Distressor vs DBX 160 vs UAD 160 vs Waves & elysia

Which is your favourite kick & snare comp?

  • Total voters
    41
  • Poll closed .
Yeah, I'm getting a bit curious, too :) Time for the results?

I'm gonna take a guess of the compressors just for the hell of it:

A: Waves and Elysia
B: DBX, because it sounds so similar to C, but a tad better in my ears
C: UAD, see above
D: Distressor, because it has that huge smack I often associate with a Distressor

I fully recognize I might have them all wrong, but I don't care, at least I'll know which I prefer in this case when the results are posted! :)
 
All right, the poll is closed, here are the results:

A) Waves & elysia
B) DBX 160
C) UAD 160
D) EL-8 Distressor

SO congrats, some of you guys made guesses that were so on the ball it was crazy. Jarkko above picked them all perfectly. Many of you guys notably prefered 'B' and 'D', which were both outboard pieces. Others said that 'B' and 'C' were very similar, which is definitely true, since one is an emulation of the other.

Hope you guys are having as much fun as I am looking back through the thread, knowing the results!
 
Already ahead of you there mate. Should arrive early next week!

I forgot to elaborate on one thing...

The Distressor actually had the least amount of 'snap' and transient pop out of any of the compressors, believe it or not. The thing it mostly did was increase the sustain and resonance of the drum, and in my case that just cleared something up perfectly...

I've known for a while that Randy Staub uses a Distressor in parallel on snare, as well as vox. I had always wondered why in parallel, but now it makes perfect sense. This thing is perfect to bring the resonance of a drum up, on a separate track, while using a DBX 160 or something alike to get the 'crack' on the original track. You know one of those experiences where you feel like you've jumped to a new tier of understanding? ... this kinda feels like it, haha.
 
Haha, thanks for that Ermz- that is a great nugget of info you raise there. A big step involving his larger than life drum sound unveiled perhaps! The Distressor should slay on rock even more than it did in the metal clip. Sounds like we're all wasting our time with software at the moment.
 
Ermz said:
I've known for a while that Randy Staub uses a Distressor in parallel on snare, as well as vox. I had always wondered why in parallel, but now it makes perfect sense.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I was thinking when I heard sample D. It would be a great compressor to use in parallel with the original. :)

Edit: Some people said it was 'too big'. No such thing! MOAR SNARE. MORE BOOM. ;)
 
I agree that it's 'too big' as is here. I actually prefer the snare on B. But when you have that resonance on a fader and can blend in just the right amount?.... Perfect.

Distressor does cool stuff on kick though. I kinda like the slap it gives. Really makes things ticky and forward. Probably good for the typical modern metal kick.
 
Ermz said:
I agree that it's 'too big' as is here. I actually prefer the snare on B. But when you have that resonance on a fader and can blend in just the right amount?.... Perfect.

Distressor does cool stuff on kick though. I kinda like the slap it gives. Really makes things ticky and forward. Probably good for the typical modern metal kick.
Click to expand...

Haha yeah I agree, in the example song it was a little too up front, but it sounds to have great potential for sure.
 
I still feel the distressor makes the snare to big for my personal taste. LOVE what it does to the kick though. C and B are still my faves due to that good ol CRACK on the snare. The combination of B/C and D on snare and D on kick would be pure win for me!
 
I don't have all-buttons mode on mine, so I can't get any slow attack setting that would work on direct drums, sadly. Maybe one day I'll get it retro-fitted.

@guitarguru: I'm with ya dude. It's likely gonna be Distressor on kick, DBX160 on snare, and Distressor on snare parallel for me in the future.
 
Thanks for posting this Ermz , confirmation that outboard comp still edges it .
The Distressor has been on my wish list for a while even though I felt the DBX suited the mix in this instance .
 
Very interesting Ermz your conclusions in the use of the Distressor, I´ve already have one, and I´ve never realize use it in paralell with the snare...
A little off topic: Has DBX 160XT anything to do against the classic 160 Vu?? I can buy it for just 220€ and I´m considering to add to my gear list...thanks!
 
Ermz said:
All right, the poll is closed, here are the results:

A) Waves & elysia
B) DBX 160
C) UAD 160
D) EL-8 Distressor

SO congrats, some of you guys made guesses that were so on the ball it was crazy. Jarkko above picked them all perfectly. Many of you guys notably prefered 'B' and 'D', which were both outboard pieces. Others said that 'B' and 'C' were very similar, which is definitely true, since one is an emulation of the other.

Hope you guys are having as much fun as I am looking back through the thread, knowing the results!
Click to expand...

Kinda surprised, as I often have a hard time hearing and identifying compression. Then again, this goes hand in hand with the other 160VU thread you posted, as I really, really loved the punch there :)

I feel the 160 and Distressor GAS kicking in. I did a really quick test tracking/mixing session at a studio on Monday, and I ended up using 160AD's on kick and snare and Distressor on vocals. Absolutely loved them.
 
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