Can a 3630 "Compressor" be modified to be usable?

[Scooter B]

Has anyone out there ever tried to upgrade a 3630 to something usable. I know your first question will probably be WHY?

Unfortunately I am in possession of two of these and have very little cash flow available for any new equipment (I hope to scrape up enough for an RNC). I picked up two used 3630's after seeing them advertised as an "industry standard". Having no experience with compressors, being new to home recording and reading about the importance of having compressors for mixing (especially bass guitar my main instrument) I trusted the good things I heard about Alesis. Untill I read the comments here on Home Recording.Com I though my awfull sounding results were due to simply my inexperience. Now I am somewhat wiser but also married with children and broke!

So this is my dilema and rather than using my 3630's for improving tire traction in the snow or target practice I thought I would throw a lifeline out there to see if any one has done upgrades/modifications to similiar pieces of equipment by replacing parts of the electronics and circuits to find any usefull, entertaining or redemptive value. I can do soldering etc. but I am not extremely knowlegable about what to try swapping out and what parts would cost.

Has anyone out ther tried this at home? I got the idea after looking at a web page for a guy that sells diagrams/schematics for upgrades to some pro level comercial pre-amps and sell kits to build your own pre-amps etc. I suppose I could try to sell them to some unwitting newbie but I would feel guilty.

[LongWaveStudio]

now, heres's the deal.

i dontl ike 3630s either, but you can get good results out of them. im not talkin to you when i say this but i think a lot of people are just thinking that it sounds bad cus people are saying that. if you work with them, you can get an allright sound. i mixed a track which ended up a single, the studio i produced it at had a rack of 3630's which i had to use on the kit, keeping a urei for vocals:-)

how much are we exactly talking for these compressors? i dont exactly want more compressors but if they're going cheap, ill ave em, just to make my rack have another load of lights. :-) :-)

[Scooter B]

Thanks for your response Longwave,

Are you in the UK? (I looked at your profile)

I would be willing to trade or sell them (2 Alesis 3630's) for one RNC compressor, The DBX 166 or the Behringer Composer wich go for around $200-$380 retail. But I will probably end up experimenting on one and trading one in for something else.

[Cyrokk]

umm..

you're also going to find negative regarding Behringer here too..

And for what its worth I too have a 3630.. It works ok as a basic noise gate

[LongWaveStudio]

yeah, well you're not gonna get a good compressor for under £600 really.

[frederic]

Originally posted by Cyrokk
you're also going to find negative regarding Behringer here too..

I will agree that the Alesis 3630's are a little finicky, but if you use your ears, they are as useful as any other "inexpensive" compressor/limiter. I have two, and two Behringer Composer Pro's. They always light up when power is applied, and all I use them for is compressing the output of the final mix to cassette tape when I need to do so (which becomes more rare as time goes on).

For vocal compression, I either use the digital compressor(s) built into the mixer channels (Tascam TMD-1000 or 4000, depending), or if analog, I fire up a Joe Meek unit. The Meek units are very, very warm. Something about vaccum tubes that makes one go "hmmmm".

Hope that helps,

Frederic

[Blue Bear Sound]

RNC... RNC... RNC....

[LongWaveStudio]

nah way bruce, TLAudio, Focusrite and Joe Meek, that's all you need!

[Scooter B]

Well I have gotten a few opinions on compressors in the under $400 catagory from this thread but no advice on modification recources for the 3630's.

Does anyone out there experiment on modifying cheaper equipment?

My other debate over the RNC versus the Behringer Composer seems equally divided.
Sonus Man had some good points in favor of the Behringer with the peak limiter and balanced line (not available on RNC) but it may depend on your applications.

As I can't sing and I am not currenly doing any songwriting with any singers; I am more focused on instrumental tracking (bass and guitars) drum machines and someday a synth I hope. I am also just working with 4 track cassette at the moment so I am not expecting true pro results.......I just want to get the most out of what I have for now. These things in mind I wuold like to hear from some one with experience in both the RNC and Behringer Compser. This will probably be my last purchase for several years untill I can upgrade to a better recording system.

I will appreciate anyone's additional input as I can not really try out the RNC at a local store and I am trying to keep the puchase off the wife's radar screen.

[frederic]

Does anyone out there experiment on modifying cheaper equipment?

I used to, when I had more time, and access to schematics, which I don't seem to.

Do you have the schematic? If so, I'd change the R/C network that controls the reaction time of the compressor to a more tame-able settings iwth the control.

Took me a while to get mine set right, and I just don't touch it.

[Scooter B]

Thanks Frederick,

I do have the schematic from the owners manual.

[frederic]

Originally posted by Scooter B
Thanks Frederick,

I do have the schematic from the owners manual.

Can you scan it possibly? I would be willing to take a look at it. I bought my two units used on e-bay, so no manuals unfortunately. If not, I can provide a fax number, if thats better.

if you don't want to send it, thats cool. Actually, alesis might have the manual on their website, let me go check.

