Compressor/Limiter for a Small Studio?

[David Sandberg]

Having just added another credit card to my wallet, it's time to
perform the time-worn ritual of breaking it in on some piece of
musical equipment. And what I think I need most right now is a
compressor/limiter appropriate for use in my small 1/4" eight-
track studio, especially for use with vocal and acoustic guitar
tracks (but also anywhere else it might be helpful - I'm not
exactly up on compressors and how best to utilize them).

What I would like is recommendations of good compressor/limiters
in a middlin' price range. I really don't want to blow more than
$500 or so, and of course there's no point in getting something
that's miles beyond the capabilities of the rest of my equipment
anyway. I would also appreciate any hints that people might like
to offer on using compression in a studio setting (like when and
how to best apply it).

Suggestions, anyone? Email or post as you prefer, and consider
my thanks as having been extended in advance.

--
\*=- David Sandberg, d...@quad.sialis.com ,=, ,=, -=*\
\*=- "like words whispered by waking ghosts | |uadric `=,ystems -=*\
\*=- that in my ears muttered" - Torhthelm `=\ `=' -=*\

[Pete Lyall]

One of the best that you can get in that price range is the DBX-166.
It's a dual compressor/limiter/gate with a linkable mode for stereo
operation. New they list for around $600 (so figure about $45o or so
after nominal discounting). Used I've seen them (occasionally) for
around $375.

I have heard good things about the Symetrix units, but I have not
heard them myself.

The new Alesis unit (3630) looks to be an EXCELLENT buy if it sounds
good. They are a full featured compressor/limiter/gate with switchable
program detection algorithms (hard/soft knee), and nearly all the
controls you'd need to make it do what you need (noticed the glaring
omission of an 'input level' control, but that may be compensated for
by 'threshold'). List on this is only $299, which puts it at 200-225
street dollars. Again, it all depends on how it _will_ sound when it
gets released in the next month or so.

I also have an AudioLogic that gets the job done. Basically same setup
as the DBX166, but more controls to twiddle.

I have also had an Alesis uLimiter, and while it's not ultra hi-tech,
it does have a nice sound and gets the job done very inexpensively. No
gates here though.

Pete Lyall

--
Pete Lyall [GTE] Compuserve: 76703,4230 Internet: pe...@wlbr.imsd.contel.com
UUCP: {hacgate,jplgodo,voder}!wlbr!pete
"... So I picked up my pride from beneath the pay phone, and combed his breath
right outta my hair. And sometimes, it's not so easy ..." J. Hendrix/My Friend

[Richard Stern]

>One of the best that you can get in that price range is the DBX-166.
>It's a dual compressor/limiter/gate with a linkable mode for stereo
>operation. New they list for around $600 (so figure about $45o or so
>after nominal discounting). Used I've seen them (occasionally) for
>around $375.

Music Emporium shows the dbx-166 at $439. That means you could probably
get it from Sam Ash for $425 or less.

Richard Stern
rst...@col.hp.com

[David Rick]

[basenote asks for compressor recommendations]

I have had a Symetrix SX-206 "multi-dynamics processor" for a while
now. It can do compression, limiting, expansions, ducking, and
gating, depending on what mode you set it in. I have used it for
compressing vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass (well, cello) with
good results. I have not used most of the other modes yet, but I
expect to use ducking mode on a mixdown this weekend. I may also
use the sidechain input to control a sibulance problem on one track.

I like the unit well enough that I'm considering buying a second one
so I can link them for stereo. Two of them will fit side-by-side in
one 19" rack space. I think the list price is $349. Jamie, at
Music Alley, quoted me $240. Tempting.

I don't have the schematic diagram for the 206 here today (but
it is in the manual: hooray!) and I can't remember if the
VCA is made by SSM or dBX. They are both good, though. I do
recall that the various modes were configured by rerouting things
through 4046 analog switches, which worried me a little, but I'm
not sure what I would have done instead. I practice, the unit
sounds just fine, and I see 4046s in a lot of other equipment, too.
I hope the new SSM analog switches begin to catch on, because I
think they are better, but I know they didn't exist when this
product was designed.

I have a couple other Symetrix half-rack products that deserve mention.
The SX-201 is a three-band full parametric EQ. I use it when I can't
get the sound I want from the EQ section on my board (being able to
vary the Q does help), and for notching feedback modes in sound
reinforcement. I wish the high and low sections could be switched
to shelving mode as an option, but one can usually get about the
same result with a little more fiddling.

I also have an SX-202 dual mike preamp that I bought once when I
ran out of mike inputs on my board. I don't often have more than
twelve live mikes, but I find I use the 202 anyway, because it
sounds so good. This weekend, I was recording a wire-strung harp,
and I just couldn't get it to work well through a normal channel.
The trim control for my input stage was very sensitive between
the 55 and 60 dB gain setting, which was just where I needed to
work. So I plugged into the 202, and switched the console channel
over to line-in with unity gain, where it would behave. The result
was crystal-clear with not a hint of overload. I began to feel
guilty for not running some of the other tracks this way.

I have had all three units apart, BTW, and the internal construction
is quite good, with double-sided glass epoxy PC boards, and clean
signal routing. I feel much better about these units than the
dBX graphic EQs I own, which look like they were built by
Taiwanese mud wasps. (I bought a second one because there was
nothing else on the market like it, but I wasn't too happy about
the situation.) No such reservations about the Symetrix products.

I do find the external transformers rather annoying, though. I
don't think they are all that reliable, either. I had one fail
last month. Fortunately, Symetrix replaced it in just about a week.

Hope this helps,

David L. Rick
dr...@hplvdo.HP.COM

Disclaimer: As a result of my job, I have some strong opinions about
how electronic equipment should be built. Please recognize that these
are my own opinions, and not those of my employer.