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Author Topic: A new compressor  (Read 20237 times)

Patrik T

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A new compressor
« on: December 08, 2008, 11:12:31 PM »

A new comp with built in "blend" control for whom it may concern. From the guy behind Vintagedesign.

http://www.tkaudio.se/

http://www.mercenary.com/tkabc1.html


Best Regards
Patrik
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jdg

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2008, 11:23:57 PM »

i've heard and played with one.
the L+R thing sounds weird.
and i wish it released faster.

but it was WAYYYYY better then any other "ssl-style" clone i've ever heard.
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure

TotalSonic

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2008, 11:45:13 PM »

The TK BC-1 definitely looks like it offers a lot of bang for buck.  I think that it's very possible that a few corners component wise were cut to get it to the price range it is - and that it most likely would be the kind of thing that would be really nice for things like drum bus during mixing - but not necessarilly one that would get used that much in mastering duties in preference to other options.  Then again - I haven't heard it yet so I can't really make any judgements on it.  

To me the CL1mkII is really the comp from Vintage Design that looks like it would be the jammy as a nice option to have in the mastering rack.  I played with it briefly at AES 2007 and it seemed like it was nicely laid out - if I hadn't recently bought a Focusrite Blue 330 mkI at the Sony Studios Auction I definitely would want to get a longer demo of it.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Viitalahde

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2008, 12:43:47 AM »

Thomas is a great guy, and I'm sure he has thought this through.

Looks very interesting! I had thought of trying out an API2500 some day, but this looks like it could be a serious contender.
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Jaakko Viitalähde
Virtalähde Mastering, Kuhmoinen/Finland
http://www.virtalahde.com
   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Helsinki-Finland/Virtalahde-Ma stering/278311633180

jdg

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2008, 01:09:08 AM »

this sounds really diff then the 2500.

its the "old" feedback mode.   the  bc1 is similar to the "new" mode on the api, and i mean as similar as i am to my half-brother
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure

TotalSonic

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2008, 03:33:07 AM »

jdg wrote on Tue, 09 December 2008 01:09

this sounds really diff then the 2500.

its the "old" feedback mode.   the  bc1 is similar to the "new" mode on the api, and i mean as similar as i am to my half-brother


and the "new" mode on the API2500 is the one feature I almost never use!  I do think an SSL style comp is a nice option in the rack - but for the tracks I get in these days I really can't imagine using an SSL'ish one  more on than even 5% of the time I need an analog comp.

Best regards,
Steve Berson  

compasspnt

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2008, 08:31:27 AM »

This is probably much more useful in mixing.
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jdg

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2008, 10:23:52 AM »

TotalSonic wrote on Tue, 09 December 2008 00:33

and the "new" mode on the API2500 is the one feature I almost never use!  



ditto!
maybe 10 times, ever.  
thats a big maybe.
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure

bleen

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2008, 10:41:15 AM »

I have one and it's become my go-to 2-bus compressor (I don't master). With slower attacks and a fast release I can pull the threshold down and get some nicely transparent "grab" without pumping. The HPF is a nice touch, too. The M/S thing - not so nice...
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Matt_G

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2008, 08:41:23 AM »

jdg wrote on Wed, 10 December 2008 01:23

TotalSonic wrote on Tue, 09 December 2008 00:33

and the "new" mode on the API2500 is the one feature I almost never use!  



ditto!
maybe 10 times, ever.  
thats a big maybe.


That's interesting I used to use Old mode the most until recently when I discovered that the Old mode adds like a slight smiley face EQ to the sound (beefier low mids & highs with the midrange left pretty much untouched). The New mode tends to leave the lows & highs alone but brings out the midrange a little more. It really depends on the style of music & the mix balance as to which style I use. I'm finding that New mode gets used more often than Old mode lately. Although this could also be due to the fact that when I run through analog tape that it already gives me a bit of a smiley face EQ curve so I prefer to lift the mids instead of doubling up with the Old mode on the API.

The Phoenix on the other hand is just very smooth & natural without adding too much tonal shift to the equation yet it balances out the API's aggression in the mids in New mode nicely. Definitely very complimentary to work with New mode (or SSL style comp) feeding into a Vari-Mu.

Matt
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Matthew Gray Mastering

Brisbane Australia

TotalSonic

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2008, 11:49:03 AM »

Matt_G wrote on Wed, 10 December 2008 08:41

jdg wrote on Wed, 10 December 2008 01:23

TotalSonic wrote on Tue, 09 December 2008 00:33

and the "new" mode on the API2500 is the one feature I almost never use!  



ditto!
maybe 10 times, ever.  
thats a big maybe.


