What is the difference between a Fabfilter plugin and a ToneBoosters plugin ?

jwmmakerofmusic

@Häxanäx said:
About $20-$40.

Shit, I was just about to say that. 😏

But yeah, if you're on an iPhone, TB all the way. If you're on an iPad and don't have much money but want quality plugins, TB. If you're on an iPad and have a lot of money, FF. If you're like me and have GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), get both TB and FF.

ahallam

I would have to be producing something that actually sounded good in order to justify buying Fabfilter apps even on sale.

Toneboosters were priced at a level that doesn’t make me feel really really guilty.

LinearLineman

7 FabFilter apps on sale for $89. Certainly can’t say TB is cheaper at this moment.

jolico

FF = iPadOS 👎

TB = iOS and iPadOS 👍

Mark B

Less value than they used to be

Toneboosters EQ $13.99
Pro-Q 3 (sale) $21.99

mlau

you keep your % and your $ and your TB and i go for a walk with my FF bundle.

Gavinski

I only have Q2 not Q3. Is it really worth buying again in the Q3 version (remembering that if you do that upgrade, it doesn't count towards the bundle!)?

Gavinski

Actually, looking at this bundle deal, I think I should jump in. To date, the only thing I have from the bundle is Pro R. And yet it is only asking me the equivalent of around 40 quid to get the bundle. That would be 6 extra FF apps! A pretty insane deal. Buying these at the regular price would be almost 4 times as expensive.

david_2017

@Gavinski said:
Actually, looking at this bundle deal, I think I should jump in. To date, the only thing I have from the bundle is Pro R. And yet it is only asking me the equivalent of around 40 quid to get the bundle. That would be 6 extra FF apps! A pretty insane deal. Buying these at the regular price would be almost 4 times as expensive.

Nobody can and will ever understand Apple

I have Q2 and the update bundle costs me 50€. The Q3 in sale 23€ 🤔

jolico

You could also save by not getting any of these and just use Barkfilter

Gavinski

😂 @jolico I take it you're joking. It's tasty sauce on the right dish but it's not that much of a panacea surely?

JRSIV

For me the FabFilter plugs are a bit more elegant and easy to use as far as UI and mainly (especially with the EQ and compressor) they sound a bit better to me, which of course could be subjective.

I have gone through my set up a few times with test tones, white & pink noise and two reference recordings: Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen", because I know it so well and it's an incredible record and a recording of drumkit made as part of a sample pack recorded by Andy John's at Sound City, Platinum Loops I think was the company, but it's just a very good quality loop of real drums.

The FabFilter compressor has marked changes using the different types of compression and the Pro Q3 to me is just smoother. Meaning even when I cranked it in like the 10k area cymbals, etc never sounded distorted, brittle or painful to listen to. I will say usually I've found Pro-R to be more realistic than the TB reverb, which is still great, but that Pro-R with certain stuff running through it sounds like a real room, etc.

ToneBoosters stuff IS excellent, but to me the EQ sounds a bit piercing doing the same test, maybe that means it's better, I don't know- this is just opinion, for me in my room, over monitors & through Sony 7506's the FF stuff sounds better. Saying that is like though is like "Man that Lamborghini isn't as nice as the Porsche" you know? They're both great but there's appreciable differences.

I know things are tough all over but the real answer to the FabFilter or ToneBoosters question is buy everything from both.

gusgranite

gusgranite

jolico

@Gavinski said:
😂 @jolico I take it you're joking. It's tasty sauce on the right dish but it's not that much of a panacea surely?

Not completely joking.

For “Pros”, Barkfilter would be easier on the wallet and make their tracks sound great.

For actual experienced professionals, the fabfilters are familiar, because they’ve been using them for years on desktop (but still secretly process through Barkfilter to save time. They all deny this)

Barkfilter can polish 💩, so you could even use the Tripleband preset for A/B reference while mixing, so that your mix sounds great without processing.

gusgranite

gusgranite

gusgranite

The other plugins are unique to each developer.

jolico

@gusgranite said:
The other plugins are unique to each developer.

