Hardware Compressor Shootout RNC, DBX 160, Joe Meek VC3, La Audio Kick/SNR

[if6was9]

I've got a few hardware compressors so decided to do a shootout between them to see how they all fare against each other.

To more clearly hear the effect they were having I sent both the Kick and Snare buses to another bus and comp'd them both together disabling the compression I'd done on the respective buses. Since the controls and metering for each unit is pretty different I decided to go with a fairly heavy handed compression and a medium attack/release settings where possible.
I didn't use any EQ and didn't use the harmonic exciter part of the VC3 or the gate on the LA 4X4.

I tried to match the volumes as much as possible too by soloing each of the tracks and matching their RMS volumes for the first few seconds.

Unfortunately I'm using a Presonus Firepod so the D/A and A/D isn't going to be the best but it's all I've got to work with so it'll have to do.
I used a section of a song of a band I recorded with natural kick and snare rather than samples. Picked a part that has both faster and slower parts so there's some variety in the music.

Comps used are
DBX 160xt

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1547445/Comp Test Files/Comp Test DBX.wav

FMR RNC

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1547445/Comp Test Files/Comp Test RNC.wav

Joe Meek VC3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1547445/Comp Test Files/Comp Test JM Vc3.wav

LA Audio 4X4

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1547445/Comp Test Files/Comp Test LA 4x4.wav

I've also included the raw files for the bus and the backing if anyone else wants to give it a try with their outboard comps.
Bus
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1547445/Comp Test Files/Comp Test Bus Raw.wav
Backing
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1547445/Comp Test Files/Comp Test Backing.wav

So any thoughts or comments guys?

 

[Emdprodukt]

Who's the band and do you like the rnc?

 

[if6was9]

Bands from Ireland, Former Monarchs they're called. I recorded/mixed their E.P, I really like them. They're very good musicians and hardworking so it's been great working with them.
Yeah really liking the RNC. Been using it alot after the DBX using the DBX for a bit of character and then the RNC for levelling and further shaping the attack/release. Also been using it a nice bit live on the vocal bus. It's sweet cause it doesn't kill the tone if it takes alot off in gain reduction IMO so it copes well with the big volume shifts live.

 

[botus99]

I like the DBX a lot, it has a nice round attack to it. I have the RNC and love that thing, but it didn't sound as good as the DBX imo. If I had to pick favs it would be

DBX160
LA 4x4
FMR RNC
Joe Meek VC3

 

[Trevoire520]

I might fire these through my DBX 163X's sometime this week so I can compare them to the 160. How much gain reduction were you doing?

 

[if6was9]

A fair bit- varied from unit to unit since the metering was so different between them but I think it was 8-10 db on the DBX with a ratio of 6:1.