[Solved] Softube FET or ..

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Billy+
Posts: 4157
Joined: 09 Dec 2016

14 Oct 2020

So I see that RS is doing a deal on Softube FET Compressor and I really wanted this device until I brought iZotope mix & master suite (advanced), is it worth the £99 or should I continue being happy and content with the stock Mclass devices & iZotope setup?
Last edited by Billy+ on 14 Oct 2020, edited 1 time in total.

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MrFigg
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14 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
14 Oct 2020
So I see that RS is doing a deal on Softube FET Compressor and I really wanted this device until I brought iZotope mix & master suite (advanced), is it worth the £99 or should I continue being happy and content with the stock Mclass devices & iZotope setup?
No. Yes. :)
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Billy+
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14 Oct 2020

MrFigg wrote:
14 Oct 2020

No. Yes. :)
Short and to the point.

Maybe I should change the thread title to solved as you was spot on about Softube Tape..

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MrFigg
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14 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
14 Oct 2020
MrFigg wrote:
14 Oct 2020

No. Yes. :)
Short and to the point.

Maybe I should change the thread title to solved as you was spot on about Softube Tape..
Do it :).
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Billy+
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14 Oct 2020

Done

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MrFigg
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14 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
14 Oct 2020
Done
Hahaha. :)
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Billy+
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14 Oct 2020

Make me wonder how much money you have saved others over the years, I mean in two posts you've saved me close to £200 lol

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MrFigg
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14 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
14 Oct 2020
Make me wonder how much money you have saved others over the years, I mean in two posts you've saved me close to £200 lol
I’ve been in the place you are right now and let me tell you friend nothing will fill the GAS gap. All you need is good people around you to tell you why you don’t need to buy the stuff. RE anonymous will welcome you whenever you’re ready :).
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Billy+
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14 Oct 2020

:cry: slowly poking head round the door, hoping tonight the meeting has been called off :P

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MrFigg
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14 Oct 2020

The thing is to try not to buy stuff “just because”.
There’s some amazing devs out there with really innovative ideas and, for me in any case, those are the plugins worth looking at.
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Billy+
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14 Oct 2020

Your not wrong, the bit that I'm getting fed up with is the unnecessary use of portal or authorisation software and why so many accounts.....

One of the good things about Reason was it was just one account, even when RE's where introduced and all I needed was to auth my dongle or computer and that was it. Now you have to have an account, give everyone your credit card details then download some massive multi megabyte bit of software for a 1Mb vst plugin....

Why?

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TritoneAddiction
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Location: Sweden

14 Oct 2020

The only must-have compressor for me is the FRG-4RE Compressor. That's a purchase I'll never regret. It's pretty cheap too. So easy to use.
I own Softubes FET Comp too but hardly ever use it. But some people love it so, each to their own.

Whatever you do, if you take tips on any plugin/gear from other people, make sure you try the stuff out for yourself before you buy anything. Make up your own opinion. That's what's important.

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miscend
Posts: 1955
Joined: 09 Feb 2015

14 Oct 2020

It's been on sale for better prices before. If you subscribe to the Softube newsletter the VST was on sale for $65 back in July and was $49 last Christmas.

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Billy+
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14 Oct 2020

Well I'm thinking I will stick with Mclass & izotope.

jlgrimes
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Joined: 06 Jun 2017

14 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
14 Oct 2020
So I see that RS is doing a deal on Softube FET Compressor and I really wanted this device until I brought iZotope mix & master suite (advanced), is it worth the £99 or should I continue being happy and content with the stock Mclass devices & iZotope setup?
If you don't own an 1176 type of plugin. I'd say yes.

1176s are useful compressors.

They work on almost anything. They are aggressive, colorful fast acting compressors.

Low ratios, minimal gain reduction setting works good for putting a vocal front and center.

They also works great for bass, guitars and drums.

Softube FET is a nice colorful emulation as well.


A FET, with an LA2a, and the SSL style bus/channel compressor can probably handle all of your compression needs.

It depends on what sound you are going for though.

FETs does aggressive well. It is a bit hard to tame if you want smooth (LA2As work better there).

