Yet another compressor question...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Olive
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Olive

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...or can I use my 3630 for anything?

Right now I have a 3630 compressor...I know that no one seems to have much good to say about this rig, but to be honest at this point the rest of my stuff is so sub-par (think RadioShack) that its hard to even evaluate the 3630. I'm am taking the plunge and seriously upgrading everything.

So, regarding the compressor portion of this upgrade I've got a few questions. I'd like your thoughts / recommendations for a sub $300 compressor which would primarily be used for mix-down. Been reading about the FRM RNC, which seems like a popular piece of gear....appropriate for a mix down compressor?

Also, is there anything I can use this Alesis comp for, or is it just going to add more frustration? What about using it for snare compression, acoustic guitar etc? I'm thinking that at mix down time, there will probably be tracks that I want to compress at mix down time differently than I want to compress the overall mix.

Thanks for you comments!

Brad
 
Personally I think using it for anything more than a doorstop or a flashy paperweight is wasted effort, but YMMV!
 
OK, and since posting this I've now noticed the very complete discussion of the RNC vs. the VLA.... don't know how I missed that thread ;)

Still the question stands...is the 3630 really that bad as to render it essentially useless?
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Personally I think using it for anything more than a doorstop or a flashy paperweight is wasted effort, but YMMV!
Click to expand...

Yeah, seem to be the popular opinion. I guess, when I'm all set up all I can do is give it a try for myself. Then find a nice door to use it with.
 
I wish I had received my Pro VLA by now, had hooked it up, played with it so I could give you an honest opinion. Unfortunately, Musician's Friend (the vendor who is selling it right now at quite the discounted price) had some labeling problems in their shipping department and sent me a Pro Channel instead. It seems to be a well-received piece of equipment. Obviously it will not compete with the big boys (Manley, Emp. Labs, etc.) but seems to have a good reputation. I am waiting in anticipation to have my order corrected and the VLA sent my way. If I get it before you make a purchase, I will post my opinion of it, whether it be good, bad, or somewhere in between. I have heard good mention about certain models of dbx as well. I think I read it on this forum a few days ago.
 
Well although the 3630 is not TOL, you can use it as a nice decent smoothing compressor when tracking vocals. Set it up with a 2:1 ratio while adjusting the threshold till you are showing about 1-3 db of gain reduction. That will help smooth out your peaks a little.

It aint the best but it aint the worse either. Yes there is better but a PRO can make good work great. Just learn the limitations of your gear and work within those parameters.
 
personally I'd keep the Alesis far far far away from vocals acoustic stuff or anything that you don't wanna destroy the sound of. The Alesis might be good for drums or at least drum mults(when you copy the same track more then once and add processing to the copy).
 
Remember that is just one mans opinion like mine is one mans opinion even if 50 people have the same opinion the final test is your ears :)

When U are on abudget you make what you got work :)
 
I have used the 3630 on kick drums. The gate makes a clicking noise that helps the attack and the lack of low end helps clean up a muffley or overly boomy kick.
 
Farview said:
I have used the 3630 on kick drums. The gate makes a clicking noise that helps the attack and the lack of low end helps clean up a muffley or overly boomy kick.
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for their input on this. I will be trying out for myself all of your suggestions. I think the only reasonable thing to do, after I get set up, is try it out. If I can find a use for it and not be disturbed by the sound, then great. If not, well no big deal...I can always use another paper weight.

Brad
 
Olive said:
Interesting. That might be a fun project to try out. I'm kind of left thinking that financially speaking, dropping $115 onto a $75 compressor may not be the most productive way to spend time and/or money ;). But being an electronics geek...there would be a certain satisfaction/fun factor involved!

Brad
Click to expand...

I think it is the sound we care about most, not the initial cost of the unit.

Like Modifiy MXL 2001 mics. By themselves they suck. Modified they sound great.
 
If you still need to find a compressor, the FMR Really Nice Compressor is one of the few pieces of equipment that crack out of the box lives up to its hype. Sounded good and did it's job very well. For about $179, you'll have a great compressor.
 
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