dbx 160x pair as mix buss compressor?

[groover]

I sum 8 d>a channels in a good sounding Soundcraft board and record a stereo mix back into the DAW. Lately I have been experimenting with running the mix bus through a stereo tube mic pre (with some slight EQ) and a compressor. I've been using a Presonus Blue 1/2 space stereo compressor, set with a fast attack, med-fast release, going for about 3db compression max.

I have a pair of dbx160x compressors and I'm thinking about trying them across the mix instead of the PreSonus Blue. I realize that the most frequent and useful answer to questions like this is "Use your ears!" but I wonder if others have experience to share with using these units for this purpose, and if so any caveats, or things to be on the listen-out for.

Thanks

PS I am not inclined to compress the mix very much, wanting to leave room for the mastering process, but so many people seem to compress the mix bus that i thought it worth some experimentation.

[kingtoad]

I think the biggest problem with using a couple of 160s on the mix bus would be the lack of adjustable attack and release times. That's not to say that it won't work, just something to bear in mind.

[kslight]

It wouldn't be my choice to throw across the mix buss, at least for the lack of adjustable attack and release. But since you like fast attack on your Presonus maybe you'll find a setting you like. I generally prefer a very slow attack and medium release on the mix buss. If you're going to send out for mastering though I'd be inclined to think that any decent ME will have a better compressor to use for this purpose, and it's impossible to undo any damage that's been done.

If you've got a pair why not plug it in and try?

[losthighway]

You should try it and let us know. My starting place would be to stereo link them with a cable, put the ratio at like 1.4:1 and only a couple db of reduction. I would also be curious to see how the 'overeasy' setting would change the sound in this application.

[vvv]

And consider doing more than one pass, with mebbe different settings each time ...

[svbsound]

I've used this a few times and it seems to work pretty well, especially on the heavier garage-rock stuff...ditto on doing a couple different passes at different settings.

[groover]

I was fooling around with the 160s on playback on a track that is a vocal with upright bass, drums, acc piano and electric guitar, medium swing ballad.

At small amounts of squash (2-3dB reduction) I couldn't hear much difference with and without. When I cranked up the squish I could really hear the compression "sucking" or you might say pumping. More "experiments" to come.

[SafeandSoundMastering]

It would be an interesting choice can you get a link cable?
Set up might be a bit fiddly of not you might get stereo image wander.
For me dbx compression has always been fairly aggressive in nature. I think it might be nice to impart some colour/tone but I would go very easy on gain reduction. They may suit some mixes better than others, which is often the case.

Interesting thoughts nonetheless.

cheers

[groover]

I am using a cable to connect the two together, but I think one acts as master rather than truly summing the channels for the detection circuit. There is a [slave] button on each one, so I guess whichever one is not set on slave controls both of them.