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Hardware Compressor
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EtherealMotive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
56
Posts :
186
Posted : Jan 4, 2010 21:30:24
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I would like to start off with a Happy New Year to everyone! I was wondering what's a high quality hardware compressor thats a good bang for your buck? |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Jan 4, 2010 22:02
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fmr PBC6a ,empirical labs el8x |
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Suloo
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
87
Posts :
2822
Posted : Jan 5, 2010 01:04
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drawmer stuff..but depends on your budget..
what do you want to spend?
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EtherealMotive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
56
Posts :
186
Posted : Jan 5, 2010 04:05
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Less than a $1000 CDN would be nice. |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Jan 5, 2010 14:34
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you re not happy with plugins? they are the best bang for the buck |
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mquirk1
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
384
Posted : Jan 6, 2010 04:07
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why do you want to get an outboard compressor? what will you use it for in your setup? are you thinking of using it as something to run all your digital tracks through to give them some analogue feel?
a few things:
1) having a single piece of outboard, it's very time consuming to use as you have to send each individual track out to it, one at a time.
2) if your converters aren't up to scratch then running a single out of your d/a, into the compressor then back into the a/d can lead to significant loss of quality in the sound.
3) you have to spend a lot on outboard to see much of an improvement on plugins. you might be able to pick up a 2nd hand distressor for like $1200, but that is mono, for a stereo compressor you are looking at spending twice that. anything less and you may as well stick to plugins, as, as PoM mentioned, they are the best bang for your buck and are getting very close to the sound of hardware atm. |
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Fragletrollet
Fragletrollet
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
1748
Posted : Jan 6, 2010 18:29
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 04:36
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yes you need good ad/da cause you re gonna do a lot of loop but even with a rme converter like fireface 800 the benefit of the outboard can still be huge vs the damage of the convertion ,if you have cheap soundcard maybe it s better to update the ad/da first
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mquirk1
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
384
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 05:17
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Quote:
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On 2010-01-07 04:36, PoM wrote:
yes you need good ad/da cause you re gonna do a lot of loop but even with a rme converter like fireface 800 the benefit of the outboard can still be huge vs the damage of the convertion ,if you have cheap soundcard maybe it s better to update the ad/da first
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i don't see many people on this forum that even have rme level converters tho..
i think the main point tho is that you're looking at spending at least $2000 US to get a good stereo compressor. i'm assuming you'd want stereo as opposed to one channel since it's for electronic music and lots more stereo type leads are used..
you can get cheaper hardware, but it's not worth it because the good plugins sound better then crap hardware. hell good plugins are starting to almost sound as good as good hardware.. i was in your position and looking at picking up an api 2500 but have put it on hold for awhile as i don't think it will necessarily make such a huge difference in the quality of my productions to make paying that much worthwhile. |
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EtherealMotive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
56
Posts :
186
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 05:36
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Thanks to all of you for your responses. Yes I have a good audio interface with high quality converters. I have the RME Fireface 400. You guys are correct when you assume I want the compressor to give my sound some real analog. I am really trying to figure out what my best options are. I'm really interested in analog sound apposed to digital. I like soft highs and warm lows. I figured maybe a nice analog compressor would do the trick, but yes. It seems anything good is going to strip me dry of cash. I've already spent quite a bit on my setup.
Macbook pro, $800 on room treatment, Fireface 400, Focal Solo 6's and some other gear. I don't feel like I should cheese out on some analog. I'm really not sure what to do at this point. I also don't want my "color" sounding like everyone else's either. |
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mquirk1
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
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384
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 07:13
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there are ways of getting your sound to be warm and less harsh without turning to outboard. software has come along way lately, and many of the plugin compressor, such as the waves cla bundle, the softube ones and the elysia mpressor model the saturation and harmonic distortion of a high end compressor.
furthermore, there's a vast selection of pure saturation plugins that can be used to give your stuff an analogue feel. if you use pc, look into nebula. it is basically a program which allows people to 'sample' hardware units and the effect that they have on a sound. for eg, people have sampled preamps, hardware eqs, and tape among other things. you can then apply these impulses to your own recordings to make it sound like they were recorded through that preamp or to tape or whatever
also if you have ilok, soundtoys have just released a new plugin which is free for beta testing until the end of jan called 'decapitator'. it is awesome for giving digital sounds a warm analogue edge.
also do not underestime the importance of eq. if you like soft highs and warm lows, then mix this way. roll off the highs of all your parts, boost the lows a bit etc. in the end the 'sound' of hardware that you like is realy just an eq curve the piece is applying to the source material. this is why stuff like nebula works, it can sample how the hardware affects the sound and then apply it to different sources in the software realm |
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EtherealMotive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
56
Posts :
186
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 08:35
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Thanks for the information. I do agree with what you have to say to an extent. But I've heard what real analog hardware sounds like, and software just hasn't quite made it yet. I've tried many plugins, and the "analog" warmth just isn't there. As for compression, software has come very far and many of them compress very well. I'm on a mac, and its hard to find anything thats really good in terms of compressors. I'd buy the waves stuff, but I honestly don't like it enough. They work very well, but I'm not very fond of the coloring they have. |
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Fragletrollet
Fragletrollet
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
1748
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 13:37
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Fragletrollet
Fragletrollet
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
1748
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 13:43
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 15:13
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with plugins the workflow is easier and they do sound great only problem in 2 years you may have some other plugins to replace them so it can cost as much as some hardware in the end, with hardware you stop looking for new tools cause you know you have some classics that are unbeatable at what they do ,but yes it s expensive... a good comp and a chanel strip with pre/di eq is all you need imo but would cost you around 3000 $$ and all mono but it s not really a propblem you just can bounce the left then the right chanel .
with what you said i think it s not a comp you re looking for but a neve clone preamp/di like aurora audio gtq2 or their chanel strip ,a friend have a other neve inspired pre and when i heard it i knew it s the sound i was looking for since age... no plugins can replace that it really sound great with smoothing/compressing transients and a big creamy sound |
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