Geez, Expressor, Compellor, Dominator, it's hard to keep them all
straight. I've heard some of them totally suck and that others are
really cool. Then there is one that supposedly sucks until Jim
Williams mods it, then it's really cool.

I have some Expressors here. A string bass player brought over his Jim Williams
modded Expressor & we compared the same passage through each. It's pretty
subtle. The modded unit had ever so slightly less low end, but there wasn't
enough detail-y kind of stuff on the bass to really hear what may have been
different in the mids or high end. The Williams mod may possibly have felt a
little more hi-fi but I'd need to hear some drums & cymbals to make that
opinion. The stock version doesn't suck, though it's no 1176. It's a clean VCA
compressor that does all right, especially for around $200 used.

I know the Dominator is more aimed at broadcast apps, but what's the
diff between an expressor and compellor?

A Compellor is a leveler. Set a target output level & your meters go up to
there & stay there, though you won't perceive it as being dynamically altered
much. It's very transparent, doesn't sound squashed, but totally doesn't work
as a compressor ought to on individual tracks. Use an Expressor for that. The
Expressor has the usual VCA controls for attack, release, ratio, make up gain,
input level, etc. The Compellor gives you the most basic of controls & they all
operate fairly nonintuitively. It's pretty much a set once & forget device that
does one thing really well. Chances are you want the Expressor for most day to
day audio work.


Scott Fraser