Whereas the original Dbx 160 was a hard‑knee device, the later 165 retained the same basic design while adding in an 'Over Easy' soft‑knee compression curve, and this markedly improves its capabilities with regards to unobtrusive control of extreme level fluctuations.
However, the compressor's speed, achieved through a feed‑forward circuit design, also seems to be a key feature for many engineers, with Mike Clink referring to his 'fast and quiet' Dbx 160s and Steve Churchyard commenting that "typically the Dbx 160 seems a little faster than 1176s or Fairchilds, so if I need something with a faster attack time, I'll use that instead.” In fact, so fast can this compressor react that it can easily generate distortion as it tracks individual waveform cycles, especially on later models with variable attack and release controls, so you do need to listen carefully for this. The majority of SOS readers working with high‑headroom, 24‑bit A‑D conversion will be less concerned than analogue engineers about fitting their recordings into the dynamic range of the recording medium, but cleaner‑sounding compressors can be just as useful while mixing, especially on instruments with complex harmonics (12‑string guitars, pianos and harpsichords, for instance), which can respond badly to distortion.
The clean, predictable response of the low‑distortion, Blackmer VCA gain‑reduction element is clearly part of the appeal: "A Dbx 160 works really well if you just want to protect the tape,” comments Ed Cherny, for example. Where transparent level control is required, the Dbx marque is a popular choice, with engineers such as Steve Churchyard, Humberto Gatica, Eddie Kramer, Ed Cherny, and Mike Clink all specifically name‑checking the Dbx 160‑series processors. There's no shortage of conflicting opinions from those in the know, but certain compressors do seem to crop up a great deal more than others. Let's start where the money's at in most productions: those all‑important vocal parts. I'll also look at a few of the design features and side‑effects that adapt the different processors to these tasks, as well as talking about some of the ways they're actually combined in real‑world sessions. In this article, then, I'll try to shed light on which classic compressors tend to be used in which processing situations, based on my ongoing research into the techniques of 'A‑list' engineers and producers (see the box at the end of the article for their backgrounds). Seasoned studio jockeys can bring a wealth of past experience to bear on the task of choosing the right model of compressor for any task, but those without the benefit of such an apprenticeship can now find themselves adrift in a sea of complex possibilities, with little but guesswork and experimentation to assist them. That's great news in some ways, but it also presents many recording musicians with a significant problem.
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For years, such debate remained the preserve of those few lucky souls in professional studios who had the opportunity to compare a range of such rare and expensive hardware, but recent advances in the DSP emulation of those same units has brought the topic slap-bang into the mainstream. As you venture beyond general‑purpose balance discussions, though, the subject of compression becomes shrouded in mystique, particularly with respect to the qualities and quirks of the most famous hardware compressors, many of which are prized as much for their tonal qualities and audio side‑effects as for their ability to control dynamic range. While the practicalities of setting up compressors can take a little time to get your head around to start with, there is still a certain logic behind the process, as I've tried to demonstrate in preceding pages of this issue of SOS. Whether they truly recreate the real thing or just give you a hint of their flavour, there's now a bewildering number of classic compressor emulations in software.Īt its most basic level, compression can be seen merely as a labour‑saving solution to mix-balance problems: if you control the levels of an overly dynamic instrument, it becomes easier to find a consistent fader setting for it. But whether hardware or software, which is right for which job? Now that we have digital models and dynamic convolution technology, we're spoilt for choice when it comes to classic compressor flavours.
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