Hi guys, okay i produce commercial hip-hop, and i just ordered an Aurora Audio GTQ for tracking.


Ive basically decided on either a Distressor pair or a Chandler Limited TG1 compressor, for tracking on the way in.


I want something that will be good on everythingm like MPC drums, keyboards, synths, guitar, bass,ect.


Ive read good things about both units, and i know the distressor can probabbly do more, but i dont know if it does everything better than the Chandler TG1 for tracking purposes.


Which unit saturates better? I need lots of colour and saturation, in a good way that would sound good on everything for commercial hip-hop.


The Distressor is supposed to be able to create nice distortion, but i read that the Chandler TG1 allows bypassing of the compressor/limiter threshold but leaves all circuits in the signal path, turning the unit into a powerful Harmonic Distortion generator capable of kicking out up to 2% Total Harmonic Distortion that's more than 2 times the amount of analog tape.


I like my drums, ect to have a nice smack to them, and nice low end,ect. Something that would be more usefull for commercial hip-hop.


I dont know if this is true, but some people said that the Distressors compression sounds more like an effect?


Can you guys help me decide and give me some opinions of which one of these compressors would be the best choice for tracking everything on the way in? Anybody use both?



P.S. , i plan on getting a pair of those new Chandler Tone Control EQ's when they come out.


Thanks a ton!

I own both

I sugges you get a versitle comp for starting out. distressor with brit mode


TG1 is sooo amazing, but limited to a certain type of sound

Thanks belairstudio,


Can you describe the difference in sound between the Distressors and the TG1?

Which one saturates more?


Are you saying the Distressors would be something i would always want to when tracking rather than the TG1?


Do you have any sound clips of these units?


Thx!

Ditto..
I have both too and completely agree. Distressors are the ones to get first.

Thanks indie,


Can you describe the differene in sound between the two?


Is the Distressor good for commercial hip-hop? Can it sound like an 1176 if thats the type of sound im looking for sometimes? Does it saturate nicely and does it have a lot of character?

Can it sound clean and "poppy"? and can it do nice analog distortion if i want that more dirty vintage sound? Are they really punchy?


Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thx!

I'll give you the quick answer. It can get 1176 ish to a degree that sounds really good, but as with many imitators, it's not a real 1176, but close. The Distressor has all the character you could ask for. Punchy and poppy, yes.

As for nice analog distortion, definitely! Distortion is it's middle name, well actually part of it's real name.

Great, thanks guys. The Distressors it is!!!

Hi guys, okay i recently came to the conclusion that im going to pick up a FATSO aswell, so would the Distressors still be the best first choice compressor for me? Or would a different compressor be cooler now that im getting a FATSO aswell? I am using these for tracking only.


Do these units sound the same and would it be worth buying both if i had the cash? I guess i wont be using the compressor on the FATSO if i have a pair of Distressors, so i'll be using it only for the tape emulation i guess. I heard audio demo's of the FATSO and i liked what i heard.


Thanks in advance for the help!

i know i'm going to get slaughtered for saying this but if i were you i'd get an avalon 737 for doing hip hop. i've got chandlers and neves and distressors and 1176's. there is something about the 737 and hip hop that just works especially on vox. many on the west coast use it.

i just did a hip hop session the other day with the 737 and the blue bottle mic and it came out amazing. to be honest i'm not a huge fan of distressors on vox although it works well for voice overs. haven't tried it on hip hop vox but i know the 737 works great for that.

my thoughts,

ej

Im not doing vocals.

Then get the 747.... You honestly and sadly will hold a lot more credibility having an Avalon in the rack if doing rap....

This is the SAD truth!

Really? As a compressor? I wont have people in my studio aswell, and i definetly wont buy anything Avalon right now!


But back to my question, if im buying a FATSO, should i still get the Distressors, or should i get a different tracking compressor? Do they sound the same?

Thx!

Fatso and distressors are different. The fatso is more as a buss compressor and the distressors are for individual tracks.

The 747 is a stereo compressor and an eq. So you can use it for both. You say that you dont do vox but you got the GTQ... thats a good piece but a pair of distressors could have done the job.

It is really a matter of opinion here. Everything listed will work great. Its hard to tell what you would like.

Thanks Cap, i'll explain more about what im looking for,ect.


This is only for tracking on the way in, i want to get things sounding as good and phat on the way in. Mixing will be done by somebody else, using an SSL. I also want to be able to shape sounds,ect, to create my own.


I got the GTQ for the Pre-amp for recording live guitars,bass,ect, and for the DI to track MPC drums, keyboards, synths,bass,ect. I will do vocals in the future, but not at the moment. Im also looking into a Tube Pre/DI for when i want that phat tube sound instead of solid state.


