Outboard Compression - Vol Spikes Question/Recommendation

Hi there

I'm about to do a bit of work with a local punk band who have complained about non-resolvable volume spikes on their previous recording (produced by someone who presented themselves as being competent in recording). The vocals do sound very poppy I have to say.

Although I already know that an outboard compressor is one such solution to managing volume spikes as they are going into the DAW, I was going to ask what kind of recommendations people had in relation to which unit to use for this. I'm not that knowledgable on outboard you see.

I'm not looking for an LA2A to do this, nor am I looking for anything which imparts a certain sound, this being the reason why many prefer x, y or z compressor. I already have tons of UAD stuff for this. I'm really just looking for something which keeps nasty spikes in check without altering/colouring anything as it's going in. Budget-wise, I'm not sure. I'm certainly not looking at $1000/£1000. Two or more channels would be swell.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Regards

Zipps

Any hardware compressor should work fine for this task, quality is just not an issue here. Even a cheap Behringer would be fine.

Years ago - well many years ago, I had the same problem at home in the analog world. Picked up a Dbx 163 and it still works (usually on bass). Good, clean comp (which is what you say you want). So there is something to be said for getting good, solid hardware. The 266 should fit, but I think I'd go for an RNC, which is a cheap, clean comp that should last.

There is also something to be said for getting a great stereo compressor. I stumbled onto two Komits for a stupid price and couldn't be happier. Use it going in, use it going out to mix and master. UAD is great, but nothing really replicates high quality analog and iron rounding out a sound. That is more than you want to spend and now might not be the time for you, but keep the idea in mind.

@

Thanks AT and Skullsession

I'm looking at the Dbx 266XL and the RNC. Both are resonably priced. I can get the Dbx 266XL here in the UK for £110. The RNC isn't much more expensive.

I totally take what you're saying onboard Skullsession. I was fully intending having words with the singer and utilising every possible solution - i.e. pop sheild, angled mic etc. If I do use compression, it will be very minimal and only when absolutely necessary.

Besides, both afore-mentioned comps seem fairly cheap and handy to have around. I could easily buy a couple and have 4 channels.

Incidentally AT, is the Dbx thought to be of lesser quality than the RNC? Just wondering due to you erring on the side of the RNC with regard to its longivity over the Dbx.

With regards to what they each bring to the table the Dbx has an Expander/Gate.


Thanks again

Zipps

Thanks krazylain

For that specific problem (plosives live) you can get away with a lot less conpression by using a highpass filter on the mic. Start at 75 Hz and work your way up until the singer's low end starts to thin out, then back it off a bit.

That, and the improved mic technique that skullsession talked about, and you might find the need for the compressor to begin fading away...

ORIGINAL: ohhey

Any hardware compressor should work fine for this task, quality is just not an issue here. Even a cheap Behringer would be fine.

Why is quality not an issue? Isn't that a bit judgmental?

I remember when they first released The Clash on CD, awesome, you could hear Joe spitting onto the stage for the first time.

There was a similar thread to this recently "Software limiter to prevent clipping during recording" Cj posted a recommended setting to stop spikes, perhaps you should check that out.

At least you have some money, the other guy was broke.

Is it to late to throw in...................ART PRO VLA..........?

A Rane DC24 might help this situation. It's a dual band compressor so if the pops are at a low frequency, you can compress below 200hz or 400hz and let everything else through untouched. They're no longer manufactured but I got a used one on ebay a few months ago for about $125. It's very transparent.

Cheers for that Don and losguy.

I'll definitely look into dual bands tomorrow. I'm a little inebriated right now . Makes perfect sense though given that it would spare some of the sound from being nobbled by the comp.

My shortlist thus far (before researching dual bands tomorrow) really only consists of the dbx 166XL at the moment.

I think the ART PRO VLA may add a little unwanted colour.

