I could never understand why more top engineers don’t use these comps. They are pretty expensive and a small company That to my knowledge does not have any other products in their catalog. And I know nothing about the company, but this box has been on my most buy list for a long time.
@@nicefish10 yeah it surprised me too! I guess people just got comfortable with the C2 which is still amazing and just never cared to see what could be better/different
@@david_djent I thought the rack version sounded better. Had a thicker sound. It might be something to do with the power availability. I think ironically the 500 series version of this compressor was the first module ever in history to use multiple slots.
@@david_djent Nice one dude! a few fairly varied ones! Vertigo VSC-3, Manley Nu Mu, Smart C2 and now this! obviously all very different but all incredible sounding! So its difficult to decide when budget it tight! haha!
I was on a "SSL bus comp quest" for years and I tried a lot of them from cheaper clones, original X Logic, to this Obsidian. I had high hope on this because people talked good things about it and it is expensive. However I must say I was disappointed. It is the most gentle sounding of SSL bus comp I ever tired. The TXIO adds nice colour and add weight to the mix but it often sounds mushy. It's great on pop/country stuffs but I wouldn't use it on rock/metal songs. Smart C1/C2, SSL Xlogic/XRack, Wesaudio Dione does better job on Rock/Metal in my opinion.
Yeah I’ve heard of this being the opinion of the opposite side of the convo, personally though I don’t think it sounds mushy, I feel like it encapsulates the character we like of SSL bus compression but allows to be more balanced without it sucking out the low end, stereo image and creating harshness at times. I love the C2 and almost got that, but in comparison to the obsidian it’s just pretty thin sounding. On the rock and metal side of things, I really enjoy it there cause I’m a very bright-geared mixer anyway and like my stuff to be very articulate and I feel like the C2, Xlogic stuff would just be too brittle for me. That being said I wouldn’t be mad to have either of them!
@@david_djent these are hard to find these days. The Serpent Audio SA4000 is another great one but the Obsidian is best…. Even better than the SSL IMHO
I haven’t tried it personally but every time I hear an audio example with it, I’m impressed! I think it’s a really awesome sounding compressor especially considering how affordable it is
@@david_djent thanks for the reply. Yeah I’m going to give it a chance and do some tests. I have a hardware vocal chain but I’m new to using hardware for mixing.
I’ve never used it before but daking stuff overall is solid. Just from looking at it thought it seems a bit too barebones for what I’d use but i wouldn’t doubt that it sounds good!
@@david_djent that’s true but it still doesn’t sound like a record until you make it sound like a record. People think they can just slap comp on there mix and think it’s gonna sound like a record. That was the point I was trying to make.
Positioning those speakers sideways like that is destroying the horizontal dispersion of those speakers. Unless you stay perfectly planted in the center of your studio.. if you move side to side, the sound will get comb filtered. Just pointing this out because I’m sure potential clients will cringe. Check out horizontal and vertical speakers patters then compare to Genelec the ones
I’ve talked to the owners of Amphion and they said it’s fine, some speakers are able to be horizontal just fine. Comb filtering happens with every single speaker even if you move side to side, that’s just the physics of sound and ear positioning relative to any sound source. I don’t have any translation issues and they definitely wouldn’t be on their side if there was any issue with it
@@david_djent It's not so much to as what Amphion says, It's the physics and mathematics behind it. Look at most co-axial designs and you'll notice that many of them cross to the woofers at 400 hz or less. The amphions cross at 1,600 hz. The higher the frequency, the more directional it is - this is why we can place subs on the ground. The opposite is true for high frequency and mid drivers in relation to each other
@@dougleydorite yeah, lets not listen to the people who make the speaker, but some clown no body on a youtube comment. show your mixes to us oh great one, i would love to hear what you are up to! Enlighten us with your talents
@@TR-bm1ou I never said I was talented. Just sharing knowledge that I’ve learned over the years by someone explaining the very same thing to me, that I’m trying to share here. Yes, speaker manufacturers will tell you what you want to hear. But they cannot change physics no matter what they claim
I really meant to say the stereo image gets wider as opposed to a clsssic SSL comp where things become mono. The mids stay perfectly in tact and it’s pretty apparent to hear that in this video
@@david_djent Your video is nicely presented but work on your info .If you process in dual mono ,according to your material the stereo image is going to get F'up in most cases.
@@thecliqueshallsetyoufree8745 i appreciate your feedback! I actually didn’t say anything about dual mono though, I’ve only been talking about stereo. That being said, from my experience running SSL styled bus comps in dual mono like the Alan smart c2, it helps the stereo image and prevents things from losing their width vs stereo. You can even hear this in ssl g comp plugin form too
@@david_djent " I actually didn’t say anything about dual mono though" , 1:13 , you obviously like to be combative and I think the other commenter realized that as well 🤷♂. Keep going👍
I could never understand why more top engineers don’t use these comps. They are pretty expensive and a small company That to my knowledge does not have any other products in their catalog. And I know nothing about the company, but this box has been on my most buy list for a long time.
@@nicefish10 yeah it surprised me too! I guess people just got comfortable with the C2 which is still amazing and just never cared to see what could be better/different
The little buzz the bypass switch makes is oddly satisfying 😂
Hahaha it really is!
This compressor is one of my favorites. I've owned the rack version and the 500 series version. It really has that glued sound nailed.
Yeah it really does! I’ve never personally used the 500 series, how different do they sound from eachother?
@@david_djent I thought the rack version sounded better. Had a thicker sound. It might be something to do with the power availability. I think ironically the 500 series version of this compressor was the first module ever in history to use multiple slots.
Thanks for making this vid. Keep agonising over which comp to buy haha
I’m stoked this was of help! Which comps have you been thinking about?
