#1682989 - 07/11/05 10:54 PM
How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
Offline
|
|
Hi all. . .
I am thinking of shopping for an outboard compressor. Two models which sort of suggest themselves to me are the dbx 162SL and the Distressor ELI8SX (stereo with British mode).
What does the dbx unit do that the Distressor doesn't? And vice-versa?
Are there any other two channel compressors in the under $3000 range that present themselves as real winners for both vocals and for overall compression of the stereo track?
Thanks much.
Steve
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682990 - 07/11/05 10:57 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Philip O'Keefe
10k Club
Registered: 12/17/00
Posts: 17674
Loc: Riverside,CA,UNITED STATES
|
|
Offline
|
|
Get the Distressors. End of story. Okay, not really, but I'm in a session right now and I'll have to wait on a full response until a bit later. Stay tuned... 
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682991 - 07/11/05 11:55 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
The Distressor is every compressor ever made in one box. The DBX sounds like a DBX, the DIstressor sounds like God.
There is absolutely no comparison. get the Distressor.
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#1682992 - 07/12/05 07:21 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Sp3nc3r
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 10/31/00
Posts: 3862
Loc: St. John's, NL., Canada
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by where02190:
the DIstressor sounds like God.
There is absolutely no comparison. get the Distressor. 
I couldn't have said it better, myself!
Cheers!
Spencer
_________________________
"I prefer to beat my opponents the old-fashioned way....BRUTALLY!!!!"
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682993 - 07/12/05 07:39 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
10k Club
Registered: 05/23/00
Posts: 12336
Loc: NY Hudson Valley, USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
While I've only had a chance to demo the Distressors...they are very unique and very "bold" flavored...while also being able to mimic a few other comps, fairly well.
But...there are times when other compressors might be a better choice....like I don't think a Distressor is really aimed at stereo bus use...between the Distressor and the DBX 162SL...I would prefer the DBX for stereo bus use...though YMMV.
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682994 - 07/12/05 08:04 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
|
Offline
|
|
Wow. . . tell me more, gentlemen. . . and does the British mode ONLY do the British mode, or can it also mimic the "normal" distressor mode?
And what about compressing that stereo track?
I'm quite intrigued. . . too bad I'm running out of money!
:-)
Steve
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682995 - 07/12/05 08:42 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
I use the Distressor on the mix buss all the time with fantastic results.
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682996 - 07/12/05 09:41 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Spirithunter
Member
Registered: 03/02/05
Posts: 26
Loc: Rochester
|
|
Offline
|
|
Yes I'm with umkcpof. I am very interested in this pieces gear as a possible next purchase.
My current setup Protools 002 rack with Universal Audio LA-610 Preamp
My mics could use some help but i been happy with Baby Blue Bottle to this point.
Some other mics i have...Apex 435,Apex 430 StudioProject B1,Shure SM57 and PG5.
CMLab MotorMix
Evolution MK 249-C2 Midi controller
Alesis QS 6.1 Keyboard
Blue Sky 2.1
Yamaha NS-10m
EPI 100's
M-Audio StudioPro 4
RNC compressor
Samson C-Control
Edirol UM-550
Cry Baby from Hell (Dunlop)
Yamaha Magicstomp
ART SLA-1 & PB 4x4
MDR 7506 & 7502 headphones
DTR-1000 Korg Turner
Vox Valvetronic amp
Fender Ultimate Chorus
Seeing what i have in gear. In your opinion would a Distressor be something to get now or later after possibly another quality mic preamp.
My buget is about $2000.00 for the next item.
-Bob
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682997 - 07/12/05 09:48 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
|
Offline
|
|
Well, obviously, Bob and I are in similar boats. . .
Next question:
Does it make ANY difference if I buy TWO mono British distressors (again, please address the British versus non-British models with respect to sonic signatures) or one stereo distressor?
Thanks much.
Steve "what the heck am I doing buying all this gear" Pruitt
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682998 - 07/12/05 11:47 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
10k Club
Registered: 05/23/00
Posts: 12336
Loc: NY Hudson Valley, USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by where02190:
I use the Distressor on the mix buss all the time with fantastic results.
Not saying you can't use it on the stereo bus (if you have two linked units)...
...I'm just saying that its main "claim-to-fame" did not come about from that application...
...but mostly for "nuking" individual signals, with a single unit.
