Skip to main content

I would like to welcome CharterOak Acoustic Devices as our newest sponsor here. Its a privilege to have HIGH QUALITY companies like this supporting our community.

CharterOak make a variety of fine microphones, headphones and now great outboard gear that any serious studios should know more about!
I am particularly interested in the SCL-1 "Discrete Compressor Limiter" which I will have the opportunity to test out later this year. I'm so excited about this compressor, I'm certain it will help my recording business.

Michael Deming

Seriously, a compressor that is capable of fast and transparent dynamics control is going to be capable of handling mix bus duties on classical, jazz, acoustic music, generally applications where overcompensation, audible rush-up, loss of treble and distortion is not what you want. On pop mixes, it is going to be capable of preserving what you have on your bus without compromising it in order to add a little glue and more level. We've all heard mixes that look like test tones on the main meter, and it's always pretty ugly.

These days I think that pumping, gasping, high-endroll off, and distortion, are all byproducts we've grown used to with most compressors, as we've come to expect a compressor to under perform in these areas. We just write it off or worse yet, justify it, as a "cool effect", or "color" or "personality" and sometimes it is, but the fact is, that the list of synonyms for the word malfunction, is extremely long as it relates to pro audio, especially as the vintage hype and craze has taken hold of the industry over the last ten to fifteen years. A lot of companies just continue to regurgitate popular old designs in subtly different forms, while their marketing apparatuses successfully brain wash a generation of recording engineers into believing that there just isn't anything better and never will be.

A compressor like the SCL-1 that doesn't collapse your image and doesn't take away top end as you wind it up, is capable of results that can add sustain, enrich the overall sound as chords begin to voice out with more resonance, and enhance your rhythm rather than destroy it in order to gain a few dB more level. The SCL-1 has plenty of personality as it's all discrete and transfomer in and out. It's just the right kind of good fast, clean personality.

Michael Deming
CharterOak Acoustic Devices
47 Pearl St.
Enfield, CT. 06082 USA

PH - 8606989794
FAX - 860698982
MOBILE - 8606553328

http://www.chartero… CharterOak Acoustic Devices : Professional Audio Equipment for the Recording Industry[/]="http://www.chartero… CharterOak Acoustic Devices : Professional Audio Equipment for the Recording Industry[/]

I've posted one of their video's on the sidebar with Michael Deming using it on drums for your interest (made at the Soundpure Studio). There are quite a few other SCL-1clips in action that are just as interesting.
If you are at all interested in compression and how this will greatly benefit your mix, you should definitely check the clips out. The SCL-1 is really cool and IMO, a must have for any serious studio.

I hate to point anyone away from here but this thing has such high ratings I want our community to take notices as it helps the music and that's why we are here (to learn about recording). Here is an excellent thread over at the slutz site:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-product-alert/197030-charteroak-scl-1-compressor-limiter.html

And a clip using it with an acoustic guitar;

Comments

TrilliumSound Mon, 10/25/2010 - 17:37

I have the SCL-1 for about 1 1/2 year now. When I tried it, there was no review (to my knowledge) yet, I was very impressed. Extremely clean and transparent! No color but a load of make up gain available. It is certainly not a character comp with attitude but it does superbly what it suppose to do: compression with no artifacts. I guess this would be very good for tracking purposes as well but for Mastering, this is very nice and very welcome for me. It brings up the background (and volume lifting) in a very transparent way. Try it! Ask Mike (CharterOak) at: md [AT]charteroakacoustics[DOT]com, he is a very very nice man and I am sure he will find a way to get one to you. There is Studio Economik in Quebec that is the CharterOak distributor in Canada ([[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.economik…"]Studio Economik[/]="http://www.economik…"]Studio Economik[/] | Pro-Audio Recording Equipment | Canada) ask Francois at: guinois[AT]economik[DOT]com. I had a little issue once with it (a loose ground) and he (Mike) has been very fast and effective, calling right away and he is certainly not hiding behind his products, CharterOak is hi-class.

Interestingly, reviewers were saying that it is wonderful for acoustic music and not for Rock or pop etc... but for me, I mostly do all my Metal music jobs with it in the chain. Not for color (sometimes, the mixes are already colored), but for lifting the background (maybe sort of like a Pendulum OCL-2 would do) but again, even more transparent in my opinion. The price is right and good also (3k).

An yes you can crank the threshold and get a load of GR without pumping.

Richard

Big K Fri, 10/29/2010 - 09:16

WOW!!
I tried the SCL at my local shop and I am impressed...
It is the over-all sound even with higher GR that I like most
It stays quite transparent and, yet, delivers a good push.

I tested it with Rock and Jazz pieces and I, too, can not see why it shouldn't be used
on a wide area of music styles. The SCL-1 performed excellently on anything I threw at it..
A brillant and well-engineered compressor.. My list for Christmas shopping just got longer...

:wink:

P.S.: Is the guitar in the video properly tuned??.....I don't think so, ...pitty....

x