Buss Compressor on a budget ~ £300..

[VTypeV4]

Ever wanting to improve the setup at the studio, I'm looking add a hardware L/R buss compressor.

Ml5k lamps mid by VTypeV4, on Flickr

I currently have 4x DBX 166XL on the 8 audio subgroups which do their job very well.

So far - in no particular order - I've considered the following:

DBX 166XL
DBX 1066XL
Drawmer DL251
Studiomaster VTX2 (Behringer - not so sure about this?)
TL Audio C5021
Art VLA pro2
Art Levelar
TL Audio Fatman
Focusrite Platinum Penta
TC Electronic Triple C

Any thoughts / feedback for these or any other suggestions welcome..

[Humble Bee]

Add to list:

FMR Audio RNC 1773

FMR Audio RNLA 7239

Surprisingly good at the price.

[CS70]

Yeah if I wanted a good stereo compressor on the cheap I’d definitely pick up a RNC

[James Perrett]

I'd echo the recommendation for the RNC if you want clean compression. You don't really realise what it is doing until you bypass it.

Another favourite of mine is the Drawmer LX20 - possibly because it was my first proper compressor and I know how to get the sound I want from it.

[VTypeV4]

Thanks for the replies

The FMR products look pretty nice although I have no experience of them. Other online reviews seem to favour them also - as suggested here..

[VTypeV4]

I've missed out on a few ART VLA units this week but I'm looking closely now at the FMR models..

Not sure which is the better option for buss compression - The RNC or RNLA - opinions are divided on the web. Does anyone have any real world experience of the two in this role?

[nathanscribe]

I've been using the ART VLA 2 for a few years and like it. It's not perfect – the buttons feel cheap and there are too many lights, there's no sidechain, the detented controls don't always feel detented enough, the lowest ratio is 2:1 – but it works, I think it sounds good, and it's on budget. Mine's just lost a channel (and not owing to a tube failure, so there's that to fix) but it's done about 8 years or more which I reckon is fair for the price.

[VTypeV4]

Thanks for the reply..

[Arpangel]

Bit of a left field suggestion, but I'm using a BSS DPR402 on my main buss, at the moment, it's got a lot of cool features, plus, it's within budget, and probably won't loose value!

[VTypeV4]

I hadn't considered one of those - I've good experience with BSS gear.. Thanks for that.

I've currently got my DBX 266XL on the duty but being honest, it's not really up to it.

[Arpangel]

I hadn't considered one of those - I've good experience with BSS gear.. Thanks for that.

I've currently got my DBX 266XL on the duty but being honest, it's not really up to it.

Yes, and it's got more lights than you can shake a stick at!
I got mine from Funky Junk, I paid about £200 for it I think, it's got a nice sound, quite clean actually, but if I had to describe it it would be weighty, makes the sound bigger somehow, that's all I can say.
I also have a Behringer Composer, which is actually really useful as an inaudible buss compressor, I can't tell when it's switched in, or out, it's just invisible, amazing actually, for the money.

[VTypeV4]

I have a few of the Behringer compressors in the rack (Composer MDX2200?) that are pretty useful - I tend to use them as channel inserts rather than group / buss / master compressors.

On the subject of Behringer, I also have one of the valve parametric EQ (T1953?) that's in the L/R insert (in series with the 266XL) which is very good. I don't often use it's actual EQ but the valve stage adds a little 'harmonic excitement' which i rather like..

[Arpangel]

I have a few of the Behringer compressors in the rack (Composer MDX2200?) that are pretty useful - I tend to use them as channel inserts rather than group / buss / master compressors.

On the subject of Behringer, I also have one of the valve parametric EQ (T1953?) that's in the L/R insert (in series with the 266XL) which is very good. I don't often use it's actual EQ but the valve stage adds a little 'harmonic excitement' which i rather like..

I always have the "Tube" buttons pressed on my Composer, god knows what they do, but it sounds better with them in!

[VTypeV4]

I think those 'T' series Behringer units are very good - probably much better than their online reputation might suggest..

[Arpangel]

I think those 'T' series Behringer units are very good - probably much better than their online reputation might suggest..

Yes, I wish I'd got some at the time, but I fell for the bad reputation, and didn't bother.
Back then I did buy a couple of Behringer things, and was disappointed, but now it's a different scene altogether.

[VTypeV4]

IMG_20200527_170904 by VTypeV4, on Flickr

I went down this road in the end..

I've had one on L/R duty for a couple of months now and I'm very pleased with it. It doesn't sound like an SSL but it does the job very well offering a (for want of better words!) bigger sound with better mix cohesion and is capable of control in a way that the temporary DBX 266 just isn't.

I love the idea of a 'real' SSL buss comp but the ART will definitely suffice for now - they're a great bit of gear.

[Hugh Robjohns]

[VTypeV4]

Thanks, Hugh.

Of the two units, one is away for repair but I'll put that 'channel' duties when it returns. It was purchased from eBay but sadly wasn't working correctly when it arrived so I got a partial refund from the very helpful seller.

[Martin Walker]

It seems to surprise some musicians that ART products work so well and yet are so reasonably priced, but they regularly get recommended in the SOS Forums if you can't afford hand-made boutique price points

Martin

[VTypeV4]

Mine will certainly staying for the foreseeable - very happy.

Apparently, the second unit I purchased has a little history. I bought it from TASCAM (ART UK distributor) as an ex-demo unit as it was the press release / demo / photo'd example.

[Martin Walker]

Apparently, the second unit I purchased has a little history. I bought it from TASCAM (ART UK distributor) as an ex-demo unit as it was the press release / demo / photo'd example.

Ooh, so your unit might even have appeared in SOS magazine!

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/art-pro-vla-ii

Martin

[VTypeV4]

Apparently, the second unit I purchased has a little history. I bought it from TASCAM (ART UK distributor) as an ex-demo unit as it was the press release / demo / photo'd example.

Ooh, so your unit might even have appeared in SOS magazine!

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/art-pro-vla-ii

Martin

According to Tascam, most probably!

I've been at the studio all day and used the compressor - I made a point to switch it out a few times and it the mix was definitely better with it in..

[Zukan]

My recommendation and this is something a few of us producers know about, is to hunt down a TL Audio C2021 valve compressor. It is one of the best products TL ever made and is a weapon!

I think between us Studio Support Gnome and I have had a bunch of them in the past at various points in our studio lives.

[andy cross]

+1 for the TLA C2021. I've got a couple of them and they're pretty much the only processing hardware I wouldn't part with.