Alesis 3630 Vintage compressor SECRET weapon!

[Lerxst]

Sorry guys, but I know I have you all beat!

I have the first 3630 ever manufactured. It is a Black Face/Yellow stripe with serial number 1.

How did I get this?

It’s a funny story let me tell you. Mr. Alesis presented this to me… uhh.. well gave it to me as kind of a buy off. You see I was dating his daughter Aliza and he didn’t like it. He offered me cash and even a 65 Shelby Cobra, but I told him that if he wanted me not to see his daughter again he would have to give me the first ever 3630 made, and it had to be personalized.

Notice in the first picture the serial is CL1. The CL stands for classic, and of course the personalized monogram from Mr. Alesis himself. In the next picture you’ll see that I have placed it in the rack. I segregated it from all of the other unclean rack gear with a blank panel. Also notice the factory yellow stripe – one of a kind! I’m sure you’re wondering why there are Q-Tips on the rack mount holes – well all I can say is that no rack screw will ever deface those rack ears. (unlike Aliza)

Furthermore, I made sure that the Q-Tips were kosher as not to make it unclean – How you say? I dipped them in pickle juice. (like Aliza)

Eat your heart out folks – I have the sluttiest piece of gear on this forum, and I will retire knowing that giving up Aliza was the best financial move I ever made!

~Lerxst

[SNJ Studio]

Originally Posted by dale116dot7

the 'Alesis Crackle'....
-Dale

I laughed so hard reading some of the posts in this thread.

You are all evil.

3630's crap out with transients (what else will it see??!?) and a kick drum or floor tom is the fastest way to prove it.

Stupid Alesis. ADAT was the last time I gave them a look.

[Lerxst]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

Congratulations. That was the funniest post I've ever read on this forum. The roll of yellow tape on the rack just sealed the deal.

I hope you laughed... Just remember that Aliza's initials are "AA" (if you're recovering), or "AAA" (if you have their insurance) if she has a middle initial - I can't remember...

Point is, is that whenever I see this beauty, a song comes to mind;

"Always somethin there to remind me" :crackle-crackle: "Aliza's always there to remind me" :crackle-crackle:


Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or day off if you're an atheist!

Cheers,
~Lerxst

[robot gigante]

Originally Posted by dale116dot7

Wow, this thread keeps resurfacing!!!



Yea, I spent many hours working on my 3630's. It totally ruins the sound to have the VCA's fed like THAT application notes want them. And it totally ruins the sound to use an op-amp where you should use an op-amp instead of a comparator where you use an op-amp. And it totally ruins the sound to use real capacitors and real grounding. Oh yea, to use the higher grade of the VCA's is a real problem if you want it to sound like the original. And don't put the decoupling capacitor across the RMS detector like the THAT application guide and data sheets insist that you must do or else the capacitor charging currents won't disturb the audio signal in unrelated parts of the circuit.

After working on mine for a while, I was tired of soldering on high-quality single-sided printed circuit boards with lots of little jumpers... and built a few tube and a few solid-state compressors. The 'Altec Whomp' on kick still isn't quite as nice as the 'Alesis Crackle'....

Dale's rule #7 of analogue design. Use a comparator to compare and an amplifier to amplify.

-Dale

Sam's rule #1 of bitchinosity- use a 3630 for the bitchin' sound. Hells yeah!

-Sam

[Watersound]

Originally Posted by Lerxst

Sorry guys, but I know I have you all beat!

I have the first 3630 ever manufactured. It is a Black Face/Yellow stripe with serial number 1.

How did I get this?

It’s a funny story let me tell you. Mr. Alesis presented this to me… uhh.. well gave it to me as kind of a buy off. You see I was dating his daughter Aliza and he didn’t like it. He offered me cash and even a 65 Shelby Cobra, but I told him that if he wanted me not to see his daughter again he would have to give me the first ever 3630 made, and it had to be personalized.

Notice in the first picture the serial is CL1. The CL stands for classic, and of course the personalized monogram from Mr. Alesis himself. In the next picture you’ll see that I have placed it in the rack. I segregated it from all of the other unclean rack gear with a blank panel. Also notice the factory yellow stripe – one of a kind! I’m sure you’re wondering why there are Q-Tips on the rack mount holes – well all I can say is that no rack screw will ever deface those rack ears. (unlike Aliza)

Furthermore, I made sure that the Q-Tips were kosher as not to make it unclean – How you say? I dipped them in pickle juice.

