All user reviews for the Digidesign Impact

The Digidesign Impact was easy to install and I haven't had a problem with it since I installed it. I run it with Pro Tools 7.4 and it was as basic an installation as any plug-in I have installed. I've never used the manual but I don't think you would need it unless you were having problems getting the plug-in installed on your machine.


SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I run the Impact on my Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz processor and 4 GB of ram. I use it in Pro Tools 7.4 that I run with my Digi 002R interface. I've never had a problem running this plug-in on my machine and I'm able to run a few of them at once. I think that has more to do with my machine than the plug-in, but there is something to be said that I have never had an issue with it.


OVERALL OPINION

I've had the Digidesign Impact for about 11 months and it has become an integral part of my plug-in collection. I love the way it sounds on electric guitars and electric keyboards. It makes for a thicker sound and adds a nice crunch to guitars. It is also extremely easy to use as it only has 3 parameters, making for a simple layout that is easy to understand. I think it is pretty fairly price as far as plug-ins go and is definitely a good value considering that you are getting a nice sounding compression plug-in. It also has a nice metering section that makes it easy to monitor output and compression. All in all, this is one of the better compression plug-ins I have come across and will continue to use it when mixing in Pro Tools. This is definitely worth the money spent. Digidesign has created quality products over the last decade and they offer great support as well. You cant go wrong with them.

This is a pretty easy plug-in to install when you do get it. The manual pretty much tells you everything you need to know, quickly and easily. The general setup is really simple, it only takes a short time. Without getting too specific, if you have Pro Tools set up and have installed plugins, this is no problem for you to do. The functions that are possible with this compressor are pretty standard compression, attack, release, gain, ratio, etc.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I have yet to really have a problem with this plug-in in particular. I have noticed that when I use it with other, more problematic plug ins, it tends to slow down my Mac quite a bit. This is mainly because I'm using it in LE on a Macbook Pro. I've used it in full studio Pro Tools rigs where it worked just fine alongside almost any other plug-ins. I think it was mostly the fault of the other plug-ins, as I can use this one on a multitude of tracks on the same project. So in terms of performance with my setup, it's pretty great.

OVERALL OPINION

The sounds that come out of this compressor are pretty good. I really don't think it's the best option. New, it's about seven hundred dollars, and I think that's a pretty reasonable price just in comparison to some of the other ones out there, but I definitely wish it was cheaper, or that I somehow could have bought it cheaper. My attitude at the end of the day is usually that if I'm gonna spend a ton of money on compression, I'm going outboard. I'm slowly adjusting that mentality, but this isn't the compressor that's gonna convince me to go digital. To it's credit though, it came close.

Digidesign Impact was easy to install without any problems as I had no compatibility issues with my computer and my configuration. Installing it is as easy as any other plug-in and should work fine if your machine has the requirements necessary to run this. I don't have a manual for this but never had a need for it as it is quite an easy plug-in to run.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I have run Digidesign Impact both on Pro Tools LE and HD, with the latter being the one I use it most on. The LE system I run it on is on a Mac Book Pro with a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I run Pro Tools LE with a Digi 002R audio interface. The HD system I run it on is on G5 tower and Digidesign 192 I/O converter. I never had a problem running this on either the LE or the HD system, as it has always been stable for me. I have never had a need to run too many of these at once, but have run three of these successfully at once without any problems.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using Digidesign Impact for about a year and have grown to like it for specific situations when I need to use a compressor plug-in. I like it on a certain type of vocal, and also like it on drums a lot. While I don't think this compressor is as good of an all around compressor as the URS compressors or Smack, it works great in a lot of situations and is nice to have as an alternative option to these compressor plug-ins I previously mentioned. It is quite easy to use and the metering is really convenient and easy to follow. The price is reasonable, but not as cheap as I would have liked for this. While I don't recommend this is an overall compressor plug-in if you want to get just one, it is a nice option to have if you already have a few compressor plug-ins and are looking to expand your palette.