Rack Mount compressor recommendations

[fretmeister]

Evenin' all.

I'm after a 2 channel rack compressor. I have tried a Behringer in the past and it was rubbish, so I don't want another of those...

But what else is worth looking at?

It needs to do subtle and monster squelchy and have decent control over attack and release.

ta

[51m0n]

Focusrite Compounder - best I've found and you can get them for reasonable money occasionally if you are prepared to wait

[fretmeister]

Aren't they about £400?

Damn - that would be more than my head.

[Master blaster]

ive just got the dbx 266xl. tis pretty good. im pretty happy with it. and its not to bad on the cost side of things

[Phaedrus]

[quote name='Master blaster' post='712345' date='Jan 14 2010, 10:49 AM']ive just got the dbx 266xl. tis pretty good. im pretty happy with it. and its not to bad on the cost side of things[/quote]

If I was buying a rack comp, and I've thought about it, it'd be the 266XL - €160 new, DBX pedigree. Our DriveRack PA has a comp in it, an it's always been useful on our main FOH mix.


Mark

[51m0n]

[quote name='fretmeister' post='712323' date='Jan 14 2010, 10:33 AM']Aren't they about £400?

Damn - that would be more than my head.[/quote]

Well yeah, you can pay that for one, I got mine for about £150 S/H off evilbay. Nothing else at that price range comes close IMO.

[Tengu]

You can't go wrong with one of these.

[url="http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/alesis-3630-dual-channel-compressor-limiter--1155"]http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/ales...r-limiter--1155[/url]

I use a couple as inserts on the FOH desk for my bass and all our vocals.

For less than a ton it is an effective unit.

Plus it has lots of shiny lights.

[joegarcia]

The Alesis is a good budget buy. If you can afford it though try and find a used DBX 166, great live comps.

[Dood]

TC Electronic C300. Pick 'em up for around 100 quid now - and easily the best compressor I have ever used - simply because TC, much like with their Bass range - have tailored everything you need with a basic set of 'programs'.

Spin the dial to 'Bass Guitar' and it configures the multiband compressor to the best parameters for the instrument. Same for vocals - male and female, drums, percussion, wind instruments - the lot! and if that wasnt great enough, you get two units in one 1u rack ) The unit also does full band, Parallel Compression AND noise gate / Expander functions too.

I've owned the likes of the EBS Multicomp, Alesis 3630, Behringer, Autocom etc - and this one - well - after a time out of my rack system, it's right back in again!!!

You'll also be interested to hear - it's the same multiband compression in the RH450 head - but more control over fine tweaking of threshold and ratio.

[voxpop]

You can get a second hand BSS from ebay for about £250. I have used them in the past and can recommend them very highly.