Is the Melda MTurboComp the last Compressor you will need?

[Soarer]

Alright. I can't argue against your actual experience, and I am no expert in compressors, but again I definitely do not have the same experience, and I do know when things sound distorted. Cool that you had access to the original hardvare compressors.
Just wondering, why the heck did you buy it then? There's plenty of demo time...

[Robert Randolph]

Alright. I can't argue against your actual experience, and I am no expert in compressors, but again I definitely do not have the same experience, and I do know when things sound distorted. Cool that you had access to the original hardvare compressors.
Just wondering, why the heck did you buy it then? There's plenty of demo time...

Yeah, folks have different opinions. I'm just looking to see if anyone had similar experiences to me and there's definitely some (I receive a few PMs about this too!).

As to why I bought it, I think there's a misunderstanding. From earlier in this thread:

So, I'm trying this again due to the %50 off sale.

...

[Soarer]

Ah I see. You were comparing software against hardware, but is there a software compressor that you can say is much better than MTurboComp or is closer to the original hardware compressors? I'm always curious about this.

[MeldaProduction]

Hi folks, ok, so:

- It's absolutely understandable that if you are used to certain sound, it may just not suit you. After all, I was always saying that this is not attempt to recreate the originals completely. The aim is just to recreate the character of the originals, take what sounds good (to me, well ) and trash the rest.

- It's also absolutely understandable that if you are used to the originals, the rather very different controls here may confuse you. That's probably why so many new guys like it so much and so many not-new-guys-used-to-the-originals don't . As we say "habbit is an iron shirt" . Fortunately I was always too lazy to learn to control the originals, it just seems soooo inefficient to me.

- If the problem you have is that it is called MTurboComp, then I assume this is some kind of prejudice, and in such case you'd probably find something you don't like about it anyways, so... better not waste you time . I was actually laughing hard when someone here (not sure who it was) came up with this name, but now I'm so used to it, that I really like it!

[ozonepaul]

Melda MTurboComp is a great sounding compressor no question about that. Whether the workflow, the controls like ratio/attack/release using % instead of x:y or ms values, the rather broad range of those controls, the GUI etc suits you or annoys you will depend largely on your previous experiences with other VSTs/compressors. As I own and regularly use loads of melda plugins, I can understand and I really like the developers "vision" to use a GUI that's pretty much identical on all melda products. For example I only had to learn the modulation section once, and than I found the same modulation section on all other melda plugins which for me was a major advantage (+ I think the metering section is phenomenal on all melda products).

About the pricing:
The full price I think is fair but buying it as part of a bundle or on a 50% eternal madness discount it's a phenomenal deal. (You need to keep in mind a few things about Melda product pricing:
1. Selling melda products: "Licence can be transferred for a fee of 20% of the current full price";
2. Free for life updates/upgrades: "When you purchase any software, you will be granted free upgrades forever";
3. New softwares are regularly added to a bundle for free: "Every time we release a new software product and add it to a bundle, we give it to all current owners of the bundle for free";
4. Every licence key can be activated on all your machines: melda uses "to-person licences and you can activate it on any number of computers".
For further info see: https://www.meldaproduction.com/about/licencing)

Finally to answer your original question: "Is the Melda MTurboComp the last Compressor you will need?"
My personal answer is no, but let me further elaborate it a bit. MTurboComp is not the only compressor I use, but I use it regularly, and I think it's a great compressor even compared to the most well known and loved ones, so I think it well deserves a try. Could I survive and do all my mixing using only this compressor if I was limited to only MTurboComp: 100% yes.

Here is a review: https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/meld ... mturbocomp
Here is a brief introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugot7j8JrSc
And here is a short video comparing melda compressors (I know it's off topic, but MSpectralDynamics is easily one of the most future proof plugins I've ever seen/used, it's capabilities and it's applications are insanely versatile) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZF9-YYuvAg

[MeldaProduction]

Thank you ozonepaul!

[sleepcircle]

there have been three threads recently

"THE COMPRESSOR WARS ARE OVER???? MTURBOCOMP!!!!"
"Why is no-one talking about mturbocomp?"
and now
"Is the melda mturbocomp the last plugin you will etc.?"

