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[nicholastaplin]

I've recently discovered that switching up my compressors, now with my (stereo) Dramastic Audio Obsidian 500 on drum mix, and my stereo pair of Distressors on the whole mix, yields really exciting results.  Like bizarrely good results.  I'd like a stereo or dual mono compressor that can do the "Balls Out" saturation/distortion of the Distressors, but with a cleaner signal when it's not performing this process.  I have the best version of the Thermionic Culture Culture Vulture (mastering/Anniversary edition) but I've come to understand that that unit is only really an effects box and has no use as a whole mix processing device.  Does anyone know if a pair of Crane Song Trakkers would give me what I want?  Those seem to be the only compressors on the market that are regarded for their high fidelity as well as their coloring options.  I have the Crane Song HEDD and think the A/D is really wonderful (only when clocked to the Apogee C777), and the saturation processing is neat but not capable of the extreme kind of brickwall saturation I'd like to be able to put on whole mixes.

Nicholas Taplin

p.s. I think the EL Fatso JR sounds horrible btw.

[Fletcher]

Nobody knows if something will work for you or not... only you'll know that.  What I can tell you from my experience is that the Trakker is a damn fine unit I've found to be exceptionally helpful in my work... but as always... YMMV.

Peace.

[nicholastaplin]

Then what's the point of an audio forum if people can't give each other advice?  I've only changed my profile name so that I can be more accountable to this forum and not be an antagonizing troll nor encourage others to do so.

Nicholas

[Fletcher]

My advice would be to try a pair of Trakkers and figure out if they work for you or not...

[DigitMus]

I agree. I tried 'em and I've never regretted using them at any point in my signal chain (tracking, busses, LR BUSS, etc...).

[recall]

Drive a Sebatron VMP at 0db pad and attenuate the output. 

[DarinK]

Trakkers always sound pretty clean to me, even with lots of their "color."  I haven't used a HEDD, but I doubt the Trakkers are any more extreme.  I've never intentionally overloaded my Trakkers (that would take a whole lot of signal) so I'm not sure how they'd respond in that circumstance.
Have you considered using parallel compression?  It might be kind of a hassle to figure out how to best do that with the main 2-buss, but it might help you get what you want with the gear you already have.

[Waltz Mastering]

Hard to know what's meant by balls out saturation... I've tried Distressors and a Fatso on the 2 mix and they've never floated my boat... a little to grimey

One thing I would want to try just because of the glowing reviews and price would be the Foote P3S.
...anyone mixing through this?

[bleen]

One thing I would want to try just because of the glowing reviews and price would be the Foote P3S.
...anyone mixing through this?

<raises hand>MEEEE!!!!

I've been mixing through one for almost a year and a half (I have SN.002). I can get really clean from it (particularly if I bypass the Carnhill output trannies - which I never do...), or subtle character or really slam the snot out of it. The funny thing is, it never sounds bad doing any of those things. Roger's really come up with a brilliant piece of, IMO, desert island gear with the P3S.

[rosshogarth]

try driving your mix harder into the HEDD
the HEDD actually saturates
turn up those little fun knobs on the box
and do what prolly most of us wouldn't do to the mix and see if you like it
or
get a couple of sherman filters
mult your mix to them and feed that back into your mix
that will sound might erode the pacific coastline if your not careful

[Steve Hudson]

get a couple of sherman filters
mult your mix to them and feed that back into your mix
that will sound might erode the pacific coastline if your not careful

Ross, you say that like it would be a bad thing!

(with salutations from the Third Coast)

[iCombs]

Hard to know what's meant by balls out saturation... I've tried Distressors and a Fatso on the 2 mix and they've never floated my boat... a little to grimey

One thing I would want to try just because of the glowing reviews and price would be the Foote P3S.
...anyone mixing through this?

My mastering guy just got one.  I can't really say how it sounds as a 2-buss compressor, as he wasn't using it in that fashion, but I can say that it is a pretty slick piece.  With the sidechain filter and the feed forward/feedback switches, you can make it do a few pretty clever things.  I brought in some mixes where the snare had a bit too much point on it...and the Foote did a wonderful job of taming that point without obliterating everything else in the mix (granted...this was a fairly drums-forward mix, so it was pretty easy to just grab the snare transient without hammering the rest of the track).  I was generally impressed with its flexibility in this regard...but like I said...I don't know how it'd react as a  2-buss compressor.

[Starfishmusic]

I just got a slate pro audio dragon crazy color options with this thing. I hear two are great on the buss.