Which Comps For These Tasks?

[Somnium7]

I am planning to buy a handful of different hardware compressors for various uses. Some advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the different tasks:

1. Analog Bass Synthesizer
2. Lead Synthesizer
3. Vocals
4. Bus insert/Mix

Here is a little more detail. The Bass synth is a poly synth and I use it mainly for Unison Basses where the level changes drastically as the oscillators drift in and out of phase with each other. It goes from clipping inputs to getting lost in the mix.
The lead synth is almost always run through a distortion box. Very hot signal and mostly just needs a limiter.
Vocals are female (alto & second soprano) and will mostly come from ribbon or high quality dynamic mics.
My console has send and receive on each of it's four busses and I use the busses as stereo pairs. On the busses I'd like something dual-duty that can work well on an entire mix or just a single track. A friend with a small studio has recommended the dbx162sl as the buss unit and swears up and down that it can do it all. However, it's pretty pricey for me....

[MOFO Pro]

Originally Posted by Somnium7

However, it's pretty pricey for me....

This one screams for a budget... what are you looking to spend?

[Somnium7]

Oh I guess somewhat under 3 grand ($2650). I'm also kinda hoping to fit a Shure SM7b into this round of upgrades if I can.

I am thinking the comps for the synths won't need to be anything fancy...

[kojdogg]

clean or "transparent"? "fast" or "slow"? optical, varimu, fet?
there are so many once you get into that price range-- you can search the internet for offerings by chandler, ua, api, elysia, tubetech, manley, etc.
api 2500 perhaps? chandler?

i briefly had a tfpro p38 which i liked, but it was a bit of overkill for me because i could not foresee using it for buss duties (i'd have had to buy too many other things to keep the quality of the signal to make it worth it). it's versatile (4 different emulation modes) and cheaper than you've stated (i got mine for about $1100 used and they are about $1600 new i believe), but it's not intended for smashing signals.

also chameleon labs is coming out with a stereo (vs. dual mono) ssl-clone which is supposed to street around $600. maybe you could get that and a purple mc76, or ua 1176, or peavey vcl2

once you get to $3,000 there are many slutty options out there.

[Somnium7]

As I am looking around at stuff a few more things came to mind. The comps for the synths and vocals will be used live and for tracking. Also, I think it might be overkill for all four buses to have compressors. I'll be fine with a good unit for one pair of buses only.

[Somnium7]

Originally Posted by kojdogg

clean or "transparent"? "fast" or "slow"? optical, varimu, fet?
there are so many once you get into that price range--

Yeah! This is why I am having such a hard time. Gotta watch that kid-in-a-candy-store thing and focus on what is needed most. For the synths something aggressive and colorful would be good.
Vocals - She loves the sound of her voice going through tube stuff. Typical wife with an eye for the most expensive things in the store. I already told her we ain't getting no tube nothing for this money.

i briefly had a tfpro p38 which i liked, but it was a bit of overkill for me because i could not foresee using it for buss duties (i'd have had to buy too many other things to keep the quality of the signal to make it worth it). it's versatile (4 different emulation modes) and cheaper than you've stated (i got mine for about $1100 used and they are about $1600 new i believe), but it's not intended for smashing signals.

also chameleon labs is coming out with a stereo (vs. dual mono) ssl-clone which is supposed to street around $600. maybe you could get that and a purple mc76, or ua 1176, or peavey vcl2

I will check these out. The Chameleon Labs one especially...

once you get to $3,000 there are many slutty options out there.

LOL! It is really tempting to pick up a 2-1176 or Stereo Distressor and call it a day!

So far what I have in mind is this (let me know if I'm losing focus)...

FMR (RNC or RNL) for both the synths. Aphex 320/651 for vox. Buses... the words ringing in my head hear is the "4 emulation mode" you mentioned, sounds really interesting. Nice to have options.

[Ironklad Audio]

have you checked the older dbx 160/160A/165's out?

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by Ironklad Audio

have you checked the older dbx 160/160A/165's out?

good suggestions as well-- i had a couple of dbx 160x's that i liked (and kinda regret selling). the xt's are good as well. you can probably grab either for about half the price of a new 160a.

[Somnium7]

Yeah the 160 is definitely in my considerations. I've read many good reviews on it, and from the sound of it this unit seems to be a good performer for just about anything. I see they are pretty affordable 2nd hand.... always a good thing.

But I wouldn't want a new one? Are you guys saying the older ones are more worthwhile?

I can't find much online about that 162sl my friend keeps pimping to me. Anybody had experience with it?

oh cool! http://vintageking.com/New-Brands/Sh...Dual-Optograph

[pohaku]

I don't know that you really want to be schlepping a tube comp out to gigs, but the Peavey VC/L-2 is wonderful and pretty affordable if you can find one. It was the complement to the VMP-2 preamp (which was bought by Peavey from ADR) and is kind of a budget LA2A box. Very well built. About $1000 or so on e-bay. I have one and like it alot for vocal duties.

A good high quality all purpose comp is the Drawmer 1968ME. Good enough to use on the 2 buss as well as tracking. Won't nuke like a Distressor, but I don't know if you want that. About $1400 (and a relative bargain as a higher end comp as it is two channels) if you can find a sale or a used one.

