Hey Ghost

[Herm]

Would you tell me what you really think of the alesis 3630?
Im in need of a compressor but like always dont want to spend a bunch.
Also if you have anything posted that you used it on could you give me a link to the song and tell me what instrument it was used on?

Thank You

Herm

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Hi Herm,

As you may or may not know, I own one of those and actually like mine just fine!

I have had my 3630 for close to 10 years at this point and everything I record goes through it for vocals, bass and the occasional acoustic guitar when tracking.

I seldom-ly use it as a mix-down compressor because all the dynamics are tamed nicely in the recording process and as well, I like a punchy, dynamic sound on the final mix so, I don't bother with it there.

Why so many people seem to hate this compressor is a bit of a mystery to me because the insides of the unit are largely built with dbx compressor circuitry and functions the same as some of dbx's lower end comps.

It's one short-coming is in it's lack of headroom compared to some higher end units on the market and can be made to clip audibly if you go too heavy on the incoming levels. If you are careful about that one issue with it, it can create some very natural and transparent sounding compression.

As for checking out my stuff that has the compressor working on the tracks, everything I have currently on my Sound-Click site has the vocals, bass and acoustic guitars processed through it. Just click on the WWW, at the bottom of all my posts.

Cheers and once again, Happy New Year to you and your family.

 

[Cratinus]

i agree with The Ghost on this one. from a compression standpoint the 3630 works pretty well (i also have a little NANO compresser that i use for a lot of things). the "gate" on the 3630 chatters like those "wind-up" Halloween dentures that clippity-clop all over the table-top, however. use it (the gate) as sparingly as possible. cheers.

 

[Herm]

Thank you for the help guy,s and Happy new years to all of you.

 

[cjacek]

As for checking out my stuff that has the compressor working on the tracks, everything I have currently on my Sound-Click site has the vocals, bass and acoustic guitars processed through it. Just click on the WWW, at the bottom of all my posts.

Hey Ghost!

I clicked on the www link but it comes up "404 NOT FOUND". Check it please 'cause I wanna listen to your tunes!

Daniel

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Sound Click is having some problems right now and hopefully, the link and the site should be back to normal shortly.

From visiting the site there, myself, I noticed that several links on that site are pooched right now.

Give it a day or two?

Cheers!

 

[cjacek]

Sound Click is having some problems right now and hopefully, the link and the site should be back to normal shortly.

From visiting the site there, myself, I noticed that several links on that site are pooched right now.

Give it a day or two?

Cheers!

Ok, will do!

Daniel

 

[cjacek]

Hi Herm,


Why so many people seem to hate this compressor is a bit of a mystery to me because the insides of the unit are largely built with dbx compressor circuitry and functions the same as some of dbx's lower end comps.

After listenning to your tunes I too am a bit puzzled 'cause the compression sounds completely natural. I also found your songs really cool to say the least. Great sound, singing, mixing etc .. They really have that 70's, 80's sound to 'em and, yeah, I can hear the nice ANALOG sound! Say, what reverb unit do you use ?

Good job Jeff!

Btw, you should definitely send your music over to some independent record labels. I immensely like your sound!

Daniel

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Dan,

Thanks for the kind words about my music!

Perhaps it's fitting, almost poetic that my 1000th post is one where I can talk about why we record in the first place and that is of coarse our love of music and getting our home-made efforts to sound professional and smooth.

In many cases, it's not just what equipment you have but how you use it that matters most. This is probably of of the most over-looked aspects of many home recordists and why I have been able to rack up so many posts here at HR.com as it would seem many others are trying to achieve the illusive goal of making a big hit recording and become rich and famous in the process.

For me, at this point, it's just a hobby and I do it for the love of the music and little else.

Becoming famous is almost like winning the lottery and we all know what those odds are.

Cheers!

 

[cjacek]

Dan,

Thanks for the kind words about my music!

Perhaps it's fitting, almost poetic that my 1000th post is one where I can talk about why we record in the first place and that is of coarse our love of music and getting our home-made efforts to sound professional and smooth.

In many cases, it's not just what equipment you have but how you use it that matters most. This is probably of of the most over-looked aspects of many home recordists and why I have been able to rack up so many posts here at HR.com as it would seem many others are trying to achieve the illusive goal of making a big hit recording and become rich and famous in the process.

For me, at this point, it's just a hobby and I do it for the love of the music and little else.

Becoming famous is almost like winning the lottery and we all know what those odds are.

Cheers!

Still ... YOU ROCK!

~Daniel

 

[cjacek]

Jeff, as long as you're on the board let me ask you ... What is the difference between the TASCAM m-308 and 308B ? I know the "B" means "balanced" but that means very little to me . Also, would you know when the 308B was introduced and for how much retail/msrp (US $$) ?

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[The Ghost of FM]

The "B" in the 300 series does not mean balanced. As the non "B" versions were balanced designs as well, offering balanced channel inputs and balanced buss and stereo outs.

The "B" simply means second generation.

Perhaps their marketing department would have done better to come up with a name like M312MkII or some other such moniker?

The "B" series offered the additional features of phantom power for the microphone inputs, an improvement in the input sensitivity spec of the effect returns and 4 additional vu meters on the 20 channel M320B model. Otherwise, they're very similar designs.

