Distressor vs. 1176

[soundguy]

If your distressor cant handle the level you are feeding it your gain staging is either completely wack or your distressor is broken.

unity gain should read around 1.2 VAC on a meter. Set up a keyboard or a bass into your usual mic and preamp setup and get a steady tone going and adjust the mic pre so the output shows 1.2 ish volts AC on your multimeter. This is line level.

Without touching the gain on the pre, plug it into your distressor and put it into bypass. Id start with the output pot halfway up or so, connect the multimeter to the output of the distressor and then turn up the input knob so the meter shows 1.2 ish volts.

Plug it into your monitoring. You should NOT be hearing distortion. When you take the unit out of bypass, if you hear distortion then its the limiter and not the input buffer. Id go through this test and figure out what you are hearing. Ive had distressors pretty much since they came out and have never ever ever had any hint of low headroom problems on any of mine (or heard of anyone else with that problem). Not saying yours isnt busted, just that its not a common problem, I would tripple check that your gain staging in and out of the box is correct before messing with the input circuit. Distressors have a silly name and an even more silly reputation, those boxes are more than capable of super super clean limiting, no problem.

dave

 

[soundguy]

[quote author="buttachunk"]
please also check out that EMI mastering limiter ! (Chandler makes a clone)[/quote]

correction: chandler tried to make a clone and couldnt even get that right...

dave

 

[JustinS]

I really love on the Chandler box if you pump in any kind of reasonably hot input levels you have to have the "hold" knob buried almost all the way down to get sane amounts of compression....

 

[thephatboi]

Dale and Soundguy, all I know is I have a set up that I use: a Neumann M149 and Neve 1272, input on neve is at 35, output about 1:30. This set up is extremely clean going into other compressors; Avalon AD-2044 and 1176 but when I go into the Distressor with the same settings, and proper output to ADs, I get a bit of distortion from the distressor. If I back way off on the output of the pre it helps but then I have to make up alot on the out of the distressor, making it noisier. I do know a couple people who have complained about a "weak front end" on the distressor. Maybe we are crazy but I think the input is too easily overloaded or something. I want to sell my Avalon AD-2044 so was hoping to be able to get clean vocals out of a distressor. I will try the test you suggested Soundguy but I don't see why the other comps can handle my gain structure and the distressor can't. Thanks for the input. Regards, SI

 

[soundguy]

set up your 149 and 1272 with the gain where you normally have it and hook up a multimeter to read ac volts, do what you'd normally do and see what thhe voltage is on the line. If you have under 2 volts, you have a problem with your distressor no doubt.

dave

 

[mattmoogus]

The distressor always sounds like a distortion box to me...harsh and grungy.


M

 

[DIY]

Really curious about what the influence from ADR could be?

Any ideas?

i spoke (via email) about this with ted fletcher, and he suggested the was big influence from ADR in the sidechan aswell.

 

[Crusty2]

[quote author="DIY"]Really curious about what the influence from ADR could be?

Any ideas?

i spoke (via email) about this with ted fletcher, and he suggested the was big influence from ADR in the sidechan aswell.

[/quote]

I bet it's varying the filter functions in the sidechain. Maybe TedF will chime in if he sees this...

 

[DIY]

I didn't get here in time to get the distressor schematic but would like to see it.

 

[theoverstayer]

[quote author="soundguy"][quote author="buttachunk"]
please also check out that EMI mastering limiter ! (Chandler makes a clone)[/quote]

correction: chandler tried to make a clone and couldnt even get that right...

dave[/quote]

WHat couldn't chandler get right?

 

[dale116dot7]

Everyone that was hosting it has been asked to remove it and not distribute it. Really, they're nice guys at Emprical Labs, just that there's trade secret information in there and it's not exactly legal to publish it.

-Dale

 

[TobWen]

can anybody please send me the schematics for a quick review? (educational only!!)

 

[Crusty2]

[quote author="TobWen"]can anybody please send me the schematics for a quick review? (educational only!!)[/quote]

I thought you were designing products/kits from your previous posts?

This is why Dale asked that the schematic not be circulated anymore.

So what exactly do you do, Tobwen?

 

[TobWen]

I wanted to have a private review - we'll never release clones or anything.
The concept of the distressor is protected by law, so I don't WANT TO clone it.

On the one hand, I just want to see the brilliant ideas of other people.
On the other hand, it shows me, which party I am not able to go in my own development (since it's protected).

 

[ocelot]

hi there can somebody pls msg me the schem just curious !

 

[TobWen]

I am really sorry.

ADMINs, please close this thread and remove the last messages

 

[DIY]

Anyone can send one via email

someone mentioned a similarity to an adr compex



Thanks

 

[r2d2]

Had spent a night to do some test on distressor (years ago)
and various type of compression "effects" apart (good modes )

the most negative "point" is  :  all that  go ->Into the distressor do not come ->out  :-[

it is a sound  "bottle neck".  :'(  (i keep the 1176 clone )

r