High end studio compressor shootout

[@mwdollar]

The BAE and the Chandler LTD were punchy, the Purple the most fun and Fatso the most versatile...all sounded cool in their own way. Thanks for posting! :D

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Michael Dollar; Thank you for chiming in, Michael 🙂

[@dededragon8877]

I like the sound of BAE in this one, Manley's EQ is great but comp is not my personal favorite

[@RiotHomeRecording]

Great Video!!! Thanks for taking the time. I really liked the Tubetech CL1B

[@tungsten6305]

The sound and response of the Sonic Squeezer reminds of the Sebatron SMAC compressor . Nice and tight with lots of transparent gain reduction !

[@Racingheartrecords]

I love the breathing of the Zener and the versatility of the CL1b. I also liked the Fatso. Thanks for the demonstration!

[@callyama]

RacingHeartRecords I really liked the Zener and Fatso also. interesting results to me...

[@DanDuskin]

That Tube Tech comp can do wonders for the room mic(s). The Chandler one space compressor really surpised me-I think it would probably make a fantastic comp for snare, kick, and toms. Thanks for the video!

[@KevinStCroix]

I have the 10DC and the UBk fatso and love them both for different things, but that Zener limiter is a beast.

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Kevin St Croix it sure is!!!

[@artysanmobile]

The TG would keep me happy for a long time. Tube Tech a close second but harder to set.

[@RichardCowdrey]

The detail in the Purple surprised me!

[@vacuumelite2065]

Bypass is good.

[@jessegimbel]

Thanks so much for putting this together. Very useful information, especially using the drum room for your material, it really shows the character differences well.

[@fjn667]

Awesome! They all sound amazing in their own way.

[@RiotHomeRecording]

I really like the CL1b and the LTD-2 as well.

[@meteorshit8169]

Tube Tech CL1b kick ass

[@RichardCowdrey]

What a line-up. "Where does he get all those wonderful toys?"

[@um5548]

He's Batman, he makes them all by himself :-)

[@davidreynolds6718]

To my ear: Chandler LTD sounded best for medium compression. Purple for the crushing compression. Manley for smooth and light touch compression. FATSO for adding color.

[@wackenthaljef]

Hard to listen on YT with their compression but your vid helped me!! thank you Torsten!

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

nice shootout

[@bentyreman5769]

my personal favourite was the chandler LTD-2, I was surprised that it didn't colour the sound as much, that's exactly why I prefered it.

[@LiveGuitarDE]

Mega. Vielen Dank für deinen Tollen Vergleich und. Für die Mühe die du dir gegeben hast. Super hilfreich.

[@3star2nr]

I love watching the needles dance

[@nickleo8647]

Man, I love all of those compressors, great job putting this video up. My preferences in order: 1) BAE 2) Chandler Lim 3) Tube Tech 4) Purple 4) Manley 5) Fatso 6) Chandler Comp. 7) Sonic (

[@loftone4904]

Well done. Thank you for showing this.

[@nanom.9148]

Thanks for making the vid! Fatso Jr. takes it for me. For a vintagey vibe I'd go Chandler.

[@frostmutant4882]

Chandlers sounded pretty nice, all of them. Ssl clone was cool too!

[@TheRobGuard]

Like that last one a lot!

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

That’s a personal favourite on drums too 😉

[@DevAvidon]

10DC sounds really fantastic - was a little underwhelmed by the TG12345 to be honest. I like the Curve Bender quite a bit - this did less for me. Thanks for the demo - very useful!

[@nicefish10]

Loved all of the comps! Thanks a ton for taking the time to put this video together. So many different textures and flavors from compression. I guess that is why we need so many of them! Your studio has some great gear! Where is it located?

[@timeltdme4355]

as usual i like chandler gear.. :D

[@darrylweller6143]

Elop and 10dc sound great

[@NaceK84]

great video!!!

[@ud2hb4]

the last one has good puch, like it.

[@radiosandrayguns]

Best control layout/ergonomics: CL1B, highest tone/ease of use for buck: MC76, best sounding (here) EMI

[@anghellomusic]

Perfect. Thank you

[@mynameistechno]

wowsi - gotta catch em all

[@bingybeats189]

LTD-2 and zener all day

[@RiotHomeRecording]

Agreed the FATSO is awesome!!

[@chrisjordan8789]

i personally oved the manley and the chandler zener! what a sweety (should be, when i look at its price) ;.)

[@LiveGuitarDE]

Mir persönlich hat ja der Fatso und der Chandler Zener am besten gefallen. :-)

[@HandsUpDK]

Liked the SSL, 1176 and TG12345 the best!

[@discodelirio]

chandler ltd sounds the best one to me

[@gaborpetroci]

Actually its sounds pretty cheap on transients..

