favorite plugins for compression/limiting destruction?

[Smitty]

getting back into DAW world after a few years off (and finally with a computer that can run more than a few plugins at a time).

wondering what your guys' favorite plugins are for doing big nasty distorted compression/limiting (a'la Neutral Milk Hotel, Broken Social Scene, John Vanderslice, etc.)? the grittier the better.
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[Jeff White]

You can always build a chain of stuff using some amp-emulating software and them chasing it with a compressor or vice versa.

Check out the Audio Damage plug-ins:http://www.audiodamage.com/effects/product.php?pid=AD030


These compressors absolutely rule: http://www.stillwellaudio.com/

Right now I'm getting into the new Waves stuff that I picked up. Loving the CLA version(s) of the 1176. The ALL button is kick-ass. I've used an 1176 a bunch of times, and these software emulations are pretty sick.

http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=9297

I have a Valley People Dynamite sitting in my rack. That is by far my favorite compressor right now for totally taking stuff to the next level. It's an insane piece of kit for squashing the snot out of stuff, hard limiting, or expansion. I used the Expander on a song that'll be on the next Nightlands record. Dave wanted to take a bell kit to the next level, so we patched in the Dynamite. I don't reach for it all of the time (I have a modified dbx 160X that I use for tracking more often), but when I need a compressor that is like a swiss army knife of squishy or stretchy wowzers, I immediately reach for the Dynamite. It will do the Broken Social Scene / Dave Newfeld squashed-then-mushroom-cloud-cymbal-awesomeness ala "Pacific Theme."

With that said, there is also this that I have never tried: http://www.softube.com/valleypeople_dynamite.php. I am considering it, though. It's iLok, but in this day and age that really shouldn't be an issue. I ran an iLok for Waves stuff for 7 years with ZERO issues.

Jeff
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[kinger]

This may fit the bill, also, but you need an Ilok:

http://www.soundtoys.com/product/Devil-Loc

[chris harris]

For obliterating things, I use UAD 1176LN, Devil Loc, or Camel Crusher.
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[Marc Alan Goodman]

None of those examples used plugins :)

But aside from being a smartass: I really like the Soundtoys stuff, so the Devil Loc is an obvious choice. The Massey TapeHead does a pretty damn good job. I have a bunch of Pluggo ones I like to use too (especially the waveshaper), but I think they're no longer supported by Cycling 74.

Seriously though, try running OTB in to some distortion pedals too.
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[chris harris]

Mmmmmm...... guitar pedals in the mix are a lot of fun!
Also on the less expensive end hardware wise, there's the Effectrons & Symetrix 501s. Both fun ways to blow stuff up!
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[digitaldrummer]

Sound Toys Devil-Loc. I love it. awesome on drums (parallel bus)
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[mjau]

[mjau]

[permanent hearing damage]

[dfuruta]

The Stillwell Rocket compressor "Impetus" knob is quite a nice distortion effect.

[fossiltooth]

All of these. Also Eventide's Omnipressor and the UBK-1, among others. I have an article coming out soon about this too...

Some plugins can definitely do "extreme" well. Some just aren't made for it.
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[ricercar.record]

no one mentioned the Sansamp psa-1 yet. Been using that for some parallel drum bus smashing/distortion on a recent project. Also use the Devil-Loc for this as well as Room Mic smashing, Decapitator as well for the drum buss thing, and on snare and guitars, also LA3A and a hardware Symetrix 501.

[ott0bot]

[Galen Ulrich Elfert]

Tapehead is great, but I also use the Massey TD5 tape delay as a great tape simulator. With a short delay time, the blend at max and the feedback at minimum it gives an older, dirtier, very convincing tape simulation, especially in Vintage mode. The longer the delay the more the sound degenerates, getting darker and slightly warbly. Of course you have to compensate for the delay but that's pretty trivial in DAW land.

[mjau]

Tapehead into Tapehead. Bitchin.
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~~~~~~~~
sounds

[mjau]

Tapehead into Tapehead. Bitchin.
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sounds