crane song stc8 or thermionic culture phoenix?

[jamesr]

I am tying to decide which of these compressors to buy . My main type of music is dance although work on more rocky stuff from time to time. Any suggestions.?

[StefanM]

no opinion on the thermionic...but the crane song never let me down...(rock, dance, jazzy stuff, even the gay musical thing)
It's the compressor that glues things together, and you only notice it when you switch to "bypass".

Cheers,
Stefan

[Fletcher]

I'm conflicted... should I drive or take the train?

[jdunn]

Hey Fletcher, why not take the road less traveled and hail a cab? Or walk even.



To the original poster, you might want to check out the TFTPro P38 also.

[Bishbashbosh]

Hey Flecher..... can you drive a train?

[Donny]

For your particular type of music i would look at the smart C1 or C2 ...I have the C2, STC and Phoenix and they all have a particular sound...Im using the STC more and more these days as i adore its transparency. The phoenix has a nice colour to it but i often find it too much...The C2 either works or it doesn't but when it does.......

[headz]

I don't know which style of dance you produce, but I know some artists from the tech house scene that like to use the STC8 very much - they use it up to a very pumping compression style. the commercial dance people tend to use the C2 much more.

edit:
sure the 'pumping compression' I mentioned they'll use the STC8 on doesn't mean they'll try colour the sound, its just heavy clean compressionwith 909 style kik and bassline pumping. I personaly used the stc8 only on one occasion for longer so far,but I liked it then especially for a drum sub group and later also with 'slightly compression' used on the stereo sum chained after a d2b summing device before re-recording mixes back into logic (those tracks were all going to final vinyl mastering, so I didn't want to overdo compression).

[Darius van H]

If you want a bad boy pumping compressor, look out for an old Focusrite red 3 - nothing pumps sweeter....i'm not sure i'd purchase an STC-8 for the pump-factor....too clean and character-less (it was designed to be so)...others will surely disagree!........i also have a Phoenix and a C2 and like them both.........all different flavors........try to borrow/rent before plonking down the cash to see if they're to your liking thumbsup

[jdunn]

I agree with Darius completely. I owned an STC-8 from 97-2004. It is not a character unit. You can turn the 'Shape' all the way up and tweak whatever else you like. It will not do radical things to your audio, period.

Look elsewhere for 'character' compression IMO.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Darius van H

If you want a bad boy pumping compressor, look out for an old Focusrite red 3 - nothing pumps sweeter....

The only problem there isn't much range on the Red 3.

Its mostly a high threshold/1:5-1 ratio machine.

I mean when it works the vocals just pop out at you and you think "man now this sounds like a record".

When it doesn't its like"what happened"?

Baically it either works or it doesn't.

Also you want to follow it up with some Pultec EQ's or an EQ with really sweet high/low shelf curves.

Similar to the 33609.

[lucey]

neither one for dance... another vote for the p38

for rock, anything goes.

[Brad Blackwood]

I've used the STC-8 for about 7 years now, and though it's fairly clean and it's designed to be an 'averaging' compressor, it really is an indespinsible tool for mastering. From dance to R-n-B to rock, it really stands up and makes the music shine.

It's the only box in my collection I've never thought of getting rid of - it takes a while to really get what it's doing in your chain, but it never disappoints...

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Brad Blackwood

It's the only box in my collection I've never thought of getting rid of

I said that same thing for a time, yet with an EQ that has a similarly fat low end, there's a problem of competition. Where to get the size, and where to get the control?

- it takes a while to really get what it's doing in your chain, but it never disappoints...

100% agreed. Yet the width (the ability to slam things or just touch it) is unmatched. The STC-8 and the HEDD are two Dave Hill masterpieces.



Sorry to have nothing on the Phoenix. I've never used it.

[jdunn]

lucey - How about the P38 on jazz material? Which of the 4 'models' would you likely choose? They rent them, so I'm about to pull the trigger on one. Maybe the eq too.

[rara114]

I posted this exact question a couple of weeks ago...

I had a STC-8 on order and changed it to a Thermionic Culture Phoenix not because the STC-8 was bad or anything, but more because of the type of music we are doing. We are doing dance stuff, and most of it is going to vinyl... the STC-8 would of been a bit too clean for the "character" we were looking for... we are looking for a "sound" that we can say it's "our" sound...

If I was doing mastering for all genres commercially, I would of gotten the STC-8 instead....

Think what your application is and choose accordingly....

my 2 cents

[84K]

No STC-8 here (the Atomic Squeezebox impressed me more for clean compression, but I rarely like clean compressors)....

but the Thermionic Phoenix is the top go to 2-buss compressors here since its arrival. My favorite Variable mu 2-mix glue yet.

[wilcofan]

The only reason I'd jump in on a discussion without experience of either unit is that they are so different. One is transformer based with tubes and the other transformerless solid-state, both discrete.

