Lets talk about a DBX-160.. (or reapers Major Tom) or compressors in general if you want...

[FortyEight]

For a while now I have been exclusively using reapers 1175 (i guess is a sim of an 1176) on basically every track. I use different amounts of it on different things. But I like the continuuity of using one compressor on each thing. I know, probably sounds dumb. But my main goals was to try and understand it, by using it a lot. I have liked the results.

So then I found out the "Major Tom" in reaper is based on the DBX-160 and I got excited. Why? I don't know. Just cuz it is something new to try. So I've been researching what a DBX-160 is. I also read an article on the 4 different types of compressors. VCA, optical something other and two other whatsitswhooosits. Not committed to memory I guess....

Anyways.... I'm curious if any of use a DBX-160 of any flavor and what you like it on. I plan to do the same with this as I did with the 1175, which is just use it across the board on a song. (each track), at least for a few songs to see if I can figure out how to make it sound good. Then maybe after that I will know how to use both for coloring things in a song and use both. Plus there is a third called a "Master Tom" that is similar to the "Major Tom" in how you set it up but I don't know if it sounds much different.

I think there are a couple more in there that I probably need to figure out how to use, but I'm not sure. I feel like even just one compressor takes a lot of time to get intimate with it....

Thus far I feel like the "major tom" is a bit warmer than the 1175.

 

[suthol]

Had a bit of a read on the Reaper forum and gave it a try on a master bus, interesting in a pretty good way

 

[drmordo]

If memory serves, the 160 is used frequently on drums. I believe it gets a nice slam going when you hit the drums hard. I would experiment with it on individual drums as well as the buss.

That said, the Major Tom is pretty good at 'subtle'. I've used it for many things that I wanted to lightly compress. If I want to squash, that's when I break out the 1176 or some other fast limiter.

 

[matman14]

DBX 160 is, or I guess was since they don't make the originals any more, a great compressor.

Light compression in over easy mode is pretty nice on vocals. Slamming it hard on drums is a sound that shows up on probably thousands of recordings.

It's program dependent so with very few controls, it's hard to get the setup wrong (like many of the "Classic Compressors).
They can do a ton of compression and still sound pretty good. In hard knee mode they are good as live limiters too.

As VCA and with an RMS detection circuit, it's going to perform differently than a 1176 (FET) type compressor.

I used to have some 500 series DBX reissues for tracking but, now I don't record drums in my own place, I sold them to another engineer.

I have the UAD software versions and they do a very good job too.

I prefer using a variety of compressors to get different compression characteristics, punch, color and emphasis in a recording.
Also I came up recording and mixing in all hardware times, so we had to pick and choose, and were limited to what compressors were in the racks.

 

[bottlenecker]

I'm watching this thread, hoping to learn. I think of DBX compressors in general as "utility" compressors, but I don't know if that's true of all of them.
I've been looking for hardware to track vocals and instruments through that will be friendly to ears, subtle, and make things easier to mix later. But maybe I don't need that? My symetrix 522 is pretty ok tracking, set very subtle... I'm not sure I even hear it. I'm not actually sure I want to hear compression at all. I compress issues that pop up after the fact with software.

 

[G&Lplayer]

I mix live sound, been doing it for quite a long time. For a couple of decades I would always have some flavor of 160 on the bass. If I had two more, vocal subgroup. If enough, on every vocal channel. It is hands down my favorite compressor for live mixing. Controls are three knobs and switch. Set it to soft knee and you are in for a pleasant mix session.

 

[klasaine]

I use the Waves version of the 160 ... on drums mostly.
Fast attack and release times, which is typical of all VCA comps.
I've also used it on a stereo bus for doubled, big, rock, electric guitar rhythm parts. It helps to knit them together by evening out their peaks and just generally makes them fatter (if that's what I'm looking for).

 

[matman14]

I use the Waves version of the 160 ... on drums mostly.
Fast attack and release times, which is typical of all VCA comps.
I've also used it on a stereo bus for doubled, big, rock, electric guitar rhythm parts. It helps to knit them together by evening out their peaks and just generally makes them fatter (if that's what I'm looking for).

If the waves is an accurate emulation then the attack/release times are completely variable. The harder you hit 'em the faster the attack/release.
For light compression, say less than 6dB, a DBX 160 is comparatively slow. But if you slam it, it gets faster. Still nothing like an 1176.

 

[klasaine]

I'm usually slamming it .
I don't know how accurate the Waves version is. I haven't used a real 160 in probably a decade. I think it sounds good though and it does what I'm after.

 

[beyer160]

The 160s were considered "general purpose" compressors, and they worked on everything. I never found them particularly special other than the fact they weren't application dependent like an LA-2a or 1176, which was their big selling point when they were released. They always worked, but I preferred the Drawmer 241.

The stock ReaComp compressor in Reaper is excellent, I don't bother with other "utility" type compressor plugins. I'd forgotten that there was a Fairchild emulator in the JS plugins folder, I'll definitely have to check that one out though.