As for a tracking compressor, people recommended the Distressors because they are very versatile, and they sound great. They also saturate and colour the sound, and people told me they're fat.



For a tracking EQ, I was recommended to read about the new Chandler Tone Control EQ's that are coming out soon. They're supposed to sound great from what ive read, they got the Pultec thing going on, and have transformer balls so even running sounds through the signal chain without EQ makes them sound bigger. nice lows, mids, highs, nice shaping, and turning small to big.



So basically with these 3 things will allow me to get my stuff sounding really nice on the way in, and will totally change the sound from how my stuff sounded dry. I want nice analog saturation, and i'll get saturation and character from these 3 things without overdoing it. I want my stuff to bang and to sound big, phat, warm, vintage,ect similar to the Dre and Storch vibe, inspried sound. I like a nice bumpin low end, but also nice mids and highs. I want my stuff to sound really clear and not muddy. I should add that i use and create really good sounds in the first place. I just want to tale what i have and enhance it in all areas x 10!!!!! I want the punch, depth, roundness, warmth ( not too warm ), air, character, detail, saturation, and clarity heh . All the good stuff . I know its in the user, but i want the gear that will allow me to do this will the least amount of work that is possible. Im guessing the SSL is what glues everything together.



EDIT: I heard the FATSO demo again and i dont think its what im looking for. Would the Hedd be the best option for the 2 inch tape sound? The FATSO sounds cool, but it didnt really change the sound too much and drop my jaw. I want jaw dropping units.


What do you think Cap? Does what i explained sound good? Ive heard before and after mixes of stuff mixed on SSL's, and it didnt really change the sound too much. So im guessing that tracking is where you really saturate, and change the sound. I know Dre, Storch, and lots of other producers mix on the SSL, but use stuff like Neve's,ect, to track with.



So i was thinking about if this chain sounds proper?


MPC drums, keyboards, synths -> GTQ -> Distressors -> Chandler Tone Control EQ -> Hedd 192 -> RME ADI 8 Pro - Cubase SX3.


GTQ = Big, round, warm, detail. -> Distressors = tight, punchy, in your face, saturation, vintage or clean. -> Tone Control EQ = shaping sounds, phat bottom, nice mids, nice top, turn small sounds to big sounds, saturation, transformers,ect. -> Hedd 192 = tape sound,


What do you think Cap? does this sound good?


Thanks a Ton Cap! I really appreciate your help!!!

I own the GTQ-2 Mk3 too, and Distressors. I love this combination, and use thhe Portico 5043 for tape emulation in front of the UA 2192 converters, so I understand the goals for your chain.

While I think the Distressor is a better first choice for a high end comp, I think you should try and do an A/B to see if the EL-8 or the TG1 is going to give you the sonic quality that you really want. My gut is based on yoru many posts, that you'd prefer the sonic imprint of the TG1 for tracking.

Sorry if this messes up your direction, but I really think you should listen to both to make your choice.

Jim vanBergen, thanks a lot for your reply,


It looks like you have a great chain going on!!!


With that chain you must really change the sound and get real nice saturation. Do you think that the UA 2192 convertors are better and would make a big difference in sound from the RME convertors? How do they sound in your opinion?


Have you heard the TG1? Can you describe the difference in sound between the distressors and the TG1 if possible?


Do you think if possible you could post a drum loop or something going through the GTQ to the Distressors?


I want my stuff to sound as close to a "record" as possible.


Sorry for all the questions, and i really appreciate your help. I wish i could demo a TG1, but they arent available in my area to demo, it sucks.

Thx!

Im not looking for a poppy, clean sparlky sound, im looking for a vintage sound that has attitude and smack, but is clear and not muddy. In your face sound.

Well if you didn't dig that (it is VERY subtle, I tell ya!).... er....

Are you on PT or all in an MPC?

