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Post by indiehouse on Aug 14, 2016 20:30:34 GMT -6
Totally wish listing it here, but has anyone used both? Which is more versatile, the Zener or the Master Buss Processor?
Edit: or the Thermionic Culture Phoenix SB?
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Post by Randge on Aug 15, 2016 18:42:47 GMT -6
The Zener is really good for a couple of things. Distortion being one of them. It will really fatten up tracks without over compressing them. The other is glue and polish. It will make all the tracks of drums on the buss sound cohesive and alive. When I tried the Neve, it was a lot cleaner sounding in a sense that I felt it's best suited on the mix buss. I would think that multiple uses of it throughout a mix and I would get tired of the color of it. Personally, I think the Zener is more useful across a variety of sources and why I decided to get one.
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Post by indiehouse on Aug 15, 2016 18:58:20 GMT -6
The Zener is really good for a couple of things. Distortion being one of them. It will really fatten up tracks without over compressing them. The other is glue and polish. It will make all the tracks of drums on the buss sound cohesive and alive. When I tried the Neve, it was a lot cleaner sounding in a sense that I felt it's best suited on the mix buss. I would think that multiple uses of it throughout a mix and I would get tired of the color of it. Personally, I think the Zener is more useful across a variety of sources and why I decided to get one. What do you think of the Zener on the mix buss? |
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Post by Randge on Aug 15, 2016 19:07:57 GMT -6
I like it for rougher forms of music like rock and blues. It's a bit too intense for all acoustic and bluegrass stuff for my taste. I fully admit to being a purist with forms of music like that and have achieved all the color I want prior to that stage, so that is why.
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Post by Randge on Aug 15, 2016 19:08:57 GMT -6
Just barely moving the meters (-1-2 db) on a rock track will melt it all together beautifully though.
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Post by indiehouse on Aug 15, 2016 20:08:46 GMT -6
Randge, you ever tried the Phoenix?
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Post by Randge on Aug 15, 2016 20:34:46 GMT -6
Randge , you ever tried the Phoenix? I haven't. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 18, 2016 10:43:17 GMT -6
unit7 might have a take on this? He has a Zener and Phoenix at least...
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Post by unit7 on Aug 18, 2016 11:05:10 GMT -6
Totally agree w Randy about the Zener. My fav applications so far are drums, electric guitars and Wurlitzer pianos. To me the Phoenix is less aggresive and more pleasing, very much like Retro STA. So it all depends on what you want to happen on the 2 buss.
I deliberately deliver my mixes with a tad bit too much lo mid and a bit too soft in the highs, leaving to my fav mastering guy to polish. I'm not claiming it's the right way to go or anything, it just works for me. But with that in mind my choice would have been the Phoenix.
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Post by indiehouse on Aug 18, 2016 11:42:18 GMT -6
Totally agree w Randy about the Zener. My fav applications so far are drums, electric guitars and Wurlitzer pianos. To me the Phoenix is less aggresive and more pleasing, very much like Retro STA. So it all depends on what you want to happen on the 2 buss. I deliberately deliver my mixes with a tad bit too much lo mid and a bit too soft in the highs, leaving to my fav mastering guy to polish. I'm not claiming it's the right way to go or anything, it just works for me. But with that in mind my choice would have been the Phoenix. You using the version of the Phoenix with the Stand By switch? |
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Post by unit7 on Aug 18, 2016 11:49:47 GMT -6
Totally agree w Randy about the Zener. My fav applications so far are drums, electric guitars and Wurlitzer pianos. To me the Phoenix is less aggresive and more pleasing, very much like Retro STA. So it all depends on what you want to happen on the 2 buss. I deliberately deliver my mixes with a tad bit too much lo mid and a bit too soft in the highs, leaving to my fav mastering guy to polish. I'm not claiming it's the right way to go or anything, it just works for me. But with that in mind my choice would have been the Phoenix. You using the version of the Phoenix with the Stand By switch? No, got one original version and one sidechain HPF |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 18, 2016 12:46:22 GMT -6
Totally agree w Randy about the Zener. My fav applications so far are drums, electric guitars and Wurlitzer pianos. To me the Phoenix is less aggresive and more pleasing, very much like Retro STA. So it all depends on what you want to happen on the 2 buss. I deliberately deliver my mixes with a tad bit too much lo mid and a bit too soft in the highs, leaving to my fav mastering guy to polish. I'm not claiming it's the right way to go or anything, it just works for me. But with that in mind my choice would have been the Phoenix. You using the version of the Phoenix with the Stand By switch? My Phoenix is the mastering version with the standby switch. Haven't used the Zener or MBP though. |
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Post by indiehouse on Aug 18, 2016 12:56:50 GMT -6
You using the version of the Phoenix with the Stand By switch? My Phoenix is the mastering version with the standby switch. Haven't used the Zener or MBP though. Are you mainly using it on the mix buss? I hear the mastering version is cleaner sounding than the standard. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 18, 2016 12:58:44 GMT -6
My Phoenix is the mastering version with the standby switch. Haven't used the Zener or MBP though. Are you mainly using it on the mix buss? I hear the mastering version is cleaner sounding than the standard. BGV's fairly often during mix with an SSL style on the 2-buss. Then it goes on the mix when mastering. |
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Post by musicminister187 on Aug 25, 2023 20:35:55 GMT -6
Forgive me for resurrecting this old thread but I’m looking at these 3 including the VSC for mix bus. I was about to go with the MBP but having second thoughts. Which of these would be more versatile and would be able to step into the vintage sound territory? Thanks.