The fact that there are quite a few high-end comps out there...and some that are much more often utilized for stereo bus compression...speaks for itself.
Even though I have quite a few comps at my disposal...I'm really not a big fan of compression in any extreme form. For me...it's a tool that I use sparingly, not on EVERYTHING...
...and even when I do use a comp, it's usually used very lightly...just to tame rather than beat into signals shape.
That said...I would love to get a Distressor one of these days...just to have when needed…
…but then, I would love to have a DBX 162SL, also…not to mention a few other high-end, stereo models.
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1682999 - 07/12/05 11:57 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
10k Club
Registered: 05/23/00
Posts: 12336
Loc: NY Hudson Valley, USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by umkcprof:
Does it make ANY difference if I buy TWO mono British distressors (again, please address the British versus non-British models with respect to sonic signatures) or one stereo distressor?
http://www.mercenary.com/emlabdisel.html
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683000 - 07/12/05 12:21 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Miro, if you had a distressor, you would quickly want more of them. It is amazing the variety fo sounds, endless possibilities from unique Distressor tones to the emulation of anything on the market it can do. I actually prefer the Distressor 1176 emulation over the real thing for example.
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683001 - 07/12/05 05:04 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
10k Club
Registered: 05/23/00
Posts: 12336
Loc: NY Hudson Valley, USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by where02190:
Miro, if you had a distressor, you would quickly want more of them. It is amazing the variety fo sounds, endless possibilities from unique Distressor tones to the emulation of anything on the market it can do. I actually prefer the Distressor 1176 emulation over the real thing for example.
That's it...make me go and spend more money I don't have!
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683002 - 07/12/05 06:54 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Well, to be honest you really want to start with at least two.....
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683003 - 07/12/05 08:07 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
10k Club
Registered: 05/23/00
Posts: 12336
Loc: NY Hudson Valley, USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Yeah...I checked out the stereo pair w/British mod over that Mercenary site...$2,850.
I was planning a few other high-ticket items first.
But...I will keep it in mind for when I do start looking at comps again.
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683004 - 07/12/05 08:13 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
alcohol_
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 06/18/00
Posts: 3457
Loc: Boston, MA USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Some questions:
If one is planning on sending one's mix to a good mastering company what advantage would there be to putting a pair of Distressors across the 2 bus?
Or putting a pair of EQs across the 2 bus?
Shouldn't that await a mastering house?
The Distressor can shape individual sounds really well and then you can rerecord them. I got a couple of Distressors and if I could only afford one I would buy it. And if I couldn't afford the British mod, I would still buy one. Even not using the British mod the Distressor is a great tool.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683005 - 07/12/05 08:29 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Yes if the track(s) are going to be mastered outside the mix studio, then there should neither be dynamics or eq on the mix buss,
Much of what I mix I also master, however I always do stem mixes, mix minus, vx, solos, and always, always a mix sans compression. Ya never know, better to be prepared.
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683006 - 07/12/05 10:10 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
|
Offline
|
|
Okay, Where. . . I'm new to this compression game, but what you seem to be implying is that I can compress things on the way in (during tracking), but not during mix-down if I am sending a master to an outside mastering firm. Is this, indeed, correct?
So a Distressor would only be of value to me if I were going to do my own mastering work?
Thanks much.
Steve
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683007 - 07/13/05 05:14 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
No, what I am saying is if you are sending the mixes to a professiona mastering engineer vs mastering yourself do not put a compressor on the mix buss. Leave that for the mastering engineer.
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683008 - 07/13/05 06:06 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
alcohol_
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 06/18/00
Posts: 3457
Loc: Boston, MA USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Personally, I don't compress anything in the way in. I use compression for mixing on individual tracks.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683009 - 07/13/05 07:51 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
where02190
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/06/01
Posts: 5402
Loc: Weymouth, Ma. USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
I like to put a touch of compression on overheads, kick, snare, sometimes bass, and sometimes vocals on the way in. By a touch, I'm talking 2:1 and a max of 3db reduction. Part of this is I prefer the sound of a little compression a couple times rather than alot of compression once. Another is while if the player had good dynamics the compression is unnesessary, that is not always the case, especially with younger, inexperienced players, or those unfamailair with the studio.
_________________________
Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683010 - 07/13/05 08:01 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
|
Offline
|
|
Well, my friend, I am going to "run out" and buy a Stereo, British mode Distressor today. . .
