I like to play a little gig so now and then with my pd setup running on a motu896 interface. To make sure everything pumps but doesn't clip, i now stick a vst compressor and a limitter at the end of my audio chain before going to the interface. However these things together seem to eat up quite some cpu (around 20%) which i like to use on my actual setup. So I was wondering if it's worth investing in some hardware devices for this setup?

I've read quite some reviews of some (hardware) compressors but I honestly wouldn't know which one would be suitable for what I'm trying to do. Further I've found no article on the use of compression except when it's about recording analog sources (what I'm not doing here). So i was wondering if it's common for other live electronica musicians to use compression on the signal they're feeding to the PA or is this more something you should leave up to the mixing boys and girls?

i work as a soundman (both studio and live) and here's some thoughts...

if you do gigs without your own soundman, it's always a good idea to output as "final" sound as possible. also, if the compression is done at the house mixer, it may not be present at the stage monitors. by compressing the signal on stage, you always know what you hear.

the "good compressor"-debate could go on for pages. maybe the first important question is what KIND of compression are you looking for? what software plugin were you using?

if you're looking for multiband/maximizer-type of effect, there's much fever options in the hardware world. the hardware ultramaximizer, tc.electronics finalizer and the old-skool device i can't remember the name of..

Hey silvawhale, thx a lot for your advice. I know that the compressor market is very crowded and that each type of device will colour your sound, which of course also helps in creating a sound. For the moment I'm using the freeware audiodamage roughrider (just the default preset) and jeroen breebaert's freeware brickwall limitter. I really love the sound of the compressor when I drive things real hard they will start fighting each other which can cause padz to only get partially through (probably on the frequencies which the rythmic stuff leaves open)... I'm aware that i should be trying many different devices to find what i like, but currently i was looking at the art pro vla II (since this is a stereo compressor in my budgetrange).

I turn to tapeop for these questions.

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=8564

Ashley and Symettrix make good, inexpensive compressors which would be suitable on a live buss. These are not very 'colorful', and are really adept at controlling a sound without timbral smashing. I use a symetrix 501. You can buy one cheap(watch the tapeop board) and if you don't like it, sell it, they are pretty popular little things.

JoeMeek, RNC, ... These are more colorful, and that doesn't seem to be what you want. The BBE sonic maximizer in a multiband-fixed compressor that everyone and thier mother uses to get that dance-club sound, if that is what you are into.

@domien said:

For the moment I'm using the freeware audiodamage roughrider (just the default preset) and jeroen breebaert's freeware brickwall limitter. I really love the sound of the compressor when I drive things real hard they will start fighting each other which can cause padz to only get partially through (probably on the frequencies which the rythmic stuff leaves open)...

ok, so you're actually using the compressor "musically". then i would DEFINITELY do it myself on stage, soft OR hardware.. most sound guys hate the superpumping "daftpunk"-compression anyway, as it's "wrong" as far as traditional compression goes...

if you're using the "pumping" effect a lot, be sure to pick up a model with ability to adjust attack- and release-times.

if i remember right, the rough rider is a one-band model, meaning so it compresses the whole sound spectrum as one. so the pads fade out 'cause there's something louder happening, not necessary on a different frequency. propably bassdrum or snare.

some kind of brickwall limiter is always nice to have at the end of your chain, but not 100% necessary in a live situation, if you already have some kind of compression involved. and some people actually like the sound of da-converter clipping. after all, that's just one kind of brick limiter..

Hey silvawhale,

again much thanks for your useful advice. You're right about the fading sounds, these are very often generated when lots of bass-related content is inserted in the chain, that's why i have highpass filters on nearly all my patches to be able to control this behaviour. Of course, due to it's implementation, roughrider has a sound of its own. I'll hope that the art pro vla II will exhibit the same kind of behaviour, although its sound will be probably different, but that's the fun of a new musical toy.