Sirsalliyan Small Air Compressor

Compressor Bass

Good Quality Budget Music Gear

Music Gear that Gives the Biggest Bang for the Fewest Dollars

Occasionally I encounter some equipment that I think provides a lot of bang for the buck. The following list contains a few things that I think is a hidden gems for both the home recording artist and the club musician. Consider bookmarking this page as I'm always finding new stuff.

The Best Outboard Compressor
The FMR Audio RNC-1773. Called the "really nice compressor", this unit rocks! This is a great compressor for front-end use while laying down tracks or as a mix-bus compressor.The RNC can do everything from gentle compression to heavy squashing.The manufacturer provides setting examples that will get you started without ruining your tracks. Now how much do you think this compressor costs? Only $200! Believe it's difficult to find another compressor that delivers the same quality for under $2000, let alone $1000.

Some Fantastic Mics:
You can't go wrong with the Shure SM-57. You can find one for 80 dollars. It's not sexy but if I had to make do with only one microphone, this would it. One thing about this mic is that you do need a a good preamplifier. This can easily offset any cost savings over some other more pricier mics, but I still think everyone should own at least one.If you're looking for a condenser microphone there are several that The Shure SM-57 is a good deal and you can find one for about $75 if you look reasonably hard. It does need a good preamp if you want to get the maximum oomph out of it, so overall it's not exactly a bargain deal. But every semi-serious musician should have at least one.

Other Super Microphones
One of my favorites is the Rode NTK. This is a big diaphragm tube (valve) condenser microphone. Any sound source you pick, it will sound tremendous. On many tracks, such as a male baritone vocal, hand drums (and I record a lot of them), and percussion instruments (I record a lot of them too), this microphone sounds out of this world. Pricing is about $500 for the microphone and a shock mount it's a bargain.I find that I use it more often than some mics that cost a thousand dollars or more.Sometimes it's a little bright for some applications, however overall this microphone delivers the goods.

Some more great diaphragm condenser microphones: Studio Projects C1 and C3. The C1 has a cardioid pattern only while the C3 has cardioid, figure eight and omni. Both of these mics sound very nice - low noise and clear, pleasing tones. They are not as good as the NTK nevertheless at their prices (about $229 for the C1 and $349 for the C3) they are great deal for amateur.But you can't beat the sound you get from these microphones at these price points.The T3 condenser mic by Studio project is supposed to be very good.

Preamplifiers
If you're in the market for a top quality tube preamplifier at a good price I'd recommend the Peavey VMP-2 (yeah, that Peavey, but it does sound good). This is the only all-tube preamp that you'll find for under a one thousand (street price around $700). It's a tiny bit noisier (very little) than most of the pricier all-tube preamp, but at less than half the cost you won't be disappointed. Tip: to get the most out of this preamplifier don't record all your tracks through it. Use it on percussion, bass, or vocals and use a solid-state preamplifier for the remainder of the tracks. Using it on every track will add some mud to your mix.
Thinking about making do with a transistor amplifier? For about $400 you can get a 1202 VLZ that has four channels- that's $100 a channel, plus you get a mixer to boot. Some people say that they make the tones brittle.This occurs when if you crank them too much. But keep the trim pads below the 1 o'clock position and you'll be rewarded with some nice, clean sounds.

If you can spend some more bucks on a preamplifier and you don't want a many channels try the Grace 101. For about $600 for one channel you get a no frills, clean and open preamplifier. This preamplifierhas a very musical sound and I love it on percussion (shakers and stuff) and instruments like acoustic guitar. One thing however: If you want "warm" this preamplifier won't give it to you. The Grace 101 will duplicate the sound source exactly like the original. You must get your mics positioned just perfectly. Once you get the hang of placing your mics and finding the good source sound, you'll be amazed at the ability of this preamp to capture a performance
The Vintech 1272 can give you Neve sound without the $3000 price tag. For half price, you get two channels that will let you play classic Neve.