[@terrillmel]

Turns out the purple didn't do so hot on drums. I noticed the vox sticker on it which it is probably more suited for.

[@christopherpederson1021]

I like the purple audio best

[@LocaliLLocano]

I like the DC10

[@------YeahOK------]

Preferred both Chandlers!

[@nth7485]

It would be nice to get a stereo comparison also.

[@JulianFernandez]

Niceee! Thanks!

[@dafxtone]

ELOP, Zener , LTD-2, Empirical Labs, MC76

[@HandsUpDK]

and the fatso was awesome too!!

[@goodluck2597]

Purple Audio fucking rules

[@Radeo]

Elop was the ass-iest. Surprising I liked the TG12413 the most, as it was the only one that handled the highs with any grace.

[@paulmiller1315]

You have a wonderful assortment of comp favors going on here between this video and your EQ video. Both are the the most diverse, thus useful I've seen yet. What pre-amp are you using, and are you going to be doing a comparison of pre-amp as well?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Hi there. I didn't plan on making a preamp comparision, no. I use a D.W.Fearn VT-1, a pair og BAE 1073eq's, a great River MP2-NV and 8 channels of Elberg MP-8 which are really great sounding!

[@That1Guy]

First one and last one.

[@michaelmodowd]

Subscriber 666, YES!!! Love the EMI Zener. Wonder if I could trade a kidney for one?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Michael O'Dowd if you get the chance; do it! Who needs two of those, really 🤣

[@joelizquierdo8624]

How about the DBX 160?

[@vacuumelite2065]

Last but not least : EMI Zener :-) :-) :-)

[@Nucleartipboy]

wow😍😍😍😍

[@off1off1]

Can we get the audio file in good quality please ? like wav ; by sound cloud or something like that ? :)

[@Dave-sb7jt]

yes id like to 2nd that, it was an excellent video! my favorite was the warmth and the punch and eq control of the chandler zenner ..... thought id want to get on for my home studio until i saw the price tag for one on ebay..... my 2nd fav was the sonic squeeser . love the punch and clarity and control this has for drums but is still very simple . did i over hear right that you make theses thorsten?? and do you still make and sell them?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Not anymore, no. I just have a few units left now.

[@_INUIT]

1:33 wow!

[@fr.pioadamonis6346]

how much for the whole rack?

[@jamescassidy4045]

Can I ask, do you know roughly what the BAE 10DC was supposed to be based off? was it a 2264 or?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

2254 I think 😊

[@jamescassidy4045]

@@torstenmatthiessen1801 Thank you!

[@robertenache8463]

The SSqweeze sounds like an Ssl

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

robert enache I wonder why 😉

[@greganikin7003]

never liked CL1b.... too aggressive and coloring on any settings. always avoided it in the studio

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Wouldn't you know?! I've always loved the CL1B for it's subtleness. Quite the opposite experience than yours :--)

[@greganikin7003]

@@torstenmatthiessen1801 give 10 people same guitar - it will sound different))) happy that it fits your purposes, man)))

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

@@greganikin7003 So true :-)

[@LiveGuitarDE]

Würdest du den Chandler Zener auch auf Einzelsignal and beziehungsweise Bussen einsetzen?

[@marcusdolby1]

BSS DPR 402 would do well against any of these "so called boutique compressors" Give me a DBX 160 vu a Urie 1176 d revision and a BSS DPR 402 and I wouldn't need any of the units.

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

marcusdolby1 I’m sure it would. I just didn’t happen to have it in my arsenal at the given time ;-) BTW; I too love the 160VU (aswell as the 165A) and 1176 style comps.

[@jeffreysbrother]

if you had to choose between the Tube Tech, BAE, and purple audio ... which would you pick? I'd be inclined to go with the Purple Audio just because it's cheaper and I think it sounded great, but I wonder if you'd consider the price difference of the other two to be justified.

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

First off all, I would never choose one of the above based on the price. If I had to choose one, I’d need to know what I should use it for. Drums? Vocals? Guitars? Bass? Banjo? Tanpuras? Cello?

[@jeffreysbrother]

@@torstenmatthiessen1801 I don't have the luxury of owning all of these at the moment, so price is somewhat relevant to me (if not for you). I'm sure you can imagine that even if I can afford the tube-tech, it's possibly tru that I cannot afford all of them. And i'm simply wondering if you HAD to pick one (hypothetical) as an all-around your favorite, which would it be? But since you ask, I'd be using this primarily on vocals and guitars (electric and acoustic). Occasionally percussion.

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

@@jeffreysbrother Well, in that case I would definitely pick the CL1B! At least for tracking that is. Some kind of a 1176 is VERY handy upon mixdown. The combination of those two is quite versatile! They are both tools, but the thing is, that the CL1B is like a very smooth fine brush - the 1176 is more like a hammer.

