| aleatoric |
8th January 2011 02:34 AM |
Foote Control Systems P3S Mastering Edition Compressor Review
Hi everyone. I have had quite a few people PM me asking for opinions on my new Foote Control Systems P3S Mastering Edition Compressor. There are not many of these out there yet (I'm serial #008) so I wanted to take the time to write a review.
The FCS P3S ME is a VCA based mastering compressor. Like the API 2500 it can operate in either feed forward or feed backward modes. Along with your standard attack and release controls which you will find on most compressors, the P3S offers 2 additional "time constant" modes of operation.
A/R enables the manual attack and release controls, I think this mode is self explanatory to everyone reading this. N/L mode enables the "non linear capacitor". This is described as "automatic adaptive compression" in the manual. Essentially the attack and release adapts to the incoming audio, very fast attack and release for short transients and longer attack and release for slower waveforms. This function is great. While it can get a little grabby, on the right material that can be exactly what you need. I find it very useful for tracks where drums are too up front in the mix. RMS mode is truly a thing of beauty and getting the most overall use from me out of the 3 time constant modes. I am not entirely sure how it works but essentially the compression is again adaptive like the N/L mode but in an overall smoother and more subtle way. It works extremely well on nearly everything I have tried it on. Roger (of FCS) told me this mode is "worthy of the decades of research David Blackmer did to get it where it is".
The compressor features 24 step Elma/Goldpoint controls throughout with the exception of the attack and release controls which are high quality conductive plastic pots. The Elma's feel really nice, solid and sturdy. The ratio range offers an unbelievably precise level of control. The entire ratio range is 1:1 to 4:1 with 17 of those 24 steps being between a ratio of 1:1 to 2:1. That should paint a pretty good picture of how much control you have over these low ratios we all so often use in mastering. The gain makeup range is 11.5dB in .5dB steps. Plenty of makeup gain and it is nice to have it in .5dB increments. I personally picked the threshold range on my unit. It is -8dBu to +15dBu in 1dB steps. I settled on this range do to the fact that I am running my outboard chain at 0dBFS = +19dBu. Seeing as I run stuff out of the DAW with peaks around -5dBFS to -3dBFS or so -8dBu to +15dBu seemed like a perfect choice. Roger is now implementing this threshold range on all stock ME versions of the P3S. The 1dB steps for threshold are great, tie that together with the finely stepped ratio range control and you get the idea of how meticulous you can be in your settings with this unit.
The gain reduction meter is really cool. It's a 5dB reduction meter and the LED's are in .25dB increments. It looks super neat and displays a perfect range of gain reduction for mastering in my opinion. The HPF button engages a 100hz high pass filter into the sidechain. Not positive but I believe it is 12dB per octave. There are also external sidechain inputs on the rear of the unit should you find yourself wanting more control. The O/T button engages or disengages the Carnhill output transformers. These transformers are also a thing of beauty. When engaged you will hear a very nice vibe happening to the audio. It can be heard as a sort of subtle, elegant saturation, most notable in the low mids and low end. These transformers sound awesome on just about everything! With the transformers disengaged the compressor operates in a more "clean" way with less overall saturation and low mid/low end "vibe". I absolutely love having a compressor with the capability to operate with or without its output transformers engaged. For example; if the output transformers were always engaged with no option to disengage them I'd probably find myself wanting a second more "clean" analog compressor for material that does not call for the character of the output transformers. However with this O/T switch on the front panel I can simply disengage them and be on my way. It is like having two different compressor tonalities in one! The bypass is a true full hardwire bypass meaning no circuitry in the P3S in imparted on your signal when it is bypassed.
So yeah, I love this thing. It is my first and only analog compressor and it kind of feels like I have 5! Prior to buying the P3S ME I was working completely digitally in the box. After getting the P3S and messing around with it for an hour or so familiarizing myself with its controls and sound I decided to open up a track that I had mastered only a week prior. I was particularly fond of this mix and the clients were ecstatic about the master I delivered them. I began getting down to business remastering the track with my new P3S. I referenced my prior master only to reach the same RMS level (which I did within 0.1dB). This was before I got my Sontec MEP-250ex so I used the same digital EQ as well as the same digital limiter that I had used on the first master, the only difference was the P3S instead of the digital compressor. I dialed everything in for awhile and got things sounding absolutely great. Captured, lined up my old master with the new one and took a listen. Well, what I heard from my P3S version was a more exciting, open and overall "better" sounding master. A huge smile came to my face; that was just the result I was looking for!
I really could not be happier with this compressor. It sounds amazing, is extremely versatile, has an incredible amount of precision and is built like a tank. Oh yeah, the price is great too! Big thanks to Roger Foote as well as a few fellow Gear Slutz members who helped to steer me towards this purchase and answer my questions before I pulled the trigger. thumbsup
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