I'd say if your chain is mostly keys and samples then you really want to think about a transformer and tube based compressor.

[syra]

Mixing ITB I always try my best to inject colour to the overall sound. That's why I am always in favor of comps "with a sound". I tend to strap it on my mix buss early on so I eq and shape things around its colour (of course it must be the desirable colour).

Talking about Dave Hill masterpieces though, I don't know what I would do without the phoenix plug...its magic.

[gregor z]

DBX 160 SL,

Gregor Z

[inlinenl]

Tubetech smc-2B ... big blue Basterd .. with lot's off character ....

you only should know compressor's ....

I heard the STC and in my opinion it's to clean .... these day's in the digital world you need a color-box ....

Learn to live with your compressor and get the most out of it ...

so in your case I would do the thermionic ...

wim

[Gomez]

Manley Vari Mu?

[lucey]

Originally Posted by jdunn

lucey - How about the P38 on jazz material? Which of the 4 'models' would you likely choose? They rent them, so I'm about to pull the trigger on one. Maybe the eq too.

It's hard to say, I mostly master using the Optical #3 after a hard limiter and a tube compressor or both. Sometimes I use the grabby #1, but just touch it.

If it was on your 2 mix, the distortions of the 1176-ish #2 or the big gooey SC2 thing of #4 might be nice too. Less likely but possible. I've done a little mixing with it on the 2 mix, and if you like your mix tones and just want it tight and fat this is the box for you. We record to 2" with great tracks and lots of color already there so it's perfect on the mix.

Originally Posted by wilcofan

The only reason I'd jump in on a discussion without experience of either unit is that they are so different. One is transformer based with tubes and the other transformerless solid-state, both discrete.

Good points ... the compression scheme on each is different too.

[AB3]

I just got the thermionic phoenix. Any recommended settings for vocals (since there are no detents!) Also, I have the tfpro38 coming. I think they will work well together. (They better behave.)
I am a true gear slut and have been for over 30 years. No hope for recovery.
Children will inherit only equipment.
Should be a gear slut blues piece somewhere (you know - losing wife, sanity, etc.)
AB

[syra]

Originally Posted by inlinenl

Tubetech smc-2B ... big blue Basterd .. with lot's off character ....

Love mine!

[Greg Heimbecker]

Cripes Alan, you're changing comps faster than a girl looking for the right dress!!!

The thermionic culture stuff looks very cool. Drop me a line some time and let me know what you think of the Phoenix after you've played with it for a while.

I just got the Fearn VT-7 this week and it slays on 2 buss for jazz in particular so far... just feeling my way in and I've been out doing location stuff lately. First impressions are smooth, deep, wide, just enough glue and doesn't kill the high end at all. Fun and games...

84k-I just wound up with your 525 as well, interesting little piece.


Happy Thanksgiving Slutz!!!!

[Reptil]

He Greg,
as for the Jazz, how does it react on low freqs (the Fearn). I mean, when you put it on the two buss, does it react on the bass too much, or just right? Balanced spectrum in relation to the source?
thanks,
Reptil

and happy thanksgiving to you too..

[Greg Heimbecker]

So far I've played with it on some very nice straight ahead quartet stuff I recorded at 24/88.2 and loved what's it's doing to the whole mix. Everything "gelled" a bit, the lowend got a bit more solid and the top seems to sparkle without adding any eq. the artist whose project it is (pianist Dana Landry) is very sensitive to compression artifacts and totally dug the effect it had on the mix.

I also tossed it across a grungey, hard rock ballad and everything felt quite nice. Plenty of lowend weight and very smooth if perhaps a little polite.

I haven't had time to do any tracking with it yet to get a handle on individual sounds.
Initial impressions are that a may take a minute to wrap my head around it to find what it suits in tracking. Overall though it's putting a huge smile on all the faces that have heard it so far...

[Reptil]

for tracking I guess it rocks.
so you don't miss the sidechain.
thanks.
Reptil

[jdunn]

Originally Posted by Greg Heimbecker

I just got the Fearn VT-7 this week and it slays on 2 buss for jazz in particular so far...

Thanks for that. I knew it would. With it's fine pedigree it doesn't have much of a choice.

I did just read a post last night on the 3dB forum about the threshold control having a little problem though. Apparently it's got a 30dB range, and it's almost impossible to just grab a few dB. There's not enough fine control. Who the hell needs 30dB compression on their mix bus?

But apparently Doug is now modifying them to have only 15dB compression and finer control. Personally I would like it to have only about a 6-9dB range and very fine control, but I don't know if he can do that.

[Reptil]

Repent technotrons?

wauw

where did THAT come from?

30 dB could be a bit much -- Would you be so kind as to enquire after a sidechain option? If you are in communicado with the gentlemen.
thanks