Compressors for Tracking

Audio_Vault · 22nd May 2006

As of right now im trying to decide on whether to buy a pair of compressors for tracking. Im running a Digi 002 with focusrite 428 converters/pres and api 3124 all through Soundcraft ghost. ive got the UAD card but am looking into getting a pair of 1176's for tracking and some true tube compression for mixing or buss compressors. Is it worth it to spend the cash on these? or is there another cheaper compressor that will do as good or better job for the same price? i love the plugins but i dont think they do it real justice. what do you think?

dokushoka · 22nd May 2006

The 1176ln is probably one of the best tracking compressors I can think of. It kind of hard to screwup with it. I would say that, the LA3A, 33609 and 2254e would all be excellent choices to track through. Each of these are "musical" enough that they'll never really "damage" things.

rickrock305 · 22nd May 2006

add the Tubetech CL1B on there too.

Jason Poulin · 22nd May 2006

I just did some tracking with the OCL-2 on vocals.

Nothing but good things to say about it.

Jason

Push845 · 22nd May 2006

I would Look for an ADL 1200. I bought mine for $800 bucks (Mine came from a divorce liquidation.....

I track everything i can threw it.

AmekGuy · 23rd May 2006

A little compression on each track starts adding up really fast, especially with the same signature box like an 1176. When I started tracking and mixing on older SSL, it was easy to grab compression and really loaded up when it came time to mix. I've since then learned to use compression sparingly (the sidecar also helped

).

Nutmeg II. · 23rd May 2006

I wouldn't go the 1176LN route at all.
I would defenetly lok into something like:

Cransong Trakker
Empirical Labs EL8
Daking

Al of them will give you more than one flava and will work on a lot of stuff including the 2buss.
Other than that a Buzz SOC would be nice too.

jdjustice · 23rd May 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nutmeg II.

I wouldn't go the 1176LN route at all.
I would definitely look into something like:

Cransong Trakker
Empirical Labs EL8
Daking

Second vote for the TRAKKER and Distressor. Never used the Daking.

Solunaris · 23rd May 2006

Purple MC77 or Distressor gets the job done.

jbuntz · 23rd May 2006

Probably all the suggestions are good. It depends on what you want to use it for I guess. 1176 (definately an original. the new ones are okay but the extra money is worth it), LA3A's, Dakings and sometimes distressors all sound good on vocals. The distressor can something in the ballpark of the others without the transformer color. LA3A's are too slow to grab digital overs but they are quite harmless when they are barely working and sometimes harmless when working a lot. The Dakings are the most vanilla of all these choices, more tweakable than the 1176 or LA3A but not as much as the distressor but they sound best on the 2 mix and drum sub. It's hard to go wrong with a good 1176.

rainsinvelvet · 23rd May 2006

On the affordable front I've been diggin the DBX 160xt's lately. Otherwise a Distressor is great for getting different tones from one box.

ERic

Sigma · 23rd May 2006

bass - dbx 160

vocals - the opto la-4 was cool

drums -if ya want the "tit" just find a good compresor with a variable attack a dial from 5-15 ms

gtrs la2a or 1176

Bassmec · 23rd May 2006

Does anybody like the old gates just to keep the input level a bit tidy.
Regards.•:*¨¨*:•. ¸¸.•´¯`•.Mark Fairfax-Harwood, Engineer Springvale Studios

Joel Hamilton · 23rd May 2006

If I could only keep one compressor for tracking it would be the neve 33609. the original, with metal knobs, not the "c" or the "j" or any of the rev's. The 33609.

I find myself tracking through that a lot, or a sta level, or a collins 26-1U (6386 based compressor) or 26W (limiter). Especially when tracking straight into PTHD.

I hardly ever track through the distressor, or the 1176, regardless of the capture format.

stevetgn · 23rd May 2006

tfpro P38.

Sounds mega on everything and also superb as a buss comp.
More affordable too than 1176/Distressors etc.

23rd May 2006

I would second the Daking and Distressor.
Extremely flexible the both of them.
The Distressor tends to get more of a work out than the Daking, but that is more due to easy of use than anything.

Good luck in your search.

David

22nd May 2006	#1
Audio_Vault Gear nut Joined: May 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 100 Thread Starter	Compressors for Tracking As of right now im trying to decide on whether to buy a pair of compressors for tracking. Im running a Digi 002 with focusrite 428 converters/pres and api 3124 all through Soundcraft ghost. ive got the UAD card but am looking into getting a pair of 1176's for tracking and some true tube compression for mixing or buss compressors. Is it worth it to spend the cash on these? or is there another cheaper compressor that will do as good or better job for the same price? i love the plugins but i dont think they do it real justice. what do you think?

