Difference Between Distressor and Compressor??

[googacky]

the distressor, as someone mentioned above, is the brand name of a certain model of compressor manufactured by the company empirical labs. it's not a type of compressor design (like optical), it's a brand name. i hope that's specific enough to answer your question.

[bobbydj]

derrick-

"distressor" is the name of the product. The product is a compressor. Sorta like "Corvette" is the name of the product. The product is a car.

dave

Don't confuse the man anymore!!

[b3groover]

Last night I dreamt... that somebody loved me....

you go home and you cry and you want to die.

alex

Makes you wonder why he didn't just spare everyone and kill himself, doesn't it?

Because he's a FUCKIN' ASSHOLE, that's why!

[trodden]

Because he's a FUCKIN' ASSHOLE, that's why!

???

[b3groover]

Sorry... I was responding to the Morrisey sub-thread that was weaving through this conversation.

[trodden]

I know.

[black mariah]

A Distressor is a type of compressor, but most compressors don't have a button that says "SQUISH EVERYTHING UNTIL IT IS DEAD! DEAD I SAY! DEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" like the Distressor has with the Nuke button.

[Derrick]

Great. Makes sence now, thanks! Lastly, do you guys have a preferance to optical vs. tube vs. (what else is there... IC) for compression? Thanks again.

[soundguy]

derrick-

In a non comprehensive nutshell, you've got compressors that are controlled by optical elements (la2, la4), vari-mu (tube elements) (altec 436/8), VCA's of wide variety (dbx 160vu, SSL quad), diode bridges (neve 33609), fets (1176) which all can sound good, certainly all behave differently and each has an application that it sorta specifically outdoes the others on.

Its sorta like, these days, you can spend $50K on a sports car or a SUV. You are gonna get your value out of both equally, but perhaps in really different ways.... Unless you get tha BMX X3. I drove one of those recently, first gear in that truck is STUPID fast...

dave

[dwelle]

dave.

sheesh.

only a dude from ny could get excited about how fast a car is in FIRST gear. there's a few more after that too, don't forget. and they're even more fun than first.

that said, i once drove a 540is with the 6 speed manual tranny. that car was so fucking quick that i put my foot into it and a couple of times it revved up so quick i went blowing thru redline, floating valves and the whole bit.

fun...

[soundguy]

if you can make it down the whole block in first, why shift up? that bmw is pretty sick, Im mean, its shockingly fast. Basically a stupid clunky SUV body on top of your standard, run of the mill, racing BMW. Go test drive on, put your foot down on that thing out of the lot, you'll be amazed. It just looks like a SUV, its faster than a freaking TT.

dave

[dwelle]

dude, even sammy hagar could get to second gear...

[Meriphew]

its faster than a freaking TT.

TT's really aren't that fast (I have one), but the overall design and performance of the car is killer.

[E-cue]

A Distressor is a compressor that also does distortion. And a whole lotta other things.

The price range of the unit makes it awesome. I mainly end up using mine on my bass, but it's also worked for me on pop vocal sessions as an LA2A(opto) knock off with faster attacks and more flexible detections for vocal tracking (codename: DREAM- PUFFYs group) to drum room mic's (the NUKE setting with a Begringer B2 with DIST 2 is both Metalic and massive- esspecially with parallel walls, like a racket ball court). Great unit. I wish I had more every day.

[soundguy]

For a car as light as the TT, its quick enough even with the v4. that bmw on the other hand is heavy as shit and just way to fast. I would not want to drive that thing off road, I would get into serious trouble...

dave