WarStar
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14 Oct 2020

Ive had the FET for quite awhile but used it rarely mainly because it seemed like overkill for simple tasks lol its a tad CPU hungry but not too bad.. great for bus comp. But I've been using it alot more now for Sidechaining kick to bass. After trying all the comps I have, HPF automation (which I do like), fader automation, ducking/gates, cv trigger stuff, etc the FET just does the job more smoothly. I will say there really isn't a super quick release in it however.

The key aspects for me for ducking bass lines with FET: 1) the ratio free dial is really cool for those in-between levels that standard ratio settings do go
2) the HP/LP filters are super helpful in terms of ducking bass ( if you're using some high end saturation on your bass you can just duck the lowest frequencies leaving that mid high grit unducked)
3) the lookahead dial, very helpful with ducking
4) dry/wet knob for obvious reasons.. with ducking bass the wet/dry can act as a fader to find that sweet spot for transition from ducking bass to full release after kick. You'll know when you find the spot
5) lastly the % dial for amount of sidechain signal. Super helpful for fine tuning after dialing in your wet/dry settings.. the Wet/Dry dial in combination with Sidechain amount dial are the two things that can pull the whole process together, making the transition more smooth..

I will say though that I use alot of sustained 808s and big low end kicks so the FET is what I've found really does this well for me..

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Loque
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15 Oct 2020

Keep in mind that FET does not report delay if lookahead is used and that guys at Softube won't fix it. They just grab the cash...
Reason12, Win10

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Billy+
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15 Oct 2020

Well I do have the cakewalk RE-2A and I don't really use compression side-chaining as such as I generally drop in pump instead as it's far easier to setup and control.
Last edited by Billy+ on 15 Oct 2020, edited 1 time in total.

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MrFigg
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15 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
15 Oct 2020
Well I do have the cakewalk CA-2A RE and I don't really use compression side-chaining as such as I generally drop in pump instead as it's far easier to setup and control.
Yep. The Cakewalk one. That’ll do you just fine. My ultimate favourite.
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friday
Posts: 336
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15 Oct 2020

I like and use the FET on BUSes, I own a lot of compressor, also UAD. My actually go to are UAD API 2500, UAD LA-2A, Softube FET, Reason Studio SSL Bus Comp, McDSP FRG-4RE, M-Class for clean digital Sidechain. Compressor often tent to work best on specific material, for me it works best if I can try different Comps, and then decide which sounds best in this situation.

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miyaru
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Location: Zaanstad, The Netherlands

15 Oct 2020

Beside the stuff that is allready in Reason 11 suite, I only use the Red Compressor from Focusrite - that was included with my Audio Interface. I used to give in on GAS, but I fight it now - and only buy stuff I really, really need.

That said I bought a Mooer Radar and Two Stones for my guitar - but he, that's hardware LOL
Greetings from Miyaru.
Prodaw i7-7700, 16Gb Ram, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd gen, ESI M4U eX, Reason12, Live Suit 10, Push2, Presonus Eris E8 and Monitor Station V2, Lexicon MPX1,
Korg N1, Yamaha RM1x :thumbup:

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guitfnky
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15 Oct 2020

RE2A/LA2A and 1176/FET style compressors are completely different. comparing them is sort of like comparing a Tube Screamer pedal to an octave fuzz—yeah, technically they’re both distortions, but man do they sound different!

Softube FET is a fantastic fast, super colorful compressor, hands-down. RE2A is a fantastic natural-sounding compressor with its own character, hands-down.

I almost never use FET on a vocal (and almost always use an RE2A), but it gets lots of love on just about anything else.

of course if you want an 1176-style compressor, there are loads of other more affordable options if you consider using VSTs. Klanghelm’s MJUC is a super affordable option that approximates both (I think one—maybe two of the options are meant to be versions of the 1176, but not 100% sure—one of the others gives you a super easy smooth compression, but I don’t think it’s based on an actual LA2A). that one has quickly become a go-to, because it covers so much ground.

I know this has been “solved” for the OP—just throwing my 2 cents in for anyone else who sees the thread. :)
I write good music for good people

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