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Which Manley comp,is good for: 1.Electric guitar 2.acoustic guitar 3. Vocals?
I know its a braud question,but Ive been doing a lot of home-work on compressing.
When& for what does FET,EL-OP,Vactrol comps come into use when mastering?

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anonymous Sat, 07/30/2005 - 07:54

TrilliumSound wrote: What is your question precisely ? Mastering or tracking?; (1.Electric guitar 2.acoustic guitar 3. Vocals?, FET,EL-OP,Vactrol )

If you did lot of homework on compressing, what do you think about these (one you mentioned above)? Which one you like best(depending on settings of course) ?

Ive found the optical to have good transient qualities,.
Its for mastering,I have a semi good comp,but Im in the process of purchasing a Manley for mastering.

anonymous Sun, 07/31/2005 - 08:06

The Manley Vari-Mu is an awesome comp and I owned one for years. I love the feel of it. It can be super smooth and can be the magic finger on the fader across a mix.

After a lot of use, the "color" of the unit became too much for me. I opted for another fantastic unit, the Millennia TCL-2. It's a wonderfully musical unit that I love the more I use it. It's different from the Manley VM but it too can feel transparent and you have more options as far as color. It has both a JFET and Tube path which sound completely different.

Great box and worth a listen!

anonymous Mon, 08/01/2005 - 07:40

ambientdig wrote: The Manley Vari-Mu is an awesome comp and I owned one for years. I love the feel of it. It can be super smooth and can be the magic finger on the fader across a mix.

After a lot of use, the "color" of the unit became too much for me. I opted for another fantastic unit, the Millennia TCL-2. It's a wonderfully musical unit that I love the more I use it. It's different from the Manley VM but it too can feel transparent and you have more options as far as color. It has both a JFET and Tube path which sound completely different.

Great box and worth a listen!

Who makes the Millennia TCL-2

anonymous Tue, 08/02/2005 - 16:11

atlasproaudio wrote: For Mastering, I'd recommend either the Crane Song STC-8 or pair of Trakkers. I lean towards the Trakker pair, because I also do tracking and mix, and find them a bit more advantageous for individual tracks (a bit more color overall than the STC-8, and they can also emulate optos, VCA's, etc).

Man-------you guys are giving great info on some real nice comps.
Nathan-------where might I locate info on the Trakkers,and or the Crane Song you,ve mentioned?

anonymous Wed, 08/03/2005 - 21:28

ambientdig wrote: The Manley Vari-Mu is an awesome comp and I owned one for years. I love the feel of it. It can be super smooth and can be the magic finger on the fader across a mix.

After a lot of use, the "color" of the unit became too much for me. I opted for another fantastic unit, the Millennia TCL-2. It's a wonderfully musical unit that I love the more I use it. It's different from the Manley VM but it too can feel transparent and you have more options as far as color. It has both a JFET and Tube path which sound completely different.

Great box and worth a listen!

The ability to go from jfet,to tube (i find) to be a useful tool according to literature Ive read.
If you had to choose the Manley---or the ---millennia----------which one would you choose?

anonymous Thu, 08/04/2005 - 07:11

iznogood wrote: no eddies880...... the question is what would YOU choose??!!

get them.... listen.... and buy the manley..... (just kidding) :lol:

no... i meant... buy the one you like the most.... not because someone said so....

Im ready to purchase a class A comp------------junt cant make a decision as far as to which one.
Thye only problem: i cant find anyone who has all the comps mentioned-----------I really like the Manley,just for the sole reason that "everyone has one"----but I shure woul like to have two different flavors like the Millennia

anonymous Fri, 08/05/2005 - 15:35

I would recommend you listen to them to make your decision.

If you need tight, punchy, clean, warm... the Millennia can do that. I love how it can define and tighen the low end sometimes. It can do fast and slow but the main thing for me is how musical it is. I should mention that sometimes I run through the tubes or the JFET paths just to get the benefit of the box. The tubes will soften and the SS path can sharpen things up a bit (basically what you would expect but very usable). I'd have to describe the change as more of a dynamic vibe than color based. Softer or more defined. You can pick.

