more rounded, i have it for 100$, so... i love it. Plugin sounds like a typical plugin - more hars, ecpecially higher mids. Very noticble on vocals higher part.

[@thegroove2000]

Tims work is amazing. I swear by Nebula 4 the acustica way. No 100% DSP emulation can compare because the hardware is actually sampled. A no brainer.

[@PaulThird]

He's never failed me yet haha honestly.. Big hitter every time 👌

[@clown134]

should I be using stuff like this as an ameture producer making beats for fun or is this kindof like for industry standardization

[@Zenvo-uu9tm]

0:24 hey Paul , dbx is good to smash the signal coming out of the mic , not the mic itself ... Thanks for video

[@PaulThird]

I'm not used to having analog 🤣🤣

[@MustacheVerra]

Man i got to get me some TP library. Which ones are must have? Comps? I've been eyeing his reverb for a while too. Thanks for the review.

[@PaulThird]

I'd say comps first. I've not really dived into and compared his eqs yet. Comps wise for me if you start off with Lbus2, opto32 & vari level you can't go go wrong. The best VCA, Opto & vari mu plugins available 👌

[@MustacheVerra]

@@PaulThird Thanks Paul.

[@adambutcher3194]

Damn man. Blind test and I picked the hardware the majority of the time. I'm not happy about that...

[@matslarsson5988]

Hey, here's a request of something I'd REALLY like to see. I did something really stupid and watched and listened to this on my phones speakers... Yeah I know... I couldn't hear any difference whatsoever. Surprise. But it got me thinking. Wouldn't it be interesting with a video where you or any other talented person mixed a song on proper equipment and then mixes the same song on the worst, cheapest pair of headphones. Like the ones that come with your phone. And then a regular person gets to listen to the song in their regular headphones preferably after MP3 compression as well and see if they can hear the difference? Could be a controversial video... whaddayathink?

[@PaulThird]

I'm floating ideas like that around. Really pushing the boundaries. I've got one idea I'm thinking of trying out very soon but it's all just about fitting it all in. Unlike most of the big audio youtubers I see I don't struggle for ideas.. My only struggle is picking which to do first haha 😅

[@photicsonar]

Great Idea!!!

[@clown134]

love this. been struggling alot with "it sounds good on my monitors but bad on phone and vice versa"

[@johnisrael5183]

Man no one wants to admit espcially if they already have the Hardware...but this plugin...is Identical to the Hardware....the Hardware dose not posses "Very Expensive Circutry" So nailing this in a Live Analog Sampling Instance was very Viable and Easy....they nailed it...Tim P pretty much made "Buying the Acutal Unit" A wast of Money....take the $4000 you would spend on 2 160A's and 2 Vintage 160As and go get a better Interface or Mixer with some better Headphones or Mic or Better Monitors You gota know where to spend our money in your studio...to even it out....to have a Comple Setup as for as Analog Gear that compliments your Mixing Process and Plguins Ive got "So good in the Box with Nebula and Acustica Audio So now my "Entire Analog Setup for Mastering my Mixes....going back polishing that up...and then running everything with Vocals back through for Final and Pst Masters...thats a Lot Cheaper than trying to have the most expensive outboard gear and it gives you way more Sound and Mixing Options to actually come up with better mixes Im to the point where Im "Beating" What Im hearing on 'Pandora" in my own Home Studio.... Your Mix....will 90% Gauge how Realistically you can make that song "Sound Ready Ready" and Fully Mastered I slowed down and worked on being great and mixing...and better at recording my vocals and better and Level Static Mixing so now...with Acutica Audio and Nebula and My analog gear...I can take those great mixes and turn them into "Mastered Hits"

[@pedrovanzeler1185]

Love your videos!! Damn I didn’t know there was a plug in for it, how cpu intensive is it? I’m on a really old Mac. The coffe eq just melts my quad core i7 would this be lighter?

[@PaulThird]

It's not as bad as Acustica aquas but still pretty cpu intensive compared to algo compressors 🤓

[@pedrovanzeler1185]

@@PaulThird i would like to use it as my parallel drum bus compressor but now I’m tempted to get the hardware version ahaha

[@PaulThird]

Tbh hardwares very affordable. You should pick it up for under £200 all year long

[@widedogg]

ye mek me smile paul

[@PaulThird]

🤓🤓

[@tylerkirk7542]

What acustica plugins do people prefer for mixing orchestral instruments?

[@PaulThird]

I like Amber which is the avalon suite. Open, wide and airy sounding

[@delorusclaiborne3274]

Im new to convolution nebula types... Do they still have the same aliasing phase probs as algo plugs?

[@PaulThird]

All plugins can suffer with aliasing but the convolution plugs do alright in that regard considering they can't use oversampling like a conventional algo. If you abuse Tim's clippers then yeah it'll distort and alias like a bitch. It's all about your gain staging with the convolution plugs. You need to treat them like the gear in that respect.

[@delorusclaiborne3274]

@@PaulThird thanks paul👍

[@bontempo1271]

I could hear that dbx thump when the whole mix was played. Wondering if you could use entire drum mixes/loops for comparison, even if it's the individual hits that are processed vs the whole group. Also i find 1 bar loops that are played from their start to end are more helpful for our recognition when comparing. Also (sorry), maybe sometimes giving it a bit more welly (more compression for eg) to really hear what it can do. Thanks for the video !

[@PaulThird]

i thought 20db+ GR was smacking it pretty hard haha

[@bontempo1271]

@@PaulThird omg, i had no idea, doesnt have all the distortion would expect at that amount !

