A good cheap compressor. do they exist?

[drummerdude666]

Im a kinda newbie to the recording world but bit by bit im getting there. my present equipment includes a yamaha 01x, cubase sx2, various mics but the mic i use for reocrding is a MXL 902. now so far ive been compressing after its recorded but its not achiving the effects i want so i fugure an outboard compressor is the way to go. now my budget is around £100 which i think is around $80 (notice the word think). any recomendations. ive been advised to avoid the alesis 3630. any tips etc etc

 

[SonicAlbert]

Actually, I think the British pound is almost double the US dollar. So your 100 pounds is something like $175-200. (approximately).

So that would put you in range for the RNC, made by FMR. It sells for around $175-200, and is a two channel compressor. Probably the best you can get for that kind of money.

 

[Twitch]

SonicAlbert made the best suggestion ever!!
I wouldn't exactly say stay away from alesis, I would just use it to subgroup compress drums and that's it, DBX is okay they are known for their sound however the DBX266xl has audible clicks not too noticable but if you solo the channel it's there! Well I agree with Sonic about the RNC, but I will make another suggestion is to check out the little green men (JOE MEEK) I forget what model it is, but I think it's the MQ3 for $199. Also if this interests you at all, I know this is a issue with other people, but the RNC is unbalanced, which doesn't make a difference in my opinion.
Peace
~T~

 

[drummerdude666]

considering how cheap yopu can buy a 3630 i might use it to compress my drums (they are being submixed before the yamaha 01x as my band likes to record live). Otherwise ive just looked into the RNC bu the only one i can find in all my catalouges is the 1773 which is priced at £199. is this the one you were refering to? if it is, it's slightly out of my budget. would the 3630 be adiquite for compressing my drums or isnt it worth the money. would a software compressor be better for my money? or evan the cmpressor in Tracks (which i own) . thanks for all you help so far guys.
ps. yep £100 is roughly $175. (so much for my general knowalge of the exchange rate) lol

 

[chessparov]

The 3630 will be like a lo-fi effect since it will degrade the signal even without the compressor engaged.

Presonus makes some budget choices like the Blue Max you could put on your shortlist to buy something used.

Chris

 

[xstatic]

If you have to go cheap, look for a used RNC or a used DBX166 or 160a. I would seriously avoid the Presonus and the Alesis. I would actually sooner use a Behringer composer. If you do use the Alesis, use it very sparingly at a medium ratio with a fast attack time and medium release. Also, I would avoid using the Alesis on a Drum buss. Maybe on an instrument buss, but not on drums or bass. It will actually do OK on electric guitars.

 

[A320guy]

good cheap compressor

RNC for vocals/guitar/snare and the ART PRO VLA for kick and bass guitar.Nobody is disappointed with either of these and they can cover alot of bases.

 

[Garry Sharp]

Actually prices in Europe tend to be £1 = $1 (as drummer's RNC pricing confirms). The Behri compressors are generally regarded as one of th every few product lines they do well for the money - £90 or so buys a good 2 channel one, with a gate / limiter and de-esser.

 

[xstatic]

Exchange rate I believe is near 1:1.65 However, some things are priced differently

 

[naut]

Hey ppl, i also need a compressor for percussion mainly. dbx 266XL Compressor/Gate is a model I found, under 200$us. Does anyone know about it?

 

[Warhead]

Exchange rate I believe is near 1:1.65 However, some things are priced differently

Is this an exchange rate or a compression ratio?

War

 

[minofifa]

does anybody have any experience with the carvin compressors? they seem pretty reasonably priced and carvin gear is pretty good..
http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=CG200&CID=PROC

 

[hoodslider]

01x has built-in dynamics processing

Dummerdude, doesn't the 01x had built-in compression on all channels? (I've been seriously looking at buying on, and know many of the specs)

If you were to apply the compression before you record, it would catch all the clips before the computer ever got to record them. Just make sure you apply the compressor as an insert effect when recording, rather than adding compression afterwards. I'm not sure of the quality of the dynamics processing, but regardless, if your recording doesn't clip, you can work from there!

PLUS, it saves you a bit of cash.

Hoodslider

 

[xstatic]

Is this an exchange rate or a compression ratio?

War

It couldn't be a compression ratio. Have you ever tried to get a cheap compressor set at exactly 1.65?

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

At this price range, and concidering that its for recording drums... my thoughts:

1) The low end compressors tend to have the most trouble with things like drums and bass (fast transients and lots of low end energy). That doesn't mean they sound bad, but you have to get the settings just right.

2) Anything can be made to work. Knowing how to use what you have is far more valuable than having something better. So get what you can afford and don't regret it.

3) The RNC is in a class all its own. Its not just a good, cheap compressor- its a *freakin* amazing good compressor that just doesn't cost much. If you don't mind used equipment, I'd hunt for a used one that you can afford. Its worth it. I own 2 and love them. (Keep in mind that its a *stereo* compressor and not a dual mono. You can't easily use it on 2 separate sources- like a kick and snare- but its fine for stereo submixs.)

4) The dbx 166 is a good bet. It has a "contour" switch that lets you adapt how the compressor deals with low end energy. Very useful for drum subs. (btw- the 160 is a mono unit, so you'd need 2, but it rocks.) I've had a 166a for12 years or so and typically use if for bass and drums (when the RNC's are busy on vocals or guitars.)

I don't have much experience with other stuff in this price range so I can't say much more.

Take care,
Chris

 

[Light]

Accurate, up to date exchange rates.

As I am writing this, 100 pounds equals $186.82.

As far as it goes, there is nothing on the market even close to the RNC for the price. I am not sure about the import fees you would have to pay, but you could easily get one at Mercenary with a 220 Volt adapter, and have it shipped to you.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[jayridge]

I second the FMR Really Nice Compressor. There is absolutely nothing like it in the price range. You also get a bonus... "really nice" mode, which effectively gives you another compressor for free.

You can purchase from mercenary.com in your price range.

Jay

 

[Sloan]

eBay!

I just got a DBX 266 for $66.
Seems like a good deal.

 

[jtienhaara]

I think I'm the only person in the universe who finds the RNC about as interesting as dog snot. It can be nice for program material, and sometimes for drum overheads. But I wouldn't come near it with a 3 metre pole when compressing kick, snare, toms.

My recommendation: dbx 163. It makes a kick sound fantastic. It's a bit trashier than the dbx 160 mentioned above (which is now my favourite snare comp in the universe), but it's still cleaner than the 266, 166, etc. And it has a nice colour for percussive instruments or heavily distorted guitars.

Plus it's generally $50 USD on EBay.

Dunno whether 240V versions were ever made... Worth checking out though, IMHO. You can always get a step-down transformer at your local electronics shop for < 50 quid.

Cheers,

Johann