Budget Compressor

E

ex351d

Member
I am looking for a budget compressor that I can experiment with and something that later on if I get something better made, it would be still useful on at least bass drum and snare drum. I was looking at the DBX 166 xl, ART SCL2 and the Alesis 3632.
 
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If you must have hardware get the dbx, but plugins sound better. My most recent improvement in the sound of my recordings is bypassing most of the hardware compressors.
 
I just got a 3632 and I'm messing around with it. It does not sound good at extreme settings - that is, a lot of gain reduction - but it does do the EDM 'pumping' thing pretty well. I don't like the limiter and I have not yet looked at the expander / gate.

That said - I would also look to software if I needed a general purpose budget compressor.
 
Any suggestions (for the OP and I might be a little interested too :)) on a general purpose budget software compressor?
 
The one that comes with Logic is good. For third party, I would look at Klanghelm DC8C or U-he Presswerk and I like Stillwell Rocket
 
Btyre2013 said:
FMR audio RNC is good for the money.
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This ^^^^^

The RNC and RNLA are different sounding beasts, but are both compressors. Have a read of the FMR site and make up your mind which one to get LINK. Personally as a first compressor I would get the RNC (I have 2).

Alan.
 
The DBX 163 is dirt cheap, fail proof, and sounds good on a variety of things. It's my go to for kick, bass, and rap or hardcore vocals.
 
JG96 said:
The DBX 163 is dirt cheap, fail proof, and sounds good on a variety of things. It's my go to for kick, bass, and rap or hardcore vocals.
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Yes I agree, I own 2 x 163X and a 163A, but remember they are mono unless you have 2 and connect them with the stereo link cable.

Cheers
Alan.
 
For software compressors, I really like Waves H-Comp. It can do several things very well.

For hardware compressors, I only have experience with one and I actually love it. ART Pro VLA II. I've really been enjoying it on vocals and bass guitar. It barely edged out the RNC when I was shopping, and I'm glad that I chose it. Two independent channels, the ability to link them for a stereo signal if you're brave enough to send a bus to it (that's not its forte). I haven't used it on percussion yet so I can't vouch for it's abilities on a snare or kick.

From what I gathered while shopping, I think that the RNC is more for transparent compression (especially in Really Nice mode), and the ART has just a bit of color to it. The RNLA definitely has a color to it, and is geared more towards stereo bus compression or really coloring up a bass or kick.
 
Another vote for the fmr stuff, I use them all the time.
Best part is that you'll keep them even if you get more expensive stuff.
 
I would also go in the box for compression. I really liked vareity of sound's compressors in a 32 bit format for free VST ware. They don't play nice with Cubase x64, although J-Bridge is supposed to fix that.

As far as hardware comps, almost anything in the under $500 range should have one knob labelled "Suck" and one knob labelled "Mud". Turn it up for more. But, as with all things, YMMV.
 
cafehonda said:
I would also go in the box for compression. I really liked vareity of sound's compressors in a 32 bit format for free VST ware. They don't play nice with Cubase x64, although J-Bridge is supposed to fix that.

As far as hardware comps, almost anything in the under $500 range should have one knob labelled "Suck" and one knob labelled "Mud". Turn it up for more. But, as with all things, YMMV.
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obviously you've never heard an elysia xpressor 500 then? it's better than any of my compressor plug-ins and I own some really great plug-ins, none of them come close.
 
Why are we talking VST compressors when the OP wanted to know about hardware compressors?

Another compressor that I have that I really like is the TL Audio 5021, You can pick these up second hand for a reasonable price. There is a old version and a newer version, I think the difference is that the newer one had selector switches for the attack and release and the old ones had a 2 position button, try to get the later one.

Alan.
 
Btyre2013 said:
obviously you've never heard an elysia xpressor 500 then? it's better than any of my compressor plug-ins and I own some really great plug-ins, none of them come close.
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Unfortunately I have not had a chance to give that one a ride, though it certainly is not budget at a grand. I do Love my API 525s and my Smart Research C1LA, not really in the budget category either.

If the OP is set on hardware I would suggest the classic DBX 160. Great drum squish if you like that sort of thing. Do not get a 160 A, very thin sounding. X and XT models are okay but the vintage 160 comps have mojo.
 
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