high end racks with rnc 1773 compressors. why?

[MikeFFG]

Originally Posted by radic

after looking at photo's of peoples studios, magazine studio shots, why do so many people keep their rnc 1773 comps when they have racks of amazing high end compressors? In what situation would someone use a rnc1773 when they could easily use one of their high end comps?

i understand that it's another tool but having owned one for a few years i can't imagine using it over a rack full of high end comps (aka C2's, distressors, 2500's etc) in any situation.

In a mix when all their other compressors are used up I suppose.

[damien907]

when they want a super transparent sounding compressor

[radic]

Originally Posted by damien907

when they want a super transparent sounding compressor

having never used an alan smart C2, i have read they are super clean comps that have a fantastic clue factor about them. I've seen racks with C2's and 1773's. Why not just use a C2? or any other high end clean comp?

[lfranz5451]

there are so many reasons to have the RNC's at beckon call...just because something is high end and costs alot doesn't mean it's good for EVERY application...I guess experimentation here is the key...for acoustic gtrs sometimes i run a neumann tlm 170R through a Supre and the super nice channel on the RNC sounds sooooooooo much better than my distressor, my 610, my 2500....I don't like to make any chain final until I've tried them all...

they're also really good when you're parallel compressing as the first compressor and then use your distressor to crush the bus.

lfranz5451

[Eganmedia]

Every compressor I have used has a different sound. Some of those ( Distressors, Trakkers, 1176s, la2s, etc) have sounds which engineers tend to like for certain jobs. Some compressors take a dynamic signal, and instead of controlling the dynamics in a cool, usable manner, just wreck the signal. The RNC falls in to the 1st category. It's small and inexpensive, but it can do some really cool thing to the right track. Even "high end" studios sometimes care about making things sound good. And for less than 200 bucks it's easy to throw a few in the rack.

[radic]

Originally Posted by lfranz5451

for acoustic gtrs sometimes i run a neumann tlm 170R through a Supre and the super nice channel on the RNC sounds sooooooooo much better than my distressor, my 610, my 2500....I don't like to make any chain final until I've tried them all...

they're also really good when you're parallel compressing as the first compressor and then use your distressor to crush the bus.

lfranz5451

wouldn't you get better results from a high end CLEAN comp (C2) with what you have suggested? The comps you have mentioned are all colored comps.

[a.beck]

Originally Posted by radic

wouldn't you get better results from a high end CLEAN comp (C2) with what you have suggested? The comps you have mentioned are all colored comps.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. As Eganmedia said, it depends on the sound you're after. An RNC can do some very cool stuff, and given how cheap they are, the question should really be, "why not have a couple in a high end room?"

[loh90]

why use a sm57 on a guitar cab?

[Drumsound]

The RNC is a super useful tool, regardless of cost.

[SoZo]

They are very cool in the TRS on my GR NP-2NV

http://www.sozoamplification.com/audio/RNC.wav

I was riff tuning the clav...

[DarkSky Media]

There seemed to be a big fad where everyone went out and bought an RNC, a couple of years back. Somehow I missed catching that bug.

FWIW, a couple of people I have worked with have basically seem to use their RNCs as rack spacers, rarely even powering them up. I'm sure it's true that they are an extra tool and could get used in a pinch, but at least one of the studios I've spent some time in doesn't even have theirs wired into the patch bay.

[Tone Laborer]

Well you saved yourself $175, congrats.FMR are some of the good guys actually. Small company. Innovative. Amazing price/performance ratio.

Useless thread.

[RTR]

Originally Posted by Tone Laborer

Well you saved yourself $175, congrats.FMR are some of the good guys actually. Small company. Innovative. Amazing price/performance ratio.

.

Yet you felt compelled to post in it

[Tonio Ruiz]

I like to put the over head mics on the RNC's... it also sounds cool on Kick and Clean guitars... it's a good piece

[DarkSky Media]

Originally Posted by Tone Laborer

Well you saved yourself $175, congrats.

Down here, they cost more than twice that. But for me the cost was not the issue - I just didn't have a use for one at the time when they were being hyped in every other thread. And then the thrill seemed to wear off somewhat...

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by DSM Interactive

Down here, they cost more than twice that. But for me the cost was not the issue - I just didn't have a use for one at the time when they were being hyped in every other thread. And then the thrill seemed to wear off somewhat...

Ya know -- its not "hype" by any stretch of the imagination. 1773's are still being purchased every day, and used every day. Up until the point where I sold my studio last July my RNC and PBC-6A sat in "Funk Logic" frame where it sat 4 RU below an STC-8 and 3 RU above a Chandler TG-1... and was used as much as either... it is [was?] another tool in the toolbox, another sound, and useful as all get out.

