[LAU] Good, efficient compressor in LADSPA and/or SLV2?

[Jostein Chr. Andersen]

söndag januari 17 2010 15.26.03 skrev  Ken Restivo:
> I've tried the CALF compressor, which seems good, but it's stereo and seems
>  to use a good deal of CPU.
> 

I totally agree that the CALF compressor is really good and I was very excited 
after testing and running the repository version(s) some days ago, awesome! 
However, I'm sad to say that the up and coming CALF compressors are stereo 
only as well, making them only half usable in a mixing situation. It's a pity 
because the (git version of the) CALF compressors and also the EQ, filter 
stuff and other CALF stuff are - IMHO - some of the best things that happens 
in the Linux plug-in world this days. They are proving that LV2 can compete 
with VST and other non Linux plug-ins.

Unfortunately, I do probably not have skills and time to transform this 
wonderful plug-ins  to mono versions, is that something that's hard to do? 
Graphical centered mono versions of a lot of plug-ins are IMO needed and 
missed.

So what's the mono alternatives? Probably the very good sc* as many other 
people suggest.

> Compression fatigues my ears very quickly, and makes everything sound like
>  a beer commmercial (wait, those are the same thing).

I really hate the way compression are used in many circumstances - like 
fucking up masters and fantastic voices, flattering out all dynamics, making a 
song sound like some terrible noise starting from total silence to full war in 
a nanosecond to total silence again after 3 minutes or something.

After my rants against compression, people probably believes that I hate 
compression, but that is not the case. I dislike the lack of dynamics with 
passion, but that said, I do use compression for almost everything - even 
live. It's the loudness war I don't like and its total lack of dynamics. When 
used with care, it brings the best in every drum item to the surface, and 
makes one hear all the important information in the music in the mix.

Jostein