ART Pro VLA vs. RNC

  • Thread starter Thread starter Seeker of Rock
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Seeker of Rock

Seeker of Rock

Let us be unburdened by that which has been ?
This has been coming up on HC lately. I would use this to soften the overall highs where the signal is peaking my CDRW700 from tape. I will be using it on the entire mix but only to (hopefully) softly even out the signal. I don't consider coloration necessarily a bad thing, so that is not an issue. I just want to add a little compression to the output signal before going into my mastering deck (via the board and EQ). This will be used to record basic rock tunes, moderate rock drum hitting via a DM Pro kit and often strong, walking bass lines. Budget is $250 max., and both currently fall withing this range. Any suggestions of which one may better suit my needs or preferences/strong points/weak points of either? Anyone else used either or both? :confused:
 
Based on your $250 (max) budget, I don't think the VLA is an option. A new VLA runs about $300 (unless you can find one on e-bay for less) but I see the RNC (new) for $160 all the time.

While “coloring” the sound is not always a bad thing, I agree; it is not something that will necessarily work for all things all of the time. The perfect solution (obviously) is to have as many options as possible. The RNC & VLA are completely different devices, and you can cover more applications.

Given the budget and the choice: I’d buy the RNC for $160 and continue to save for another compressor (VLA perhaps, or something even better).

Not sure I helped?? :confused:
 
Simman, MF has a catalog (not online) price of $239 for the Pro VLA right now, which is causing quite a buzz. Given I have the choice of the two, I'm just trying to decide which one would suit my needs best. After reading my original post, I should probably clarify; the VLA or RNC will be used as a buss effect out to the mixdown deck only, not on recording the individual tracks...I have a Joe Meek pre/comp when I need to do that. I'm looking at these two units only to level the signal going in to the mixdown deck. If it affects the overall sound of the signal going into the CDRW700 a little (adds some flava), that's O.K. with me too.
 
I have a VLA and I'm not unhappy with it for what it is. However, I don’t recommend compressing your-2-track mix downs especially if you intend on sending it out to get mastered. Fix the peeking issues with the individual tracks themselves during the mixing process.
 
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The VLA does bring a little more color than the RNC, but IMHO, and indeed most from what I can tell, the RNC is great on almost everything EXCEPT the master buss.

I've seen on other forums that MF is already backordered on the VLA, but it's worth the wait. One of my favorite budget EL-OP's out there.
 
I have not heard anything bad about the VLA so far, although I did hear some marginal (not slamming, but not entirely encouraging for a prospective buyer) comments about the RNC from apparently credible sources. At the same time, I have heard some raves about it. Again, I have heard nothing bad about the VLA thus far and I tend to embrace that fact. Where in the signal chain do you use your VLA? What are any strong and weak points with it?
 
Yeah, I noted the backorder too I don't mind the wait if it is the better choice. Making the right choice without having to pay for shipping to return an item then shipping again to get another is more important to me than time at the moment. There are some other online stores that may match the MF catalog price and have it in stock. That is always an option I may consider. That is a great point you brought up Massive Master about the RNC use in the master buss. One of the reviewers on FMR Audio's homepage compliments the RNC's use in this application (at Secret Mountain, I believe). On HC effects reviews, however, at least one reviewer warns of its use for this (BTW, dig your review of the VLA on same site). So perhaps the Pro VLA may be the better for my specific intended use. This is by no means, I'm sure, a bad reflection on the RNC and I'm sure I would look further into one combined with an RNP if I didn't have my Joe Meek for tracking, but it is sounding closer to the VLA for what I intend to use this for.
 
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Why do you have such restricted and compartmentalized uses for your compressors? I'm sure the PRO VLA would be perfect for some tracking as well as the use you are considering it for. I also use mine for buss compression, softening sounds that might be a tad too harsh. It has a lot of uses.

I don't own an RNC, but I did recently buy an ART PRO VLA on eBay. Mint condition, but I paid $275, which was the going rate at the time. Now I'm kicking myself! The MF $239.99 price is incredible. This must be the end of the line blowout for the PRO VLA, getting rid of the last stock. At least that's what I assume.

If you don't hit the PRO VLA too hard it should be fine for your uses, considering your budget. Don't light up more than 3-4 LED's though. I do agree with the previous poster about leaving the final mix buss compression to a mastering house or a better compressor.

If you want a less colored sound you can always put different tubes in the PRO VLA. I experimented with Groove Tubes 7025 tubes in it and liked it, although for me I actually wanted the more colored sound of the factory tubes. For mix buss compression though I'd consider those 7025 tubes.

The PRO VLA is certainly not a be-all end-all compressor, but it is useful for what it is. I'm glad I have one around, and I have been using it. I also have a couple Distressors, a Compellor, and a bunch of older DBX and Aphex compressors. The PRO VLA is another nice color to have around.
 
Thanks...another vote for VLA for buss compression. Nothing against using it for other things at all. I may end up using it on some tracking and just using the preamp of my Joe Meek without the comp...we'll see. Just depends on what it sounds like in different apps. First and foremost, though, I need it to do what I am buying it to do. From there, the more it can do certainly the better. If I end up buying it, I'll probably look into some NOS tubes. I hear the unit kind of gives a vintage vibe. I imagine with the right tubes (when finances come around) I could really have some fun with it. Again, so far the jury is saying VLA for my primary need of such a unit.
 
