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Post by notneeson on Sept 29, 2017 14:09:57 GMT -6
I have been reading the plugin threads and thinking about this comp a lot. I use it all the time, but I'm not sure I really love it per se.
EDIT: to be clear, I'm talking hardware here.
For one thing, I never mind the lack of threshold on an 1176, but find myself wishing the oh-so-tweaky distressor had one. I know, you're supposed to back off the input and/or change the ratio. Still, I find that annoying because then the sound changes too much, feels like starting over on the sound.
I mainly use it for tracking, so maybe I'm missing out since I'm not using it at a stage where I want to commit to the harmonic settings.
One thing I do like, is that the suggested settings in the manual are actually good. And yet, I still find myself using Opto mode most of the time, and I have a modded Urei LA4A in the rack too, so it's a little funny. Or not, they sound different.
What do you guys/gals like 'em on?
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Post by kcatthedog on Sept 29, 2017 14:23:28 GMT -6
Are you talking HW or plug ?
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Post by notneeson on Sept 29, 2017 15:12:12 GMT -6
Are you talking HW or plug ? I'm talking hardware. But if you have a great plugin setting, I'd be happy to try it with hardware. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Sept 29, 2017 15:19:43 GMT -6
Cool, I don't, not having used the distressor but maybe someone else who does will chime ?
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Post by EmRR on Sept 29, 2017 15:55:22 GMT -6
For one thing, I never mind the lack of threshold on an 1176, but find myself wishing the oh-so-tweaky distressor had one. I know, you're supposed to back off the input and/or change the ratio. Still, I find that annoying because then the sound changes too much, feels like starting over on the sound. This is interesting, because they are essentially both 1176's. Level is threshold in both, I'm not sure there's a reasonable way around that without a total redesign into something else. |
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Post by notneeson on Sept 29, 2017 22:06:59 GMT -6
For one thing, I never mind the lack of threshold on an 1176, but find myself wishing the oh-so-tweaky distressor had one. I know, you're supposed to back off the input and/or change the ratio. Still, I find that annoying because then the sound changes too much, feels like starting over on the sound. This is interesting, because they are essentially both 1176's. Level is threshold in both, I'm not sure there's a reasonable way around that without a total redesign into something else. Yes, aware of that, that's why I made the comparison. But, they really do not distort the same, which is I think what's driving this for me. For example, I was recording a serious belter one time and I could not keep the distressor from distorting. Low ratio, all harmonic enhancements off, and reasonably gain staged. Someone, maybe on here, described it as a Tube Screamer sound and that's really not far off. It had this saturated zing in the upper mids. Subtle enough that the band didn't hear it, but also not acceptable on a vocal. I swapped it out for a Vari-Mu and IC Brute combo as I recall. |
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Post by EmRR on Sept 29, 2017 22:14:40 GMT -6
Ah yeah, the Distressor 'zing' is really annoying at times. It'll make one instrument stick out like a sore thumb in some cases, good for brightening up an acoustic bass in a bluegrass mix for example, still too much sometimes. So a Distressor is really more like an 1178 than an 1176A/B/C/D, IC based outside of the FET. If I remember right. That'd be a lot of it.
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Post by notneeson on Sept 29, 2017 22:50:50 GMT -6
I have several sessions in on later silver face 1176s, which I believe are IC output, and they do not seem to sound like that. Maybe I haven't tried hard enough to make them distort.
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Post by EmRR on Sept 29, 2017 23:31:44 GMT -6
The Distressor thing seems like a constant unrelated to level. Jim Williams has a mod that has been praised for cleaning them up. dandeurloo is a fan.
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 30, 2017 1:43:55 GMT -6
This is interesting, because they are essentially both 1176's. Level is threshold in both, I'm not sure there's a reasonable way around that without a total redesign into something else. Yes, aware of that, that's why I made the comparison. But, they really do not distort the same, which is I think what's driving this for me. For example, I was recording a serious belter one time and I could not keep the distressor from distorting. Low ratio, all harmonic enhancements off, and reasonably gain staged. Someone, maybe on here, described it as a Tube Screamer sound and that's really not far off. It had this saturated zing in the upper mids. Subtle enough that the band didn't hear it, but also not acceptable on a vocal. I swapped it out for a Vari-Mu and IC Brute combo as I recall. In a situation like that did you ever stop to think that maybe you're using the wrong compressor? Or, conversely, that maybe you've got your gain structure wrong? |
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Post by notneeson on Sept 30, 2017 10:40:22 GMT -6
Yes, definitely. I think I wrote as much above. Replaced it with one side of a Manley Vari Mu and we were off to the races. But I lost a good 15 minutes of session time fighting it, so shame on me.