The 300 series was released in the early 80s and the B series came out in the late 80's and was part of the line up untill the mid 90's.

I don't know the original retail prices for the 300 series but, the B series retailed at 3k for M208B, 3.4k for the M312B and 4k for the M320B.

Cheers!

Oh, by the way, the reverb unit I use is the Yamaha REV-500. I picked that up about 7 or 8 years ago at this point and have been very happy with it's room and environment simulations.

 

[cjacek]

The "B" in the 300 series does not mean balanced. As the non "B" versions were balanced designs as well, offering balanced channel inputs and balanced buss and stereo outs.

The "B" simply means second generation.

Perhaps their marketing department would have done better to come up with a name like M312MkII or some other such moniker?

The "B" series offered the additional features of phantom power for the microphone inputs, an improvement in the input sensitivity spec of the effect returns and 4 additional vu meters on the 20 channel M320B model. Otherwise, they're very similar designs.

Cheers!

Oh, by the way, the reverb unit I use is the Yamaha REV-500. I picked that up about 7 or 8 years ago at this point and have been very happy with it's room and environment simulations.

Oh, damn .. and I thought it meant "balanced" .. . Nevertheless thanks a lot for the info! Do you by any chance know what the 308B retailed for and when it was introduced ?

Thanks for all,

Daniel

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Oh, damn .. and I thought it meant "balanced" .. . Nevertheless thanks a lot for the info! Do you by any chance know what the 308B retailed for and when it was introduced ?

Thanks for all,

Daniel

You didn't give me a chance to edit my answer!

Re-read it!

Cheers!

 

[cjacek]

You didn't give me a chance to edit my answer!

Re-read it!

Cheers!

Ok, got it!

Yeah, so judging from your numbers I'd assume that the 308B retailed for about 3.5 K USD or 4.5 - 5 K CND! Wow!

Thanks Jeff,

Daniel

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Well, the nature of retail prices being what they are, we can safely assume that not every mixer sold at full retail out there.

The markets have a way of leveling things down through competition and using the mixers in rental stock first then selling them off cheaper as the rental fees paid for much of the board's cost.

If you are familiar with Long & McQuade, that's how they did a lot of their business in Canada with TASCAM gear. Rent it out for a year or two then sell it as demo, rental stock for a low price.

Many machines in the Toronto used market came through this route and all the more special when you find a true low mileage recorder or mixer out there.

Cheers!

 

[DigitalSmigital]

Ok, got it!

Yeah, so judging from your numbers I'd assume that the 308B retailed for about 3.5 K USD or 4.5 - 5 K CND! Wow!

Thanks Jeff,

Daniel

OK, I'll bite the bait. Who the hell is Jeff? I thought you were talking to that knowledgable, albeit Canadian, Ghost of FM!

I too am amazed that you have an Alesis 3630 in your arsenal, "Jeff". This is the only outboard compressor I've ever had. But the stigma that comes with using one has kept me from coming out and saying it. I'm so ashamed!

That is some excellent writing/recording/musicianship archived on your Soundclick site, Ghost. Are any of these recent recordings? Do you still spend a lot of time in your studio? Am I asking too many questions?

 

[DigitalSmigital]

And Daniel, when do we get a sample of that fine 34B you have been hogging for your own joy for over a month now? We've seen the pictures, now spread some tunes on the net!

 

[The Ghost of FM]

OK, I'll bite the bait. Who the hell is Jeff? I thought you were talking to that knowledgeable, albeit Canadian, Ghost of FM!

I too am amazed that you have an Alesis 3630 in your arsenal, "Jeff". This is the only outboard compressor I've ever had. But the stigma that comes with using one has kept me from coming out and saying it. I'm so ashamed!

That is some excellent writing/recording/musicianship archived on your Sound-click site, Ghost. Are any of these recent recordings? Do you still spend a lot of time in your studio? Am I asking too many questions?

I am known as Jeff away from this board and in real life.

Do me a small favor and keep the politics out of this place, please.
I won't make fun of your festering, seas-pool of a country and you don't make fun of mine, either, in this place. Agreed?

Thanks for the kind words about my music!

The 1st and third tunes are slightly older and the middle tune was done a couple of years back.

I am still writing and recording but release stuff on other sites too like Nowhere radio for clinic critics and then pull them after the thread dies.

I have written and recorded close to 200 songs over the past few decades.

Cheers!

 

[DigitalSmigital]

Do me a small favor and keep the politics out of this place, please. I won't make fun of your festering, seas-pool of a country and you don't make fun of mine, either, in this place. Agreed?


Cheers!

This is no small favor you ask, my freind, coming from a country whose sole contributions to my excessive, greedy american lifestyle are maple syrup and bacon. But, as a big fan of breakfast, I will agree to keep my snide comments to a minimum, and concede that hockey is the coolest game on earth. If only you guys could play the game, too.

The main problem with this consumer-driven economy is I have so little time to actually use my studio. 55 hours a week working, and 2 or 3 expressing myself musically. Little wonder my music is so violent in nature. But my next song will post soon on Soundclick.