Cause IMHO on PT the Cranesong Pheonix plug in is AMAZING for pfattness.. Over the years I have learned that I like to add that sort of 'warming' stuff around about mixdown time, sometimes a little goes a long way with this warming stuff.. and you dont want to paint yourself into a corner having over done it at the early recording stages...... tutt

I have a GTQ2, TG1 and UA 2192. All are great but the TG1 does not match well with the 2192. Some sort of impedance problem, I've been told. The TG1 clips well before the converter. It's worse with bass heavy input. I basically can't use it as a bass compressor unless I track with a very low level.

this is another wierd one but for what you are talking i'd consider getting an apogee trak 2.

first of all the di's are some of the best i've heard especially for mpc and keyboards. the bottom in and punch and warmth are amazing. secondly it has a tape emulation called soft saturate which can do amazing things. Also works great for di guitar.
what ever you do you are going to need 2 channels. it also has apogee conversion and clock and can interface with anything. I've actualy used it to interface with pt hd and pt mx at the same time!!! It can do aes, tdif, adat, hd, mix, spdf and has 2 analog in and up to 8 analog out. i wish i had an entire rack of them.

for me the distressor would not be my first choice to make stuff phat. if you want it to hit hard then maybe but i find that it is just as easy to make stuff in ITB than using outboard. infact i'd opt for the waves ssl or duende for your app before i'd spend the cash on 2 channels of outboard comps for tracking.

my thoughts again

ej

No Apogee... he just stated that he doesnt want a hi-fi sound and a clean sound! But there is sooooooooooooo much stuff out there that can be used for what you want. I in no way can tell you that "X" is the answer. But if you want a tape sound the HEDD or the plugs are the best that I have found. But on the other hand, you can really mess up the sounds with the tape emulations. Leave that for mixing.... you said the mixing will be done on an SSL, so let the mixer worry about all of this! You really want the signal to enter the computer as clean as possible, then let all the extra work be done later.

Just my opinion....

But again, for tracking and FAT sounds I think this is the way...

Distressors for certain stuff, Manley ELOP, Summit EQP-200 eq's (GREAT), and a good DI. Anything can be used here. From Avalon to UA to whatever you want GTQ. Then to the HEDD. The HEDD is worth every penny for the tape emualtion and you also get pentode and triode tube sounds to mix in and you get AWESOME conversion A/D and D/A....

i've yet to work with any hip hop producer that has not been blown away by what the apogee trak 2 does for kicks and snares or keys. as far as the hedd a friend of mine just did a shoot out with the hedd vrs rme fireface...he's now selling the hedd...i heard the files and i was shocked but had to agree.

ej

Hey Riz,
I have not used the RME so no idea how they compare. I got a good deal on the 2192, I think it sounds accurate and almost warm. I also like the Crane, Apogee, and Lavry converters. They all sound darn close, but I chose the 2192. Most mixes go thru my SSL comp at 2:1 and use the 5043 to add warmth, do some tape rounding, and raise the levels going to the 2192. The TG1 sounds great for a drum buss or drum OH comp- I'll see if I have a stem mix I can post legally.

The TG1 is really great sounding for color and crushing guitars, bass, drums. Maybe I missed something at Distressor school, but my EL-8s still sound solid state (funny, they are!) when the TG1 sounds as close to a Fairchild as I have heard. You want squish and pump? Go TG-1. The Distressor can do a lot of tricks,-it's incredibly valuable in my opinion- but I have never been able to make it sound like a 670. But it's a damn versatile comp and popular for a reason! Now: maybe I suck at its settings, but I've found three main settings that I use on the EL-8s- and that's pretty much it for me- call 'em Squeeze, Clamp, and Crush, with variations on the attack & release time. When using the TG-1 I use it liberally, cranked for the huge drum sounds- you can get a huge drum kit with three or four mics bussing thru the TG-1.

Oh- you should form a relationship with one of the gear pimps that handles both the Distressor and Chandler lines, and buy both a pair of EL-8s with British Mod and the TG-1, and promise to return something within a week. Of course, you'll keep them both. But, IMO, you NEED them both! Sorry I don't sell gear, but I can make some suggestions of three or four people who are trustworthy to buy from if you don't have a relationship like that already.

Hope this helps!

jim

Yeah, the TG-1 is a real +4 device, whereas the 2192 won't clip until +20dB. I use the TG on busses before a mix, and provide a gain stage AFTER the buss comp before the converters to get stupid loud since my current mixer (small frame Trident) does not go past +9 well. I don't find it an impedance issue, just a serious difference between classic analog gear and modern (ie, too friggin loud) recording levels.

Hope this helps.

The TG1 is amazing... have had one since the 1st chandlers hit the market and now have the new one, w/ THD only mode etc. I'm still finding new ways of using it, from subtle to very OUT THERE!

my pair of distressors tend to be on the B-list at my studio and i NEVER track w/ them....
IMHO, they just don't have that THANG i get from my neve, chandlers, EAR 660s, 1176's or manleys..

sure, they are versitle and i decided not to sell them (was considering it but one can't have too many compressers!) but they seem a bit "fake" in what they do...
maybe due to lack of tubes or big trannies? hmmmm...

but it is true that TG1's ain't so great on bass or heavy low-end stuff... they tend to crap out a bit down there.

anyways, it's all about the end user and i'm sure that many find the distressor to be THE REAL DEAL for them and therefor, it is!

i'd take what i consider to be real compressers over them any day though
(what about that stereo 1176?...

i've never used the new units but my originals are a must-have! they have so much SOUND that a distressor doesn't have!)

just IMHO anyways...

