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moosers
Published on 11/15/09 at 19:27
The Softube FET Compressor was a quick install as it was the same process as most plug-ins that I have installed before. I didn't experience any compatibility issues or any other problems as everything went smoothly and I had the plug-in up and running in Pro Tools rather quickly. The interface of the plug-in is easy to follow as it has pretty basic parameters including knobs for input, ratio, attack, release, parallel inject, and output. It also has a 'detector' section that has parameters for external side chain, low cut, high cut, and look ahead. The plug-in also has metering for both input level and gain reduction. Unless you are having trouble installing this plug-in I don't think that the manual is necessary since it is easy to figure out on its own.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
So far I haven't experienced any sort of lag or performance problems with the Softube FET Compressor plug-in. I am currently running it on a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM and I run the plug-in in Pro Tools LE 7.4 that runs with a Digi 002R audio interface or an Mbox Micro depending on where I am. I'm able to run a few of these at a time within this configuration without any issues, and can't speak about using it beyond this amount as I've never needed to. As long as you have a pretty reliable system that you are currently able to run some plug-ins on, I don't think that you'll have an issues running this plug-in.
OVERALL OPINION
While it is definitely nice not to have to worry about installation or performance issues, the main reason I enjoy using Softube's FET Compressor plug-in is because of the sound quality. It has a much thicker sound that most software compressors out there that I have used and I've found it useful in a variety of situations including for vocals, drums, and guitars. The price of this plug-in isn't all that cheap but at the same time it isn't expensive either. If you are looking for a reasonably priced compressor that doesn't sound too digital like all the rest of them, definitely look into trying this plug-in.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
So far I haven't experienced any sort of lag or performance problems with the Softube FET Compressor plug-in. I am currently running it on a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM and I run the plug-in in Pro Tools LE 7.4 that runs with a Digi 002R audio interface or an Mbox Micro depending on where I am. I'm able to run a few of these at a time within this configuration without any issues, and can't speak about using it beyond this amount as I've never needed to. As long as you have a pretty reliable system that you are currently able to run some plug-ins on, I don't think that you'll have an issues running this plug-in.
OVERALL OPINION
While it is definitely nice not to have to worry about installation or performance issues, the main reason I enjoy using Softube's FET Compressor plug-in is because of the sound quality. It has a much thicker sound that most software compressors out there that I have used and I've found it useful in a variety of situations including for vocals, drums, and guitars. The price of this plug-in isn't all that cheap but at the same time it isn't expensive either. If you are looking for a reasonably priced compressor that doesn't sound too digital like all the rest of them, definitely look into trying this plug-in.