Help me choose a compressor!!! (mostly vocals)

[R'shonn]

Yo whats good everybody? I know this is my first post but....I'm not really a noob, cause i'd like to have consider myself a "silent non registered member" for sometime now, but I need help choosing a somewhat inexpensive compressor for tracking....mostly Vocals (R&B and some rap). after listening to some "neve 1073 sound a likes" shootout sound samples I've decided I'm getting a Pacifica next week and I need a compressor to keep things in control while recording, I'll be mostly tracking R&B artist including myself, (and some keyboards/drum samples) I myself have a very dynamic voice, so while tracking clipping can quickly become a problem.....I have a avalon 737sp...It's ok for some stuff (acoustic guitar), but it dosent really do it for me...(hype!) the character is too warm and rounded (tubey), I perfer my sound more crisp and clear...edgy (vocals sat better in mixes when I was using $50 berigher preamp) and the comp is good for some stuff...but its not fast or agressive enough to deal with trasients (hip hop drums), and or singers who can get loud. I eventually will get a distressor or a 1176, but for now I have to make a cost effective buy (just for a few months). I've been reading about the dbx 160x being a good comp for hip hop and R&B but I dont think people understand that THEY ARE NOT THE SAME GENRE!! (Real) R&B takes much more detail/precision and is far more complex than most Hiphop, and is arguably the hardest to mix as well as the most track consuming/stacking genre of music. I also have been reading about the Art pro vla and hear good things about them.....bottom line I need a bang 4 my buck compressor that is transparent, yet more agressive than the 737's...stereo input would be nice (for synths) but not nessecary. I just need to keep peaks under control

I forgot to note I also have a focusrite trackmaster pro, I like the agression of the comp but I dont like the color of the pre.....and It's not that I wouldn't consider a colored comp, its just I dont want to be cautious of degrading or unfavorably coloring the signal coming from the pacifica. If you need to understand the type of music I'll be doing...think of vocalist like Sisqo/dru hill, Jodeci/K-ci & jojo, Beyonce/destinys child, Ginuwine even Usher...you know heavy hitters in the booth (good ol 90's R&B)....also if you want an example of some of my older work you can check out my pages.....MySpace.com - IMMACI (em-ah-see) - Seattle. Atlanta, Georgia - R&B / Hip Hop / Soul - www.myspace.com/immaci <=Im the lead singer and MySpace.com - Child of vision aka R'shonn - SEATTLE, Washington - R&B / Hip Hop / Soul - www.myspace.com/childofvision1 <= still under construction

sorry for the long post, but thanks in advance!!

Holla!!!

[nicnite]

Not sure how much money you want to spend, but the RNC's seem to work pretty well for me on a wide range of vocalists including lots of mc's, and soul vocalists. It's fairly transparent set up right, and doubles as a reasonably capable 2-bus comp. You certainly can't do much better as far as bang-for-buck goes.

Just Nick

[R'shonn]

I really dont want to spend more than $500 this time around....

[Tone Laborer]

I have a RNC. I can't see why anyone wouldn't like this compressor. I also have the VLA, but since you want edgy over round and warm, I'd go with RNC.

But over both those, I 'd get a UAD-1, if you can for 5 bills anymore. Both the La2a and 1176, if you don't have them. I'd take the Uad over the hardware, if I had to. 5 bills is kind of an inbetween price for hardware.

[mrmicguy]

do or get the babyface mod done to your VT737, it speeds up the compressor a fair bit.
Avalon Vt 737sp Babyface (Fast Attack) Mod

Use a different mic to get your brighter sound - what are you using atm??

Maybe something AKG or Rode may brighten things up a bit - again would help if we knew what mic you're using.

[dviola]

The RNC is super transparent...I've loved it on everything so far except bass, but it was still ok there...I don't think you can go wrong and you can easily pick one up used for under $150....get an RNC and save up for what you really want

[R'shonn]

Originally Posted by Tone Laborer

I have a RNC. I can't see why anyone wouldn't like this compressor. I also have the VLA, but since you want edgy over round and warm, I'd go with RNC.

But over both those, I 'd get a UAD-1, if you can for 5 bills anymore. Both the La2a and 1176, if you don't have them. I'd take the Uad over the hardware, if I had to. 5 bills is kind of an inbetween price for hardware.

yeah, I've got about ever plugin pack but uad, and I've considering getting the ultra pack because I know they are awsome...(neve eq's, compressors and the reverbs) but I've been holding off because I know ua is relasing some new products soon, and I dont want to buy the uad-1 just to have ua release the uad-2 in two months. Also since this comp will be mostly for tracking dont know if the latency of the dsp cards will allow live use of the plugs.... but I definitly are my next purchase after the pacifica and the comp.

[R'shonn]

Originally Posted by mrmicguy

do or get the babyface mod done to your VT737, it speeds up the compressor a fair bit.
Avalon Vt 737sp Babyface (Fast Attack) Mod

Use a different mic to get your brighter sound - what are you using atm??

Maybe something AKG or Rode may brighten things up a bit - again would help if we knew what mic you're using.

yeah, I thought about getting the babyface mod, but honestly I dont really dont like the sound of the 737 enought to go through all that hassle to get it modded...plus I dont really like the sound of the compressor that much, it's too fuzzy fluffy sounding when more than -3 db is applied. right now I have 4 mics an old nady 1050 (my first) I have 2 rode's NTK and the K2, also the tlm 103. I'm a high tenor so the rodes really do bring out the sizzle in my voice well....but the avalon kills the sizzle, tlm 103 a lil to dark 4 my taste, dull on the high end but works well on deeper voices....(nice with the 737) But soon I'll be in the market for a new vocal mic... any suggestion...(high and low end)

[hrn]

You should have a look at the Aphex Compellor. I have one and it works great on vocals. You almost don't hear it working until you bypass it. It has a transparent sound too I would say. And, you can find them cheap.

Hans

[R'shonn]

Originally Posted by hrn

You should have a look at the Aphex Compellor. I have one and it works great on vocals. You almost don't hear it working until you bypass it. It has a transparent sound too I would say. And, you can find them cheap.

Hans

Ive been reading around about the Rnc, it seems like a winner, but I'm still open as far as the Aphex Compellor which version, 320A?

[lowfreq33]

I'm just glad to see there's at least one R&B guy who isn't in love with the 737. Always nice to meet someone with their own opinions.

[hrn]

R'shonn,
I have the model before the 320A which only has 3 knobs per channel like this one:

Aphex Compeller Stereo Limiter Used - (eBay item 330156936657 end time Aug-23-07 14:46:10 PDT)

Don't remember what the model number is but I think it's about the same as 320A with one or two less features. You get alot for the money here...

Hans

[aussie_techie]

record 10db lower
compress in the mix

[azwun25]

DBX160a maybe?

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by R'shonn

I really dont want to spend more than $500 this time around....

A little more cash flow would help besides a RNC to offer , however a Distressor would be a sweet charm, thats around 1350