You seem to be mistaking constant chatter about the tool on GS as "hype and fad" when the fact of the matter is that there are more of these in the field than probably any other unit out there, and yet people are still buying them at a tremendous clip.

I don't know if you have tried one or not... but if you haven't, you own it to yourself to give it a go... they're more than just "great band for the buck", they're a damn good tool that has the "right to exist" in any professional environment right next to stuff that will run 10x more money [and greater].

[Tone Laborer]

Originally Posted by DSM Interactive

And then the thrill seemed to wear off somewhat...

Yeah, the "thrill" tends to do that with gear. You missed my point. It's a worthy tool. as am I. Which is the answer to the OPs question/attack. Whether someone has them in the rack--why would you really care?

RTR, your flame bait dribble has no relevence to FMR, the RNC, or rack appearance.

[lfranz5451]

it sounds like you're defending high end gear for the sake of sounding high end....kinda missing the whole point of being an engineer or producer...you'll find low end gear used in incredible ways in every genre of history...to say they're just rack spacers is saying that these people can't figure a way to use them..

and the RNC's have two modes...a pumping and colored mode and a super clean and transparent mode...so you can pull off almost anything...and defend the c-1 if anything

lfranz5451

[ddageek]

Why? Well why is it that everyone owns SM57s? Because most people with a bunch of highend gear use them as tools not toys, and those little RNC is a great tool. Yes, most at the price are toys, but the RNC is just a killer little box.
BradD owns 4 comps 2 distressors and 2 RNCs and that collection of 4 covers alot of ground!

[Seb RIOU]

cos it does its job fine, and it's RELIABLE and PREDICTABLE

[MasterTrax]

OP, I have an old Marshall JMP 2203 I bought for a song which blows away any $4,000.00 boutique amp I have auditioned. Should I get rid of it?

[RCM - Ronan]

They are in racks because they kick ass. I have a $5000 compressor that gets used on most mixes, my RNC gets used on every mix.

[TRJanuary]

If you think a Distressor is more "High End" than an RNC, you should look inside of one.

High end in price only.

[DarkSky Media]

Originally Posted by lfranz5451

...to say they're just rack spacers is saying that these people can't figure a way to use them...

Could be. If I've trodden on a few toes here I apologize - - - just reporting what I've seen.

For myself, I've used an RNC a sum total of once. It was okay and did what I needed on that occasion. I thought it was a solid enough piece, but the experience didn't make me want to rush out and buy one. I'm very happy for others to love them to death, just giving my perspective here.

[Bubbakron]

So, its really one of the first digital controlled all analog path compressors, interesting!!! It seems that people are digging the possibilities with it. Maybe its a sign of the future, good bye optical maybe?!!?! It makes sense, since optical is kind of like computing anyways!! Now I want one, even though I hate digital- but if compressing is just number equations-it might be the best thing for the job!!!!

[a.beck]

That's the beauty of these things - the compression isn't digital. As I understand it, it's more or less the purest signal path compressor design possible, in that it's Input > VCA > Output, but it stays cheap by having all the detector/controller stuff digital. If only it was feed-forward/feed-back switchable.

[MikeyMike]

Great gear sells itself. There is no need for a bandwagon. We got so much supposedly awesome gear but yet the sound quality of today's recordings are the same, if not worse than 30 years ago, minus the loudness. This is what happens when pimps run wild. You got to have high-dollar AD/DA, $6000 mics, etc to compete with the big boys when in actuality, it's more about experience, room, tape, and talent.

[cenafria]

I like the RNC because it can reduce dynamic range without altering original sound too much. I sometimes suspect that the low price puts some people off.

Personally, I prefer it to the tube tech cl1b or the cl2a regardless of price (units which are revered by many). And I know they are different animals.

[thesteve]

"If you think a Distressor is more "High End" than an RNC, you should look inside of one."
= Very silly statement... look inside a lot of classic gear and it there are not 200 parts... Daves design is incredibly clean and efficient, and yields a HUGE amount of tonal options and colours. It is digital and analog living together in peace and harmony, and ALSO is engineered to not have too many heat generating components so that the unit can run cooler and perform longer without having anything blow up.
Ever seen the inside of a Brauner VM-1??? Compare that to an MXL and by your logic the MXL is a way better microphone because of how many little parts it has.

The only thing I would add about an RNC is that their noise floor is much higher than other high end comps. I had 3 of them (bought for mixing toms and bottom snare mic), and although sonically they were great, they have a hiss in the high end if you turn up the make up gain amp.

I sold them, because it was much easier to use a plug in, but still use all my high end gear where colour and tone is needed.

I think with the traditional "hybrid" setup the RNC is a little redundant. (I bought mine 6 years ago when I was working on a radar and needed the individual channels).