The DBX 160 series (I have an xt) is good on drums. So-so on vocals. At that price point, I'd rather use a RNC on vocals if I don't use the Drawmer or Peavey. I use my RNC's wherever I simply need another working comp and I'm not using any of the others. They are cheap and they work really well.

The RNC really doesn't work well on bass (which they acknowledge). The RNL may work better, but I haven't used it. I use a Symetrix 501 (the toggle power switch model) for bass and it works great. Again, another cheap fix (@$150 or so on e-bay). I'm not sure how that translates for bass synth, but I'd assume it would be similar.

Otherwise, the Distressor is probably still the best swiss army knife comp out there. You could probably get two of those and a couple RNCs/DBX 160as and be done.

[Somnium7]

Originally Posted by pohaku

I don't know that you really want to be schlepping a tube comp out to gigs, but the Peavey VC/L-2 is wonderful and pretty affordable if you can find one. It was the complement to the VMP-2 preamp (which was bought by Peavey from ADR) and is kind of a budget LA2A box. Very well built. About $1000 or so on e-bay. I have one and like it alot for vocal duties.

I will go learn something about the Peavey since I haven't heard of it yet. Good point about the tube gear, I think the stuff that I'll take on stage will need to be SS.

A good high quality all purpose comp is the Drawmer 1968ME. Good enough to use on the 2 buss as well as tracking. Won't nuke like a Distressor, but I don't know if you want that. About $1400 (and a relative bargain as a higher end comp as it is two channels) if you can find a sale or a used one.

I'll check this one out too.

The DBX 160 series (I have an xt) is good on drums. So-so on vocals. At that price point, I'd rather use a RNC on vocals if I don't use the Drawmer or Peavey. I use my RNC's wherever I simply need another working comp and I'm not using any of the others. They are cheap and they work really well.

The RNC really doesn't work well on bass (which they acknowledge). The RNL may work better, but I haven't used it. I use a Symetrix 501 (the toggle power switch model) for bass and it works great. Again, another cheap fix (@$150 or so on e-bay). I'm not sure how that translates for bass synth, but I'd assume it would be similar.

Cool, this is very helpful to me!

Otherwise, the Distressor is probably still the best swiss army knife comp out there. You could probably get two of those and a couple RNCs/DBX 160as and be done.

It would be a stretch that's for sure but it is looking like a killer combo to me. I'm gonna see if I can find some info on the Summit Audio TLA-50. A pair of those for the buses is pretty affordable.
It's so hard trying to shop for things I can't actually try out.

[MOFO Pro]

Originally Posted by Somnium7

It would be a stretch that's for sure but it is looking like a killer combo to me.

It is... and well worth stretching for... probably more good sounds out of this combination than everything else listed comined... Though there's not a bad recommendation in the bunch... This would be a versatile workforce

[kojdogg]

also for three grand you could get an api lunch box, a couple of killer pres (from any number of companies) and a couple of purple action fet compressors.
if you have the means, there are many ways to your end.

[Somnium7]

Originally Posted by MOFO Pro

It is... and well worth stretching for... probably more good sounds out of this combination than everything else listed comined... Though there's not a bad recommendation in the bunch... This would be a versatile workforce

I'll have to put some serious thought into how to swing it but I am really liking the combo. Ebay, I'll be watching!

I checked out that Drawmer 1968ME and it's very impressive. I like the single rack space size of it too. For the price I haven't seen anything else that really compares.

Found some reviews of the TLA-50 and seems to be more of an instrument compressor than for mixes. Maybe not such a good choice for the buses. Supposedly pretty nice on vox though.

Anybody know of any recordings using the Distressor I can DL to hear it in action?

[pohaku]

If you are interested in the Drawmer, watch the classifieds on Gearslutz. They seem to come up with some regularity. Also call Soundpure and see what they are selling them for. They ran a sale a number of months ago and as I recollect, the price was surprisingly low.

I'm very happy with mine. Bought it used off of GS.

[Somnium7]

Originally Posted by pohaku

If you are interested in the Drawmer, watch the classifieds on Gearslutz. They seem to come up with some regularity. Also call Soundpure and see what they are selling them for. They ran a sale a number of months ago and as I recollect, the price was surprisingly low.

I'm very happy with mine. Bought it used off of GS.

Pohaku

Do you have any recordings online where I can hear your Drawmer?

Thanks!

[pohaku]

Sorry, I don't have anything online for you to access. I barely have enough time to cruise the forums, much less maintain a site.

It is also pretty tricky to try and assess a comp by hearing other people's stuff, as, unlike a mic pre or even a microphone where samples can be run using a clean signal path and equivalent levels, etc., comps, by definition, involve messing with the signal and everyone's preferred settings likely differ - sometimes by a lot. In addition, many mixes will typically use several different comps (each set differently) which only complicates matters.

Ultimately, the best arrangement is to either rent one, or acquire one that can be returned if you don't like it, or buy one used that can be resold for close to what you paid for it, and try it out on your own music and setup and see if it works for you.