Thanks a ton guys cap, Jim, ripper,ect, for the help, this thread is starting to get good .


ripper and Jim vanBergen,

Im going to post two audio examples of the type of "inspired" sound im after. I know im not going to sound exactly like them nor do i want to, but just to give an idea of the vibe id like to be able to acheive with the proper gear and tweaking. I know these records were mixed on a SSL G series, but id like to get a similar vibe. I had to split the 2 songs up because it kept failing.


Basically i like how the drums and instruments sound. Everything sounds really saturated and coloured with analog gear. I like the phat low end, clarity, character, punch, detail,ect, of these tracks. The mids and highs are great too. I cant even exaplain what im hearing because im not the veteran engineer, but i really liked what i heard. If i had the proper gear i'll bet i could make some great stuff happen because i have great ears. I just need the gear that has the potential, and will allow me to get "that" sound the easiest, and the time experimenting with it. But i want to make the right first choices, and you guys are great, your a lot more experienced with gear, and hopefully can point me in the right direction based on the examples.


Do you guys know what gear for tracking i would need to acheive this type of an inspired sound? Im not talking about just the compressor.



I think i made the right choice as far as the solid state Mic Pre/DI, which is the GTQ-mkIII. For that type of sound i posted the GTQ would fit the bill right?


For a phat tube Pre/DI, Thrill recommended the Tube Tech Model, which i might get in the future.



As for the compressor, im guessing the Distressor wont allow me to sound as good as those audio example right? I dont want to sound fake at all. Would the TG1 be the choice for that type of sound? Or the Purple Audio MC77, or Urei 1176?



ripper, you said that the TG1 was lacking on the low end? Would the Tube Tech CL1B be better for bass and low end kicks?



As for EQ's, i was reading up on the new Chandler Tone Controls and they are supposed to be great. A user said they had pultec type lows, and another said that it turned a thin snare into a phone book! Would this be a good choice for an EQ when tracking? https://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end/79455-germanium-tone-control-initial-test.html

You can see i was all up in there askin quesion too heh .


If the Tone Control EQ wouldnt be a good choice, can you guys recommend something better?


Im pretty sure those audio examples i posted went to tape, and i love that tape sound, so would it be worth it to pick up something like the Hedd for the tape Emulation? Again, i dont want to sound fake, but i dont really have access to go in the studio and have my tracks put to tape right now. I want my tracks to sound the best they can when being tracked in so they almost sound like there mixed after being tracked. I cant really rely on any mixing engineer's at the moment. I pick, make, and use great sounds to start with, so that should help a lot.




ripper and Jim vanBergen, what do you guys think based on the audio examples? What gear would get me closest to that sound with the right ears?


Also, just wanted to say another BIG thank you to you guys, i really appreciate everybody's time and help!

If you really want.... send me a cd of 24bit and I can run it to the HEDD and the other stuff/

Hi

I'm a little confused here... any analogue device that normally operates in the +4dBu region should be able to swing to at least +24dBu because it has at least 20dB headroom over +4dBu.

So, if your converters don't clip until +20dBu, neither should the analogue device.

What may be the red herring is dBf, the clipping point of your converter, but, if you operate the analogue gear no higher than -16 or -18dBf, there shouldn't be an issue with headroom.

Or am I missing something?

I cant tell if that is tape.... but it sounds pretty clean and digital to me.

hi
don't mean to say the distressors sound FAKE... it's just i like tube a nd tranny warmth and fatness due to the artifacts created i guess.

re-reading your posts, i don't think the TG1 would be your desert island compresser... but it'd be a wicked 2nd or 3rd compresser for you.

according to a friend in LA who does a lot of hiphop, the alan smart c2 is quite a fuxture on his sessions and those of his mates.

maybe you want a great tracking compresser (single channel) and something like a smart or a GOOD ssl clone (rolls is mentioned a lot... check the threads) for the bus...
i mean the ssl types can be great for tracking too, don't get me wrong.

how about a blackface 1176 plus an ssl type... think you'd have lots of bases covered then.

the cranesong trackker is also a great tracking comp and very versitle... but it's sitting next to my 1176 and i still like the 1176 better. YMMV!

good luck!