A new Ted Fletcher mastering compressor

[Joe_caithness]

P38v8 Legacy stereo mastering and effect compressor

hmmn tasty.

I love my v7 and I love how Ted seems to just keep coming with up clever ideas and making them happen, the v6, v7 and v8 are essentially all different compressors using different bits of his original designs, very nice.

[da goose]

Looks nice! Not sure if it's really suitable for mastering though and in some kind of way i think the order of the knobs is a bit confusing.

[manman]

Just recently ran some mixes through P38 "Edward" regular blue face.

Few good impressions:

Pros:

1. adds slight sheen on upper-mids and glues mix a bit
2. fixes dynamics of mix in very uniform and controlled way
3. makes mixed louder without destroying quality etc
4. very clean sounding, but it does have some sort of opto-color

Cons:

1. input&output knob changes balance of L&R ( or cheap dented switches)
2. Different amount of compression changes L&R balance very annoying (has something to do to M/S)
3. if you sweep with sine-wave, you'll get random harmonic distortion at low levels which is probably destructive to mix

Conclusion: I think for mastering use it needs to be little higher quality build, knobs need to be detented and have no errors in L&R balance because it can seriously damage mix even by 1-2 db of inbalance

otherwise transformer input, opto -color is indeed interesting & sometimes useful for mastering

[Joe_caithness]

Originally Posted by manman

Just recently ran some mixes through P38 "Edward" regular blue face.

Few good impressions:

Pros:

1. adds slight sheen on upper-mids and glues mix a bit
2. fixes dynamics of mix in very uniform and controlled way
3. makes mixed louder without destroying quality etc
4. very clean sounding, but it does have some sort of opto-color

Cons:

1. input&output knob changes balance of L&R ( or cheap dented switches)
2. Different amount of compression changes L&R balance very annoying (has something to do to M/S)
3. if you sweep with sine-wave, you'll get random harmonic distortion at low levels which is probably destructive to mix

Conclusion: I think for mastering use it needs to be little higher quality build, knobs need to be detented and have no errors in L&R balance because it can seriously damage mix even by 1-2 db of inbalance

otherwise transformer input, opto -color is indeed interesting & sometimes useful for mastering

Think he improved quite a bit of that stuff with the newer versions? my P38v7 has a LR balance knob, I just calibrate after choosing my compressor settings.. annoying at first but I do it before I've even thought about it now.

[Adam Dempsey]

Originally Posted by manman

1. adds slight sheen on upper-mids and glues mix a bit
   
2. if you sweep with sine-wave, you'll get random harmonic distortion at low levels which is probably destructive to mix

I haven't heard the unit but I suspect that those two things may not be mutually exclusive to one another?

[Red Mastering]

isn't it getting back to the first issue ?
TFPro P8
I can't confirm this, but ppl say Edward was the best sounding, and all next improved versions were not..

[Chris Bauer]

I have the P38 EX and find it to be a very useful mastering compressor, which offers a variety of sonic flavours to suit different tastes. It's the most expensive of his compressors, but when compared with similarly capable products it's really a bargain.

[manman]

These are email correspondence from Ted:

Model types:

"The P38 design was exactly the same across a range of different front panels.... if it says P38 on it, then it's the same as any other P38, there is no 'newer model'. Other models are P38EX, P38V7 and the new P38'Legacy'. They are all variations of the original design for specific purposes."

Transient Release(glues mix very well):

"When the button is 'in', the attack and release times are fixed. When the button is 'out' the attack time is faster for very sharp sounds, and the release varies with the type of sound that's going through.... for short sharp sounds the release is quick, for longer sounds the release is slower."

"Yes, as with all TFPRO gear it's transformer coupled inputs and solid state outputs."

[manman]

my P38v7 has a LR balance knob

Yes P38 blue face has same knob.

Found quick way calibrating by running mono signal in, but because of different compression amounts P38 kept messing up calibration due to M/S side-chaining.

From Manual:

"Further control is given by the ‘BALANCE’ control. This allows the engineer
to correct for slight errors in L/R balance without going back to the mixer."

"The compression is applied to both sum and difference signals.
Immediately following the compression stages, the signal is dematrixed and
returns to its original L/R form, any small inaccuracies that occurred in the
compression process now show up as minor errors in the stereo width information; the stereo centring remains perfect"

http://www.tfpro.com/assets/files/ha...X-handbook.pdf

[JP__]

Originally Posted by Chris Bauer

I have the P38 EX and find it to be a very useful mastering compressor, which offers a variety of sonic flavours to suit different tastes. It's the most expensive of his compressors, but when compared with similarly capable products it's really a bargain.

The EX and the V7 are at the same price, the new V8 is the cheapest one (cause of its cheaper knobs and more simplified construction).
I chose the V8 cause it´s the smoothed sounding of the three (regarding a demo Ted has send me) with a nice "vintage" flavour. The V7 can sound real "brutal" and the EX has a fairly long release. Both are maybe more universal...
Sometimes I wish there is a mix knob at the V8 as well, cause of its (sometimes too strong) flavour.

[Red Mastering]

Originally Posted by manman

These are email correspondence from Ted:

Model types:

"The P38 design was exactly the same across a range of different front panels.... if it says P38 on it, then it's the same as any other P38, there is no 'newer model'. Other models are P38EX, P38V7 and the new P38'Legacy'. They are all variations of the original design for specific purposes."

Transient Release(glues mix very well):

"When the button is 'in', the attack and release times are fixed. When the button is 'out' the attack time is faster for very sharp sounds, and the release varies with the type of sound that's going through.... for short sharp sounds the release is quick, for longer sounds the release is slower."

"Yes, as with all TFPRO gear it's transformer coupled inputs and solid state outputs."

hmmmm,
I was sure P8 is the one without transformer....

[Joe_caithness]

If anyone wants to hear any audio through the v7 just let me know, I sing it's praises highly.

Ill be suggesting to a few mixing friends that if they want a slightly vintage flavoured and very musical bus compressor to check out the legacy.