So yeah, it was the wrong compressor for that vocalist (super dynamic belter— good control and mic technique, but really loud).
No big deal, except don't call it a swiss army knife if it can't cut provolone.
But I do want to hear about this box being great on other stuff. Anybody?
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Post by ragan on Sept 30, 2017 11:49:16 GMT -6
Yes, definitely. I think I wrote as much above. Replaced it with one side of a Manley Vari Mu and we were off to the races. But I lost a good 15 minutes of session time fighting it, so shame on me. So yeah, it was the wrong compressor for that vocalist (super dynamic belter— good control and mic technique, but really loud). No big deal, except don't call it a swiss army knife if it can't cut provolone. But I do want to hear about this box being great on other stuff. Anybody? My voice is loud and bright and annoyingly dynamic and in my recent search for a tracking compressor I landed on the Distressor. Go figure. I posted blind clips here of the same vocal of mine through a WA-2a, a STA-Level, an RS-124, a Weight Tank, the Shadow Hills mono 500 series two space (can't recall the name) the Highland Dynamics BG-2 and a Stam SA-2a. The overwhelming favorite on the blind files was the Distressor (opto mode). Goes to show it's all situation dependent I guess. |
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Post by EmRR on Sept 30, 2017 12:04:03 GMT -6
After 20 years mine have wound up living on kick and snare the most, since the extra zing adds excitement. I don't think I've used them on anything but drums or bass in a decade. My first distaste was always acoustic stringed instruments, always some extra sparkle (harsh) added in it felt like.
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Post by notneeson on Sept 30, 2017 13:54:05 GMT -6
Yes, definitely. I think I wrote as much above. Replaced it with one side of a Manley Vari Mu and we were off to the races. But I lost a good 15 minutes of session time fighting it, so shame on me. So yeah, it was the wrong compressor for that vocalist (super dynamic belter— good control and mic technique, but really loud). No big deal, except don't call it a swiss army knife if it can't cut provolone. But I do want to hear about this box being great on other stuff. Anybody? My voice is loud and bright and annoyingly dynamic and in my recent search for a tracking compressor I landed on the Distressor. Go figure. I posted blind clips here of the same vocal of mine through a WA-2a, a STA-Level, an RS-124, a Weight Tank, the Shadow Hills mono 500 series two space (can't recall the name) the Highland Dynamics BG-2 and a Stam SA-2a. The overwhelming favorite on the blind files was the Distressor (opto mode). Goes to show it's all situation dependent I guess. Actually, I like opto mode on my own vocals too. |
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 30, 2017 15:37:37 GMT -6
You know, most of the time I don't like having a compressor on my voice at all, I prefer to employ mic technique (working the mic) rather than electronic level control. When I've got a phrase where I get significantly louder I pull back from the mic a bit. When i have a line that's quieter or more intimate (or I go into vocal range that's inherently quieter) I move up on the mic some. I got the basic idea from watching clips of Elvis and some of the other old school vocal masters* sing.
I remember reading an article in the old Recording Engineer/Producer magazine where some really famous engineer (I forget who, it's been almost 40 years) was talking about when he was young and had his first session with some really famous diva (I think a jazz singer, but it might have been someone like Streisand) and he wasn't quite sure what to do so he split her mic feed and ran one channel straight and the other through something like an LA2A, just a wee touch. After doing her take she came back in the control room to listen to the playback and, unsure of what to do he rolled the track with the comp. Barely into the playback she turns, gives him a really dirty look and says "Is that COMPRESSION on MY VOICE? YOU'RE FIRED!" Didn't even give him a chance to explain that he also had s straight, unprocessed track...
Of course developing some semblance of mic technique does require a bit of work... but the vocal quality doesn't change when the comp kicks in because there isn't one.
* - No, not Shure.....
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Sept 30, 2017 18:04:52 GMT -6
Stevie Wonder was like that too! I snuck a little parallel in but that was all you could do.
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Post by adamjbrass on Oct 2, 2017 10:15:23 GMT -6
I like the El8 for nearly anything. Though I find it useful in both tracking and mixing. I always like to fix issues with it before mixing, when tracking. But its great for mixing other peoples problematic recordings,
1) Drums, Kick Snare Toms, rooms, maybe taming overheads, though I like the Fatso better for that
2) Bass and Vocals, nearly always works for me.
3) Anything that needs to be smashed without too much distortion
I never really Nuke anything. I prefer to use is more gently, not too big on saturating things, but that has its time and place.
But I use it for anything that needs a soft, non-hurtful Truncation of the transient
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