settings for compressors

[ssseals]

I'm getting ready to buy a compressor for my home studio and want advice on how to use it best for vocals, guitar, drums, etc... I've had no experience with these and don't know where to start. Should I run through it on the way to the board, or use an fx send? Any recommendations on brands for $100-$150? Thanks.

 

[Emeric]

Check out this site:

www.geocities.com/shailat2000/index.html

 

[vox]

Get the FMR Audio RNC 1773 (stands for Really Nice Compressor). It costs less than $200 and it gets RAVE reviews from REAL audio professionals, It is often compared to compressors that cost over $1000.

Do a search and read some of the reviews yourself, but there are some on their site

http://www.fmraudio.com/reviews.html

Normally you use a compressor through a mixing boards 'channel insert', It's a send and return on one TRS 1/4 jack.

Usually for Vocals you dont want to hear the compressor working, unless you want to use it as a special effect on hard rock vocals or something, so you would usually use it set to 'soft knee' or 'overeasy' with a moderate ratio of maybe 4:1 or so.

For Percussive or aggressive sounds you can use hard knee.

On drums sometimes you want to hear the compressor, especially on snare, so you can feel free to use extreme settings.

These aren't rules, just guidelines, and even if they were, Rules are made to be broken, so go with whatever sounds good.

 

[Leeking]

Is there a FX unit that has both good reverb and compressor/limiter effects? .......and also with a budget price?

 

[hongteck]

Reverbs and compressors/limiters are not usually housed together. Anyway you may not want it to as they are two very different applications and in may instance you may want to use them together. For compressor l'll go for the RNC.