Finally...outboard analog compressor. !!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by alohachris

Aloha Kev,

Nice addition to your very nice rig.

Ya know, in the last 2-1/2 years, I've purged almost all my gear. Although I seldom use compression for live or recording, I just can't seem to part with my UA 1176 analog compressor. It just sounds so good on recording vocals, though I don't use it very often.

Way to go Kev. I look forward to your impressions of your new addition. All the best.

alohachris

Thanks Chris . So far I am really liking it just playing around with it adding it on the Mix Bus "after the fact" (Already mixed) more of a mastering type situation
But given that it is billed as a Mastering Comp, it does work very well.
Being a Vari Mu design it does have a tube smoothness and presence about it yet lots of detail also .

[KevWind]

OK so as asked for here is an example of using this Compressor In this case it is on a finished mix. I put the 3U on the mix bus ( Labeled 2 Mix) for some mild compression for the entire mix. First it should be noted that what I did was first take off any plugin Mix bus processing, then inserted the 3U as a hardware insert in the inserts section of of the 2 Mix track .
When I found the settings on the 3 U I liked. I then bounced the session out and selected the "import after bounce" option, to bring the 3 U processed interleaved stereo track back into the session. (Labeled quantum and 3 U) I then removed the 3 U from the 2 Mix bus and used the "And 3 U" track ( that did have some makeup gain applied) to help match the level of the unprocessed track ( Labeled quantum no comp 2B) to the level of the processed track. I got them pretty close according to the meters, so as to try and offer and example of what the comp is actually doing as opposed to just raising the level.

The effect is pretty subtle but It is there and for sure ear buds or good HP with a laptop or studio monitor system will most likely be necessary to hear what is going on. And of course this is soundcloud streaming which is compressed to 128 bit.

[KevWind]

Here is the Mixer window from this session. As you can see the orange track labeled (2 Mix) towards the right hand side is the mix bus that has the 3 U on the inserts section at the top of the track. The dark blue track to the far right (Qnt3U_2OL) is the processed track.

[KevWind]

So next week I an looking forward to finally be doing some actual tracking through the this unit.
So far ( just revisiting some finished mixes) I am very pleased. While the effect is slightly noticeable even on the two posted tracks being encoded down to 128 bit by Sound Cloud on my laptop through some Apple ear buds. It is a fair bit more noticeable on my studio system at full WAV resolution.
So but here is a brief review of what I am hearing here in the studio.

First a rundown of settings options and used in the above tracks ( again set for a mastering type situation) . This unit has these setting options in order of actual signal flow.

HPF (high pass filter)- set at 120....... Bypass,Stereo, Mid Side, selector- set to Stereo...... Input (gain)- set at 13..... Attack- (set slow at 10 ms- thus allowing the first transients to get through uncompressed).....
Release - set medium fast at .03.....Threshold - set a - 2...... Output (attenuation) set, at -3 ...... Mix (wet-dry level) set a 16

So when I listen and A/B the track with the comp and the track without the comp in the session on my system (as pictured in the mix window above but with the 3 U removed from the insert) and level adjusted.
What I hear is IMO is best described as an increase in depth of field, ( logically more noticeable on monitors than ear buds or HP's because of the physical difference of where the sound is coming from ) , like the front of sound stage moving forward with the back staying in place. Where the unprocessed track has pretty good depth with front of the sound stage seeming to be at or bit in front of the plain of the speakers. The processed track OTOH seems to move at least 1/2 again further forward ( gives more of a 3D feeling) with the vocals ( being panned a 0 or center ) being even more present, more right there in the room right in front of you, feeling.