Samson S. Com Compressor

[Blue Bongo]

O.K., it's just for a little home basement studio, but I would like to get anyone's advice on the Samson S. Com Compressor., or..........recommendations on similiar priced units. It would be greatly appreciated as I am continually in awe of the knowledge this forum offers.
Happy New Year!
Andy

[Barish]

For average live use, it's good enough. In fact, ideal. For studio use, you could do much better with a software plug-in.

I have one of them, S Com + I think. I only use it for occasional live performances, or on the headphone amp feed if I'm tracking drums and the drummer can't have enough of volume and I have no other compressor to use. Cheat him with an awfully distorted loudness, e. They are usually half deaf anyway so it doesn't really matter.

Avoid the gate on it. It makes a click between switches. It's more obvious on 4-channel ones. In live drums and things it may not be noticed, but in a recording environment it sticks out like a cold sore. I had one of them too but sold it to the drummer I was working with when we parted ways, and he does more live sound reinforcement than drumming anyway so that's where he keeps using it.

The deesser on it is okay for the live use -if you ever need it at the level you'd be using it, but not critical enough for studio use.

Remember, that product was released to outbehringer Behringer, so even though I'd prefer it to a Behringer in a live situation, I wouldn't rely on it in a studio use. You'd notice its inferiority quite soon in a recording environment.

B.

[PhilE]

I cant agree less with what is written above.
Thhe build quality of these things is way above behringer- the sound quality is marginal- but they are actually useable as extras for utility stuff- I was lent one by the distributer and although I didn't buy and i dont recall whether it made it onto a mix (certainly not as anything critical) it didnt offend me at all.
The idea of a £100 plug in being superior is farse in my opinion.
For a bedroom studio you'll be far happier than with a Behringer or Alesis unit. You will soon want to upgrade but I think they are the best thing in that price range- but I'm not sure what an RNC will set you back these days.

[Barish]

Also check Drawmer MX30. It has less fancy functions than S Com stuff, but is a better sounding compressor to my ears in that price bracket.

Never tried Really Nice Compressor so I can't comment on that.

B.

[kragg]

Hi
6 months later, any more news/reviews/advices about the Samson S-com Plus ?

Is it any good for peak limiting ?
Can it give a drum sound more punch in a rather musical way ?

thank you

[joelpatterson]

Short answer: Yes, both the two-channel and four channel units are fab. Perfectly fine for anything short of some critical, esoteric, specific thing, for everyday use they are more than totally cool.

Long answer: I spent all yesterday with a bluegrass band, mostly trying out this fantastic new four channel preamp that's coming out, the NPNG (no pain, no gain) as well as the new Avant CV-12 tube mic. Both of which, by the way, do an awesome job with the kind of fast and furious stuff a bluegrass band creates.

As part of my foolings, I really squashed the signal from the tube mic through just an innocent channel of the Samsom 4-com, or whatever they call it, and it was stunning how natural it sounded, and I am talking 9 and 12 dBs of squash.

I also notice that Samson gear appears as the lowest rung of what Sweetwater offers, and say what you will about their whole scam, they don't move junk, at the very least. Get one of these units, you'll be glad you did.

[kragg]

Thank you for the answer.

My use woudl be mainly boosting drum machines and analogue synths + efficient peak limiting (studio use). No need for recording accoustic instruments or vocals.

I have spent money in unsuccesfully trying to repair my Art TCS, so i don't have much money, and i am hesitating between :
1- getting a budget comp/lim if the quality is here (Samson S-com Plus), or
2- thinking one step above and getting a Drawmer MX-30 (more expensive : would it be that much better ?). Does it worth it (more than twice the price) ?

[joelpatterson]

It would be much better, a billion times better.... does it cost a billion times as much?

[kragg]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

It would be much better, a billion times better.... does it cost a billion times as much?

ah ah !
no, it costs about twice as much (used but mint). About 300$

( Could you be a little bit more explicit on the better quality ? on what side -punch, efficiency of limiting, transparency, versatily, freq range, etc- would the Samson be "faulty" and the Drawmer stellar ?)


I also read some good reviews about the Art Pro VLA, but i am a bit afraid of the ability of Vactrol to work as well as solid state on drums and limiting...

[joelpatterson]

"Better" means that the adjustments have much finer gradations and it'll sound more like it isn't even there--which is the point with compressors. The Samsom stuff will give you more of a "here, is this okay, hope so, it's what you're getting," while the Drawmer will be, "enough sizzle on the hi-hat still? okay, back off on the attack ever-so-slightly.. that better? I thought so" level of playing around until you are perfectly happy.

Both will do a good job keeping overs in check. But you know, the better the gear you have, the more you utilize its betterness.

[kragg]

Thank you.

[kragg]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

...while the Drawmer will be, "enough sizzle on the hi-hat still? okay, back off on the attack ever-so-slightly.. that better? I thought so" level of playing around until you are perfectly happy.

... this is maybe the problem with that MX-30 : no manual tweaking of attack & release.... I must say i am a bit afraid of this.

[lowfreq33]

maybe think about a dbx 266xl. You'll get 2 channels and a lot more control for just a little bit more than the samson.

[kragg]

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

maybe think about a dbx 266xl. You'll get 2 channels and a lot more control for just a little bit more than the samson.

This Samson ?


It does have 2 channels, and i think the same than the 266XL + a limiter.

My main concern is the quality, in fact, as i fear that Samson = bloat features to hide a mediocre quality, where Drawmer has fewer features but may do it better... ?

So, as it is only suppositions (and as i can't really try deeply any of them), i try to gather as much advices as possible (thanks everyone)...

[sweet_beats]

Hey LOOK everybody! The S. Com now comes in blue *and* silver!!!

Look closely...look verrry verrry closely...does *anybody* else wonder if the Samson 'S' products come out of the same factory as Behringer products??





AND LOOK!!!! I CAN NOW GET MY BEHRINGER POWERPLAY HA4700PRO 4-CHANNEL HEADPHONE AMP IN BLUE!!!!!!!

[Samuelito]

Hi,

Normally lots of products come out from the same factory in china. The thing is what they have choosed in the assemble chain, design, etc.
Obviously the design is not the case here, but for me, Samson is better than Behringer although sometimes they can be a bit more fragile.