Compressor for tracking
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Compressor for tracking
I'm looking to get a compressor to use while tracking bass and vocals, just something to even out signals a bit and control the peaks. What would you all recommend that works well on these sources?
Budget, lets say is 300-500. This can be for new or used.
Thanks!
Budget, lets say is 300-500. This can be for new or used.
Thanks!
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DBX 160a
Studio - http://www.hookechosound.com
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Label - http://www.wearenicepeople.com
Band - http://www.depthandcurrent.com
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- A.David.MacKinnon
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- A.David.MacKinnon
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I have 2 of those and I love them on guitars, pianos and a bunch of other sources but I've never liked them on bass. They just seem too slow. I don't even know if that's the right description. I often get a big, big, big pick/pluck transient spike followed by the comp clamping down. It sounds great once it's clamped down but the spike sucks.vvv wrote:Bass - dbx163X
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100% yes.subatomic pieces wrote:DBX 160a
You will never outgrow it. Thats what people dont understand about these things. They are like the Shure SM57's of compressors in that sense: always valid in your studio no matter what other things you manage to collect over the years.
I STILL use dbx 160A's and 160X's all the time.
This is in a place where i have collected like 9 zillion different compressor choices.
- jnTracks
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i use a pro VLA II for this. pretty happy, makes things sound thick. it's the low end of your budget
-Justin Newton
railroadavenuerecording.com what i like to do
railroadavenuerecording.com what i like to do
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I like my Aphex Expressors. They have the lowest THD at .002%, 200k hz bandwidth, no phase shift, the widest attack/release range and that high frequency side chain expander that masks the compression effect.
They work like there's a little man inside running a fader up and down who's smarter and faster than I am.
They work like there's a little man inside running a fader up and down who's smarter and faster than I am.
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades
Audio Upgrades
I know what yer saying'; I typically (not always) use a software hard-limiter thereafter.A.David.MacKinnon wrote:I have 2 of those and I love them on guitars, pianos and a bunch of other sources but I've never liked them on bass. They just seem too slow. I don't even know if that's the right description. I often get a big, big, big pick/pluck transient spike followed by the comp clamping down. It sounds great once it's clamped down but the spike sucks.vvv wrote:Bass - dbx163X
BTW, the 163X makes a nice DI, also, with a bit of a sound of it's own.
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- jgimbel
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That sounds accurate to me, though the RNC would not be my first choice for bass. For bass and vocals, I'd much prefer (and very often do) the RNLA. A lot of people complain about the distorting/farting out with fast attack times on bass. I've experienced that, and you can use it without it happening, but you're a little bit limited. The RNLA just seems to fit really nicely with bass. And with vocals, I've said this before but again don't want to exaggerate, but it has a bit of a feel of an LA-2A, or at least seems to do nicely as an obviously much much lower budget compressor that sounds nice on some things the LA-2A sounds nice on, for similar reasons.Producer/Engineer wrote:Mojo - Art Pro VLA ll
Transparent - (on the super nice mode) FMR's RNC
My first new personal album in four years - pay what you want - http://jessegimbel.bandcamp.com
- JohnDavisNYC
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gonna give yet another big up to the DBX160...
as Joel said, it's the only compressor listed here that you'll NEVER outgrow, and the only one you'll find in every good studio along side compressors costing much much much more...
my 160's get used on almost every session, and i still find new uses for them from time to time.
great units.
john
as Joel said, it's the only compressor listed here that you'll NEVER outgrow, and the only one you'll find in every good studio along side compressors costing much much much more...
my 160's get used on almost every session, and i still find new uses for them from time to time.
great units.
john
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