Budget Compressor

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ex351d

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I am looking for a budget compressor that I can experiment with and something that later on if I get something better made, it would be still useful on at least bass drum and snare drum. I was looking at the DBX 166 xl, ART SCL2 and the Alesis 3632.
 
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If you must have hardware get the dbx, but plugins sound better. My most recent improvement in the sound of my recordings is bypassing most of the hardware compressors.
 
I just got a 3632 and I'm messing around with it. It does not sound good at extreme settings - that is, a lot of gain reduction - but it does do the EDM 'pumping' thing pretty well. I don't like the limiter and I have not yet looked at the expander / gate.

That said - I would also look to software if I needed a general purpose budget compressor.
 
Any suggestions (for the OP and I might be a little interested too :)) on a general purpose budget software compressor?
 
Xcaliber said:
Any suggestions (for the OP and I might be a little interested too :)) on a general purpose budget software compressor?
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Whatever comes with your DAW. If you want more start with the Reaper plugin pack.
 
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I don't like the one that comes with Studio One. I will look at the Reaper pack.
 
The one that comes with Logic is good. For third party, I would look at Klanghelm DC8C or U-he Presswerk and I like Stillwell Rocket
 
The Alesis 3620 is meh.
It works but it won't do anything special.
 
What is the difference between the FMR RNC and RNLA? What would you use which for?
 
Btyre2013 said:
FMR audio RNC is good for the money.
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This ^^^^^

The RNC and RNLA are different sounding beasts, but are both compressors. Have a read of the FMR site and make up your mind which one to get LINK. Personally as a first compressor I would get the RNC (I have 2).

Alan.
 
The DBX 163 is dirt cheap, fail proof, and sounds good on a variety of things. It's my go to for kick, bass, and rap or hardcore vocals.
 
JG96 said:
The DBX 163 is dirt cheap, fail proof, and sounds good on a variety of things. It's my go to for kick, bass, and rap or hardcore vocals.
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Yes I agree, I own 2 x 163X and a 163A, but remember they are mono unless you have 2 and connect them with the stereo link cable.

Cheers
Alan.
 
For software compressors, I really like Waves H-Comp. It can do several things very well.

For hardware compressors, I only have experience with one and I actually love it. ART Pro VLA II. I've really been enjoying it on vocals and bass guitar. It barely edged out the RNC when I was shopping, and I'm glad that I chose it. Two independent channels, the ability to link them for a stereo signal if you're brave enough to send a bus to it (that's not its forte). I haven't used it on percussion yet so I can't vouch for it's abilities on a snare or kick.

From what I gathered while shopping, I think that the RNC is more for transparent compression (especially in Really Nice mode), and the ART has just a bit of color to it. The RNLA definitely has a color to it, and is geared more towards stereo bus compression or really coloring up a bass or kick.
 
Tadpui said:
I think that the RNC is more for transparent compression (especially in Really Nice mode), and the ART has just a bit of color to it.
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The RNC defiantly has character (colour) when not in nice mode LOL.

Alan.
 
Another vote for the fmr stuff, I use them all the time.
Best part is that you'll keep them even if you get more expensive stuff.
 
I would also go in the box for compression. I really liked vareity of sound's compressors in a 32 bit format for free VST ware. They don't play nice with Cubase x64, although J-Bridge is supposed to fix that.

As far as hardware comps, almost anything in the under $500 range should have one knob labelled "Suck" and one knob labelled "Mud". Turn it up for more. But, as with all things, YMMV.
 
cafehonda said:
I would also go in the box for compression. I really liked vareity of sound's compressors in a 32 bit format for free VST ware. They don't play nice with Cubase x64, although J-Bridge is supposed to fix that.

As far as hardware comps, almost anything in the under $500 range should have one knob labelled "Suck" and one knob labelled "Mud". Turn it up for more. But, as with all things, YMMV.
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obviously you've never heard an elysia xpressor 500 then? it's better than any of my compressor plug-ins and I own some really great plug-ins, none of them come close.
 
Why are we talking VST compressors when the OP wanted to know about hardware compressors?

Another compressor that I have that I really like is the TL Audio 5021, You can pick these up second hand for a reasonable price. There is a old version and a newer version, I think the difference is that the newer one had selector switches for the attack and release and the old ones had a 2 position button, try to get the later one.

Alan.
 
Btyre2013 said:
obviously you've never heard an elysia xpressor 500 then? it's better than any of my compressor plug-ins and I own some really great plug-ins, none of them come close.
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Unfortunately I have not had a chance to give that one a ride, though it certainly is not budget at a grand. I do Love my API 525s and my Smart Research C1LA, not really in the budget category either.

If the OP is set on hardware I would suggest the classic DBX 160. Great drum squish if you like that sort of thing. Do not get a 160 A, very thin sounding. X and XT models are okay but the vintage 160 comps have mojo.
 
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