DMP3 and Joe Meek 3Q's compressor.

dickiefunk

dickiefunk

New member
Hi. This is not another thread about which is the better preamp. I'm looking to buy a simple compressor to smooth out vocal spikes when tracking. I'm wondering if the compressor on the 3Q would be a choice to use with the DMP3? Also it will be a bonus to have another flavour pre for my setup.
If the 3Q is not suitable for this application what compressor would you recommend under £100? I've heard good things about the FMR RNC but this is definately out of my budget.
 
The reason why I was thinking that is because I really like the sound of the DMP3 and would like a compressor and different colour pre to go with it. I intend to use the 3Q pre for certain applications and the DMP3 for others and use the 3Q compressor for either pre depending on what I'm recording.
 
As far as the mic pres go, it's all just basically the same thing in different packages, so don't expect some wildly varying color or whatever between the mic pres. It's not like you're dealing with a Phoenix and an API or anything. :D It's cheap solid state A versus cheap solid state B -- although admittedly one is green and the other is silver, so the color is different in that sense at least.

Other than that, it doesn't seem like your judgment is way off or anything. Yea, you want a two channel pre, and you want something that has some compression and EQ ... yada yada ... go for it. What you're currently looking at is fine.

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Another idea might be to get the Joemeek MC2 compressor... it's a two-channel compressor, and it would work for some smoothing of tracks with your DMP-3. And because both are two-channel, you can record stereo tracks with the compressor on both channels.

I have the MC2 and it gets used on every vocal track I record. I like it, but of course YMMV.
 
I have the 3Q and although it's a very nice preamp for the price, and the compressor is reasonable, I wouldn't buy it soley for the compressor. The 3Q isn't a compressor, it's a preamp with a compressor built onto it. And the functionality of the compressor is fairly limited compared to standalone compressors.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I've just seen a second hand Aphex 207D over here for the price of a new 3Q. I noticed that this has a MicLim feature which appears to prevent spikes from clipping the pre? Seeing as I'd only be using this for recording vocals and trying to eliminate those spikes from a couple of full on gospel singers would the Aphex 207D be a better bet than the 3Q?
 
dickiefunk said:
I'm not sure if I would need too many functions because I'm purely using it to smooth vocal spikes?
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Maybe use a VST plugin afterwards? Personally I don't really like to process anything on the way in. But that's just me. You can get some nice ones for free which would obviously save you a lot of money...
 
legionserial said:
Maybe use a VST plugin afterwards? Personally I don't really like to process anything on the way in. But that's just me. You can get some nice ones for free which would obviously save you a lot of money...
Click to expand...

I already have some very nice compressor VST's etc. . I need something to smooth the huge dynamic variations some of the singers I work with have to avoid spikes.
 
dickiefunk said:
I've just seen a second hand Aphex 207D over here for the price of a new 3Q. I noticed that this has a MicLim feature which appears to prevent spikes from clipping the pre? Seeing as I'd only be using this for recording vocals and trying to eliminate those spikes from a couple of full on gospel singers would the Aphex 207D be a better bet than the 3Q?
Click to expand...


The Aphex is going to be in a different league. It's a "good" mic pre. I wouldn't want to count on any sort of limiter feature though, to be honest with you. Just turn down the gain. That's all you have to do.

It's a 24-bit world, and you absolutely should never have to stress over clipping converters. No excuse at all.

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Just seen ART does a similar unit to the Joe Meek 3Q called the Tubepac. I've done a search and read some comments on it but can't find how it compares to the 3Q? Any info?
 
Gotta agree that with 24 bits, compressing vocals on the way in should be something you do because you want the sound of a particular hardware compressor without having to come back out for it, not because you need to put some compressor on to tame transients. If a vocalist is that dynamic, it's far better to instruct them on how to work the mic and to get off of it for the screamo parts, IMO.
As for the preamps, I have to say my cheapo Meek and my cheapo DMP3 sound pretty different.
 
dickiefunk said:
I already have some very nice compressor VST's etc. . I need something to smooth the huge dynamic variations some of the singers I work with have to avoid spikes.
Click to expand...

The compressor on the 3Q isn't really all that fast. I don't know how much use it would be to you for that function. You may find the same problem with other mic pre's. I don't know. I'm no expert really. I know my 3Q, and I know I wouldn't realy like to use the compressor for vocals.

But then, I don't really like to process anything on the way in for fear of screwing it up and having to start again.
 
You can get a Tapco Squeez 2 ch compressor for $100 with a detachable AC cord (no wall wart). I've been using them for live sound. Transparent, smooth and reliable. Every bit as good as the RNC, which I also use. Never cared for the tube pac, since it has a blurry quality.
 
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