please give you opinion on the matter, and if someone wants to put in a little extra, list the same for Eqs. 8-)
Comments
bennyg wrote: do you not like any of the waves series compressor
bennyg wrote: do you not like any of the waves series compressors? ex. Lin MB, c1comp, or RENcomp
What about the sonalksis compressor?
Not a fan or even much of user of any plug type software compressor if I can avoid it. Hardware baby, nothing like the real thing.
Plugs? No thanks .... at least, not yet. I don't feel motivated
Plugs? No thanks .... at least, not yet. I don't feel motivated to purchase a compressor that will be obsolete when I upgrade my recording software or computer OS. I also don't think the software versions sound as good as the real thing. But sometimes the more inexpensive plugs are all a person can afford and the fact is, it's a new day ... sooner or later we all will have to get on board. Bottom line is most of the plugs are useable and what really matters is how you use them.
I do use the stock plugs in Cubase (which work well but have no character) for punching up or holding down levels, or to make something stand out when I mix but if I need a "sound" from a comp I always revert to my hardware compressors.
My favorite outboard hardware units are usually EL OP types, LA2a, LA3's LA4's Manley EL OP (basically a modern stereo LA2a) and the compressor section found in the Millennia ORIGIN STT-1 (I really like that one). For FET types, I go with the benchmark 1176 / 1178's.
For vca types I use the Valley People Dynamites and DBX's ...
The ALTECs can be nice on bass, if you want that old Beatles compression sound and of course we can't leave out the Fairchilds for room mics and overheads ...
One compressor that often is overlooked that I really like is the UREI LA-22. It has a very cool filter section that works on a specified frequency region so you can compress lows, mids or highs while leaving everything else more or less untouched.. great for "wolf" notes or those annoying resonant peaks that sometimes occure.. They are also very affordable used or on E Bay, when you can find them, (usually around $600). It beats the snot out of any cheap comp on the market.
The digital fishphones plugs can't be beaten for the price: thye
The digital fishphones plugs can't be beaten for the price: thye are free, and don't sound it at all.
The dominion transient processor seems to find itself on almost every drum subgroup for my main musical project.
Not that simple ace. First off, with over 25 types of compresso
Not that simple ace. First off, with over 25 types of compressors I own to choose from, I couldn't imagine having to pick only 5. Top-5 for me greatly depends on musical style as well as if I am both tracking and recording. But here is a list of comps I would have a hard time living without.
Hardware:
dbx 160SL, Focusrite Red-3, Manley Vari-Mu & El-Op, 1176, LA-2A, API 525, Distressor, Tube-Tech CL-2A, Joe Meek, Groove Tubes CL1s.
Software:
Eventide (any from the DSP series, Orville or H8000) , TC M5000, TC DBmax, Lexicon M300