If you want color and very smooth compression, the Manley can do that. Like I mentioned, it can be the magic finger on the fader. It does slow, smooth compression like few other boxes.

Whether it's Cranesong, Manley, or Millennia it's all great gear. You really need to get the stuff in and listen to it to determine what best suites your preferences and your client's material.

anonymous Fri, 08/05/2005 - 15:39

ambientdig wrote: I would recommend you listen to them to make your decision.

If you need tight, punchy, clean, warm... the Millennia can do that. I love how it can define and tighen the low end sometimes. It can do fast and slow but the main thing for me is how musical it is.

If you want color and very smooth compression, the Manley can do that. Like I mentioned, it can be the magic finger on the fader. It does slow, smooth compression like few other boxes.

Whether it's Cranesong, Manley, or Millennia it's all great gear. You really need to get the stuff in and listen to it to determine what best suites your preferences and your client's material.

Thanks-------------------Ill go ahead and order one of each !!!!HAHAHAH--------------- :cry:

Masteringhouse Sat, 08/06/2005 - 09:33

ambientdig wrote: Other options:

For "snappiness" try the the SSL rack or Alan Smart C2.
For great color and punch, try the Chandler LTD-2.

I second the recommendation on the Chandler LTD-2. Most of my work is in the rock field, and the Chandler kicks ass for this. It adds a Neve-like quality that's perfect for digital recordings.

It's great for guitars. If you aren't recording guitars through a Neve pre now, I highly recommend it.

anonymous Sat, 08/06/2005 - 12:14

Masteringhouse wrote: [quote=ambientdig]Other options:

For "snappiness" try the the SSL rack or Alan Smart C2.
For great color and punch, try the Chandler LTD-2.

I second the recommendation on the Chandler LTD-2. Most of my work is in the rock field, and the Chandler kicks ass for this. It adds a Neve-like quality that's perfect for digital recordings.

It's great for guitars. If you aren't recording guitars through a Neve pre now, I highly recommend it.What the Chandler LTD-2 going for?

atlasproaudio Tue, 08/09/2005 - 19:18

eddies880 wrote: [quote=ambientdig]The Manley Vari-Mu is an awesome comp and I owned one for years. I love the feel of it. It can be super smooth and can be the magic finger on the fader across a mix.

After a lot of use, the "color" of the unit became too much for me. I opted for another fantastic unit, the Millennia TCL-2. It's a wonderfully musical unit that I love the more I use it. It's different from the Manley VM but it too can feel transparent and you have more options as far as color. It has both a JFET and Tube path which sound completely different.

Great box and worth a listen!

The ability to go from jfet,to tube (i find) to be a useful tool according to literature Ive read.
If you had to choose the Manley---or the ---millennia----------which one would you choose?

IMO, 'coloration' of the compressor should be a far secondary consideration as compared to how the compressor itself reacts to the audio. Don't confuse the compressor itself with it's topology or general tone when just passing audio, compressor not engaged. The Manley is not an Opto compressor (I'm not sure what it is, it's not a true Variable Mu (TM) compressor from what I understand though), the Millennia is an Opto. Also, the Millennia sounds great and is very gentle on the audio, but don't expect the dual topology to be obvious. It's quite subtle, adding a tiny amount of harmonics to the mid range.

anonymous Tue, 08/09/2005 - 19:52

To me, the Avalon 2055 can't quite get out of the way enough. Even just running through it with no EQ. A lot of people like it but you'll just have to see if it's for you. I tend toward units that are more flexible.

I haven't listened to the Avalon opto comp. If you're thinking about an opto, get the Millennia I mentioned above.

anonymous Tue, 08/09/2005 - 19:59

atlasproaudio wrote: [quote=eddies880][quote=ambientdig]The Manley Vari-Mu is an awesome comp and I owned one for years. I love the feel of it. It can be super smooth and can be the magic finger on the fader across a mix.

After a lot of use, the "color" of the unit became too much for me. I opted for another fantastic unit, the Millennia TCL-2. It's a wonderfully musical unit that I love the more I use it. It's different from the Manley VM but it too can feel transparent and you have more options as far as color. It has both a JFET and Tube path which sound completely different.

Great box and worth a listen!

