UA Capitol Mastering Compressor Review

UA’s Capitol Mastering Compressor plug-in models the CM5511 - a handbuilt tube mastering compressor designed and used by Capitol Studios. Producer Jesse Bear runs us through the features and sound.
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Produced by Tunelab Media
TunelabMedia.com
Filmed at VEILSOUND, South Melbourne, Australia

[@mariostresow9755]

Thanks for this presentation. Well explained and a nice voice. And you chose some good music examples for that. Straight away I'll go and listen to those tunes, very tasty. So thank you very much and greetings from Hamburg in Germany, Mario

[@hopetownsound]

I bought it for Black Friday and it's a really great plug-in. it can be a bit harsh on transients, smearing in a way that I don't like which I have to be very careful about. But as you say, if you're very careful with all the different parameters, you can get fantastic results out of it. I feel like there's more depth and a little more low mid range color than there is in the manly vari-mu plug-in. I've always felt that UAD was a little bit weak on bus compressors, and this goes a long way to strengthening that position. I think if you go in with the goal of finding that mid range color, you can get a sound out of it that doesn't exist in other compressors. People need to understand that this is not going to be an SSL style. For example, I think the first music you used might've been better served by that kind of a bus compressor, but the last one was perfect for this. thank you for the detailed video 👍

[@jimhardiman3836]

UAD’s SSL, Neve and API buss compressors are pretty tasty.

[@martijnvandongen]

Thanks for the demo. I thing I would like to give you feedback on : to better hear the difference of compressed and not compressed is when you gain level match them a bit more. For the rest, thank you so much for your showcase of this compressor :)

[@baselinesweb]

It is almost impossible to judge before and after when the volumes are so different. You can still tell that the saturator is the most important addition to this plugin (from my point of view)

[@Maksitto]

Why you raised the gian? It's not level matched at all

[@PipEastop]

Thanks for your explanation and demonstration. I have it more or less free for three months as a demo so I'm throwing it into everything. How about using it twice? Once in normal mode and then in mid-side? I know that stacking multiple compressors can be a good thing, so what about doing it with this? At Capitol Studios they had four, I think. So, it's not inconceivable it could have been tried with even with the hardware versions. Missing (in my opinion): gain matching (the huge jump in volume during your comparisons is impossible for the ear brain to deal with) and some kind of indicator for the daft screws which adjust the ratios.

[@baselinesweb]

I love the Capitol Mastering Compressor which I just discovered recently. Thanks for the video - I like your style. I notice you are up around -6 - 7 LUFS. Do you get away with that level on your releases?

[@diegofouche]

Is that true that this plugin should be the first plugin in the mastering channel?

[@raulpozos5090]

To glue things up is a good choice to place it first

[@alainthiry3965]

you just high the level, ridiculous

[@generale_ggmf]

i don't want to watch your face bro, but the plugin

[@RemyRAD]

Yeah, yeah. It's just another compressor plug-in. It does the same thing all other compressors, do. The reason for the stepped attenuators? The didn't have continuous volume controls. Back in the day. They were all single resistors. My Faders. In my 1960s, Phillips, All Germanium Transistor, 12 x 4 audio console, had, 144 resistors wired in. For each volume control. Some were stepped. With click detent's. And some were continuous. But they were never really continuous. Because it was switching between, discrete little, resistors. And of course with the stepped ones. You could mark down your settings. That was called Automation. And you kept your automation on a sheet of paper. Stuck into the box of recording tape. You only had to worry about losing your data. On that piece of paper. And while coffee and beer is good in the control room. It's not on that piece of paper. I'm just saying…… Honey, that sidechain feature. On a Mastering Limiter, such as that. Was so you could insert. A high-frequency boost, equalizer. So as to create a High Frequency Limiter. To offset. The high-frequency,, Preemphasis Boost. Called the, RIAA, frequency curve. How sound is recorded on records. And that high-frequency boost. Can cause problems. With too much vocal sibilance splashy, cymbals. And that will screw up the cutting of records. Remember that was for, Capitol records. And they were. They certainly were. The same thing was also necessary for, FM Radio. It's the same EQ curve. The way FM is broadcast. A corresponding rolloff is then provided by your, radio receiver. So you then get a flat response. And was done to lower the hissing noise, otherwise. Of our, substandard sound and recording pieces. Otherwise they would be way more hissy. And who wants to hear a pit full of hissing snakes? When you're trying to listen to a love song. No attraction there for me personally. And so it sounds like this Mastering Limiter is actually doing some other things? I think it has a very, tailored, colored, sound. Which sounds real nice. It seems like they did a nice job modeling a tube limiter. With actually slow attack times. That's why it's not sounding all crushed. It, can't crush anything. It's only 4:1. As it's not 20 nor 50:1. And it does not have an ultrafast attack time. It sounds like a nice plug-in to own. If it's reasonably priced? And not like a Hardware Unit. Because what would then be the point? I guess I'm getting old at 68? RemyRAD