what does a compressor do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Keith_H
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Thanks for the info. $3K is out of my price range, I will check out the plug-ins.

I had looked at the RNC awhile back, it seems well suited for someone who wants to add compression to a 2 track mix down to an external unit (like DAT or CDR). But I'm trying to do all my mixing down internally in Cakewalk. So my main interest is getting a good track onto my hard drive initially.


I hope Ed (Sonusman) will forgive me for doing this, but I was just looking in "The Rack" section on another thread about compressors. This is a piece of one of his postings, in which he is talking about the RNC unit vs. the Behringer Composer unit:

"Just have heard some tracks done with one. I would never consider one unless I was really rolling in the dough, mainly because it lacks a Peak Limiter, which I find far more useful in a tracking environment with digital recorders. I seldom compress more then about 2dB going to tape, but will limit whatever to keep a track hot. The Composers Peak Limiter is outstanding. We favored it's colorless limiting over a LA/2A for some tracks I did a while back. We favored it over a Manley unit too. It just did a nice transparent job of limiting and allowed a much hotter level to tape without hearing artifacts from the processing.

"What I have heard compressed with a RNC sounded very nice, but certainly not totally exciting. For the money? Yes, exciting, but no more so then the Composer. And with the Composer having a Peak Limiter, dual mono, and Balanced/Unbalanced 1/4" I/O, AND Balanced XLR I/O's, I think it is a better $200 spent. But please don't take this as a knock to the RNC. I just don't think the RNC compresses any better, and certainly lacks some features that I feel are important, like Peak Limiting.

"And really, the proof is in the pudding with anything. I use my Composers during tracking and mixing. I have even used it for a tad of compression on a recent mastering job where I needed a bit of analog interface to help the sound a bit. Hit a couple dB of gain reduction without "hearing" it with program material, and that is a pretty good indication if the unit works fairly well. Anyway, I get very nice sounding results with it, so any of you "pro's" out there who want to scoff at this piece of gear can shove it up your ass! My Composer compressed tracks sound every bit as good as just about anything under a $1000! ((I had to add that in because of comments I have read on other BBS's concerning some of the "advice" and "preferences" that are offered here being "bogus"....what a bunch of crock!) "


Anyway this sounds like exactly what I am looking for, a decent compressor with a peak limiter to keep me from overloading a track - and at a price I can easily afford. Any comments from anyone out there? I might just buy one to try out (knowing I can return it) but I'm curious if others out there share his enthusiam for the unit.
 
To be honest, I cannot really, or really cannot, comment on Ed's findings. He's got good ears, so I'd trust his judgement. I have never used any of the gear mentioned.

I just went down a list of compressors from one large retail outlet. Looking at the prices for what I would regard as "reasonable value for doing the job right" - I'd find a good software one.

As it is your intention to use it for tracking, I would first study the differences between compression and limiting.
I think you'd be best off with a compressor / limiter, especially peak limiter combo, so you can avoid those wild peaks, without having to squash the hell out of your track.

Always remember first - where do my peaks come from? Is there anything I can do about that? Are the peaks in a certain frequency range? Can I make an adjustment to solve this, like a mild EQ? Can I solve it through changing my microphone placement? If you really can't - only then is it time to apply some compression or limiting. (unless you want to use compression for its sound alone of cause).
 
I doubt it...

...not if you're used to using the likes of the Atomic!

(but if you had, I was interested in your impressions of it!)

:)
 
Thanks again! I was just at both web sites and downloaded demos for both products. And they are both substancially less than $3-5K.

Although I typically frown on people who buy things expecting to return them, I just might buy a Composer to check it out. Since I currently have the other two compressors on long-term loan it would be a good chance to compare the three of them. And I will check out the plug-in demos this weekend.
 
just make sure you've downloaded the right version of the plug-ins for your platform
 
Yes, I need (or rather Cakewalk needs) Direct X plugins. Strangely I didn't see that info anywhere on the McDSP site, but the other site clearly stated it supports Direct X.

That's one benifit of having a second computer also with Cakewalk (and my cheap Behringer mixer), I can do test installs of software like plug ins without worrying about seriously screwing up my "main" computer.
 
Just as a little bit of side information, The Waves Gold bundle - very expensive, yes. But - If I was a serious homer, I would save everything, sell my car and get a cheaper one, to get my hands on it. As far as effects and processing is concerned, from tracking to delivering a finished product, it has EVERYTHING. Really, any additional stuff is, well, a collectors hobby

For the majority of professionals working in Pro Tools, be it in audio, film or post production, waves gold bundle is the choice package. If you would compare it to the equivalent in hardware - sell your car and your house.
 
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