Is anyone out there experienced with a bunch of higher end compressors that can recommend a unit that can provide me with that in-your-face slam, while still retaining great clarity and no compression distortion artifacts? I'd prefer something solid state as tube gear is a little too laid back for me.
I keep hearing a guy recommending the dbx 160 compressor, but I don't really like their 166xl on anything but drums. On vocals and instruments it was giving me distortion at extreme points and sounds way too narrow and sterile (VCA problem, maybe??). Is the 160 that much better?
My Art Pro VLA is better w/o the distortion but it is too laid back for what I want.
Anyways, I was planning on spending more money on something higher end if the performance would blow these away and/or yield me the results I was looking for.
Perhaps I'm just looking for something that is really supposed to be done with a mastering processor instead during final mixdown or something that could be done with a plug-in instead after tracking....
Thanks!
I keep hearing a guy recommending the dbx 160 compressor, but I don't really like their 166xl on anything but drums. On vocals and instruments it was giving me distortion at extreme points and sounds way too narrow and sterile (VCA problem, maybe??). Is the 160 that much better?
My Art Pro VLA is better w/o the distortion but it is too laid back for what I want.
Anyways, I was planning on spending more money on something higher end if the performance would blow these away and/or yield me the results I was looking for.
Perhaps I'm just looking for something that is really supposed to be done with a mastering processor instead during final mixdown or something that could be done with a plug-in instead after tracking....
Thanks!