decent compressor

D

daveblue222

New member
cant seem to get a compressor plugin that will work with my mac (many plugins dont work with macs with intel) so may opt for a hardware version. i dont have much in the way of funds (£100?) or are there any compressor plugins that will work with my mac? i am running cubase 4 LE

need it for vocals and acoustic guitars

cheers
 
I bought a Presonus Comp 16 to use for gigs awhile ago... ended up selling it because the particular gig ended.

Despite the fact that it's presets, I was real impressed with the sound. Whoever chose the presets did a good job and it didn't sound like crap at all. I like to record with a compressor after my mic pre and usually I use Summits which are $1300 each but I would use the Comp 16. I have an Alesis 3630 and it's good but I wouldn't use it on the way into the computer... it doesn't sound good for that. I use it for stuff like snare or guitar after they've been recorded.

Comp 16's go for about $80 here used and it comes off as a nicely made unit.
 
how do you use it for after recording, i thought analogue gear changed the sound prior to entering your DAW?

i was thinking about getting the presonus 16comp as it seems pretty fool proof lol

cheers
 
pretty much decided on getting either the presonus 16comp or the behringer mdx2000 composer.

both have good enough reviews from user etc...
my next question is how do i connect it to my firestudio project? there is a diagram, would be very grateful if someone could make sense of this

http://www.presonus.com/media/diagrams/FireStudio Project with Comp16 and EQ3B.pdf

this according to their manual would effect channels 1 and 2 of the main xlr inputs (simple huh?) refer to page 15 of the manual for this procedure

http://www.presonus.com/media/manuals/FireStudioProjectManual.pdf

then go on to read the notes. it to my best knowledge states that if you have a mic in xlr input 1 it will be inactive until you unplug the cable from insert 1 on the rear...

im confused lol help!?!?

also what kind of cables do i need to connect it, regular jacks? or patch leads? i worried about blowing something up lol

thank you
 
DaveBlueDude :D

Not really much help other than that...

If the MDX 2000 is anything like the 2600 I've got, it's kinda noisy. When I start gettin into makeup gain, the hiss and noise gets noticeable. The one your thinkin of may not be that bad, I dunno.
Just a headzup.
;)
 
i meant the mdx2200 not 2000, sorry. i may still give it a go as they sell for pretty cheap on ebay. never used one before so its more for learning than anything else. cheers though
 
daveblue222 said:
i meant the mdx2200 not 2000, sorry. i may still give it a go as they sell for pretty cheap on ebay. never used one before so its more for learning than anything else. cheers though
Click to expand...

You will learn way more with the Behringer because it's not presets like the Presonus. I haven't heard the Behringer but all of their stuff seems to be a good value. I have a all-in-one PA and a keyboard amp from them for small gigs and they actually both sound very good although the build quality is borderline. The Comp 16 came off as a much better quality than anything I've seen from Behringer.

You should be able to hook up a compressor with a pair of regular guitar cables, no biggie although TRS cables/balanced would be "more correct", and by that I mean the guitar cables might be ok but in some locations they might add noise whereas the other would give the best sound probability.

Don't worry about blowing anything up - the worst that can happen is you start a chain reaction that ends up destroying all life as we know it!

There's nothing you can wreck by hooking this up wrong, it's all low level stuff.
 
I use the Stillwell Rocket compressor plug-in in Logic on a mac - they stopped working with Snow Leopard, but just released a beta that seems to work fine. It's like $50 - I'd definitely check it out - I think it's free to try.

On the hardware side, I picked up a Symetrix 525 used for well inside your price range. I haven't used it much yet - all I can really say is that it doesn't suck, and it may be significantly better that that, but my experience with it is still sparse - I've used it as an outboard bus effect and like the results - haven't used it for tracking at all (and really don't plan to, unless I run into insurmountable gain staging problems).
 
daveblue222 said:
... i am running cubase 4 LE...
Click to expand...

The compressors in Cubase work, for me anyways, really well.

Just wondering why you feel you need one...

If it's for your front end I understand because I like to use one right after my mic pre, but I use a good one ($1300), I have some cheap ones (Alesis 3630 and Boss RCL-10) but I don't like them on the front end... unless it's insurance to prevent "overs".

I hope you've messed with Cubase's compressors 'cause they aren't horrible at all... I like them and you can learn a lot using them.
 
cubase le doesnt come with a compressor, not that i know of anyways. whats the plugin called? i got e.q and room works etc...but no compressor. im using a mac with intel btw so not all plugins can work with this

cheers
 
Cubase LE has wonderful built in compressors - light years better than any Behringer or Alesis products - 48 of them!
After you've recorded a track, open the mixer window, and click on the thing that looks like an "e":
Picture11.jpg


That opens the VST Channel Settings window, and there you need to select "Dynamics":
Picture13.jpg


And that opens up the Dynamics window that has not just a great compressor but a limiter too:
Picture9.jpg


Paypal/Visa accepted or my grass is getting kinda tall so...
 
hey, thanks a lot for that :)

maybe these compressors are really cheap now due to plugins becoming more efficient.

if this is the case what kind of (physical) hardware is actually used nowadays to improve the sound?

im using a firewire interface so obviously all is digital at the moment sound wise. i would like to know more about combining both analog gear for use with a DAW. it seems if the engineer uses digital there is almost no use for external dynamic processors etc???
 
daveblue222 said:
hey, thanks a lot for that :)

maybe these compressors are really cheap now due to plugins becoming more efficient.

if this is the case what kind of (physical) hardware is actually used nowadays to improve the sound?

im using a firewire interface so obviously all is digital at the moment sound wise. i would like to know more about combining both analog gear for use with a DAW. it seems if the engineer uses digital there is almost no use for external dynamic processors etc???
Click to expand...

People still use hardware stuff because of the sound. Like I have a Summit tube eq I paid $1800 for, and there's no way you're going to duplicate that in a plug in so I need to patch that in. Ditto for my tube compressors. But some stuff is scary good, like the UA card for instance. My SPX1000 reverb is better than what I have in Cubase, so I still use that. I like to take the recorded lead vox, run it through the tube eq to crank the treble, and then compress that after, that's my stock lead vox trip, it makes the vocals pop out and shine, and I have to interface analog to do that.
 
Ive bought 2 dbx160 compressors for $50 each...I got a Fostex 3070 for $50...found all of them on Craigslist...look at your local craigslist and use the search function...unless you are in the Kansas City area...Ive got dibbs on the cool stuff there...lol.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
Ive bought 2 dbx160 compressors for $50 each...I got a Fostex 3070 for $50...found all of them on Craigslist...look at your local craigslist and use the search function...unless you are in the Kansas City area...Ive got dibbs on the cool stuff there...lol.
Click to expand...

That's the way to do it. That's the classic case of someone who knows about what he's buying getting top quality dirt cheap.

This is the opposite of lots of people who would instead buy a new compressor for 3 times as much and it's less quality on top of that. The DBX 160's will be worth more in 10 years than they are now, the new cheapo will be worth a small fraction.

If I bought everything new I wouldn't have much. It really pays to learn about gear so you can buy it used and to learn some basics as far as repairs go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top