[@christopherrelator954]

Sup guys, I've heard there is a DBX165 emulation for Nebula... I've used the link but couldn't find the product to buy it... can someone please link his new website so I can buy ? Thanks !!

[@MixedByDotRob]

Cool shootout! Two learnings for me: 1. The 160 still is a bloody good compressor! 2. The TimP 160 is a bloody good compressor! (note to self: use it more often!).

[@PaulThird]

🙌🙌

[@AlistairMaxwell77]

meh... i would still rather pay a couple of hundred and have the actual device . in 20 years it will still be here , still doing its thing , still looking cool in the racks , still bringing mojo . still bringing a smile when you plug in drum loop and smash it. 20 year old plug in will be worthless and forgotten.

[@johnisrael5183]

Tim P for Nebula Programs sales the N60 and the N18 together for $25.00 for Acustica Audio N4 Commercial Player which you can subscribe to and get for $11 a month to use the Nebula Librarie Plguins through the N4 Player Plugin You get a N60 Pre and Compressor which is the Moder dbx 160 N18 Compressor Classic or Vintage dbx160 This Video of comparrison shows the Live Analog Sampling in the Plugin is "identical to the Hardware Units...on drums its become a "Staple Plugin for wihen Im mixing down my drum busses The Tim P Nebula...baasiclly destroys Softube, Arturia, Analog Obsession and Waves and UAD....destroys them...LOL....buying this Plugin for Nebula...has changed my life on my Drum Busses Mixing....getting incredible, Crispy, Clean, Punchy, and a slight Bleeding of each drum that you get from the Hardware Unit Sonically!

[@rondadornocturno1824]

You need two instance of Nebula for get the total sound of the compressor, one with the preset of the compression and other with the preset of "pre"

[@PaulThird]

That's what I had here. I load them all in a metaplugin preset and chain them however Tim advises 🤓

[@rondadornocturno1824]

@@PaulThird Paul, I did a blind test very similar with differents compressors with Nebula 3 library vs real hardware and nobody was able of listen the diference

[@rondadornocturno1824]

@@PaulThird I asked for this to Tim in the past, he never made a "pre" preset in his Nebula compressor libraries inicially, and I had to said him that a "pre" preset was necessary for get the complete sound of the compressors in Nebula

[@user-sd7eb6jq9y]

I think TImP nailed it with the n60A (and n18A)! I purchased it yesterday and dont understand why I havnt been using THIS dbx emulation all this time. TimP n60A sounds more dbx 160A than the real DBX 160A doees!!! (

[@PaulThird]

Absolutely. Leave that to the guys that know how to sample correctly 👌

[@bighousemusic628]

Trust me tim is scary close to the original hardware I mean almost identical

[@PaulThird]

I do wonder what the differences are between the US and Japan/china versions if there are any. Pretty sure Tim's was the Asian model where this is US.

[@Nullllus]

Hm, the plugin eats a little bit of high end details on vocals. So, you would robably need to use an EQ after that. Not the only software compressor that does that though.

[@PaulThird]

Tbh its probably me. Theres a fine line with the harmonics where if it's set a certain way you have a little bit more control in the high end. I overlistened big time on this and because I could tweak the top end detail with the harmonics and lookahead it was genuinely driving me round the bend 😅 I was listening tonally and to the compression at the same time and I think I tweaked myself to the point of ear fatigue. I can't ever leave things alone haha

[@Nullllus]

@@PaulThird I feel that. I'm guilty myself. That's why I watch other people (knowledgeable) do it so I can be fairly quick in my judgement. There was a sale for Slate's Distressor emulation a few weeks back. I was wondering if it's as good as the real thing. It wasn't - eats high end as well. Most of amp emulations (kemper and neural captures included) when compared to the real things. I wonder why detailed and not fatiguing high end is so difficult to get with plugins (my experience). Surely, it's not just aliasing because I always oversample.

[@PaulThird]

Yeah slates distressor doesn't have it when I compared it. It's good but not a distressor. However softubes Mike-e now were talking! I'm still Gutted I can't afford it haha Tbh it could be lots of factors. It's probably the bandwidth. Digital high end can go pretty high. It needs to be tamed more than anything. Could be various factors. Impedance is a big factor in hardware but dunno if it's only lows it affects.. Or highs as well in terms of roll offs It can be aliasing in plugins but if gain staged and oversampled you should be alright. Its a fine balance as its either too bright or too dull / washy haha

[@Nullllus]

@@PaulThird That's the thing it's not just the amount of high end but the quality of it (more details like bristle brush strokes in a painting). Welp, seems like the quest continues.)

[@user-hy4xz1qt9h]

please can you do sand3 vs ssl channel strip 2?

[@user-hy4xz1qt9h]

and the bus comp

[@PaulThird]

Native one?

[@user-hy4xz1qt9h]

@@PaulThird yeah They improved the high end on it and it's more punchy. the bus comp has oversampling now

[@user-hy4xz1qt9h]

have you tried vertigos offerings? they're made by people that make fake engine sounds for cars. really convincing. they have vse-2(eq) vsc-3(comp) and vsm-4(distortion)

[@muchammadnurwibowo8255]

Does TimP make 165A or 160 VU?🥁

[@PaulThird]

Unfortunately just the 160a

[@Noa_kittyx]

@@PaulThird Hey, Paul. Any idea what type of compression has 266 dbx? Is it VCA too, or just digital?

[@PaulThird]

Think it's still VCA

[@carlosdias1043]

timp phasey on snare

[@thisscottishaspie5961]

🤓🤓🤓

[@PaulThird]

Remember to check out my autism channel if you want to learn more about my life 🤓🤓