Art Pro-Vla or ?, to go w/ RNC?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Booda
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Booda

Booda

Master of the Obvious
I'm about to order a RNC and I'm thinking a Pro-Vla. RNC for overheads and the VLA for Kick/snare because of the dual mono.

How about the "B" MDX2600?

I need to spend as little as possible... but am in need of some Comp. I also need decent quality and I know I'll at least get that w/ the RNC... for Ac Guitar, Vox, drums ect...
The Vla I've heard is decent and besides K/S, might add a little color to some tracks. Ya think? something else I should look at?
& I know I can get 2 RNC, but then my K/S are on the same set-up.

Opinions?
Booda
 
Booda said:
I need to spend as little as possible... but am in need of some Comp. I also need decent quality and I know I'll at least get that w/ the RNC... for Ac Guitar, Vox, drums ect...
The Vla I've heard is decent and besides K/S, might add a little color to some tracks.
Click to expand...

without a doubt I'd go with the RNC. I have 2 and in the super nice mode they are dead on. the VLA is a dual mono piece which is the only advantage (which doesnt go very far for me). the RNC is only stereo on the same source (no kick and snare for example)..sometimes the best way to look at it is, for $175.00 you get a kick ass mono compresser, that gives you a stereo option if needed! (get 2 RNC's for $350)
I
also own an ART Pro MPA which I am trying to sell. after purchasing a great river pre and even the RNP, I stopped subscribing to the "tubes are warmer" thing. no more budget tube pieces for this guy anymore! I'm also trying to dump a dbx 376 tube channel strip for the same reason..I've learned my lesson.

as always, IMO

good luck
 
Hey. . .

You need to figure out whether you'll be using it for tracking or mixing primarily. If it is for mixing I'd get the ART Pro VLA. It is a limiter and will compress the snot out of a source. However, it is not something I would use for vox while tracking unless it is dead quiet.

I have an RNC and I can tell you that in Nice Mode it can be completely transparent. It is a great tracking comp.

Beez
 
I hate to... Disagree isn't really the word... I'd just like to expand on this a bit...

Although the VLA can achieve very nice limiting, it's also wonderful as a standard or up-from-under compressor - As is the RNC.

They are certainly two different flavors - The RNC definitely is the most transparent "sounding" of the two. But the VLA has a particular flavor to it (not at all unlike the Teletronix LA2A) that can really bring out that "somthing special" that one might desire. Not something I'd want to put on every track, but something that several tracks may benefit from.

The easy and obvious answer is that you can never have enough compressors. Hardware, software or otherwise. The FMR RNC is almost a universal "must have" - In my neck of the woods, a great sounding opto, such as the VLA, is a "must have" also. So is an 1176. So is (blah blah blah... You get the idea...)

And when it really comes down to brass tacks, if I could only choose one type of compressor (standard VCA or Opto) - I can make an optical compressor mimic a VCA. I can't do it the other way around...

John -
 
Thanks for the input. I will only be using the Comps while tracking... I'm a in the box'er.

Well I do like the idea of having both and primarily using the RNC for everything else after the drums... but using the VLA on a track here or there for a little flavor.

But I also came across another deal that I might try out...
I can get 2 RNC w/ a rack for about $300 and another guy has a Dbx 163 for $30. So I could use the Dbx on Kick and the RNC on snare. I've heard the dbx 163 is pretty good on kick, bass and even some Vocals.

Anyway, thanks again and I'm still thinking about it.

B.
 
All great points!...

Booda, (IMO of course)
I like a real open controlled drum sound so I don't compress much. my overheads have the RNC in S. Nice mode for just a tinge of transparent limiting. (barely nothing) my snare gets even less. my kick, snare bottom, mono room, 3 toms, h hat, all are uncompressed. for me, less compression on drums gives me more dynamics from the kit and an old school openness I prefer. (I'm not a hard hitter, more on the precise side)

I do rock/pop/blues style. If I was doing hard rock/metal type, than I would probably go after that really hard hitting, choked, put your elbows into it, drum sound. more compressors the better. I'm in the box as well and compress later if needed (for effect).

It comes down to individual style and approach to performing you're going for....good luck!
 
Booda said:
Thanks for the input. I will only be using the Comps while tracking... I'm a in the box'er.

Well I do like the idea of having both and primarily using the RNC for everything else after the drums... but using the VLA on a track here or there for a little flavor.
Click to expand...

The VLA might be something you'd like on drums. I don't know what kind of stuff you're doing, but if any of it is rock or indie or whatever, then I can see the VLA being very useful to get that super-squashed drum sound that, frankly, is way over-used. :D

I just wish there was a way to bypass all that toob crap. Not trying to be a snob or anything, but it kind of limits it's usefullness of you ask me.

I have no direct experience with it, btw -- I'm just going by second-hand info, so take what I say with a grain.
 
I think I'm on the same page as you guys. On the overheads I just want to tame the spikes. As far as tunes go... most of the bands I've played in have been the heavy/indi type stuff, yes, a little squashed, to please the kids... but on my own solo stuff I like the more natural "real kit" sound. It's a more acoustic based rock... kinda Zeppelin III, Tom Petty, Neil Young... where as, it's from a simple Guitar & Vocal to a full band w/ keys and cello. So it varies there too. The VLA looks like it might work for me.

So I might pick up that Dbx 163 just for the fu$k of it. $30. and then maybe wait for a good deal on a used VLA.

Another Question.... if I want to go from my Sytek Mpx-4aii XLR to the RNC or DBX unit, can I use the XLR to 1/4"TRS cable that I use to run to my sound card, but only plug it in 1/2 way on the RNC?
make sense?

Thanks,
B.
 
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