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Post by geoff738 on Nov 16, 2019 0:20:58 GMT -6
Ok, in the last month I’ve added a couple comps to the toolkit. The KT La2a clone, and the Audioscape V comp should be landing any day. And I said nice things about the Avalon 737 in another thread, although not specifically the compressor. Which has been out on loan, but could come back.
So I’m looking at my compressors and thinking what can go. My first compressor was basically the cheapest dbx in the early 90s. Haven’t used it in eons. I think it needs to go if only to make space in the racks. I have a stereo Overstayer vca that lives on the 2 buss. I should be using it on more stuff. And then my only other stereo compressor is the RNC.
So I have a bunch of mono compressors, and three stereo ones, all of which are vca types. The Overstayer is staying, the dbx is going I think. The RNC? Well it’s not worth a ton so selling it isn’t going to change my life. And it’s small. And it’s stereo which I don’t have tons of and vca which I also won’t have much of when the dbx is gone. On the other hand It hasn’t got used much. Things just seem to sound smaller to me going through it, but I’ve liked it on some stuff in parallel.
And I believe it’s unbalanced and -10? Not sure how that affects things, gain staging etc.
Albini apparently likes them.
How about you?
Cheers,
Geoff
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Post by ragan on Nov 16, 2019 0:30:22 GMT -6
I always dug mine. Wish I still had it. It’s been some years since I used one but I always liked their fast action and broad range of control limits. I’d keep it!
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Post by EmRR on Nov 16, 2019 8:18:11 GMT -6
Mine were relegated to BGV’s before I gave up. Always sounded ‘smaller than’. Might be most useful in parallel.
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Post by Guitar on Nov 16, 2019 11:34:42 GMT -6
Worst form factor / build quality / wall wart / unbalanced I/O of all time
unremarkable sound, but functional if you just need to "compress something"
I don't see why you wouldn't just use your DAW's stock plugin or something similar
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Post by Quint on Nov 16, 2019 12:37:06 GMT -6
Worst form factor / build quality / wall wart / unbalanced I/O of all time I think the RNC 500 series addressed those concerns. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2019 12:45:06 GMT -6
I dig mine. It was given to me. I've been using it on room mics, then feeding them to a tube preamp for some distortion after the fact. Workin' fine. I don't mind the form factor. The wallwart and unbalanced I/O is definitely annoying though.
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Post by michaelcleary on Nov 16, 2019 13:10:04 GMT -6
I had three of them when I was first starting out. It’s a good inexpensive beginners comp but as I got better gear I moved on.
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Post by Guitar on Nov 16, 2019 13:39:41 GMT -6
I used to have two RNCs, an RNLA, a few Symetrix 501, Pro VLA II, and a couple DBX 160XT.
That was a really fun hybrid rig, I kind of miss it in some ways. Mixed a few records that people were proud of.
I'd like to go back to that place, but with a higher end mindset this time.
I'm on a pretty short track to getting an 1176 from Hairball, which will technically be my first higher-end compressor. I don't count the ones I listed above.
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Post by EmRR on Nov 16, 2019 13:45:10 GMT -6
Worst form factor / build quality / wall wart / unbalanced I/O of all time unremarkable sound, but functional if you just need to "compress something" I don't see why you wouldn't just use your DAW's stock plugin or something similar To be fair, before it came out, there were a whole lot of compressors out there that did compression and sound very very badly. They were a step up compared to many. Not terrible, just ok. I would use a plug first today. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2019 13:47:29 GMT -6
I used to have two RNCs, an RNLA, a few Symetrix 501, Pro VLA II, and a couple DBX 160XT. You and everyone else (myself included, except the VLA) on TOMB. haha. |
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Post by Guitar on Nov 16, 2019 13:48:43 GMT -6
Worst form factor / build quality / wall wart / unbalanced I/O of all time unremarkable sound, but functional if you just need to "compress something" I don't see why you wouldn't just use your DAW's stock plugin or something similar To be fair, before it came out, there were a whole lot of compressors out there that did compression and sound very very badly. They were a step up compared to many. Not terrible, just ok. I would use a plug first today. I agree! At the time, they were much better than a 3630 or behringer autocom or whatever the heck. Clean sounding compression. The story has changed by now I guess that's why they introduced the 500 series. For similar money I'd probably be looking for an Aphex. Even though I'm not a big fan of "clean compression." |
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Post by popmann on Nov 16, 2019 16:44:53 GMT -6
I always thought ught it sounded like a digital compressor. Thats not (IME/O) a bad thing, but given that now, most everyone records in a DAW that comes with a solid compressor....had it been a product in 1992.....it wouldve found more of an audience. Though, I dont remeber having an issue with my Composer and 3630–the berhinger was better on a stereo bus....but....annyway—the unbalanced is also trouble in a DAW....it was made, Im sure becuase so many boards’s insert points were unbalanced. But, sonically, i likd the “supernice mode” on vocals. Really popped the “air” out nicely. Super nicely?  |
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Post by Guitar on Nov 16, 2019 17:17:56 GMT -6
maybe I spoke a bit in cliche on the behringer and alesis. I have used those too. in fact they are more colorful than the RNC, and my modded Composer still has a place in my rack. the build quality of the 3630 got it out of my rack. along with the Autocom as well, just not reliable enough to use.
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Post by EmRR on Nov 17, 2019 10:44:46 GMT -6
To be fair, before it came out, there were a whole lot of compressors out there that did compression and sound very very badly. They were a step up compared to many. Not terrible, just ok. I would use a plug first today. I agree! At the time, they were much better than a 3630 or behringer autocom or whatever the heck. Clean sounding compression. The story has changed by now I guess that's why they introduced the 500 series. For similar money I'd probably be looking for an Aphex. Even though I'm not a big fan of "clean compression." I'm a big fan of all compressors, really, for whatever they do well. Sometimes I really need a clean one, and I've some hardware clean ones that are cleaner than any plug I've tried. Sometimes it's color I need, and it's the same deal there, some nasty old hardware wins. The RNC, I just stopped using so they went away. |
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Post by Guitar on Nov 17, 2019 10:51:14 GMT -6
I agree! At the time, they were much better than a 3630 or behringer autocom or whatever the heck. Clean sounding compression. The story has changed by now I guess that's why they introduced the 500 series. For similar money I'd probably be looking for an Aphex. Even though I'm not a big fan of "clean compression." I'm a big fan of all compressors, really, for whatever they do well. Sometimes I really need a clean one, and I've some hardware clean ones that are cleaner than any plug I've tried. Sometimes it's color I need, and it's the same deal there, some nasty old hardware wins. The RNC, I just stopped using so they went away. Which ones would those be? In your collection, the cleaner ones, I'm curious. |
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Post by EmRR on Nov 17, 2019 11:23:18 GMT -6
The FCS is the cleanest if I set it that way. Can be set to mangle the time domain also.
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