Drum kit: starting with a basic 2:1 ratio, medium attack and release adding more compression by reducing the threshold until the sound is very squashed. Factor in the extra options and you have a very tidy and useful compressor with more real-world uses than the design it's based on. The Glue is a world-class plug-in and, at $99, we reckon it offers amazing value. Next up, both the Mix and Range controls add a host of options for dialling in the compression flavour, and in practice we found this made The Glue an incredibly flexible compressor suitable not just for use on the master bus, but for individual instruments too.ДЇinally, the PeakClip option with its associated red LED is useful if used carefully, though it shouldn't be confused with analogue-style soft saturation, as it will produce harsh distortion if pushed too far. This works well at reducing pumping on mixes, but also helps with fine-tuning compression for low-end heavy sounds, such as basses and kick drums. So, what of the 'new' features? First up, the sidechain filter affects both internal and external sidechain signals and enables you to roll off low frequencies right up to 2kHz. On the bench, we set up a couple of our favourite SSL settings (subtle pumping mix compression with a 2:1 ratio and a more aggressive setting for drum kit processing), and both had that familiar sound, comparing very well to Universal Audio's 4K Buss Compressor. Threshold, makeup gain and the meter have also been given new names. However, there are some differences, including a super-fast 0.01ms attack option and extra release times (0.4 and 0.8s), while the original 0.3s release time is labelled here as 0.2s. The Glue is badass.If you're familiar with the SSL original, you'll recognise features such as 'auto' release, three possible compression ratios (2:1, 4:1 and 10:1) and the exact same attack times. This thing is easy to use and great sounding. Lastly the sidechain compressor, well you guys know where I stand when it comes to sidechain compressionвЂ“right next to my buddies Toro y moi and Washed Out.

You can dial in perfect parallel compression with the mix knob. I find that Range at -10 to -20db works great on a mix paired with higher compression ratios like 10:1 for massive yet not attack degrading compression, and up to -80db is a good starting point paired with a low ratio of 2:1 for a different soft extreme. Range determines the maximum compression applied which is useful in maintaining attack while still keeping the overall compression constant. The range knob has crazy versatility, similar in scope to the filter knob on a RAT. The Waves SSL bus compressor on the other hand more often that not does this to a mix. It does what it advertises, and instruments are glued together yet distinct at the same time. IвЂ™ve had some interesting results on drum buses too. I find it to be more transparent than the SSL Buss compressor, which I just canвЂ™t stand anymore. The glue is fantastic when used the way it was designedвЂ“on a mixbus. Also, a range/mix (finally! parallel compression!) and a sidechain have been added allowing further control over the colouring. Non-linearities have been removed from the original design when they were determined to add nosie or otherwise degrade the sound. The Glue is another true to the original specs recreation of SSL with a few modifications. While I have never touched an SSL in real life, I have plenty of experience with the Waves collection. Interestingly enough my new baby, The Glue, is another SSL clone (a cross between E and G compressors). Lately IвЂ™ve been achieving good results with the Waves API 2500 for individual tracks (and it too is a coloured compressor but of a different flavor) but I still need to get my 2-bus fix on. I think I can go elsewhere for my saturation now. The E-channel compressor is very destructive to audio when you hit it hard, and the G-buss compressor is just too coloured for my tastes.

IвЂ™ve begun to have a falling out with the SSL Waves collection and have been looking around for some new plugins to try out.

Cytomic scream mix buss