Recording Studio Compressor Death Match!

Watch in HD for better sound! In this video a bunch of compressors are auditioned on the same 30 seconds of a live drum mix.

Before shooting video the compressors were all set to a 4:1 ratio (if available), 10db of gain reduction with a 1khz tone, and then 10db of makeup gain to bring the level back to zero. Drums caused the compressors to behave differently than the steady tone did (except the Compellor) so the levels vary when the compressors are engaged. And then adjusting the controls makes for even more variation... hopefully that's not too distracting. Enjoy!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Manely ELOP
• Smart C2
• 1176
• Vac Rac Limiter
• dbx 160x
• Neve VR
• Massey CT4 compressor shootout

[jephthastudios]

Sorry you didn't dig the commentary... maybe rewind the clear parts a few time? I'll keep it simpler next time...

[studionost]

in the video we see a dbx 166 Comp amended by adding two switches, why this change?

[jephthastudios]

@studionost It was an attempt to add stereo linking without losing the ability to adjust left and right separately (which happens when you press the factory "link" button"). However it resulted in shifting the threshold pretty dramatically so I never used the mod. I think it was my first equipment mod!

[UberKontrol]

very helpful video. find more compressors, and do same video with cleaner samples & less reverb.

[jephthastudios]

@UberKontrol Source material is a live drum track from Sonikwire studios, no reverb added. There are several room mics included in the mix sent to each compressor. I think it's interesting to hear how the compressors handle the room tone. YouTube really distorted the sound on this one sorry to say, the original tracks are clean

[fallenwarrior16]

Can someone explain to me what threshold and ratio is exactly? Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but i hear no difference when I play around with those things in my software. What is Bypass too? Please help someone =(

[jephthastudios]

@fallenwarrior16 A compressor is just a tool that turns down stuff that's too loud. Threshold defines what is too loud, and Ratio sets how much the volume (once louder than the threshold) is turned down. If the threshold is set higher than the loudest audio then the compressor doesn't do anything. So it will seem that threshold, ratio, and even bypass don't do anything... try lowering threshold and then turn the other knobs till it sounds like music!

[mikeisanidiot]

What mics would you suggest using? The best quality ones? And also, the best quality for a reasonable price?

[morninggloryseed]

What do you think of those schubert systems parametric EQs?

[eemee2]

Great idea man but I'm just not sure why you need to talk every time you make a switch, we can see that. It just distracts hearing the nuances in the differences. Otherwise, put the voice only on a L/R channel. Even better would be to put the clean signal on one side and the compressed on the other and let me use my balance knob. Still, there's no need to talk. Tnx!

[mobayaw78]

MANLEY!.....AWESOME!!!!!

[morninggloryseed]

The Vac Rac has to be one of the best ones I've ever heard. New things to dream of owning.

[lonzenator]

Neve then...UA 1176ln then the Massey plugin.... NEve is the way to go I think... Plugins just aren't quite as good, though the Massey was close... (again just my humble opinion listening through my Adam A7s with no sub...

[romanowskistudios]

Everythung that Massey makes is good!

[studionost]

@jephthastudios

thanks, for a moment I believed there was a mod to improve the performance of 166