Vac Rac TSL-3

Having recently relocated to a new studio with a TSL-3, I only really got to put the Vac Rac through it's paces this weekend gone on a tracking date with a rather fantastic band. I'd heard many great things about the unit, and so put it to work straight away on bass and vocals.

In terms of ease of use - there are two dials - Reduction and Make Up Gain; so it couldn't get much easier. The whole unit feels solidly built with chunky switches and knobs - Inward Connections have done a fantastic job building it. It's colossal 3U rack size may be an issue for some, but I'm personally glad that IC left plenty of space on the front panel rather than crowding a 2U faceplate.



The Vac Rac is one of those compressors that adds character and shine, and yet magically does so utterly transparently. More than once I had my vocalist belting into the mic (P12 -> 1081), resulting in an alarming swing on the GR meters. I needn't have been worried though, as the sound was still totally smooth and controlled and artefact free. Incredible.

On DI'd bass guitar it was a similar story with the Vac Rac offering heaps of control and a sweet, smooth signal on the way out. On bass in particular, it has this uncanny ability to turn the always slightly awkward 170-350 cycles range from mud to warmth and body. A rounder, groovier sounding bass has never been so easy to achieve.

With all of that said, it is possible to get a bit of dirt out of the unit, and driving the inputs hard with OH or room mics is an absolute pleasure. I've heard good reports from people using the TSL on the mix bus too, which is unfortunately not something I've gotten around to yet. I will report back when I get the chance.

Now, I find the Vac Rac is an invaluable tool in my arsenal - one that isn't always suited to every application, but when it's right, it's so right.