ACME XLA 500 | Favourite Vocal Compressor

[@daymaro3220]

Bro, that's a great channel. I not only like the tutorials and explanations but also the music is always on point, respect from Algeria.

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Thanks for the encouragement 🙌

[@sabbo4soulico]

The plugin is so good that it made me put the hardware on my list !

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

😂🙌.

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

😂🙌.

[@lmpcrew]

Great Vibes , Bass Normal or Slow release maintains the character. Great video. 👍🏾 👌🏾

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

🙌🙌

[@moici1g]

Yo that sounds crazy fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@XVIIIPRO]

great content my bro 🇬🇧 💪🏾

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Thanks for the support

[@jonesnyirenda]

your beats are fire bro

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Thankyou brother. I appreciate it!

[@jonesnyirenda]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott kindly look into making tutorials for beat making would definitely be enticing to watch cause these beats are just next level.

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

@@jonesnyirenda Ill have a think about how I can present that well!

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

@@jonesnyirenda The challenge with beat breakdowns for new youtube channels is that you don't show up in search engines. When you think about it, you only found me because I was reviewing the product and the beat happened to be good. But if you came to watch a product review and Im doing a beat breakdown it would be annoying and unfair to the audience haha. So I would have to present them as beat breakdowns, but then. no one watches them because they've never heard of me before, so they don't click on my video. Hence the dilemma. But as the channel grows I will certainly do more breakdowns, right now Im juts in the process of drawing in an audience.

[@jonesnyirenda]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott I get you. Definitely landed on your video because of the comparison you were making between clippers. I guess you popped up because I've been watching a lot of clipper videos but was blown away by the beats. I produced too but the way your beats sound fuller, clean & punchy was just next level. Would love to learn how you go about your sample selection to the mixing stage. Will definitely look out for that day when you start making beat breakdowns.

[@thevaultrecordingstudio]

holy compression!

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

😂😂😂😂

[@ChimaAnya]

finally a tutorial that actually uses decent music to highlight techniques! when man is tryna tell me what sounds good and they demo-ing the technique on some dubious music one does wonder! Completely agree sounds awesome, £1,000 though!!!

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Haha this actually made me laugh a little. Glad you enjoyed it! 😅🙏. Yeah it is £1000 BUT if you compare it to other 500 series compressor modules it’s reasonably priced. The retro double wide which I had before and sold is also £1036. Inflation is crazy & has also made the price go up because I got mine years ago for £799. However I do think this is worth the cost when considering the cost of other notable tube compressors. LA2A is £4999, C1LB is £3120, STA level £2952, Retro 176 £3385 etc (current inflation cost of LA2A is insane, that was £2500 6 years ago)

[@LifeGQ]

This song slaps.

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Ah Thankyou brother!

[@LifeGQ]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott Keep going my brother!

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

@@LifeGQ Thankyou. And I will try to

[@nickybrownmusic5010]

Hi Alex, What do you think about it against the CL1B.. I love you your explanations and the way you kind of unpack the words as feelings ?

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Ahhh the C1LB is a legend so I don’t want to pick a fight with it. 😂😂😂. I think if someone can afford a C1LB then they probably can afford to buy both of these. That would be my advice 😂🙌. The C1LB has a classic tone but it’s on the cleaner side. It’s not really capable of this amount of colour and dirt! They are different. My personal opinion is to buy the XLA 500 and use that extra money towards something else. Also Thanks for the kind words and support.

[@nickybrownmusic5010]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott Exactly my thoughts.. I'm on a colour journey too which is kinda annoying but interesting. I love VCA's but realised after buying a Nu Mu cheap I really want more colour whatever that is but appreciate the transparency and mojo that the cleaner gear offers a tad better than plugs, mainly size, expensiveness and expanse. Your video was brilliant and opened me up again which was nice. I just swapped my destressors for a original API 2500 which I love.. Thoughts ?

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

@@nickybrownmusic5010 I really want an API 2500. I almost got one for £1999 a few years ago but my taste wasn’t quite what it is now. I wish I got it cause they are so expensive now. 😍😍

[@EricRabb]

The original vocals are good though! I’d leave it alone imo

[@EricRabb]

But it does have an excellent tone

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Yes I do believe recording the initial vocals as good as possible is key. That’s just my vocal tracking chain 🤞✊. But this isn’t actually me mixing these vocals. I’m just using them as an example hence why I’ve pushed things much harder. 💪

[@EricRabb]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott I got cha! The ACME comp definitely has sum great tone! 👍🏾

[@abbadonproductioninc]

Homeboy don't miss!! 🔥🔥🔥 That piece sounds exceptional. The vocal sounds so polished! What mic did you use to record the vocalist?

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Appreciate it my bro. Glad you’re enjoying the content. Mic: Brauner phantom classic Pre: BAE 1073 500 series 👌

[@abbadonproductioninc]

​@@WhoIsAlexElliott most definitely! I haven't heard of either honestly. I'll check them out!!

[@threethievesmusic]

Vibe!

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Agreed!

[@wadewilliams1892]

sounds okay yeah

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Not for everybody

[@Moses658]

How well does it work as a tracking compressor on vocals ?

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

It works but it does have a very strong character that will be hard to undo. If you love the tone then it’s great. It can be more subtle in the slow mode however but you still get that tube tone ❤

[@paulocosta3007]

Hello, Friend! New sub here! Some users have commented that the Acme XLA-500 in its slower attack mode might "squish" the signal too much. Did you notice anything? Like the "t" sounds and stuff like that? Thank you!

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Hay freind thanks for the sub. Yea it can do that but you can just play with the threshold so it’s not aggressive. For the sake of example I was very heavy handed but you can use it more subtly if you preferred. 💪

[@paulocosta3007]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott Man, you would be a hero to showcase the difference between the xla-500 in the least aggressive settings vs la2a plugin on vocals. You have one, so... with great power... remember uncle Ben! ahah The community would have you to thank! :)

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Will try find a way to incorporate into a future video 👌

[@Rio-uv1gs]

Man like Elliot 👍🏾..food muss well cook.🤣 (so Brainworx xla3 plugin is an emulation of xla 500 ?)

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

🤣🤣. It certainly is looool. its an emulation of the Opticom unit which is a rack mount unit, but this XLA 500 is a small package 500 series of that also!

[@Rio-uv1gs]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott ok cool

[@wadewilliams1892]

Prefer the plugin - very clean with the right level of saturation & harmonics - less signal to noise ratio..

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Yeah if you’re after clean then absolutely avoid the hardware! Agreed. 👌

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

I’m curious if you watched the whole video though or skipped through? As I explain the test between the plug in and hardware. The compressors can be as clean as the plug in but that test was showcasing that the plug in is in-cable of pushing to the limits the way the hardware can.

[@wadewilliams1892]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott watched the whole way through - makes logical sense - did a degree at Point Blank - audio obsessed - wanna link later this week ..?

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

@@wadewilliams1892glad you managed to watch the whole way through. Dm me on insta

[@wadewilliams1892]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott cool

[@zerberk]

Bruh, you is rich 😂 ❤️

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

Nah I’m just passionate. People spend this amount or 2-3 pairs of exclusive trainers but that’s just not my obsession 😂😂😂😂

[@zerberk]

@@WhoIsAlexElliott well, love watching the content! Keep em coming! :D Also, have you tried the horrortones 5c? Maybe a video on your opinion on those? :D

[@WhoIsAlexElliott]

@@zerberk I haven’t tried those. But I really want to! So will see if I can find some 🤞