What's another $2800 at this point, right?
:-)
Steve
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683011 - 07/13/05 02:17 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
FoxTick
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 07/23/01
Posts: 5210
Loc: Sacramental, Californicate
|
|
Offline
|
|
I assure you that you will be more than pleased with your purchase. I tell ya, I got a woody the first time I ran my bass through this thing....I know, too much info.
/fellow EL8 brit owner
_________________________
0096 2251 2110 8105
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683013 - 07/13/05 08:02 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
|
Offline
|
|
Okay, Phil. . . the wife has said "yes" to another expensive toy (as always, of course :-), so I'm free to buy a Distressor, provided that I can actually use the dog-gone thing. Hence, the following:
The question I now have is that I can't figure out how to use the AW with an EXTERNAL effects processor like the Distressor. My WAVES card is internal, of course, and the only actual inserts on the AW are in channels 1 and 2 (balanced TRS). Thus, how does one stick an effect across the stereo bus, even if one wanted to? It would seem that one would need to run the stereo out to the effects processor and then BACK INTO the AW onto two, unmonitored, empty tracks, but that can't be the real way to do it.
I'm all ears. . . errr. . . eyes.
Steve
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683014 - 07/13/05 08:20 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Philip O'Keefe
10k Club
Registered: 12/17/00
Posts: 17674
Loc: Riverside,CA,UNITED STATES
|
|
Offline
|
|
Well, if you want to use the Distressor while tracking, you'd probably be best off using those inserts on channels 1 / 2. If you're using an external mic preamp, you'd either use the insert points on the mic pre (if it has them), or run the output of the mic pre into a Distressor channel, then take the output of the Distressor and run it into a line input on the AW and route and record as you usually would.
For mixdown, you can do what you were just describing - two track / stereo mix analog out from the AW, into the Distressor, and then back into two line inputs on an AW, which you'd route to two empty tracks to record the mixdown. Or if you're using an external mixdown deck, you'd route things the same way, except plug the Distressor's outputs into the input of your mixdown recorder / computer soundcard / audio interface. That approach wuld be applying Distressor compression to the entire mix at once - commonly referred to as "strapping a compressor across the stereo bus".
Of course, you can also use that stereo pair of compressors to process individual track(s) within the AW's. Say you have a stereo acoustic guitar part recorded on tracks 5/6 of AW#1... you could copy those recordings over on to another layer of the virtual tracks (keeping an unprocessed version "safe" in case you decide to change the processing later, or decide not to use it at all), then process the copy by routing those tracks out of say, an Omni Out, into the Distressor, and then back into a couple of tracks on the AW. Want to use some different settings on the Distressors for the piano? Rinse and repeat.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683015 - 07/14/05 10:52 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Sergievsky
Gold Member
Registered: 03/26/00
Posts: 961
Loc: Manila, Philippines
|
|
Offline
|
|
Do the inserts work on the 1/4" input as well? So maybe he (I) can get an RNC instead of a Distressor, and hook it up to the inserts, so the extra money can go to an even better preamp whose output is connected to channels 1 or 2.
_________________________
Raul
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683016 - 07/14/05 11:04 PM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
umkcprof
Senior Member
Registered: 09/05/04
Posts: 158
Loc: Kansas City
|
|
Offline
|
|
Sounds good. . .
Happily, I just got a pretty decent raise today, so I'll buy that Distressor tomorrow. . .
Thanks, Phil!
Steve
_________________________
I am truly grateful for the wonderful information that everyone on the musicplayer site graciously bestows to me without thought of reward. You are all a credit to the worldwide web.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683017 - 07/15/05 01:54 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Philip O'Keefe
10k Club
Registered: 12/17/00
Posts: 17674
Loc: Riverside,CA,UNITED STATES
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by Sergievsky:
Do the inserts work on the 1/4" input as well? So maybe he (I) can get an RNC instead of a Distressor, and hook it up to the inserts, so the extra money can go to an even better preamp whose output is connected to channels 1 or 2.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1683018 - 07/15/05 08:21 AM
Re: How does a "distressor" differ from a "compressor"?
|
Spirithunter
Member
Registered: 03/02/05
Posts: 26
Loc: Rochester
|
|
Offline
|
|
Thanks for the info here guys and i am as well going to be picking up one these also.
-Bob
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