@@david_djent Nice one dude! a few fairly varied ones! Vertigo VSC-3, Manley Nu Mu, Smart C2 and now this! obviously all very different but all incredible sounding! So its difficult to decide when budget it tight! haha!
@@donkeyfacekilla1 oh yeah all of those are awesome you really can’t go wrong! Just all depends on what sound you’re looking for
I was on a "SSL bus comp quest" for years and I tried a lot of them from cheaper clones, original X Logic, to this Obsidian. I had high hope on this because people talked good things about it and it is expensive. However I must say I was disappointed. It is the most gentle sounding of SSL bus comp I ever tired. The TXIO adds nice colour and add weight to the mix but it often sounds mushy. It's great on pop/country stuffs but I wouldn't use it on rock/metal songs. Smart C1/C2, SSL Xlogic/XRack, Wesaudio Dione does better job on Rock/Metal in my opinion.
Yeah I’ve heard of this being the opinion of the opposite side of the convo, personally though I don’t think it sounds mushy, I feel like it encapsulates the character we like of SSL bus compression but allows to be more balanced without it sucking out the low end, stereo image and creating harshness at times. I love the C2 and almost got that, but in comparison to the obsidian it’s just pretty thin sounding.
On the rock and metal side of things, I really enjoy it there cause I’m a very bright-geared mixer anyway and like my stuff to be very articulate and I feel like the C2, Xlogic stuff would just be too brittle for me. That being said I wouldn’t be mad to have either of them!
Excellent video! Love the before and after samples, specially on the drum buss. That thing seriously slaps! Keep pumping out more videos!
Thanks Juan! Yeah I have a 33609 coming soon so this comp and that one are gonna fight for mixbus/drum bus duties
I subbed just to see how much more expensive stuff you have 😅 and how your mixes sounds. That’s one in this video sounds awesome 🎉
Thank you so much man!
This comp is only about $3,000….ish….. love these!
Haha yeah I got a good deal on it for $2k!
@@david_djent these are hard to find these days. The Serpent Audio SA4000 is another great one but the Obsidian is best…. Even better than the SSL IMHO
🔥🔥🔥
I’d like to know how this would compare to the Stam audio bus comp with the Neve transformer option added
Yeah that would be a sweet comparison for sure!
Ever tried the Dangerous Compressor?
I haven’t but it looks super cool!
Dope! Have you tried the Successor? I have one and debating on if it’s worth keeping.
I haven’t tried it personally but every time I hear an audio example with it, I’m impressed! I think it’s a really awesome sounding compressor especially considering how affordable it is
@@david_djent thanks for the reply. Yeah I’m going to give it a chance and do some tests. I have a hardware vocal chain but I’m new to using hardware for mixing.
What are your thoughts on the Daking bus comp?
I’ve never used it before but daking stuff overall is solid. Just from looking at it thought it seems a bit too barebones for what I’d use but i wouldn’t doubt that it sounds good!
No compressor makes a song sound like a record. Your skills do.
While that may be true, SSL styled compression has been the sound of records for decades and the vibe it imparts to a mixbus is iconic
@@david_djent that’s true but it still doesn’t sound like a record until you make it sound like a record. People think they can just slap comp on there mix and think it’s gonna sound like a record. That was the point I was trying to make.
@@crescentsoundstudiosno shit Einstein
No one’s talking about it cause we can’t afford it 😂😅
Haha understandable, I got mine for a pretty sweet deal on reverb
i got the dangerous hardware comp but ive been looking at this one lateley @@david_djent
Positioning those speakers sideways like that is destroying the horizontal dispersion of those speakers. Unless you stay perfectly planted in the center of your studio.. if you move side to side, the sound will get comb filtered. Just pointing this out because I’m sure potential clients will cringe. Check out horizontal and vertical speakers patters then compare to Genelec the ones
I’ve talked to the owners of Amphion and they said it’s fine, some speakers are able to be horizontal just fine. Comb filtering happens with every single speaker even if you move side to side, that’s just the physics of sound and ear positioning relative to any sound source. I don’t have any translation issues and they definitely wouldn’t be on their side if there was any issue with it
@@david_djent It's not so much to as what Amphion says, It's the physics and mathematics behind it. Look at most co-axial designs and you'll notice that many of them cross to the woofers at 400 hz or less. The amphions cross at 1,600 hz. The higher the frequency, the more directional it is - this is why we can place subs on the ground. The opposite is true for high frequency and mid drivers in relation to each other
@@dougleydorite yeah, lets not listen to the people who make the speaker, but some clown no body on a youtube comment. show your mixes to us oh great one, i would love to hear what you are up to! Enlighten us with your talents
@@TR-bm1ou I never said I was talented. Just sharing knowledge that I’ve learned over the years by someone explaining the very same thing to me, that I’m trying to share here. Yes, speaker manufacturers will tell you what you want to hear. But they cannot change physics no matter what they claim
@@dougleydorite ur goofy bro haha
man, if you spread you mids ..that is bad...is different if you spread the sides further....
I really meant to say the stereo image gets wider as opposed to a clsssic SSL comp where things become mono. The mids stay perfectly in tact and it’s pretty apparent to hear that in this video
@@david_djent
@@david_djent Your video is nicely presented but work on your info .If you process in dual mono ,according to your material the stereo image is going to get F'up in most cases.
@@thecliqueshallsetyoufree8745 i appreciate your feedback! I actually didn’t say anything about dual mono though, I’ve only been talking about stereo. That being said, from my experience running SSL styled bus comps in dual mono like the Alan smart c2, it helps the stereo image and prevents things from losing their width vs stereo. You can even hear this in ssl g comp plugin form too
@@david_djent " I actually didn’t say anything about dual mono though" , 1:13 , you obviously like to be combative and I think the other commenter realized that as well 🤷♂. Keep going👍