Hi there,

I have a few quetions regarding compressors . . . Do hardware
compressors (eg Behringer composer pro, dbx, samson models etc)
digitise the audio signal and process it like a digital effects module
or is some other method used? I know the more expensive models have
vacuum tubes and optical systems etc but I'm wondering whether
digitising a signal (eg at 48kHz, 16 bit) and processing it with a
high quality software compressor will yield results comparable in
quality to cheaper hardware compressors (or more expensive ones for
that matter). I'd be much obliged if anyone here has experience in
such matters and could give some advice.

Dave

"Dave W" wrote in message
...
Hi there,

I have a few quetions regarding compressors . . . Do hardware
compressors (eg Behringer composer pro, dbx, samson models etc)
digitise the audio signal and process it like a digital effects module
or is some other method used? I know the more expensive models have
vacuum tubes and optical systems etc but I'm wondering whether
digitising a signal (eg at 48kHz, 16 bit) and processing it with a
high quality software compressor will yield results comparable in
quality to cheaper hardware compressors (or more expensive ones for
that matter). I'd be much obliged if anyone here has experience in
such matters and could give some advice.

Most dedicated hardware compressors use VCAs and are totally analog. If they
contain a tube, it's normally just for gain and colour, and the compression
is still done by VCA.
The more expensive tube compressors use vari-mu tubes, or even sometimes
VCAs made from tube op-amps (I think some millennia products do this).

There are some cheaper digital compressors too, alesis CLX-440, TC-C1 that
are totally digital. Not heard them myself.
For me, the software compressors I've used are of uniformly great quality in
terms of not screwing up audio, but lack character somehow. Or else they
emulate the compression curve of classic hardware, but don't seem to alter
the sound in a funky way. I'd rather use a good software compressor than a
bad hardware one any day though!
My faves at the moment in software are Waves Ren-comp, Ren-Vox, C1, L2, and
the Blue Tubes FA-770.






Dave