Seems we've drifted off course here, haven't we? I think we can all agree that most prefer the sound of a
good analog box to digital plugs. I use a 16 channel summing rig with ITB plugs and outboard too, but that's a world that I'm guessing has little to do with izman, our OP.
If I had to guess from the nature of his question izman has a computer with a daw. Probably only two channels of conversion. No plug-ins except the stock ones that come with whatever daw he uses. No outboard gear. No patchbay. I'm guessing his monitors aren't top end, and his room probably has little treatment.
Him asking what would suit his needs for 1000 british pounds, plugs or analog gear is different from the fellow with 8, 16, or 24 channels of conversion, a console or summing rig and a fully outfitted studio.
Telling the OP at this point that analog would be better for him is misleading, unless I'm wrong about his set-up, and gives me visions of this:
izman spends his 1000 pounds on an XYZ compressor. He now wants to use it on his vocal tracks. But he only has two channels of conversion. So he gets behind his rack with his flashlight to connect his new compressor to the outputs of his converters and runs his vocals through XYZ compressor. He'd like to hear what it sounds like in the context of his mix, but he can't because he only has two channels of conversion. So he records the wet vocals to a new track. Now he's back behind his rack with flashlight to take XYZ compressor out of the chain so he can hear his new mix with compressed vocals (If he's lucky his XYZ compressor has a bypass switch so he can skip this step). He now cues up the mix, but it doesn't sound quite right in the context of the mix, so it's back behind the rack to re-connect the compressor... and on and on... you get the picture.
I could be wrong, but this is where I was a few years ago, and it was frustrating as h*ll. Hours and hours of retracking vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards, etc. through a compressor trying in vain to get something to fit. It would literally take me two weeks to mix a song, and when I was done, it still sounded like shite.
Get some good plugs and he can pop a comp or eq on any track limited only by his CPU, and actually listen to what it's doing IN the mix. His songs will take hours to mix instead of weeks.
Once he's learned how to use the comps and eqs, he can invest in an outboard mix buss comp to run the entire mix through. Then maybe some more channels of conversion and some comps and eq's that he can actually use while hearing what it does to the mix.
That's the advice I would give to someone just starting to outfit a studio on a budget.
So, izman, telling you what to buy is impossible without knowing what kind of set-up you already have. If it's anything like what I envision above, I'd get some good plugs first. I'll even recommend a few that I love.
Softtube's tubetech CL1b compressor. As close as you can get to the hardware without spending $2700 for the real thing. Stunningly beautiful vocal comp.
Soundtoys native bundle which includes
Decapitator- maybe the coolest plug you'll ever use.
Echoboy- IMO the best echo/delay/saturation plug out there. Filterfreak- All kinds of mono and stereo filters for solving freq problems.
Panman- Also really cool plug that allows you do do virtually anything you could ever dream of with panning effects very easily without having to resort to automation. Phasemistress- phasing plug that can get really bizarre if you desire.
Waves CLA compressor bundle Versions of 1176 black face, blue stripe and an LA2A comp plug. Very versatile, and sounds good. Again, not the real thing, but it will still put a smile on your face.
Waves API bundle If the mid forward API sound is your thing, this will get you a long way in that direction.
If you have a PCI or PCIe slot, maybe a UAD card and one of their bundles. If I had a PCI slot, which I don't, I'd get this just for the pultec eq.
There's tons of others, and some good freebies too.
So izman, what IS your set-up currently like?
). 
D)