22nd May 2006	#2
dokushoka Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Location: San Francisco / L.A. Posts: 1,092	The 1176ln is probably one of the best tracking compressors I can think of. It kind of hard to screwup with it. I would say that, the LA3A, 33609 and 2254e would all be excellent choices to track through. Each of these are "musical" enough that they'll never really "damage" things. __________________ San Francisco based Mixing and Production http://www.sfrecording.com

22nd May 2006	#4
Jason Poulin Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Sudbury, On. Canada Posts: 1,780	I just did some tracking with the OCL-2 on vocals. Nothing but good things to say about it. Jason __________________ If it don't sound like a record... don't press record

23rd May 2006	#7
Nutmeg II. Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2003 Location: GEARmany Posts: 985	I wouldn't go the 1176LN route at all. I would defenetly lok into something like: Cransong Trakker Empirical Labs EL8 Daking Al of them will give you more than one flava and will work on a lot of stuff including the 2buss. Other than that a Buzz SOC would be nice too. __________________ "Any recording engineer who uses a tube U47 is obviously not a professional" Stephan Temmer 1979

23rd May 2006	#11
rainsinvelvet Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2003 Location: California Posts: 1,196 1 Review written	On the affordable front I've been diggin the DBX 160xt's lately. Otherwise a Distressor is great for getting different tones from one box. ERic __________________ It is a very mixed blessing to be brought back from the dead. Kurt Vonnegut

22nd May 2006	#3
rickrock305 Gear Guru Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Miami FL Posts: 10,066	add the Tubetech CL1B on there too.

22nd May 2006	#5
Push845 Gear maniac Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Middletown, New York Posts: 200	I would Look for an ADL 1200. I bought mine for $800 bucks (Mine came from a divorce liquidation..... I track everything i can threw it.

23rd May 2006	#6
AmekGuy Lives for gear Joined: May 2006 Posts: 741	A little compression on each track starts adding up really fast, especially with the same signature box like an 1176. When I started tracking and mixing on older SSL, it was easy to grab compression and really loaded up when it came time to mix. I've since then learned to use compression sparingly (the sidecar also helped ).

23rd May 2006	#9
Solunaris Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Posts: 1,698	Purple MC77 or Distressor gets the job done.

23rd May 2006	#10
jbuntz Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,716	Probably all the suggestions are good. It depends on what you want to use it for I guess. 1176 (definately an original. the new ones are okay but the extra money is worth it), LA3A's, Dakings and sometimes distressors all sound good on vocals. The distressor can something in the ballpark of the others without the transformer color. LA3A's are too slow to grab digital overs but they are quite harmless when they are barely working and sometimes harmless when working a lot. The Dakings are the most vanilla of all these choices, more tweakable than the 1176 or LA3A but not as much as the distressor but they sound best on the 2 mix and drum sub. It's hard to go wrong with a good 1176.

23rd May 2006	#12
Sigma Lives for gear Joined: May 2006 Location: phallicdelphia Posts: 4,618	bass - dbx 160 vocals - the opto la-4 was cool drums -if ya want the "tit" just find a good compresor with a variable attack a dial from 5-15 ms gtrs la2a or 1176

23rd May 2006	#13
Bassmec Lives for gear Joined: May 2006 Location: Ipswich, UK Posts: 957	What do we think of the Gates Solid Statesman. Does anybody like the old gates just to keep the input level a bit tidy. Regards.•:¨¨:•. ¸¸.•´¯`•.Mark Fairfax-Harwood, Engineer Springvale Studios

23rd May 2006	#14
Joel Hamilton Gear maniac Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 299	If I could only keep one compressor for tracking it would be the neve 33609. the original, with metal knobs, not the "c" or the "j" or any of the rev's. The 33609. I find myself tracking through that a lot, or a sta level, or a collins 26-1U (6386 based compressor) or 26W (limiter). Especially when tracking straight into PTHD. I hardly ever track through the distressor, or the 1176, regardless of the capture format. __________________ http://www.joelhamiltonrecording.com http://www.myspace.com/thebookofknots

23rd May 2006	#15
stevetgn Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2006 Location: ITB now unfortunately! Posts: 1,725	tfpro P38. Sounds mega on everything and also superb as a buss comp. More affordable too than 1176/Distressors etc.

23rd May 2006	#16
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	I would second the Daking and Distressor. Extremely flexible the both of them. The Distressor tends to get more of a work out than the Daking, but that is more due to easy of use than anything. Good luck in your search. David

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