Recommendations on inexpensive compressors?

[Ray B.]

Hey everybody.

I'm looking to buy a 2 channel (or maybe even 4 channel if price
allows it) compressor, primarily to be used on vocals in live
situations. I'd like to spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). My main requirements are that the
compressor is 1) rack mountable, 2) easy to use, 3) decent on live
vocals, 4) fairly road-worthy (using it at the occasional gig), and 5)
gives me the best bang for my buck. The 4 channel Behringer MDX4600
seems to be an extremely good value for a 4 channel compressor. I own
some Behringer gear now and have been more than satisfied with their
performance-to-price ratio.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

ray

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
Ray B. > wrote:
>Hey everybody.
>
>I'm looking to buy a 2 channel (or maybe even 4 channel if price
>allows it) compressor, primarily to be used on vocals in live
>situations.

Fifty people here will tell you to buy the RNC. Yes, the RNC is stereo,
so if you want to use it on two independant channels, you will need to buy
two of them because the channel control paths cannot be decoupled. But if
you buy one, you will be happy with it and keep it for years without having
a need to upgrade, which is far more than I can say for any of the Behringer
or Nady crap. $200 each.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
Ray B. > wrote:
>Hey everybody.
>
>I'm looking to buy a 2 channel (or maybe even 4 channel if price
>allows it) compressor, primarily to be used on vocals in live
>situations.

Fifty people here will tell you to buy the RNC. Yes, the RNC is stereo,
so if you want to use it on two independant channels, you will need to buy
two of them because the channel control paths cannot be decoupled. But if
you buy one, you will be happy with it and keep it for years without having
a need to upgrade, which is far more than I can say for any of the Behringer
or Nady crap. $200 each.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[ScotFraser]

<< spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). >>

I think you'd be better off with no compressors than with any of these pieces
of crap. Actually, the 166 is less awful than the others & sometimes sort of
acceptable. For $200 you can find used Aphex 651 compressors, which are way
better than any of those mentioned, or a dbx160 which is not as transparent as
the Aphex, but also way better than any of those listed here.


Scott Fraser

[ScotFraser]

<< spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). >>

I think you'd be better off with no compressors than with any of these pieces
of crap. Actually, the 166 is less awful than the others & sometimes sort of
acceptable. For $200 you can find used Aphex 651 compressors, which are way
better than any of those mentioned, or a dbx160 which is not as transparent as
the Aphex, but also way better than any of those listed here.


Scott Fraser

[Mikey]

(Ray B.) wrote in message >...
> Hey everybody.
>
> I'm looking to buy a 2 channel (or maybe even 4 channel if price
> allows it) compressor, primarily to be used on vocals in live
> situations. I'd like to spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
> obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
> Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
> channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
> Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). My main requirements are that the
> compressor is 1) rack mountable, 2) easy to use, 3) decent on live
> vocals, 4) fairly road-worthy (using it at the occasional gig), and 5)
> gives me the best bang for my buck. The 4 channel Behringer MDX4600
> seems to be an extremely good value for a 4 channel compressor. I own
> some Behringer gear now and have been more than satisfied with their
> performance-to-price ratio.
>
> Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> ray

Let me add to the chorus - get an RNC. Insanely good for the price.
Nothing else in the $200 new/$150 used range can touch it. I will now
put on my flame suit and say that for around $50-$75 per channel used,
the ART Levelar isn't bad for live work, though the single channel
unit is not racked. But by all means the RNC is way better, and will
blow away anything else you mentioned. Get one.

Mikey Wozniak
Nova Music Productions
This sig is haiku

[Mikey]

(Ray B.) wrote in message >...
> Hey everybody.
>
> I'm looking to buy a 2 channel (or maybe even 4 channel if price
> allows it) compressor, primarily to be used on vocals in live
> situations. I'd like to spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
> obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
> Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
> channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
> Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). My main requirements are that the
> compressor is 1) rack mountable, 2) easy to use, 3) decent on live
> vocals, 4) fairly road-worthy (using it at the occasional gig), and 5)
> gives me the best bang for my buck. The 4 channel Behringer MDX4600
> seems to be an extremely good value for a 4 channel compressor. I own
> some Behringer gear now and have been more than satisfied with their
> performance-to-price ratio.
>
> Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> ray

Let me add to the chorus - get an RNC. Insanely good for the price.
Nothing else in the $200 new/$150 used range can touch it. I will now
put on my flame suit and say that for around $50-$75 per channel used,
the ART Levelar isn't bad for live work, though the single channel
unit is not racked. But by all means the RNC is way better, and will
blow away anything else you mentioned. Get one.

Mikey Wozniak
Nova Music Productions
This sig is haiku

[Mike Caffrey]

(ScotFraser) wrote in message >...
> << spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
> obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
> Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
> channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
> Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). >>
>
> I think you'd be better off with no compressors than with any of these pieces
> of crap. Actually, the 166 is less awful than the others & sometimes sort of
> acceptable. For $200 you can find used Aphex 651 compressors, which are way
> better than any of those mentioned, or a dbx160 which is not as transparent as
> the Aphex, but also way better than any of those listed here.
>
>
> Scott Fraser

I agree. Better to have nothing than to spend $200 on something that
doesn't do what you wnat it to do.

[Mike Caffrey]

(ScotFraser) wrote in message >...
> << spend less than $200 (either new or used). The
> obvious candidates are the Alesis 3630, the dbx 266 and 166, the
> Behringer MDX1400, MDX1400 Pro XL, and MDX4600 Multicom Pro XL (4
> channels), the Nady CL5000, and the Samson SCOM Plus (Gate,
> Compressor, Enhancer, DeEsser). >>
>
> I think you'd be better off with no compressors than with any of these pieces
> of crap. Actually, the 166 is less awful than the others & sometimes sort of
> acceptable. For $200 you can find used Aphex 651 compressors, which are way
> better than any of those mentioned, or a dbx160 which is not as transparent as
> the Aphex, but also way better than any of those listed here.
>
>
> Scott Fraser

I agree. Better to have nothing than to spend $200 on something that
doesn't do what you wnat it to do.

[Jordan Leff]

get the RNC. you may not know it now, but you won't regret it later.

the DBX 166 is usable, more as an effect compressor, i use it
sometimes on drums but not much else

[Jordan Leff]

get the RNC. you may not know it now, but you won't regret it later.

the DBX 166 is usable, more as an effect compressor, i use it
sometimes on drums but not much else