Compressor-stoopid

[vvv]

Aiight, strictly amateur-time bedio question.

I have:

RNC
dbx 166a
dbx 163x
DOD 866 (very much dbx-ish)
Pro VLA II (on the way)
Meek VC3Q
Eureka
Mastertrak ( )


I'm looking for another compressor to complement a Summit 2AB-221 pre, the Meek, and the Eureka. (Just, eh, because.)

Just assume I'm a no-nuffin', and I want something different than the above.

What doya's reco, and under US $500?

FWIW, I'm considering the RNLA, a Golden Age, mebbe a MC-2? I'd love to go cheaper ...

[Mane1234]

The Symetrix 501 is nice to have...Toft makes a Fet styled compressor that you might be able to get into for just under 500, at least for one channel. I think I paid 700 for the stereo one a few years ago. You might get really lucky and get an LA 4 for 500. Those are the ones that I use the most and they seem to get the job done.

[blungo2]

i think some of the Overstayer comps are in that range. I have the VCA and am loving it. The FET is next on my list.

[trodden]

i think some of the Overstayer comps are in that range. I have the VCA and am loving it. The FET is next on my list.

Those have been recently added to my "list" the VCA and the FET.

[jgimbel]

I love my RNLA and use it probably twice as much as my RNC. Those Overstayer compressors really do look sexy though - with the blend knob for parallel compression, the dirt, tint, grab, and the alternate rel. buttons, that looks like a hell of a compressor for the money.

[vvv]

So, is the RNLA a significantly different "flava" than the RNC? (And/or the other shite I listed?)

[David_Kessler]

Check out the FMR PBC-6A.

[jgimbel]

So, is the RNLA a significantly different "flava" than the RNC? (And/or the other shite I listed?)

Absolutely. I actually made a typo (which I'll now fix) in my last post, that I use my RNLA twice as much as I use my RNC. The RNC, in my experience, is a tool. It doesn't add or take away - it smooths out levels. Sure, you can crush things with it, but that's kind of a small part at the extreme end to me. In general, I don't find it all that exciting, but if I've got a vocal where the sound from the singer, mic, and pre are great, but it needs a lot of leveling out, the RNC will do it as transparently as I could ask a compressor to. The RNLA on the other hand does add. Everyone describes it as "gooey", which I found really annoying when I was researching it, but damn if it isn't right. It makes things a little thicker, and the compression is more obvious than the RNC. If I've got a situation where the vocals are sounding too clean and maybe plain, I'll use the RNLA there. At the same time, there are sources where it just sounds "right" or "natural", in that it kind of gels with the source - namely bass, kick, and even vocals in the right setting. It just kind of gels with it in the same way that a Pultec-style EQ can gel with a source compared to a surgical EQ, or a tone knob on a guitar amp compared to a graphic EQ pedal. To me, the RNC could be replaced by a transparent EQ plugin, while the RNLA has got some of that "magic" that is hard to replace.

This may not be super helpful, but maybe, but I just did a demo video of the RNC vs. RNLA on drum buss. It's not scientific in any way, just kind of playing with the knobs while playing drums through them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V23x9e2V_no
Skip to about 3:00 where the audio of the dry drums starts, followed by the RNC, then RNLA. I wouldn't say it's the most revealing of their differences as much as something like acoustic guitar would be, but it'll at least show you some sounds you can get with both.

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the other pieces on your list than the RNC.

[vvv]

Heya! Thanks for that!

As a aside, I note that I've never - for whatever reason - tried a drum buss compressor with a 0ms release; now I will!

[llmonty]

More than complementing your pres, what are you looking to record?

For the same price you can get multiple 501s, DBX 160x/xts, both of which I love on drums and bass.

For smashing things there are lots of cheap options - i have the fostex mini mixer thingy, the alesis smash up. both <$50.

If it is vocals, I dig the LA-4s which are in your price range.

I also heavily use the SPL transient designer. Not a typical compressor per se, but use it all the time. I have the plug in, but there is hardware versions too. the 2 channel one is used less than $500...

The overstayers are super interesting as well.

[vvv]

Well, my intended primary use is vocals, but of course I don't rule out bass or guitars, either.

I record live drums (and often bass), unprocessed, with a Zoom R16, and then do everything with them ITB.

But guitars, vox, percussion, keys, sometimes bass are overdubbed in my bedio. I don't even really need a stereo unit ...

I think that 160's seem to be a bit overpriced on the evilBog (going around US$200), and I already have the two dbx's and the similar DOD ...

The Symetrix 501's seem around US$100 +, but many of them look pretty rough, and seem to be 20+ years old.

I've bid on a cuppla LA4's - didn't win any yet.

The Overstayer looks cool, but $500 and questionable re-sale value leads me to think not ...

The SPL you mention is going US$700 +.

I'm now leaning toward the RNLA, I reckon!

I do have this Pro VLA II on the way (it was too cheap to resist buying) and I've not used one yet, but I am actually thrilled with the RNC, and happy with the other stuff. I guess mebbe I was thinking something pretty colored (I did try for a Valley Audio thing a while ago - missed that), along the lines of the opto on my Meek ...

Bottom line, I'm lookin' to see what y'all have been diggin'.

[jgimbel]

If it is vocals, I dig the LA-4s which are in your price range.

Wow, I had no idea LA-4s were that cheap. Is the fact that they're what, a good $1500 cheaper than an LA-2A? indicative of a similar difference in sound and/or quality? I've long been in love with the LA-2A, and hopefully someday I'll have one, but seeing that the LA-4s are relatively affordable piques me interest, though I don't know very much about them compared to the LA-2A. Time for some research.

[trodden]

I think that 160's seem to be a bit overpriced on the evilBog (going around US$200), and I already have the two dbx's and the similar DOD ...
'.

I'm guessing you're referring to DVD 160x/xt/a?? $200 for either of those very useful, on many application compressors is not overpriced.

[vvv]

I think that 160's seem to be a bit overpriced on the evilBog (going around US$200), and I already have the two dbx's and the similar DOD ...
'.

I'm guessing you're referring to DVD 160x/xt/a?? $200 for either of those very useful, on many application compressors is not overpriced.

Yeah but, I have the 163X and the 166A - is the 160 that much better?

[trodden]

Wait,
You've not even used your vla yet, and you're already asking for another cheap compressor?

Maybe you should spend some time with what you have first? Especially if you think $200 is over priced for a standard that you find in just about every professional studio.

Character? What character you looking for?

I have two dbx 160xt's, a 501, the original VLA, and the stereo Ashly comp. Those do the job fine for me. Maybe another 501 would be cool, but I'm not expecting to buy another "cheap" compressor. I'm thinking next comp purchase will cost a bit more and be comPletely different than what I already have.