Just to clarify, what I meant by buss compression was putting an instrument or instruments on a couple of the 8 busses on my mixer and sending that to the PRO VLA. I don't send a whole mix out to it. I could see using it for mix buss compression in a pinch and on a budget, but I think I would want some different tubes in it for that, and hit the compression very lightly. I still agree with the other poster about leaving that for a mastering engineer and higher end gear.
 
I like the vla on the drum buss, it works great for rock. I don't have an rnc
 
Seeker of Rock said:
Simman, MF has a catalog (not online) price of $239 for the Pro VLA right now, which is causing quite a buzz. Given I have the choice of the two, I'm just trying to decide which one would suit my needs best. After reading my original post, I should probably clarify; the VLA or RNC will be used as a buss effect out to the mixdown deck only, not on recording the individual tracks...I have a Joe Meek pre/comp when I need to do that. I'm looking at these two units only to level the signal going in to the mixdown deck. If it affects the overall sound of the signal going into the CDRW700 a little (adds some flava), that's O.K. with me too.
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Thanks for the heads up on that one. I ordered the vla for 240. It's back ordered tho. It'll take at least a week for them to get any. The price is pretty good, I already have a compressor, but if I didn't I would have gotten the RNC - I know eventually I will get one of those for sure.

The guy at MF on the phone said they were $299, I had to tell him I was looking at the most recent catalog from Fall 04 and I told him the price and he said, 'oh, yea, that's the price now...' or something like that, so if you order it you have to know that, also, he asked me all those numbers from that catalog and also if it was in my name. So definitely have a catlog handy. Not sure if not having that info would make a diff in price tho, since i usually order off web.

I got some other junk too and an berry b5...another story...I see that this thing is also a pre amp? it has phantom power and xlr's, and it's called an amp. so is this thing a tube preamp, tube compressor thing? I only learned of it yesterday and ordered it up quick w/ minimal research, not normal for me but i know i want something like this.

Is this trying to take some fame dust from the famous LA2A? That thing is mentioned in just about every interview I read of producers/engineers.

So if the price goes back up I figure I could sell it w/ out much loss. Now I gotta wait....
 
Some good questions that I can't answer. It seems the intended use is as a compressor. The price seems quite reasonable if the quality holds up to what people say it is. I plan to use it during final mixdown onto CD. I don't use the term "mastering" for my uses because of my humble recording setup. With the VLA, my setup will be enough to distribute my tunes more as a semi-refined demo. Should I get any interest, I would likely buy some studio time somewhere and re-record or send what I have on tape (pre-effected by the VLA and EQ) to a true mastering house and let them see what they could do with it.
 
I'd agree with Massive Master. The RNC is gold for individual tracks (vocals, ac. guitar). It's nice and clean and compresses without the artifacts typical to budget compressors. It is, however, NOT particularly good at 2-buss compression. I've never used the ART unit, but I can say that I wouldn't buy the RNC for the 2-buss. I would however buy it for a lot of other stuff... especially vocals (with the SuperNice mode engaged).
 
junplugged,
It's on order. $239 turnkey price including shipping! Can't beat that, man. Backordered, but should be shipping again in a couple of days when their stock arrives. I'm patient. :cool:
 
I ordered the VLA from MF just last night. Couldn't pass up on the $239 deal! The girl said they had them in, doesn't mean they do.. and I don't really care if it takes a little while cause I can't record anything now anyways :) Just building up my assortment of gear for when I finally complete my little basement space.

-Krag
 
I have noticed that more then one of the posters here have said that the RNC should not be used as a 2 buss compressor. Why? Would it work if you used 2 RNCs, one for each channel or is there some other reason?
 
I believe it's frequecy response thing.

I have an RNC and it does work good on guitar and vocals ..... especially SuperNice mode.

It does not work well on bass in my opinion.
Low end signals just mess it up.
I cant tell you technically why but it does.

You cant really slam the RNC.
It needs to be working fairly moderately IMO to sound good.
Thats why SuperNice mode work well because its 3 stages in series so its working less hard and more transparently but if you really push it its starts to sound crappy.
I think bass slams it more because low end signals have a lot of energy and I think it just craps it out.

For the 2 Buss mix you need a compressor thats smooth (or at least even) across the whole spectrum (which acording to many, the VLA does well enough for the price range) and wont mess up the the low end of the mix.

I have tried the RNC on the 2Buss and it didnt sound all that great..... better than bass alone though.... but not better enough to want to keep it on the 2buss.

I perfer just to send the mix to Sound Forge and do a light pass with Wavehammer right before burning to disc, which tightens up the mix a little and gives the volume a little (just a little) nudge.

-mike
 
jonmmartin, just to reiterate and add to what Mike said, the shortcoming (and only for certain applications) may be the ability to process low frequencies. This is what several reviewers have mentioned, anyway, here and on HC. You mentioned adding another RNC...two RNCs may make the situation a little more flexible given the fact that the unit, although it has stereo I/Os, has ganged controls so both channels receive the same amount of processing. This would not compensate for a shortcoming of handling low frequencies unless all low frequencies were panned hard left or right, and the respective RNC for that channel was barely processed. The graph of this audio would look like a woman with two different size breasts, say a trainer bra cup and a C cup. This may not be optimal for most people's listening tastes. Again, this thread is not a slam on the RNC. I have heard VERY good things about the RNC and do not doubt for a second its quality, but I am looking for a particular function of the compressor I am buying and it needs to perform well for the primary use it is being purchased for (and hopefully other uses as well). I have a Joe Meek I enjoy and will continue to use it as well, but it is mono. Yeah, I could have bought a second one, but I heard good feedback on the VLA and thought I would give it a try. Will probably eventually (as I grow) end up with an RNC or two as well.
 
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