Thermionic Culture Phoenix or Manley Vari-Mu or Weiss DS-1 MK3 ???

[Stilus]

Hello!

I'm buying hi-end compressor for mastering. I can't decide between Thermionic Culture Phoenix, Manley Vari-Mu and Weiss DS-1 MK3... Which one should I buy?

Thanks!

[Cellotron]

While the Thermionic Culture and the Manley Vari Mu have at least the vari-mu architecture in common the Weiss is a completely different beast, so your question kind of confuses me. Do you already have other comps? Or will this be your only mastering compressor? What kind of music are you primarily dealing with?

Personally I'd get something VCA based rather than vari-mu or digital if this was to be your first mastering compressor option. There's also a long list of compressors worthy of demoing besides the three you listed (just do a search on this forum for many previous threads discussing these).

Best regardsm
Steve Berson

[Carotte]

Weiss DS-1 MK3 is the way to go... If you have the money... It is one of the most transparent compressor ever made and is in half of high-end mastering studios for a precise reason... You can take off 3 dB without hearing a difference in dynamics, it's like adding 3dB of magic gain! Clean as clean can possibly be... Then maybe get something like a Shadow Hills Mastering comp to get the fatness, depending if that is even your interest at all! That's my favourite mix... Best of two world. Versatility in the fatness and grease (SH has 3 different output gain transformers to give you 3 different tones) and the ultimate transparency for the clean stuff... Cheers!

[Carotte]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

Personally I'd get something VCA based rather than vari-mu or digital if this was to be your first mastering compressor option.

Apparently the Vertigo is amazingly versatile... Which is to me a very important thing about a main compressor... I'm thinking about adding one to the chain (for recording)...

[Darius van H]

Everything but the Weiss sucks

see here:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/gears...ro-europe.html

[Mastering101]

Originally Posted by Darius van H

Everything but the Weiss sucks

see here:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/gears...ro-europe.html

You had me there for a second

[aleatoric]

Originally Posted by Darius van H

Everything but the Weiss sucks

see here:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/gears...ro-europe.html

why are you selling your weiss?

[Darius van H]

Originally Posted by aleatoric

why are you selling your weiss?

The Weiss is great gears, but it doesn't suit my work-flow.

[First Aid]

looking at the phoenix & the OCL 2 at the moment as 'flavour' comps to compliment an MLA2, anyone used either?

also looking at the elisya and the buzz audio comp too...

the MLA2 is amazing, if you haven't checked it out i suggest a demo!

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by Stilus

Hello!

I'm buying hi-end compressor for mastering. I can't decide between Thermionic Culture Phoenix, Manley Vari-Mu and Weiss DS-1 MK3... Which one should I buy?

Thanks!

Two of those are made for color, one is made for transparency, and all three are made for sweetening or altering different types of music with different goals. The vari-mu is for me a kind of one-trick pony that I haven't found need for, but others swear by it. Someday, however, I'll get one of those Anamod Fairchilds, they sound very sweet. I recommend the answer be "one of each"! The Weiss, however, is the most versatile, but it can't sweeten harsh sources as nicely as the Manley.

[John Moran]

Originally Posted by First Aid

looking at the phoenix & the OCL 2 at the moment as 'flavour' comps to compliment an MLA2, anyone used either?

the OCL-2 is not really a color device even if it is tube powered. it's a good sounding compressor limiter but it's not the first thing i would reach for if looking for color, thickening or sweetening by distortion. quite the opposite, in fact, it's a very clean class a tube device.

[KyleDiSanto]

Originally Posted by Greg_Bonnier

Apparently the Vertigo is amazingly versatile... Which is to me a very important thing about a main compressor... I'm thinking about adding one to the chain (for recording)...

The Vertigo sounds VERY nice. Reacts nicely too. A little grabby - but you'd expect that from vca - not a grabby as an API2500 for comparison.

Its very clean and transparent in terms of compression and adds a high end "sheen" to things as well.

[William Bowden]

Err, since mastering traditionally involves using you ears... Let your ears decide!

I have the Mu and the Weiss and love them both for different reasons. I've only heard the Phoenix in another mastering room so can't comment.

btw I don't agree about the 3db gain with the weiss as Greg Bonner posted, though judging from his byline:
__________________
--------------WARNING--------------
Touching knobs or switches may alter sound...

I think he's having you on a bit. The Weiss tends to 'round' the sound when pushed IME, because it's 'friendly' on the bottoms it's the antithesis of the L2 for example (or even the Vari mu for that matter). If you leave the 'MAX' setting on though it can be a very different story tone-wise...

Try them out, it's the only way forward really, but they are all worthwhile units.

The King