Real World Gear
Compressors/Limiters
Click here to read C.K.'s take on the how/why of selecting and using comp/limiters.
Following is a selection of some boxes that you will see around the circuit
quite a bit, and some others that may be new to you.
XTA DP324 (SiDD)
http://www.xtaelectronics.co.uk
Channels: 2, List Price: $2,995
Manufacturer Take: Comp, expander/gate, brick wall limiter, and
EQ all on board. Dynamic range of more than 110 dB. Includes delay function,
up to 300 ms, useful for monitor work. Harmonics generator to mimic tube
sounds. Optional AES/EBU I/O. Remote control by PC or MIDI.
C.K.’s Take: “Absolutely the best compressor I’ve ever used,” Ville Kauhanen firmly stated on the LAB. I think that one can pretty safely assume these are as well built as XTA’s fine crossovers, which seem to have now totally conquered western civilization.
TC ELECTRONIC TRIPLE C
http://www.tcelectronic.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $299
Manufacturer Take: Envelope Mode can be used to adjust attack and
release to affect percussion sources. Selectable peak sensing. “Digital
Radiance Generator” means tube-like sound. Separate output adjustment
of low and high frequency bands. SPDIF I/O as well as analog.
C.K.’s Take: I was introduced to this device last summer
at a gig where the system guy recommended that I put it on my “money”
channel. I was quite happy with the job it did on a very hard-driving
female vocal. It felt very open, and full-bandwidth.
SUMMIT DCL-200
http://www.summitaudio.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $3,490
Manufacturer Take: Transformerless signal path. 12AX7A tubes. Can
be linked for stereo application. 5Hz to 70K. Input is balanced XLR, output
can be balanced or unbalanced. Useful for studio tracking and mixing as
well as live work.
C.K.’s Take: One of the most fascinating and unorthodox things I saw in 2002 was a tech who toured with a major D.J. using Summit DCL-200’s that I hooked up for him to tune both the house system and the performer’s sidefills. The guy could really hear - he was not a poser -, and he carefully experimented with the DCL-200’s until they were reacting to, and shaping, the beats exactly like he wanted. A very powerful tool and very rich tone.
RANE DC-24
http://www.rane.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $599
Manufacturer Take: Dual gate/expander, compressor and limiter with
automatic attack and release times. Can be slaved as a stereo unit. Also
contains a 200 Hz to 7 kHz selectable crossover, and unit can then process
the low and high of a mono mix.
C.K.’s Take: The LAB’s Chris Hindle swears by his:”simple to use, great results, great unit at a reasonable price.” He also mentioned what a lifesaver the internal crossover was at a show where one in a rack went down.
PRESONUS ACP88
http://www.presonus.com
Channels: 8, List Price: $599
Manufacturer Take: Each of the eight channels has gate, comp, side-chain
and trigger, balanced/unbalanced I/O, 115 dB dynamic range. Hard or soft
knee compression.
C.K.’s Take: On the LAB, Dan Easterday said “I love ‘em. I think that for the money, it’s one of the best units out there. Always looking for ways to haul less crap around.” The ACP88 has been pretty reliable in my experience and is helpful since it also includes gating. Maybe I’m deaf, but I do not hear grossly objectionable degradation in the signal chain when the ACP88 is operating as part of a properly grounded system.
KLARK TEKNIK DN500
http://www.klarkteknik.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $1,328
Manufacturer Take: Two channels of comp/expander with peak limiters.
XLR in and out, separate 1/4-inch sidechain inputs for comps and expanders.
Variable knee plus optional auto attack and release modes. Can be linked
for stereo.
C.K.’s Take: I am a Klark Teknik fan from way back. Loved
their 514 quad gate. To me, this and the 504 quad unit are two of the
most straightforward and useable comp/limiter designs on the market.
FMR REALLY NICE COMPRESSOR
http://www.fmraudio.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $199
Manufacturer Take: Digital controls, analog signal path. “SuperNice”
mode for “near-invisible” signal compression. Frequency response:
10 Hz to 100 kHz. Also now making the Really Nice Preamp.
C.K.’s Take: I have heard consistently good things about this unit, and I know that Larry Crane over at Tape Op bought three of them. Some users have stated that they feel it is less effective on inputs having a lot of bass information than it is on vocals or acoustic instruments. LAB folks confirm that it can hold up to live use and should not just be thought of as a studio tool.
DRAWMER DL 241
http://www.drawmer.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $725
Manufacturer Take: Dual channel comp/limiter with expander and
peak limiting. Switchable between +4 and -10. Automatic attack and release.
Can be stereo linked. “Zero Response Time/Zero Overshoot”
of peak limiter makes it well suited for system protection. Available
with XLR or 1/4-inch I/O.
C.K.’s Take: Definitely an industry standard. The Drawmer 241 and the quad 441 “are great tools” Mike Smith said on the LAB. I have used Drawmer units in many different nations and venues and notice that people who “grew up” with them are more comfortable with their controls, much like me with the dbx 160.
BSS DPR-402
http://www.bss.co.uk
Channels: 2, List Price: $1,599
Manufacturer Take: The 402 is a two-channel comp/limiter, the 404
is a four-channel compressor, and both units offer deessing. Both have
manual attack and release, with the 402 also offering an automatic mode.
C.K.’s Take: This is a very famous unit because of its de-essing ability and extremely clean sonics. A friend of mine was a little late to a soundcheck one day for a band she was mixing. She had ridden her motorcycle across the San Francisco Bay Bridge in the rain to fetch her DPR-402 - she won’t do a show without it.
BEHRINGER MULTICOMPRO-XL MDX 4600
http://www.behringer.com
Channels: 4, List Price: $159.99
Manufacturer Take: A quad unit, each channel has comp/limiter,
peak limiter, and expander/gate. 1/4-inch and XLR connenctors. Selectable
between +4 and -10.
C.K.’s Take: On the LAB, Chris Miller says, “For the price, can’t beat it.” This unit, as well as its Composer and Autocom relatives, are ubiquitous sights in racks everywhere from club systems to comparatively high-end touring rigs. Very aggressive pricing by Behringer has paid off.
ASHLY CLX-52
http://www.ashly.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $539
Manufacturer Take: Both XLR and 1/4-inch I/O, as well as 1/4- inch
detector/ducking input. Low noise, smooth sound. This unit and the mono
CLX-51 use peak, rather than RMS detection to prevent clipping.
Our Take: (C.K. wasn’t familiar with this unit, so LSI Editor Keith Clark provides the take.) A popular choice for IEM applications because true peak detect limiters stop anything that can damage hearing. Very rugged. Easy to operate, which is good for less experienced users.
APHEX DOMINATOR II
http://www.aphex.com
Channels: 2, List Price: $1,350
Manufacturer Take: Stereo three-band peak limiter with switchable
crossover frequencies and 104 dB dynamic range that lets you push levels
to the absolute maximum with no distortion or negative artifacts. Good
for digital recording to avoid digital clipping. Widely used for IEM touring
racks.
C.K.’s Take: It was like a religious experience when I started to encounter these as system limiters many years ago. Nothing gets past the brick wall, I mean nothing. You can still blow drivers with many other products, but once you set this puppy, it will faithfully stand sentinel over your stereo buss like few others.
Click here to read C.K.'s take on the how/why of selecting and using comp/limiters.