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Hey guys. I am in the market for a compressor. I think its time I start working on my audio and a lot of the issues we have would be fixed with a nice hardware compressor. Spencer and Mike have both recommended the DBX 286s but my issue is that I need 4 of them for each mic in the studio. Can someone recommended a 4 channel compressor? Or should I get 4 DBX 286s
If they are going to be used for mics only, get four dbx 286s. You don't have to buy all at once. Buy one, try it. Go from there. A four-channel compressor that costs less than $800 will not be good.
For example, here is a recreation of the Fairchild 670 compressor that the Beatles used on their early recordings. And it's only two channels. :D
If you're interested in a program compressor, at this point, I'd probably recommend the Omnia A/XE, which is a software compressor. I have the software, but I haven't tried it yet, so I'm not speaking from personal experience.
Be aware that the worst possible thing that you can do is install a compressor and then get sloppy with your levels. The compressor can help, but it can only do so much. I always recommend that people NOT use compressors until they are experienced enough that they don't need them. Then, you can add one and get a professional result. Compressors are band aids.
Mike is right. When I added my compressor to the mix Mike and I spent a lengthy amount of time tweaking the levels to what they are currently. MY compressor plays more in the noise gate arena though and has punched up my audio quite a bit.
thanks mike for that detailed post. I think im going to end up getting 4 DBX 286S
Thanks to Mike, we started with a Xenyx 1204 mixer, and quickly outgrew it and got an X2442USB. it has built in compressors (one knob) for 8 of the channels ($300). Works great, and every now and then Mike will tell me to turn one up or down. It is a 'set and forget' thing once you have it right.
The Gate is what will help me out the most. I want to cut as much background noise as possible
Just to update everyone I got 4 DBX 286s. I got one of them hooked up and I love it. The gate really made a difference with the room noise. I really think this is a must for anyone who is podcasting.
I don't have any experience with a hardware gate/compressor, but I know that Cliff Ravenscraft prefers this unit - http://goo.gl/Y390u. It's a 4 channel unit that seems to be $50 cheaper than the single channel DBX 286s. I'm assuming that you bought one for each of your microphones. Quality wise I'm not sure how these two units compare, but the Behringer could have handled 4 mics in one unit.
They really don't compare. The gate on the dbx 286s is the absolute best in its price range. It also includes a mic preamp with phantom power. The cheap unit that Cliff uses can often be found on craigslist.org for next to nothing. We have a couple of them in the rack collecting dust. Nevertheless, if you have one and it works for you, go for it.
Thanks for the info. Like I said, I don't use one right now. I use a software gate/compressor for my recordings and then some post processing magic. I'll keep this unit in mind when I'm in the market for one.
Behringer has become the go to brand for Podcasters. I wish it worked for me. I tried a few of their products and did not have a good experience. I know a few people who use the 286 and they love it. I cant wait to set them all up in the studio
I'm very wary of Behringer, too. Go for the most quality you can afford: a classy piece of secondhand gear is often no more expensive than a new Behringer.
Maybe so, but if it goes bad you are stuck. The Behringer 1204 we started with died with a pop after a couple of weeks, Musician's Friend replaced it within 3 days, in time for the next show. When we upgraded to the x2442USB, I bought the extended warranty with it, but also got a couple of used Behringer mixers (2642's) from craig's list for REAL cheep as spares (Mike is using one of them :-). The new one has been working like a champ since we got it. I also have two of the MDX4600 units, and some smaller ones. All the USB sound cards are behringer (even if they call it something else), and have been working none stop for a long time.Quote:
Originally Posted by AgentPete
So all in all I have to say that my experience with Behringer has been superb and unless something changes drastically with their quality, I will probably keep buying their gear.