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Post by paulcheeba on Aug 25, 2023 21:29:13 GMT -6
I have all 3. They cannot really be compared.
For the Stereo bus I recommend the RND or better still the Vertigo VSC. the Thermionic has a great dark flavour but is magical in its own way and The Zener is a great effect explosive, crushing effect that I love most on drums.
POM’s Fairchild is coupled with the vertigo for my main bus. The others are for individual buses. The Phoenix is good for tracking as is the Zener. The RND is great as a one box bus stop for width, depth and texture plus limiting.
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Post by musicminister187 on Aug 25, 2023 23:00:32 GMT -6
I have all 3. They cannot really be compared. For the Stereo bus I recommend the RND or better still the Vertigo VSC. the Thermionic has a great dark flavour but is magical in its own way and The Zener is a great effect explosive, crushing effect that I love most on drums. POM’s Fairchild is coupled with the vertigo for my main bus. The others are for individual buses. The Phoenix is good for tracking as is the Zener. The RND is great as a one box bus stop for width, depth and texture plus limiting. Helpful as usual Paul. How would you describe the sound of the Vertigo on main bus? How does it compare to the MBP compression and tone wise? I’ve read a lot about the MBP and think I have a good enough how it may sound but not the Vertigo. Can it sound vintage? Thanks again. |
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Post by paulcheeba on Aug 26, 2023 0:55:33 GMT -6
I have all 3. They cannot really be compared. For the Stereo bus I recommend the RND or better still the Vertigo VSC. the Thermionic has a great dark flavour but is magical in its own way and The Zener is a great effect explosive, crushing effect that I love most on drums. POM’s Fairchild is coupled with the vertigo for my main bus. The others are for individual buses. The Phoenix is good for tracking as is the Zener. The RND is great as a one box bus stop for width, depth and texture plus limiting. Helpful as usual Paul. How would you describe the sound of the Vertigo on main bus? How does it compare to the MBP compression and tone wise? I’ve read a lot about the MBP and think I have a good enough how it may sound but not the Vertigo. Can it sound vintage? Thanks again. They are quite similar. The Vertigo just reacts slightly better in terms of rhythm, it’s got the best timimng Ive ever felt and sounds better than any vca comp I’ve ever heard. It’s just my favourite. The RND gets close enough and with the extra features is more useful so it’s a close call. If I could only have one it would be the RND. I do like a Vari Mu like a Thermionic or a POM or an IGS etc, to add the glow too. |
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Post by thehightenor on Aug 26, 2023 1:36:33 GMT -6
Forgive me for resurrecting this old thread but I’m looking at these 3 including the VSC for mix bus. I was about to go with the MBP but having second thoughts. Which of these would be more versatile and would be able to step into the vintage sound territory? Thanks. For what it's worth after going down this road myself I ended up with the Thermionic Phoenix Mastering Plus. To my ears it sounds absolutely fantastic on the stereo mix bus for the genre of music I make - Sting, Peter Gabriel, John Mayer, Beatles kind of vibe. It's very big and expensive sounding, with a great depth of field and a great 3D landscape - at least that's the way I hear it. I use mine with the Thermionic Swift tube EQ and they make for a heck of a combo if that's a sound you dig. I also use, before the Phoenix MP, a Roll Music RMS755 VCA comp as it has a very controlled envelope and wide bandwidth top to bottom which passes all the signal to the Phoenix MP to do it's things - it's a very nice mix bus chain. But there's so much choice out there - huge in fact. Paul's POM Fairchild and Vertigo combination is another price bracket up and I'm certain sounds really incredible! The Vertigo is THE best VCA bus comp out there imho - and priced accordingly! |
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Post by spock on Aug 26, 2023 7:09:24 GMT -6
Totally wish listing it here, but has anyone used both? Which is more versatile, the Zener or the Master Buss Processor? Edit: or the Thermionic Culture Phoenix SB? I know this doesn’t answer the original question, however…To hear the Zener Limiter on vocals and in contrast to an RS124 in the same track…the acoustic duet of Ed Sheeran’s "Perfect" with Beyoncé is the Zener on Ed doing 8-12 dBs; RS124 is doing like 15+ dBs on Beyonce during mix. |
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Post by musicminister187 on Aug 26, 2023 20:24:40 GMT -6
I posted similar on another forum and someone reminded me about access analog so I went there and tested 3 pieces, the MBP, Vari Mu and the SSL X Logic rack.
The MBP is smooth and polished sounding and I really like the SFE section. It made my mix sound wider, deeper, I can hear my reverbs better and it added space, really nice. Using a good analog EQ with this will give endless possibilities. The Vari Mu isn’t what I’m looking for.
I was trying not to like the SSL but the more I listened to it the more I preferred the mid range of our track and punch in the low end, my goodness. It has less options and the ratio is limited but this thing is tiighttt. I’m going to definitely play around with these 2 more. Purchasing both at the moment isn’t an option.
Edit: after more testing, the MBP is a step ahead in space (being more 3D sounding) and clarity. The SSL colors the mids quite a lot and has the punch, the MBP is big and clear.
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