That's interesting I used to use Old mode the most until recently when I discovered that the Old mode adds like a slight smiley face EQ to the sound (beefier low mids & highs with the midrange left pretty much untouched). The New mode tends to leave the lows & highs alone but brings out the midrange a little more. It really depends on the style of music & the mix balance as to which style I use. I'm finding that New mode gets used more often than Old mode lately. Although this could also be due to the fact that when I run through analog tape that it already gives me a bit of a smiley face EQ curve so I prefer to lift the mids instead of doubling up with the Old mode on the API.

The Phoenix on the other hand is just very smooth & natural without adding too much tonal shift to the equation yet it balances out the API's aggression in the mids in New mode nicely. Definitely very complimentary to work with New mode (or SSL style comp) feeding into a Vari-Mu.

Matt


Huh - my impression of the API is totally different.  I most often use it in Medium Thrust mode (where the side chain is filtered on the bottom, flat on the mids, and given a shelf boost on the highs) - and find it's biggest coloration is in the bottom end where it acts as rumble filter while tightening up the bass an octave above the rumble. In Medium Thrust the side chain is also getting triggered by the mids the most (where I find a lot of mixes are most poky - or where things like vox need to be glued into the mix) so the mids tend to get their transients softened while the lows keep a little more impact than if the side chain wasn't being eq'd.

To me "New Mode" is way too grabby to be of use in mastering that often - but funny how impressions range so different with the 2500.

Anyway - if I need high mid push from a comp I just plug in my Focusrite Blue - and the famous 2kHz - 4kHz "sheen" pops right out.

I demoed the Phoenix but found it "tweaky" in its controls and a little too "Tube" with a capital T in its coloration to think that it would get all that much use here (although if I had a few thousand laying around I might have bought it for the small percentage of tracks I get where it would have been a perfect match.)

Best regards,
Steve Berson

jdg

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2008, 12:01:56 PM »

thread hijack:
there is a "smiley" tone on the 2500 with the soft/normal/old
"medium" is the flattest like steve said. and "loud" the darkest.

i like these tonal shifts i can dial in in "old" mode.  very useful for me.
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure

TotalSonic

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2008, 05:51:21 PM »

jdg wrote on Wed, 10 December 2008 12:01

thread hijack:
there is a "smiley" tone on the 2500 with the soft/normal/old
"medium" is the flattest like steve said. and "loud" the darkest.

i like these tonal shifts i can dial in in "old" mode.  very useful for me.


Yup!!  What John said!!

I don't use the "loud" mode very often - but when I get a track with "poke you in the ear with an ice pick" high end on it then having it as an option definitely can be a lifesaver.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Matt_G

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2008, 09:07:50 AM »

Actually I've had 2 different API 2500 units in here (first was a demo unit) & both sounded different from each other unless they have a run in time.

As for your comments regarding the 'sound' of Ye-Old mode. I usually use it with a Med thrust like you guys as usually I like to let the low end through the compressor unscathed. Where I hear a slight build up is circa 150-200Hz. Don't you think it sounds fatter in the low mids in Old mode? That is often the appeal of Old mode for me, that along with the slightly more gentle slower action of the compression. Even with the Med thrust I still hear more high frequency around 10kHz compared with the New mode with my unit. While the New mode is a little more aggressive, I prefer to use it where the needles are barely moving longer attack & release settings & either in Hard/Med/New or Med/Med/New modes if the kick drum is poking through too much I put it in normal mode which is still punchy yet adds a nice control to the low end.

There is no hard & fast rules, I used to think Hard/Med/Old was the way to go but my instincts react differently now based on the mix/genre & what I want to achieve. Don't rule out the other modes, it's worth playing around with this thing.

As for the Phoenix, the Mastering Edition is a different beast to the non-ME version. The drive is far more subtle & honestly I don't think the ME version sounds very tubey at all. The other benefit of the ME version is the S.C. filters. Most of the time I've got it set on one particular setting & master into it & the only thing I tend to change from time to time is the S.C. filter setting.

Matt
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Matthew Gray Mastering

Brisbane Australia

jdg

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Re: A new compressor
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2008, 11:19:37 AM »

deeply OT:
i've had 3 2500s, and they all sounded slightly different.

my first one was the best, im sad i had to sell it.
there was something there.. maybe a bit more grunt.
the 2nd one was crap.. glad its gone... sounded totally "weird" in the chain
this one just works. one of the knobs is slightly crooked, and drives my OCD'd brain a bit nuts.
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure
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