Your Ultimate Compressors!

[NSGUITAR]

I'd like you guys to start listing your favorite compressors for drums.. What do you guys use for kick, snare, toms, OH's, ect? Why do you use them? You get the idea.


Forgive me if there's already a post like this, I just know everybody out there is curious as to what everybody else is using!

 

[ahjteam]

My general rule of thumb when trackin no compression or then something that colours: Empire Labs Distressor, 1176 and LA2A are all amazing, but I just did a quick test and if you want that snare to pop out in the mix, try the T1952 tube compressor clips here. For live I prefer dbx 166xl, just love the ease of use and the sound.

 

[amarshism]

If you have the waves ssl/API bundle you're set

 

[Ermz]

Really dig the Distressor and SSL 4k bus comp on drums. They have a nice 'grabby' characteristic, which is conducive to mixing modern rock and metal.

 

[greyskull]

1176 on most things.
Distressor is nice on snare/vox
dbx 160vu on kick.

 

[Morgan C]

Being a poor man, I like

Voxengo Marquis Compressor (3 settings, its my workhorse)
TLs2095-LA (more for bass/vocals tho)
and PSP MixPressor for drumbus compression, and masterbus.

 

[26]

I recently A/B'd the Stillwell Rocket against some other common comps (ITB) and besides from the main drum bus where i preferred the Tube Tech, this thing won every time (for my taste).

 

[Lasse Lammert]

nice API transformer saturation on the way in
SSL gbus (Hardware) on the parallel bus
C2 on the mixbus
MH CS on the individual channels

 

[AdamWathan]

Metric Halo or SSL Channel on individual drums, haven't found anything else that can compete with these two. SSL Bus Comp on drum bus. PSP Old Timer can sound good on the drum bus too.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

My general rule of thumb when trackin no compression or then something that colours: Empire Labs Distressor, 1176 and LA2A are all amazing

This is what I was going to say. Of course they're not available to everyone.

 

[botus99]

This is what I was going to say. Of course they're not available to everyone.

unless you grab the Antress plugs. Honestly, they're rarely used in my small arsenal of plugins, but the distressor gets use sometimes and sometimes I even use the Seventh Sign 1176 clone instead of my UAD 1176 or Stillwell's Rocket

 

[colonel kurtz]

if i had hardware, it would be SSL, 1176, and dbx 160(in some variation) all over the place. probably distressors, too, but i've never used one, so i can't say

software-wise...waves SSL on individual tracks, API 2500 on busses, and wavearts trackplug from time to time when other stuff just isn't working how i want it to

 

[colonel kurtz]

LA2A

on drums? really?

 

[drew_drummer]

The Glue gets used most often as a drumbus compressor. And yes, I was skeptical when I first heard people talking about it, but I've started to use a compressor THEN a clipper on snare tracks - just seems to work really well. Generally I use the opto compressor and the clipper from T-Racks 3 for this.

 

[crillemannen]

SSL bus compressor and a UREI 1176 and im done

 

[Ermz]

I think you guys will enjoy the latest studio diary video. There is at least one of everything mentioned here happening.

 

[kev]

Sorry for the slight OT guys- just wondering what you are using to smooth out guitar solos these days compression wise? LA3? Or strap on an 1176 with quick attack to pin it back vocal style?

 

[Ermz]

^ Softube CL1B.

 

[26]

^ same here.

 

[AHChris]

I love the Softube FET for drums... I also use it on bass and vocals.