Eat your heart out folks – I have the sluttiest piece of gear on this forum, and I will retire knowing that giving up Aliza was the best financial move I ever made!

~Lerxst

LMAO big time...that's hilarious! I'm jealous of course

[uptoolate]

Guys!!!

Don't you know the truth about the way the 3630 came to be?

It's because God created it in heaven and presented it to his wonderful singing angel, know then as Lucifer. God just had one condition. "Lucifer, you may only use this beloved compressor on my voice". God didn't say this because he was selfish. He said this because he knew that if an angel ever heard their own voice thought this incredible device, that they would certainly love the device more than God himself. He knew they would idolize it and try to place it on the throan instead of God. He knew they would try modify his throan into a single space 19" rack. He really didn't want them to jack up his throan like that.

Eventually Lucifer could resist no more. He patched his own voice through the 3630. He began to sing and suddenly, he was completely all freaked out with buldging eyes and stuff.

Just then, God walked in and caught Lucifer red handed. Because Lucifer had disobeyed God, he was cast out of heaven, vanquished forever. His name was changed to Satan.

As Satan was cast out of heaven, he reached for the 3630 and brought it with him as he tumbled through space and time, falling to earth.

He hit the ground really hard. The compressor hit the ground so hard that it penetrated the earth, going all the way to the other side of the earth. This location was what would oneday become known as China of course.

Millions of years went by and around 1980 something or 1990 something, a sweat shop worker stumbled upon it. He took it to his boss. His boss tested it and knew how wonderful it was. He tore it apart and copied down every design feature. He then began to manufacture this unit at the rate of 1,000,000 per day. He took out some add space in some United States music magazines and sold more 3630s than he ever could have dreamed.

He split the profits with Satan.

This is the real story behind the wonderful 3630. It is amazing and a little spooky also.

That's why it sounds so good. It's got that spooky Satan mojo going on.

[uptoolate]

Uh, maybe I should take that last post back.

No offense, to anyone who may be offended by my little story there.

I'm actually a Christian, with a whacked sense of humor.

Just jokes.

[joaquin]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

It's not that it was offensive. It just wasn't that funny.

LOL

[Fite Architectur]

lol you know before seeing this i was in the market for one after i heard daft punk used it on their discovery album.... Now I'm REALLY in the 3630 market.

[jamsmith]

I've only used a 3630 for an internet radio station, but I loved my ADATs with the BRC, the HR-16 is still one of my favorite drum machines, and I still use my beloved Quadraverb to this day. Before ProTools took over, a lot of great records were done on ADATs - Queenryche, Primus, etc.

Did I mention my daughters name is Alesis?

[Dirty Halo]

Funny how a brand can turn people off... VCA-based compressor, the classic SSL G-series 4000 2-buss compressor, perhaps one of THE most famous comps in history.

The Alesis 3630, he exact same thing in an Alesis box.

THAT is what makes a secret weapon.

Believe the hype? Or follow your ears?

[Feinstrom]

Originally Posted by uptoolate

This is the real story behind the wonderful 3630. It is amazing and a little spooky also.

That's why it sounds so good. It's got that spooky Satan mojo going on.

So the number of the beast should be 3630, not 666...

BTW, I thought it was quite funny!

[Peacock]

I had the Alesis at one time. I do not remember it being particlarily good to me. I expect the RNC would outperform it for my applications. Infact, years ago I had a yamaha 2 channel compressor with a gate (Ican't remember the model now) that was much more useful than the Alesis.

[robot gigante]

I heard a couple rumors about the 3630. One was that back in the day when audio designers were moving from solid state to the new tube technology, a lot of engineers trashed their 3630's in favor of the new "superior" tube units. I'm talking dumpsters full of 3630's!! Can you imagine!! Say it ain't so!

The other rumor I hear was that Alesis had actually made a CONSOLE based on the 3630 topology! Story goes that they were shipping the prototype, and the ship hit a reef somewhere near the Bermuda triangle and sank, along with the one working prototype of the 3630 console in the world. Can you imagine being able to work on that beauty??! And supposedly production costs were so high with it that they scrapped the idea and never made another version of the console....

Are these stories true or just urban legends?

[Long_Shaded_Eye]

There is two reasons I LOVE GS = knowlege & THIS !!!!!
You made my day.

/Nick.