[LongWaveStudio]

Behringer Composer, very good. i know a lot of studios using it. it's well built aswell.peak limiter can be handy too.

[frederic]

Originally posted by LongWaveStudio
Behringer Composer, very good. i know a lot of studios using it. it's well built aswell.peak limiter can be handy too.

Thats exactly why I like the unit(s)... Once I got them set right, I can record at nice high levels, without saturating the tape more than I desire. And since I have the "pro" version, I have balanced inputs and outputs, as well as RCA unbalanced. So I can take balanced from the console into the units, and unbalanced to the decks. Solved cabling problems

[Scooter B]

OK Frederic,

I am going to post the schematic here and e-mail it to you. My scanner is kind of screwy and I have spent about two hours trying to make it legible in a jpeg format.

If this doesn't work for you I can try zooming it up and faxing it. Let me know.

Scott

[Scooter B]

O.K. I am replying to my own post because the 3630 schematic I tried to attach last night did not show up. So here is take 2 with the attachment.

[frederic]

Originally posted by Scooter B
O.K. I am replying to my own post because the 3630 schematic I tried to attach last night did not show up. So here is take 2 with the attachment.

Thank you for taking the time to cut, paste, and clean up the diagram. I also did get the copy you sent me, so no worries there. However, thats not a schematic, but rather a signal-flow diagram. What I was looking for might have more specifics.

But thats okay, I called a friend of mine who works in a repair shop, and he's going to call around and see if he can get us a copy of the real schematic. its not a terribly sophisticated piece of equipment, so there are no DSP chips to figure out Pure and simple analog.

[Scooter B]

Frederic,

Sorry about the mix up. I guess I have not seen a true schematic. Let me know what you come up with on your end. The only otther stuff int the manual is a specifications sheet and the text instructions.

I got the idea after browsing through PATS TUBE SCHEMATICs web page www.nanimo.ark.com where he discusses upgrading some pro and semi pro preamps by switching out capacitors, triod vs diode, transormer vs tube etc... He also sells diagrams for build your own from the ground up and sells kits.

Scooter

[dragonworks]

If you have enought of them you can chain them together and use them as a boat anchor.

[Scooter B]

Dragonbreath,

Yeah I know....boat anchor and emergency tire traction or instrument of blunt force trauma have been discussed and dismissed. Hell I could build a house out of them if I "had enough" but that misses the point and is boringly uncreative. Obviously the best decision would have been not to spend the $$ on them in the first place but if you read the first of the thread several of us have them and use them for the noise gates.

At least trying to upgrade it to something usefull is a little more creative. I would be more than happy to accept a donation of a good compressor anything by Avalon will suffice) or a shopping spree on your credit card but I aint holding my breath. Besides this website in general espouses doing the best you can with the "use what you got" mentality unless one of the "what you got" items has no redeeming value and consistantly degrades your sound.

Now I believe the disdain regaurding the 3630 is justified and the destructive sugestions are from other people who also got burned buy spending good money on a disapointing item. Perhaps we should start another thread for 101 uses for a 3630 for comic relief but I was hoping for some new ideas here...nothing personal.

[MOFO Pro]

I love my 3630. It's so much more colorful than a standard 1U rack spacer. (Important Note: For Lively & Entertaining Display, route audio to the input, but Never, I repeat Never, route the output to any active buss.

I've had mine for at least 15 years, and I don't think it's ever made it into a mix yet.

And Scooter... Aside from all the kidding around, we might actually come up with some mods that will tame this beast!

And Dragonworks... Don't you mean side chain them together?

Steve

[Scooter B]

Mofo,

I do enjoy sarcasm I even strarted the thread on "needing help to get a bad recording"
just to see how many people would look and coment. Check it out. There were some entertaining ideas. I suppose running everything through a 3630 would be a guaranteed trip Bad Recordings Inc.

How can they keep selling these things? My latest Musicians Friend catalogue advertised it as attaining the highest selling model (numbers wise) of any effect/processer EVER in the world. While Alesis does make some decent stuff I think this was designed by tabaco lawyers whom I would like to squash to infinity or at least at a 20/1 ratio hard knee.

If we can come up with an affordable upgrade they are evidentally alot of other suckers out there in need of a remedy. Thank God it can not infect other gear like a computer virus.

[MOFO Pro]

I think the 3630 is like a beautiful blonde, dancing in the front row of a club, looking straight through you the entire time you're on stag. You can't believe your luck when she's waiting for you outside the club after the gig... that is until you get her home and you find out she's psycho and you hide all the kitchen knives before you dare fall asleep... Nah maybe not....

[Ears]

I have a lot of compressors both rack and built in to my DAWs and I still use the 3630 today.

You can make it work if you try. Especially on horn and less percussive instruments.
It seems that a dedicated hate forum is here for the 3630. Cute.

[toad_uk]

I have no problems with the 3630. Just because people here slag them off does not mean that your lack of results are not down to your inexperience. You could spend loads on a new compressor and still not get good results because your not using it right. Stick it out a while, I say.

While we're on the subject, what does anyone think of the Drawmer LX20?