Compressor-stoopid

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:47 pm

interesting and cheap comps -

HHB FATMAN - tube comp = can overdrive the input and crunch - usually no more than $200

alesis microlimiter - peter katis claimed to have used this a lot on the interpol "turn on the bright lights" album for drum smashing.

obviously - there are great plug in options that are cheaper or free too. i highly recommend the STILLWELL rocket(1176) and major tom(dbx 160).

i have an old powercore pci card and their 1176 clone was awesome too. i can't use it anymore (new comp) - it's not worth much but i'd trade for something fun..

re: 1176 and LA2A

i got a purple mc76 demo cheaper than the UA re-issues and it smokes. a much more seasoned pro mixed an album i recorded and loved the vocal sound i got with mine. he tried it for 1 day and immediately bought one - he said it sounded much more like a vintage 1176 than the re-issues. use it on almost anything - sounds awesome.

also i got a used ADL 1000 for much cheaper than a UA LA2A and i love it. track a ton of vocals through it, bass, acoustic, snare whatever. daniel lanois and tchad blake use em too. maybe a little cleaner than a LA2A but awesome sounding none the less.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:38 pm

I've tried bidding onna cuppla the Fatman comps, but no joy so far.

Any idear, are they more than one-trick ponies (as many pundits seem to think)?

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:38 pm

you know - it was one of the first comps i got (along with RNC and VLA) - sold the RNC ages ago - BOOOOOORING.

i used to track a lot of different stuff through the fatman - acoustic - elec - bass - drum room - vocals - whatever. now i have some really amazing compressors so it lives permanently on buss2 on my board for mixing. generally electric guitars or piano go through it.

i wouldn't say it's a one trick pony and its a diff flavor than what you already have.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:30 pm

Thanx!

dwelle · Post by **dwelle** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:16 pm

dbx 119...

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:59 pm

Now, I like the look of them old dbx units, but I'm afraid of their age - the need for re-caps, etc.

I mean, I keep reading about that ...

I did pick up a old Meek C2 for under a hoondo, but it's mebbe 20 years younger than a 119. I think.

Today I worked with the VLA II for the first time; it has Ruby AT7's in it, and it sounds pretty good on a voc after a MD421 into a Summit pre. I prefer that chain, so far, I think, to the Eureka.

And I like the RNC, also; "booring"? It's pretty damn transparent and does a nice job without artifacts. I'm thinking I'm gonna like stacking it first into dirtier "vibey" compressors, in that I been having good results (on vox) stacking 'em.

dwelle · Post by **dwelle** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:09 pm

hands down the easiest and cheapest way to get the 160vu era sound/vibe. i'd use mine a hell of a lot more than i do if i didn't already have a 160 and a 161. which, in a rack of nice compressors, are still two of my faves.

don't know what the market is on these things these days, but i think i paid just over $100 for mine. and they're STEREO!

surprised these things don't get more love...

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:31 pm

Hey, dwelle, are you referring to the RNC?

dwelle · Post by **dwelle** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:11 am

nope, the 119.

had an rnc years ago. did what it was supposed to do, but i never got into it.

kind of, i don't know, boring?...

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:38 am

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