As for the RNC, this is stereo and lacks a mono option. I have to say, I haven't heard a bad thing about the RNC but I would need to by 2 of the darn things to have 2 channels mono. For less than that price, I can have 4 channels of dbx 166XL.

The reason for shortlisting the dbx 166XL is that may be a little more versatile than the dbx 266XL. The 166XL is also reported to contain a more favourable VCA than the 266XL. For my tracking needs, I didn't see the point in going up to the dbx 160 or such like (for one channel). Also, the only main differences between the 166XL and the 1066XL is the 'Peak Stop Plus' feature on the 1066XL's limiter along with one or two other things I don't think I'll need - because I don't know what they're for.


Off to prepare for a hangover which would easily see off a large farm animal.

Zipps

Losguy: The crossover on the DC24 has stops that go as low as 70hz. Each channel also has separate gate and limiter circuits and the limiter works very well. The limiters on the inexpensive dbx units seem to fart a little when the limiter kicks in when it's hit hard. The DC24 doesn't have attack/release controls so maybe that has something to do with how the designers got the limiter to be so smooth.

Zipps: Don't know about the VLA but the compressor in the ART Pro Channel (a channel strip) can be switched from tube to optical. The compressors are 'ok'. It is a mono unit and not dual band but it does have a parametric eq that can be easily patched to put it before the compressor. Anyhow, that's another option if you can't find a decent dual band. It has a tube preamp which does color a bit (nicely, IMO) but that can be bypassed too.

I don't know about the RNC either, but if it's stereo and you want it to be mono, you can probably patch the output of channel 1 to the input of channel 2.

zipp etc.

I've heard the RNC and nary heard anything bad about it (except for the unbalanced i/o, which isn't really a problem). It was kinda a standard for the low end for years. It is also very useful as a master comp for clean (one of the things you wanted) gluing.

It is a stereo, tho you can use it for a mono signal (such as the vocal). Not dual mono. If that is the case, the dbx is probably better. Didn't know that was a requirement.

My old dbx is great, I dont' know about their newer stuff. I suppose it is right along side everything else in the price range. And some good alts suggested here.

Glad to see you are doing research before hand. Used to you had to ask someone in the know, or depend upon sales guys. Gotta love the internet to use due dilligence. I would make a joke about Scottish frugalness, but I got a lot of Scot blood in me (so I guess I could!). One of my favorite places to visit, anyway.

@

Thanks AT and IzovAge

The RNC is defo out due to not allowing mono. The ART PRO VLA is discontinued but can still be had here and there. There's an ART PRO VLA II though. Worth considering I guess. As Don wondered earlier...none of these ART comps are switchable between tube and optical, unlike the channel strip.

The 166xl I'm considering appears to come in as the second least popular of the bunch but with mixed reactions from users who usually compare them with the old-school dbxs.

The 160a/x/xt bunch are very highly praised. They appear to be the same units with various circuitry differences. The xt is transformerless incidentally. I'm not too sure if my "Scottish frugalness" would allow me to go £400 on a 160a for one channel as I really need 3-4 channels. I know this would perhaps be most sensible though.

I then found myself comparing the features of the 166xl with the 1066. Both are dual channel gate/comp/limiters but with the 1066 having Peak Stop Plus and more side chain i/o functionality. I'm not to sure I need the gate. Therefore, the 1046 quad comp/limiter may be what I'm looking for. On checking the specs of these three, the 166xl and the 1066 have an output impedance of 120Ω balanced, 60Ω unbalanced, whereas the 1046 has an output impedance of Balanced 30Ω balanced, 15Ω unbalanced. I'm not clued up on all things impedance related but surely this ain't right? Why would this be? What I'm really wondering is whether or not the guts of the 1066 and 1046 are any better than the 166xl.

It would either be one of the above or an ART VLA PRO II. Or I might get the ART soonish and then eventually get a 166xl later, as I could really do with 3-4 channels.


Thanks again

Zipps