I have just seen a review for this, and wondered the main differences in sound?
I used to have a couple of 3630's for dance music to strap over the main mix output and although universally slated, for dirty french dance compressed sound I thought it was fine. Does the 3632 have the same innards and sound as the 3630?
For a cheap hardware compressor for that 'effect' i think it looks ok, but have tried to get some demos on youtube..on how it sounds..
Hi I think you will find they sound a bit different. The new version seems like Alesis "me too" Behringer 'a' like, most likely similar circuit etc. not 100pct on that but it looks to have identical functions as the Behringer, Samson, Alto etc.
The new model is reviewd in Future Music - you could read it in your local library (W.H. Smiths.)
It seams a lot of the components have been swapped out to help with noise and distortion, though they claim it would still serve as tool for that 'Daft Punk' thing. How they know this I dont know - it does not read like they tried it out.
I have a nanocompressor, and comparing it with the 3630 I found it a little more 'confident' and less prone to snapiness - but very similar in that cheap V.C.A compressor kind of way. If you read the article they admit it may have been a Composer anyhow that they used - who knows?
Bottom line any cheap 'none transparent' compressor is probably useful.
Chaconne wrote:The new model is reviewd in Future Music - you could read it in your local library (W.H. Smiths.)
It seams a lot of the components have been swapped out to help with noise and distortion, though they claim it would still serve as tool for that 'Daft Punk' thing. How they know this I dont know - it does not read like they tried it out.
I have a nanocompressor, and comparing it with the 3630 I found it a little more 'confident' and less prone to snapiness - but very similar in that cheap V.C.A compressor kind of way. If you read the article they admit it may have been a Composer anyhow that they used - who knows?
Bottom line any cheap 'none transparent' compressor is probably useful.
Thanks for this, and yes I bought the latest FM from the WH Smith Library which I found the review in there..
I'm also not sure how they know the sound as it sounds like they haven't tried out either. I'll keep looking online to see if there are more reviews or soundbites/videos.
I have been digging further - I sort of thought about replacing my nanocompressor with the new one - and I stumbled on this...(as mentioned by the other poster)...
If you zoom in on the diagram you can see that this is identical in everyway to the new Alesis one - they are just labelling a different unit. So - I dont know really that this can be considered the same model any more.
Was always tempted by the 3630, they had a pair in a shop here for £50 but instead I blew the money on disco records lol
To get really leary compression I just use Logic's in built compressor + a bit crusher and a free compressor called the rough rider strapped on a buss that's mixed with the other clean compressed stuff.
This is a seriously bad habit of mine in that I get some joy in making everything filthy as hell
If there was an audiophile grade composer, I would get one. I actually like the action on the compressors. Shame they are filled with very cheap components that roll off the top end and blur the image. (Maybe perfect for some things, horses for courses etc.) Still what do you expect for £70.00 I often think of modifying a Drawmer on which I think the original composer design was originally based. Thus far I have never got round to it, modding kit can be quite hit and miss and quite time consuming for a relative electronic novice like myself.
Great fun though when you are in the mood for it. (Winter evenings etc.) I suspect these new versions are all SMT (tiny surface mount components) making it very difficult. You ideally need DIP8 opamps and regular sized components to make life easier. Even then the double sided/double soldered PCB's can be a nightmare. I will often look on ebay for cheap gear to fiddle with just for fun/educational purposes really, I should get out more.
vinyl_junkie wrote:Was always tempted by the 3630, they had a pair in a shop here for £50 but instead I blew the money on disco records lol
To get really leary compression I just use Logic's in built compressor + a bit crusher and a free compressor called the rough rider strapped on a buss that's mixed with the other clean compressed stuff.
This is a seriously bad habit of mine in that I get some joy in making everything filthy as hell
The rough rider makes an approximation of the snappiness of the 3630, but it doesn't have the heart for me. I'd say Sonalksis TBK3 is better, although I haven't had the chance to A/B it to the 3630, though I will do next month when my new studio is completed
