Digidesign Smack Le

You should have no issues installing or running this plug-in, all the controls are fairly self explanitory and laid out well, and if you are familiar with compression then you should be using Smack right away!

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I've been using Smack for 7-8 years now and it is a solid performer.
It does seem to be a bit of a CPU hog if used multiple times in a session however.

OVERALL OPINION

Smack is a very ambitious compressor for digidesign and they really deserve an A for effort with this plug-in, However, with all the bells and whistles they included Smack just seems to be really good rather than great. I often neglect this plug-in in favor of the really old Waves C-1 or Renaissance Compressor.
If you pick this up in a bundle or get really lucky like I did and score this for free then it's worth it but paying full price for this plug-in as a single item you may be disappointed.
As far as features go; you get all that you could ask for, side-chaining options, variable modes, and even the option of adding odd - even - or both harmonics to the end result. All of that should be exciting and should get great results yet Smack still kind of falls short of it's potential.
Don't get me wrong, Smack is a VERY GOOD plug-in. I mostly use it now for vocals and bass tracks. I feel that the odd/even harmonics function is really beneficial for both types of material but I've long since given up on using this for drums or guitar. Your results and opinions with probably vary, so if you can demo Smack for free I do encourage you to do so.
All in all, Smack is a great weapon to have in your plug-in arsenal. It is a fully featured compressor with excellent quality though I know that if I paid full price for my copy I would have been disappointed and perhaps even disgruntled. It competes with some of the best plug-in compressors from some of the more reputable names but it doesn't win.

Digidesign's Smack LE is a great compression plug-in that has become a mainstay of Pro Tools systems all over. It's super easy to use and has a great sound that is much like a Distressor. Installing the plug-in is quick and easy - you'll need an iLok to run it. Figuring out how to use the plug-in is even easier, as there isn't very much at all to using it if you're familiar with the basics of compression. It's parameters include the traditional compression parameters like those for input and output levels, ratio, attack, and release, as well as a side chain EQ with three fixed settings, a high pass filter, and built in overdrive. The plug-in also has three modes to choose from - opto, warm, and normal. The interface also shows you your input and output levels which is always nice. I haven't had a peek at the manual for Smack, nor do I ever expect needing to.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I'm currently running the Digidesign Smack LE plug-in on my system at home, as well as on the systems at the professional studio where I work, as I pull up a lot of mixes from home on these systems. At home I've got Pro Tools 9 which I'm running a Digi 002R audio interface and on a Mac Book Pro lap top computer that has 4 GB of RAM and a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. I've had the plug-in for over a year and have yet to experience any lagging due to running it, and I have been known to run a good amount of these at once within a session...

OVERALL OPINION

Digidesign's Smack LE is always one of the first compression plug-ins that I'll try for mixing. I love how easy it is to use as I find I can get a great sound of it very quickly. The sound is pretty aggressive and much like a Empirical Labs Distressor in my opinion. Even though this plug-in has been around for a few years it's still one of my favorites by modern standards. I love the extra side chain EQ it has as I find myself using it almost all of the time for vocals. I also like using Smack on a drum busses and virtually anything that might need some aggressive compression. I do try to use outboard compression when I mix most of the time, but Smack LE is a great in the box tool when that's not possible. Absolutely worth checking out for any owner of Pro Tools!

Getting set up with the Digidesign Smack LE plug-in couldn't have been easier. I bought it with an iLok, so it was already synced to that. You need to install the iLok driver to your computer and then there should be no problems. I would recommend following the steps in the manual that come with it, they are very simple.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I run this plug-in with Pro Tools 7 LE software on my Hewlett Packard computer with a 3.0 Ghz processor and 1 GB Ram. I haven't had any problems running this plug-in with my set up and it has been very stable. It runs quicker than I thought it was going to, but that could be due to my computer, among other things.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had this plug-in for about 6 months now and it is my best compression plug-in. I use it on all of my lead vocals and bass guitar, and it also sounds great on drums and electric and acoustic guitars. I hadn't tried out any other compression plug-ins other than the ones that come with Pro Tools, and I definitely like this one better than any that come with Pro Tools. Its so rich and full sounding, and I love the presets. There are a ton adjustable settings to get specific sounds, but it is really easy to dial up a great tone with one of the presets. While it is definitely a little bit expensive, its worth it for me to have a great sounding compressor that I can use over and over again without the hassles of outboard gear.

- The installation is done it without problems?
No pb with Ilok
- Have you experienced any incompatibilities?
not

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

- What is the configuration of your computer? (Motherboard / CPU / Ram / Disk / sound card ..)
PC Intel Q6600 4GB of RAM with Protools 7.4
- The software works he correctly on this configuration?
Yes

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you use it?
4 months
- What is so special that you like most and least?
I like to use on percussion, drums (bass drum in particular), so all the instruments that need to be a little heated.
- Have you tried many other models before buying it?
Yes
- How would you rate the quality / price?
Comes with a pack digidesign.
- With experience, you do again this choice? ...
Yes