[frizzbee]

not the first time some users desperately want to create attention for melda

[MeldaProduction]

that's a bit pathetic even for my favourite teenage hater frizzbeee

[DrReacto]

I started this discussion in 2016 and I don't own the product. I wanted to get feedback from my peers, possibly debate as well, on the merits of this tool while I was testing the demo. The only thing that prevented me from purchasing it at the time was the workflow, yet I do enjoy using Melda plugins.

I thought it sounded great from what I tested on it and can even recall the the sound it imparted on my test tracks. It did a good job, I just needed to get comfortable with some of the settings, saturation curves and edit screens if I was going to invest in it. It is likely that I will at some point purchase it.

I saw at some point multiband was added to this and a non-multiband version was created? Both of those options sound interesting.
Like Vojtec says, its not an emulation, but an inspiration. I feel some of the dynamic processing combined with the saturation can give a unique flavor that reminds you of something else, but is truly original.

[lajosuti]

Once I tried melda plugins, but the UI is just awkward. If this would be the only good sounding compressor, then I might use it, but luckily we are spoiled enough with great choices.

[DarkStar]

@ DrReacto - what specific issues did you find with the workflow?

@ lajosuti - what specifically is awkward about the UI?

There are:
-- 19 device models on the left to choose from
-- comprehensive metering (or customisable time-graphs) on the right
-- 8 A...H slots at the bottom, for easy comparisons of settings, models etc
-- 3 panels of controls: Global parameters, Compressor-specific and Compressor-Detection-specific,
-- and if you want to, you can dive into the Edit screens and set up your own compressor model.

[GNXT]

I like the latest UI a lot, it's pretty quick and simple and all plugins all almost identical, so easy to use. I could use only MturboComp if I had too or if I didn't want to buy anything else, for inspiration or different workflow and character. IMHO there are plenty worse UI's out there.

[lajosuti]

@DarkStar: the ui feels like I am working in a power plant, where I am operating relays and whatnot. Not only the compressor, but the whole melda ui concept. Strange tabs and whatnot. Only pro is the resize feature. Compared to e.g. bx_opto or ik classic comp, where I feel like I am operating a compressor and I am dealing with music.

[DrReacto]

@ DrReacto - what specific issues did you find with the workflow?

@ lajosuti - what specifically is awkward about the UI?

There are:
-- 19 device models on the left to choose from
-- comprehensive metering (or customisable time-graphs) on the right
-- 8 A...H slots at the bottom, for easy comparisons of settings, models etc
-- 3 panels of controls: Global parameters, Compressor-specific and Compressor-Detection-specific,
-- and if you want to, you can dive into the Edit screens and set up your own compressor model.

Attempting to remember 3 years ago Darkstar, What I found awkward was the ratio. If I was using a compressor style that I was familiar with, I was hoping to dial in 2:1 or 4:1 especially if I was going to compare to something else. This doesn't have ratio, just an integer value from I remember that I didn't find intuitive to converting to a ratio upon reading the manual later. The attack and release again didn't mention millisecond but I understand that is relative anyway. Fabfilter just has slow and fast percentages for their time on Pro-MB so I get that. Also there was something on the main screen that would normally be available on a standard compressor but I had to hunt for it on an edit screen that I didn't find obvious and slowed down my workflow. All of these screens are great for tweaking, but I want ed a fast SSL style bus compressor at the time. I was able to get a lovely sound out of it but it took me much longer to get there. I found the metering odd as well and ended up having to read the manual to understand how it worked, which I didn't find intuitive.

I think its a great sounding compressor and because it could be a one stop shop of compressors, there is a lot that has to be put some place. I'm fine if it doesn't look like a piece of hardware but I'm used to grabbing certain controls (I learned on hardware) so I want access to those standard controls in one place. If it had all the same controls, as say the Glue? on the main screen, had a ratio display for the compression, I probably would have invested in it at the time. At some point I may request a demo extension and try it again but at the time I wanted something that I could work with faster.

I have mDynamicEQ and really like it. There is so much control so I understand features have to be buried. I had to make inquiries on how to access certain features but Melda forums have always been superb with somebody ready to help.