Solid state vocal limiter / compressor

[devin]

Jun 15, 2008, 8:58am, mazz wrote: I don't know about every DAW out there but the one I use (DP) does with my UAD-1 card (which is another really cool unit but, alas, not real time either).Hey Mazz!Do you use the stock UAD-1 RealVerb Pro, or did you upgrade to something above that?Any experience with the UAD mastering set of plugs, or do you use something else?I use a JoeMeek TwinQ on the front end...but as you stated, compression on the way in should be as light as possible, with more emphasis on my consistency of playing/singing being the latest approach.At 24bit, I've been turning the optical compressor off lately for strings, but leaving it in for percussion. Although, since quitting coffee even my hand drumming has evened out!

[milfus]

I only use front end compression on screamers generally, or really over powered voices, you know how some of them girls get, but normally I just use the dual inline compression method to free them up for later.

[mazz]

Jun 15, 2008, 9:44am, devin wrote:Jun 15, 2008, 8:58am, mazz wrote: I don't know about every DAW out there but the one I use (DP) does with my UAD-1 card (which is another really cool unit but, alas, not real time either).Hey Mazz!Do you use the stock UAD-1 RealVerb Pro, or did you upgrade to something above that?Any experience with the UAD mastering set of plugs, or do you use something else?I use a JoeMeek TwinQ on the front end...but as you stated, compression on the way in should be as light as possible, with more emphasis on my consistency of playing/singing being the latest approach.At 24bit, I've been turning the optical compressor off lately for strings, but leaving it in for percussion. Although, since quitting coffee even my hand drumming has evened out! I LOVE the Plate 140, I hardly use the RealVerb anymore. On piano and horns it's just fantastic, IMO.As far as the mastering stuff on the UAD, I have the Precision Maximizer which I use for mostly electro stuff and I just picked up the Buss Compressor but haven't used it a ton yet.Besides the Plate, my go-to plugs on the UAD are, in no particular order: Fairchild Compressor (makes drums KILL), Pultec EQ (nice sounding for broad strokes), Roland Space Echo (great for spacey piano amongst others), Roland Dimension D (If you know what it is, then you are a fan), 1176 (usually for bass or vocals and sometimes lead acoustic guitar), LA2A (drums and backing vocal bussing for sure), Precision Maximizer (punch and glue).To go back to the initial subject of the thread, if you don't need compression on the way in and you don't mind having a PCI-type card in your computer, then the UAD is worth a look. They just lowered the prices and it comes with things like 1176 and LA-2A already installed. They have enticements and sales all year around so adding plugs a little at a time is an option. I wish they'd come out with a Firewire version. They have a laptop version but you have to buy a separate little doodad to hook it up to a desktop.Cheers!Mazz

[milfus]

ack sorry, just got a pm, figured id respond here, a dual in line set up is running AFTER the fader, but before it hits the track, a limiter and then a compressor, and riding the fader during the song, that way it modulates and you compression goes up with the volume while leaving the nuances and subtle peices fully expanded. Hope that clears up stuff =0)

[milfus]

limiter should be higher compression with a higher threshold than the compressor too, think thats all the bullet points, mazz knows this one i am sure.

[squids]

Jun 15, 2008, 9:53am, milfus wrote:I only use front end compression on screamers generally, or really over powered voices, you know how some of them girls get.....hahahaha, what girls? I wanna meet one!

[ernstinen]

I've owned a dbx 160X for years, and really like it a lot. I ALWAYS use it when recording vocals and bass. Live drums, too (kick & snare). It's real transparent and does a great job at getting levels as hot as possible. --- Don't know if they make 'em anymore, though.http://www.fmsystems.net/sp_160x.htmErn

[billg]

Jun 15, 2008, 12:00pm, ernstinen wrote:I've owned a dbx 160X for years, and really like it a lot. I ALWAYS use it when recording vocals and bass. Live drums, too (kick & snare). It's real transparent and does a great job at getting levels as hot as possible. --- Don't know if they make 'em anymore, though.http://www.fmsystems.net/sp_160x.htmErn Don't see a 160x, but here's a 160a. What's the diff?

[ibanez468]

Yeah, personally, I'm using the dbx 166A. Don't think it's even in circulation anymore. But it's been a true workhorse for me though, even after all of these years that I've had it.http://www.g2entertainment.com/sound/DB ... .htmlI-468

[andreh]

On a budget, these two boxes get tons of respect:http://www.mercenary.com/realniccom.html - Very clean and transparent.http://www.guitarcenter.com/ART-Pro-VLA ... 1386011.gc - More aggressive & colored. This one's a tube design, but it's worth mentioning anyway.HTH,André