Does pro-L have LUFS metering?

Fingolfinzzz

@jolico said:

@gusgranite said:
The other plugins are unique to each developer.

Does pro-L have LUFS metering?

Yeah it has it

richardyot

The UI in Pro L2 is a lot better than Barricade IMO, it’s much easier to see what’s happening to the signal. You can see that quite clearly in the screenshots posted above by @gusgranite

Also the FF compressor and Pro L offer oversampling, which the TB effects don’t have as far as I know.

jolico

@richardyot said:
The UI in Pro L2 is a lot better than Barricade IMO, it’s much easier to see what’s happening to the signal. You can see that quite clearly in the screenshots posted above by @gusgranite

Also the FF compressor and Pro L offer oversampling, which the TB effects don’t have as far as I know.

Oversampling is such a resource hog, but it really does sound much better.

gusgranite

@jolico said:

@richardyot said:
The UI in Pro L2 is a lot better than Barricade IMO, it’s much easier to see what’s happening to the signal. You can see that quite clearly in the screenshots posted above by @gusgranite

Also the FF compressor and Pro L offer oversampling, which the TB effects don’t have as far as I know.

Oversampling is such a resource hog, but it really does sound much better.

From the dev re Barricade: “ Oversampling in Barricade 4 for all non-linear saturation models is at least 4x or higher depending on content and sampling rates (it adapts it automatically to get best results without clogging your CPU).”

gusgranite

I agree that the UI in Pro L2 is a better visual. I prefer Tonebooster’s new compressor however. The compression zones and spectral analyzer are awesome.

gusgranite

hisdudeness

@Samu said:
If one is using the iPhone the only option is ToneBoosters.

I admit I have all the FF and TB AUv3's and I find the FF stuff to be easier to tweak with a more polished UI...
...I have not done any specific sound quality tests but some how I prefer Pro-Q3 for EQ while I preferrer the TB Reverb over Pro-R...

Even though I just recently got Saturn 2 I somehow prefer the 'grit and crush' I get from AD Grind...

So I guess it all end up being very subjective and a matter of taste and budget.

The right words.. polished UI

If UI means a lot , like it is for me, then FF wins hands down

TB on iPhone wil test your eyes, also impossible to “Finely” move the dials

On IPad atleast you have pencil

shinyisshiny

@Gavinski do it!! its worth it. outstanding plugins.

richardyot

@gusgranite said:

@jolico said:

@richardyot said:
The UI in Pro L2 is a lot better than Barricade IMO, it’s much easier to see what’s happening to the signal. You can see that quite clearly in the screenshots posted above by @gusgranite

Also the FF compressor and Pro L offer oversampling, which the TB effects don’t have as far as I know.

Oversampling is such a resource hog, but it really does sound much better.

From the dev re Barricade: “ Oversampling in Barricade 4 for all non-linear saturation models is at least 4x or higher depending on content and sampling rates (it adapts it automatically to get best results without clogging your CPU).”

I didn’t know about that - thanks!

david_2017

Caution off-topic (slightly)

I am jamming since years and wanted to start slowly to produce something that I actually can conserve and share.
Because of that I am slowly getting my feet wet in this whole mixing and mastering subject and wonder if we have somewhere a little Wiki sort of thread/listing/FAQ what all these FF plugins do. EQ is pretty much clear though

Feeling still overwhelmed in terms of, what do I really need and what could be interesting in a few months down the road etc.

Back to topic.

ReelBus is pure bliss, love it. Although I am excited to check this against Saturn which I picked up yesterday

ecou

@Fingolfinzzz said:

@jolico said:

@gusgranite said:
The other plugins are unique to each developer.

Does pro-L have LUFS metering?

Yeah it has it

Barricade does not show LUFS. Or I don’t know how.

Can anybody confirm?