The ability to go from jfet,to tube (i find) to be a useful tool according to literature Ive read.
If you had to choose the Manley---or the ---millennia----------which one would you choose?

IMO, 'coloration' of the compressor should be a far secondary consideration as compared to how the compressor itself reacts to the audio. Don't confuse the compressor itself with it's topology or general tone when just passing audio, compressor not engaged. The Manley is not an Opto compressor (I'm not sure what it is, it's not a true Variable Mu (TM) compressor from what I understand though), the Millennia is an Opto. Also, the Millennia sounds great and is very gentle on the audio, but don't expect the dual topology to be obvious. It's quite subtle, adding a tiny amount of harmonics to the mid range.

Agreed. All I can say is I have used the Millennia FAR more than I ever did the Manley Vari-Mu. And yes, they are completely different animals being Vari-Mu vs. opto. I took for granted that that was known.

I still strongly encourage you to listent to both and see what fits your tastes and music better. They're both great at what they do. I'm just offering my experiences.

anonymous Wed, 08/10/2005 - 08:48

ambientdig wrote: [quote=atlasproaudio][quote=eddies880][quote=ambientdig]The Manley Vari-Mu is an awesome comp and I owned one for years. I love the feel of it. It can be super smooth and can be the magic finger on the fader across a mix.

After a lot of use, the "color" of the unit became too much for me. I opted for another fantastic unit, the Millennia TCL-2. It's a wonderfully musical unit that I love the more I use it. It's different from the Manley VM but it too can feel transparent and you have more options as far as color. It has both a JFET and Tube path which sound completely different.

Great box and worth a listen!

The ability to go from jfet,to tube (i find) to be a useful tool according to literature Ive read.
If you had to choose the Manley---or the ---millennia----------which one would you choose?

IMO, 'coloration' of the compressor should be a far secondary consideration as compared to how the compressor itself reacts to the audio. Don't confuse the compressor itself with it's topology or general tone when just passing audio, compressor not engaged. The Manley is not an Opto compressor (I'm not sure what it is, it's not a true Variable Mu (TM) compressor from what I understand though), the Millennia is an Opto. Also, the Millennia sounds great and is very gentle on the audio, but don't expect the dual topology to be obvious. It's quite subtle, adding a tiny amount of harmonics to the mid range.

Agreed. All I can say is I have used the Millennia FAR more than I ever did the Manley Vari-Mu. And yes, they are completely different animals being Vari-Mu vs. opto. I took for granted that that was known.

I still strongly encourage you to listent to both and see what fits your tastes and music better. They're both great at what they do. I'm just offering my experiences.I TOO really appreciate you offering youre time and input on this matter.
How much color does the Millennia have vs the MU on a scale of 1-10.

anonymous Wed, 08/10/2005 - 09:47

Let's just simply break it down like this:

Millennia TCL-2 with no compression:
JFET: a little sharper, snapier, edges more defined (all subtle)
TUBE: a little softer on the edges, warmer (subtle)
Bypass: transparent

Manley Vari-Mu with no compression:
Engaged: Lots o' color
Bypassed: Lots o' color

anonymous Wed, 08/10/2005 - 10:50

ambientdig wrote: Let's just simply break it down like this:

Millennia TCL-2 with no compression:
JFET: a little sharper, snapier, edges more defined (all subtle)
TUBE: a little softer on the edges, warmer (subtle)
Bypass: transparent

Manley Vari-Mu with no compression:
Engaged: Lots o' color
Bypassed: Lots o' color

It doesnt get any" plainner "than that does it?.

anonymous Wed, 08/17/2005 - 07:10

ambientdig wrote: Let's just simply break it down like this:

Millennia TCL-2 with no compression:
JFET: a little sharper, snapier, edges more defined (all subtle)
TUBE: a little softer on the edges, warmer (subtle)
Bypass: transparent

Manley Vari-Mu with no compression:
Engaged: Lots o' color
Bypassed: Lots o' color

Bob----Ill be getting a-hold of you later so we can discuss the Mill. a bit more----------Ive become an "Official" RO member! (20bucks worth!) well spent money!
Ill p.m. once Im punched into the system.