[@deadmoldable]

which else compressor can give these nice saturation/overdrive like the 1176 (or clones) ?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

The distressor does something similar.

[@peacedragon333]

Solid gold Massive Passive?? :>

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Well 24K sputtered at least ;-)

[@peacedragon333]

Wow!!

[@like-icecream]

Manley sounds pumpy like alesis 3630. lol

[@zulkiflimnoer]

Vintage

[@annilittlebeast1750]

OK but why not Fairchild 670 ??

[@annilittlebeast1750]

***** OK thanks for the reply.Very best regards from Anni from Germany 💕

[@npal379]

Is that phasing or comb filtering on the crash?

[@denoiser]

BAE on drums FATSO on rest ZENER on all

[@MusicCityWorld]

PLEASE SEE YOUR VOCAL DEMO. MAXIMUM PERSON SEE DRUM SOUND DEMO.

[@underpressureman]

What are your thoughts on the BAE 10dc? Do you feel like it's a fairly versatile unit for tracking/Mixing/Mastering and or what do you feel like it excels on? Also is it supposed to sort of be like the old Neve 2254's or what is it based on?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

James Cassidy The 10DC’s are cool, but as I fancied myself reaching for the Chandler LTD-2 (also 2254-style diode comps) way more often, I let the 10DC’s pass on to a new user. It is awesome at leveling a vocal performance! It even does stuff like the 1176-style, but with WAY less artifacts.

[@underpressureman]

@@torstenmatthiessen1801 Oh gotcha. Ya I was actually looking at the LTD-2's aswell, but realized if I wanted them then I would have to find used one's as Chandler stopped making them. I ended up with a Neve Portico II MBP , which was my first choice. It's hard to explain, but basically I wanted an MBP for Buss duties and as a versatile tracking comp/limiter but I kept having issues with them and had to send two units back, so in the end I gave it a third go and fingers crossed it's been good, but because of the QC issues and the problems I had with the MBP at first , I was very close to going with something else which would have been a 33609 or a 2254 style pair. I know that they are totally different and more coloured than the MBP but still my next choice none the less. I also was considering a pair of Neve 500 series Diode Bridge Comps.

[@underpressureman]

@@torstenmatthiessen1801 Hey Torsten, hope you are well. I was wondering, do you have an email address I can reach you privately at? I just was hoping to ask you a couple questions!

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

@@underpressureman sure. You can reach me at [e-mail] ☺️

[@johnvallentine3522]

Zener :)

[@buzzbombkirk]

I appreciate this, but I’m starting to get extremely frustrated. I keep chasing a particular sound that I have in my head, but I can’t replicate anywhere. I’ve spent SO much money on effects and manipulating signals and I’m no closer than when I started. Also it’s like impossible to google something as nebulous as a sound. Do you have any advice for what I can do? I literally need like every effect and audio manipulation tool known to mankind laid out in front of me that I can mess with to find what I want. Nothing seems to even get close. I’m ready to tear my hair out, any advice would be appreciated. I’d give more detail, but I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s a particular sound on guitar and tone on suitcase electric piano...ugh I give up.

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Kirk Tindel Send me a message on Messenger. Torsten Matthiessen

[@metatron333ascension]

wow. thats all i got to say.

[@Hexspa]

No 3630?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

Damn straight. No 3630 😉

[@seanms35]

Sarcasm? The post says "High end studio compressor shootout"

[@sn47som]

but no 2264 whaaaaat?

[@RanarioAcido]

BAE

[@MaxiMovier]

who made hand-down ?

[@lovebirdsmusic]

not sure if the operator has a clue of what he´s doing tbh

[@James.J.]

Which ADDA you are using ?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

RME ADI8

[@Gretsch0997]

Dam ride cymbal ...,ruining it for us.

[@hertzcules]

how can people afford this stuff :(

[@Jjf109nine]

Anomaly they work

[@Jjf109nine]

jayandgem Haha yeah it's the truth 😄

[@jameseugene3882]

i work all the over time i could get for the last 2 years - so far i was only able to get 15 hi end studio equipment 45,000 - it is hard very hard but don't give up

[@hatahonk]

am I hearing the camera-mic ?

[@torstenmatthiessen1801]

No. Of course not :-)

[@AmielRocker]

too much bleed, the cymbals level screwed the test... the audio needed to be looped only in the first part to be able to understand the action of the comps better.. great gear tho

[@buttsexofficial6201]

cl1b felt better, more musical

[@robertenache8463]

Sounds great on vocals

[@gregoryisom8333]

With the price of this gear, this analogy is so inaccurate...I can't wait until streaming and Video come to a higher resolution and even audio to studio quality broadcasting...The units being tested cost thousands of dollars and to make a decision on which sound the best is ludicrous....every test always do that boring kick and snare high hat riff to the point fatigue kick into the point of most losing interest!