Orange County Electronics 1U comp? Anyone?

[larry b]

Hello all! Long time reader, brand new member here. I just picked up this Orange County Electronics comp on ebay and im wondering what the model number, etc is. I'm already familiar with the ADR comps, the Stressor, etc, and i've seen and used the O.C.E. version of the Stressor, but i've never seen this little guy. The seller also has another one if i want it, but i'd like a little background before i spend more money.

I also apologize profusely for the horrible pics, they are taken by the seller, presumably with a cameraphone.

[larry b]

anyone?

[dbbubba]

It looks like their (Orange County's) version of a ADR Compex.
I think that was the name of the unit....
I used one that a friend brought over from England and I loved it.
because I only had so much money to spend I had to make the choice of buying a full Scamp rack or the ADR Compex.
I wanted both BADLY.

That being said...
Orange County's units are not that revered.
I have used the O.C. version of the Stressor and it seemed OK.
O.C. was the american distributor for ADR.

I do know that the ADR people were not crazy about the guy's at Orange County making their own versions.
I have heard the story from two perspectives.
Back in the late '80s the guys at ADR were re-furbing a few of the modules from my Scamp rack and I mentioned an Orange Couny stressor I had found.
They had NOTHING good to say about O.C.

When I relayed this story here on Gearslutz last year I was told that the two company's owners were and remained great friends and that there was no contention.
The story didn't match up with the story the ADR guys in England told me, but hey.. I'm no expert.

If I saw two of those units for sale I would buy them quickly!

[larry b]

Great, thanks for the insight! I had only ever heard that OC is out of canada, and that they were more or less knock-offs of the ADR stuff. I'd love to know the whole story behind that, and what if any real differences there are between the two. All i know is that i used the OC Stressors on a drum submix a few years back at a friend's studio and it was absolutely killer. I've been looking for them ever since. I've heard that the EQ in the ADR/OC Stressor wasn't all that great though. The Compex is next on my list!

[dbbubba]

The EQ in the ADR Stressor is the same as a stand-alone unit that ADR makes and my British friend had a pair of them as well.
They were absolutely great EQs!
They were either cut or boost depending on how a switch was set.
I think that they are identical to those on the Stressor.

It could be that the O.C. Stressor's EQ isn't as good as the ADR ones.

It seems that the guy that ran O,C. in (Vancouver?) Canada died a few years back.
I forget the story that was relayed to me on GS.

I'm going to do a search to jog my memory cells.

[larry b]

Excellent, thanks again for all of this information. As for the EQ's, i have heard both good and bad, concerning both ADR's and OC's, but mostly people have said that the OC eq is the sucky one. I suppose i will reserve my own personal judgement until the day i own one or both myself! I have found out that the one i purchased is an OC Vocal Stressor VS-2, single space, comp only. And i can get another one if i like it.

[CAVU]

Originally Posted by larry b

I just picked up this Orange County Electronics comp on ebay and im wondering what the model number, etc is.

That unit appears to be a generation 3 or 4 "VS-2 Stressor" - a dedicated, preset AM broadcast version of the VS-1 Stressor intended for the transmitter chain.

Originally Posted by dbbubba

It seems that the guy that ran O.C. in (Vancouver?) Canada died a few years back.

Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated! The rumour may arise from the fact I did have a stroke in 2004 but am recovering slowly and wondering what I want to be when I grow up.

It is quite interesting to drop in here and find all the speculation.

What, specifically, would you like to know?

If anyone is interested, check the Orange County Associates website for info on reconditioned and upgraded vintage processors for sale.

A 35th anniversary reissue of the gear is being contemplated. If that is of interest, PM me.

Michael Gillespie.

PS. Not Vancouver. Winnipeg.