 

[FortyEight]

I pulled up the fairchild and tried it and was scratching my head. still am with major tom too cuz yeah, it works waaaaay different to my ears and eyes. i do only two mics for drums and the 1175 seems to really bring up the quieter parts and hit the higher parts. cuz the peaks are showing less. seems like when i put in either a good amount of threshold or good amount of ratio, the major tom just gets louder and doesnt stop the peaks as much. i was using the hard knee though and auto make up gain. (the stillwell has a choice for auto or input your own). i did find i liked it a hair better for guitar on this particualr song, at this point. and it smoothed out a vocal on another song. but i used the 1175 first then the major tom.

i dont know, im still trying to figure it out but i like the color of it.

 

[Maguchi]

For a while now I have been exclusively using reapers 1175 (i guess is a sim of an 1176) on basically every track. I use different amounts of it on different things. But I like the continuuity of using one compressor on each thing. I know, probably sounds dumb. But my main goals was to try and understand it, by using it a lot. I have liked the results.

So then I found out the "Major Tom" in reaper is based on the DBX-160 and I got excited. Why? I don't know. Just cuz it is something new to try. So I've been researching what a DBX-160 is. I also read an article on the 4 different types of compressors. VCA, optical something other and two other whatsitswhooosits. Not committed to memory I guess....

Anyways.... I'm curious if any of use a DBX-160 of any flavor and what you like it on. I plan to do the same with this as I did with the 1175, which is just use it across the board on a song. (each track), at least for a few songs to see if I can figure out how to make it sound good. Then maybe after that I will know how to use both for coloring things in a song and use both. Plus there is a third called a "Master Tom" that is similar to the "Major Tom" in how you set it up but I don't know if it sounds much different.

I think there are a couple more in there that I probably need to figure out how to use, but I'm not sure. I feel like even just one compressor takes a lot of time to get intimate with it....

Thus far I feel like the "major tom" is a bit warmer than the 1175.

I used a DBX-160 in the '80s and '90s to record to 1" 16 track or 2" 24 track magnetic tape in those days and loved it. Also used it to mix down to 1/2" stereo tape. Seems like all the studios had them. Thought they sounded great and they were dirt cheap and kind of considered to be the go to rack space compressor back in the day.

 

[msalama]

Yeah, used the 160 a lot for both tracking and mixing back in the day myself too. A good and versatile compressor.

 

[SPUDCASTER]

The first three Jeff Lorber national releases were mixed through a DBX 162.

 

[Beebe]

I believe they are/were part of quite a few live rigs.

I bet you used to see a lot of them in bars and nightclubs as well.

I'd probably give it a try on a bass track.

 

[Ben Harmless]

The stock ReaComp compressor in Reaper is excellent, I don't bother with other "utility" type compressor plugins.

This is my practice in a nutshell. ReaComp can handle any "keep this thing under control" tasks well, and does so pretty transparently until you hit moderate gain reduction.

For color, much like drmordo, I've found MajorTom and some of the other sound-alike JS compressors to be subtle to the point of mildly boring. I did recently try the 1175 and it worked on some things and not so much on others - I can't remember at this moment which was which. I think I tend to lean more into using saturators/clippers for my more flavorful effects, which makes sense, since I do tend to favor faster compression in general. The basic JS:Saturation is a fantastic plugin that's both transparent AND heavy based on what it does to individual sources. That and JS:Soft Clipper/limiter are two go-to plugins for me.

As for the hardware 160s, I've had no real hands-on with them. They haven't been around. I have a couple of 163x units, which are the "poor man's version" but my only real experience was a friend who used one on most mono sources, and he tended to get what he was looking for.

All that said, I recommend everyone look at the new, 64-bit versions of the Variety of Sound freeware compressors and saturators. Those have some great vibes. Those, the VoS effects, and the stock Reaper plugs are pretty much all I use.

 

[loudboy]

All that said, I recommend everyone look at the new, 64-bit versions of the Variety of Sound freeware compressors and saturators. Those have some great vibes. Those, the VoS effects, and the stock Reaper plugs are pretty much all I use.

Their stuff is very good.

The Klanghelm MCUJ Jr. is a beautiful thing on Vox and many others, probably my most used comp.

Also, the Analog Obsession stuff is great- their Brit Channel is just fantastic on vocals.

I'll admit, I've never really tried any of the Reaper stuff, other than their Gate and ReaTune, both of which are fine.

 

[FortyEight]

I tried ReaComp on bass early on and I feel like it sucked the life out of it. But it was when I didn't know what I was doing with a compressor. Although I'm not sure I still do. To me the 1175 is noice.

I think I will find stuff I like the 160 for. So far I have it on a vocal and liked it and on a guitar solo and like it. But I personally don't think it catches the transients as fast as the 1175. Or if I lower the threshold to the point that it does, it sounded like it made my snare sound like.... something I didn't like.

I think I used that JS:Saturation on something. I will take a deeper dive into that one too. Thanks for the tip!!!! Maybe the soft clipper / limiter too.