Best hardware compressor for 300-450?

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Ouroboros11

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Title says it all, I've been stumped by all the choices out there. I am looking for a good compressor to use that cost between 300-450$ for my vocals (scream and clean).

Any ideas folks?
 
Well you asked for the best but 3 to 4 hundred will get you mostly lower end.
Unless you go for a RNC1773 or a RNLA7239 ----- just google up FMR audio
 
lol I am aware that I will be getting the low end of the compressor spectrum. I am just looking for a solid lower end compressor for recording metal vocals in my home studio, nothing pro (atleast for now)

As of now I am stumped between the FMR RNLA and the Art pro VLA II

Also, another somewhat related question since we're talking recording vocals here. Would getting one of these compressors and plugging it into my audio interface, a steinberg 816csx, like mic->compressor-> interface be an effective solution?
 
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Nope... Need a preamp before the compressor to bring your mic level up to line... If your interface has an insert or aux send & return, you can hook up the compressor there, but lacking that you're pretty much SOL
 
Damn man thanks for the heads up. Would there be any loss of "quality" by using the aux? Also, would you be able to point me in the right direction on how to do that? I'm an audio noob.
 
An insert would be preferable since it's specific to one channel and actually get's "inserted" into the audio chain. Aux will be shared across numerous channels and can be mixed wet (effected signal) and dry (original signal). You can use this as an insert by only sending the one chain to the aux channel and sending a totally wet signal...
 
Hell yeah man thanks, Would I need any special cables to make this possible? It seems like I would need. So far I'm down to the FMR RNLA, PBC-6A, and ART VLA PRO II

I hear great things about all those compressors, so I'm having a tough time deciding. I figured I would ask the pros
 
If you're gonna track with some compression make it light and transparent. I'd recommend rnc for that.

But what I think might be best is plu straight into the 816s pre and skip the compression till the mix. If you want an effect the rnc is super clean and won't hack it. But in that price range the colored comp are not usually good color so transparent ones tend to be better.

I am looking at the other fmr comps though for some options.
 
I got the VLA II and returned it in favor of a DBX 166XL. I was using it on bass guitar and wanted a hard knee, but the VLA II only does really soft knee compression. As it ted out, the contour function on the 166xl turned out to be really advantageous for bass, becasue it allows the low end to pass uncompressed and be caught by the limiter. So it let's me compress the high end separately, without the high end compression being driven by the low end. I don't see that being advnatageous for tracking vocals, so I don't see any reason to choose the DBX over the RNC. I haven't used the RNC, but I hear such good things, I plan to get one eventually.

I think a lot of people like soft knee compression on vocals, so the VLA II might be good for tracking that. I knows Southside Glen raves about it for tracking.

Things I have read over and over again are that the VLA II is not transparent., and that it will color your tone. That makes some people really unhappy. But a lot of people pay $$$$ for neve preamps becasue they like the way it colors their tone, and some people apprently like the way the VLA II colors tone as well.

I didn't really perceive any tone coloration with the VLA II I had, but I wasn't really listening for it.
 
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If your looking for transparency the RNC is what you should be looking at over the RNLA Just go to their web site and read up on them and make your choice upon your findings.
Both have there own strong points that's why I own a bunch of each. ;)
 
I ordered the RNC, thanks for the help guys :) I figured since it's gonna be my first outboard compressor I should get something transparent. It's not that I was looking for transparency, I was really just looking for a good compressor for my metal vocals, so I figured that I couldn't afford to get something that wasn't colored nicely
 
Ouroboros11 said:
Hell yeah man thanks, Would I need any special cables to make this possible? It seems like I would need.
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Only to insert... you'll need an insert cable (go figure)... not a y-cable, but an insert cable where tip and sleeve are generally your send and ring and sleeve are your return. Two discrete unbalanced channels.
 
Metal vocals! Why didn't you say so? :eek:

Kidding .... you will be able to clamp down on those Vs good and proper.

Once you get the hang of it the RNLA will do ya right as well.
 
Rnc is great and it's perfect for learning. It'll last you forever and give you a good chance to hear what compression is all about.

Jus don't over do it on tracking! I ruined a few good tracks that way.
 
lol well thanks for the help guys. I can't wait until it comes in!
 
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