[Chaellus]

aeonsoundHello Valued Frend

I have Great Pleasure to be Representing His Royal Highness Crown Prince Abufola IIrd of Nigeria and conveying this Message of Utmost Importance. You may have seen recent News reports featuring Rumours of an Impending Sale at His Royal Highness's Top-Flight Studio, 'STUDIO MZUNGU', here in Abuja. Well frend I can confirm this is True to the Fact and that I, as his Humble Messager, can offer you First Choice of a range of pristine Alesys 3630 Compressor. There are not One not Twelve but Fourteen of these fine units in a holding facility in Barbados, awaiting release on the instruction of HRH Abufola IIrd.

If you would please to be doing me the Great Honour of facilitating a Western Union money transfer to the account below I would be Most Delighted to begin the shipping of these priceless units of infinitely variable compression quality.

Yours in eternal graciousness,

Bwana Mwalesisi





Dont do it its a scam...!!!!! ehe ALesis madness....whena re they going to make the damn plug? or do they have it already? i heard they had it at namm expo ....was to busy seeing the chandler stuff... tryed going to the alesis booth but it was so packed dammit....was anyone there? let me know what you saw

[audiofreeek]

This thread made my day.

[matskull]

Seriously though, can those be useful on toms and "less important" stuff like that?

[Cabinessence]

I was rummaging through some old clothes and I found a blackface 3630!!!! First thing I did was lubed this baby up with some ky and slid her into the rack. I hardwired it to the board with some vintage twist ties and was ready to track. First test was just yelling into the faceplate with the power off. Totally nailed that John Mayer "Waiting on the world to change" tone! Then things got good. I powered her on. All that goo dripped all over my other outboard gear!!! MOJO!!!
I was so excited I started clapping... INSTANT RINGO!!! This box is unbelievable...

First thing tomorrow, I'm trying it with a mic.

[drpeacock]

Damn,

if this thing sounds so bad that it has provoked a 3 page thread I've got to get one just to hear it.

[Tweaker]

Buy one, I'm sure everyone has at some point! I did.

It certainly has its own 'sound'. In fact, I've decided, I'm going to have a sesh with mine tonight! I'm going to throw it on the Aux, don't try and stop me!!

[cosmos]

my god.

[Tweaker]

haha I couldn't resist it

[midihooker]

after i read the title thread i made a order on ebay for 8 3630 (unmodded of course) units. for the last 4month.s i have 8hours a day tried to learn to like them.. i know they ROCK but everything gets a little "nasal" dont you think? i have one unit on every insert i use and also i have one on the master insert for that extra touch.. i somehow think it´s really hard to get that open sound that it´s famous(?) for.. i do get a lot of noise but i understand that true analog vintage gear does that and thats what it should sound now.. thats what i want.. to sound like ..stuff sound.. ya KNow!
im kind of a newbee to this kind of hi end gear.. i had a behringerer NOize gAte for a while back ago but.. then i dident have all this 3630 units and thefore not much noiz.. so should i look for a new noiz gate or just live with it? how long time do you think it will take for me to get THAT 3630 sound evrybody talking about? i know deff punk use them on EVERYTHING and my music dosent sound like that yet.. thoe i have all the sample they have.. the baseline 202..midi in.. and everything..
dont stop that BeAt THaanG---

[yaren]

a very nice piece of gear...cheap and wonderful... the amount of electronic music guys using this are enough of a reason to see why its great...

i have 2 of these, very good...

dont understand what people mean by vintage 3630?
but i guess some sorta lame joke as usual

[andonwego]

the alesis 3630 stared down chuck norris and won

[RARStudios]

I just did the "throwitoutyourcarwindowgoingeightyfive" mod and mine sounds freaking sweet now! Night and day. I ordered 13 more on eBay. I am going to mod those as well!!!!

[Aeolian]

Now why did I ever sell the ones I had? They would be ideal for removing that digital perfection on the drum bus. Don't need eq, don't need rolled off ribbon mics. Just slap a 3630 on it.

[junglist001]

3 PAGES!

anyway, as you've all spoken so highly of this essential piece of equipment i rushed out and brought two. One for my 2-bus and one as a door stop. The latter is perfectly adaquate but i wasn't as impressed by the compression as you guys. maybe i should seek out a vintage one, either that or ill get BLA to mod one of mine.

[Chucho]

Originally Posted by junglist001

3 PAGES!

anyway, as you've all spoken so highly of this essential piece of equipment i rushed out and brought two. One for my 2-bus and one as a door stop. The latter is perfectly adaquate but i wasn't as impressed by the compression as you guys. maybe i should seek out a vintage one, either that or ill get BLA to mod one of mine.

the BLA mod is very good. seriously.