What was your first studio compressor?

[Ward Pike]

OK, not the first one you ever used... like a Boss CS1,2 or 3 for your guitar rig, not the first you ever used or had used on your track in a studio elsewhere (we've all got our stories there),

What was the first compressor/limiter you owned, yourself?

I'm going to take you back to 25 years ago, to 1987. Mine was the Alesis Micro Limiter. I still have it, haven't used it since 1990 but it's still in my possession.

[AllAboutTone]

501

[press tone]

ART Pro VLA

[robertshaw]

dbx 163

[Waxavub]

GAP Comp54

[KillerV]

I bought 2 FMR Audio PBC-6A's and a RNC at the same time after a couple of years of learning with plugins.

[DrFrankencopter]

A trio of rented Drawmer DL-241's used for tracking (early 90's). I still remember not knowing what to listen for, and thinking that more LEDs on was somehow "better".

Sad thing was that the recording was to 2inch 16 track and probably didn't really need any compression. Needless to say mixing was a nightmare. I still cringe while remembering it.

Oops, just noticed the thread is the first one I owned. Well that was a behringer composer (still have it, but it's used for ducking delay duty only). After that I wised up and got a distressor.

Cheers

Kris

[Camera]

Tube Tech SMC-2A

[toolate4roses]

Dbx 160a.

[gear is cool]

DBX 266

Clueless doesn't even come close to describe the user, I even had it hooked up wrong for over 2 months.

[HomeProducer]

dbx 166xl

[RonGherkins]

Distressor

[willylumplumps]

Vintage Design CL1MKII

[xj32]

An Alesis 3630, followed by an original (non Chinese) Behringer Composer. Sold both when I got my Yamaha 01-V and switched to it's built in channel comps. Sold that for a Tascam DM-32 and it's comps...realized that digital mixer comps were nothing more than glorified plug ins and ditched the mixer for a Distressor and an 1176 that I romantically view as my 1st real comps.

[Cerpintaxt]

Distressor El8X and i still have it, solid piece of gear.

[gibberish45]

My first and only is a used MDX2600 I bought two weeks ago for $60

I learned how to use it pretty easily through GS which was good since I couldn't understand the manual.

[RightOnRome]

round 1993 i got a 3630...nice and clickey.....


but i learned how to not use it

[Ricey]

Yamaha GC2020 - used it to death.

[Jan1973]

A dbx 166xl.

I thought I'd make good use of the combined gate/compressor/limiter facilities.

I rarely use it, but it does get used here and then on mic'd guitar amps (mainly because of the gate). I don't regret the purchase, but I should have bought an RNC instead back then I guess.

In the meantime I mainly use my Focusrite LiquidMix for compression duties and some other plugins (PSP Vinatge Warmer comes to mind. Not a compressor per se, but I love to use it for tape style compression).

I plan to buy some outboard compressors in the long-term future, when I put together an OTB mix rig and a mastrering room.

[pwn]

A presonus ACP-88!

[McDingus]

Original LA2A

[beau_mckee]

After many years of ITB, I bought a stereo pair of Distressor EL8-x. Love them!

[Buss-me]

Aphex Easyrider 4ch comp.....absolutely loved it, and would still love it, if it worked. Power supply died years ago :-(.....
Awesome on a drum mix

[jensenmann]

dbx160x, still in use

[RiF]

Originally Posted by McDingus

Original LA2A

that has been a good thing to start with :-)

My first one has been a dbx 166xl, a good unit to learn outboard compression, but my Distressor gets more use today.

[pipamail]

[nooneimportant]

Originally Posted by RonGherkins

Distressor

Same here. I dunno what the hell I was thinking. Didn't know a thing about compression.

[rocksure]

Originally Posted by robertshaw

dbx 163

They are quite a cool little beast those compressors..or the 164 which is a stereo one knob sqeezer version.

[rocksure]

I think from memory mine was some old piece of junk I chucked in the bin afterwards. What was it called now?...trying to remember.....Fair something.....oh yeah maybe it was....Fairchild. I think it had a model number in the 600's.......maybe 660 or 670 something like that.

[Ward Pike]

Thanks for the laughs, gang! We all had (have) to start somewhere! Although I see some of you (like McDingus) started near the top of the heap.