About the Author

Jake likes playing music with his trusty guitar and
Mesa Boogie Road King tube amplifier. Yes, he understands vacuum tubes are so yesterday but he just likes his music that way.

MXR M87 Bass Compressor Bass Effects Pedal $189.99 MXR M87 Bass Compressor Bass Effects Pedal

Mxr M87 Bass Compressor Bass Effects Pedal $189.99 MXR M87 Bass Compressor Bass Effects Pedal

Used Dod Fx82 Bass Compressor $60 In Store Used USED DOD FX82 BASS COMPRESSOR

Used Electro-Harmonix Bass Compressor $89.99 In Store Used USED ELECTRO-HARMONIX BASS COMPRESSOR

Used Mxr M87 Bass Compressor $129.99 In Store Used USED MXR M87 BASS COMPRESSOR

Markbass Compressore Tube Bass Compressor Pedal $199.99 Markbass Compressore Tube Bass Compressor Pedal

Aguilar TLC Compressor Bass Effects Pedal $199 Aguilar TLC Compressor Bass Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Bass Metaphors Compressor Effects Pedal $125.7 Electro-Harmonix Bass Metaphors Compressor Effects Pedal

DigiTech XBS Bass Squeeze Compressor Pedal $69.95 DigiTech XBS Bass Squeeze Compressor Pedal

Digitech Xbs Bass Squeeze Compressor Pedal $69.95 DigiTech XBS Bass Squeeze Compressor Pedal

Aguilar Tlc Compressor Bass Effects Pedal $199 Aguilar TLC Compressor Bass Effects Pedal

Used Dod Fx82 Bass Compressor Pedal @855 $19.99 In Store Used USED DOD FX82 BASS COMPRESSOR PEDAL @855

Used Digitech X Bass Compressor @774 050712 $49.99 In Store Used USED DIGITECH X BASS COMPRESSOR @774 050712

MXR Bass Compressor Pedal $240.06 Take your favorite studio compressor to the stage with the MXR M87 Bass Compressor. A complete array of controls''Attack, Release, Ratio, Input, and Output''makes it easy to fine-tune your sound, from subtle peak limiting to hard squashed compression effects. Its CHT Constant Headroom Technology gives you plenty of headroom and clear performance. This totally transparent compressor allows your full dynamic range to shine through until your signal reaches the compression threshold, which is indicated by the ten, highly visible gain-reduction status LEDs. Its all packed into a durable, lightweight aluminum-housing pedal thats the size of a Phase 90.

T-Rex Engineering Squeezer Tube-Driven Bass Compressor Pedal $219 T-Rex Engineering Squeezer Tube-Driven Bass Compressor Pedal

2002 Ford E-150 Econoline A/C Compressor 4-Seasons Ford A/C Compressor 78588 $288.42 4-seasons a/c compressor new 6-groove o-ring manifold 3 bass tangent mount 3-15/16 in. pulley diameter with clutch and pulley does not include bracket a high quality direct fit oe replacement a/c compressor with 2-year or 24 000-mile 4-seasons warranty auto parts warehouse has extensive 4-seasons a/c compressor catalogs.we are now offering free shipping on all 4-seasons a/c compressor orders over $50.00. our secure 4-seasons a/c compressor catalog is available every hour of everyday. shop with confidence for all your 4-seasons a/c compressor needs. 4-seasons a/c compressor are in stock and available today. save upto 60% off dealer price on your next 4-seasons a/c compressor purchase. our online catalog contains a wide selection of the oem and aftermarket parts you need at unbeatable prices

Drawmer Dl241 Auto Compressor $725 The Drawmer DL241 Dual Channel 'Auto-Compressor' highlights the beginning of a new generation of dynamic processors which set new standards of sonic excellence. Its combination of features, displays and well designed control functions make it an outstanding product for a vast range of broadcast, sound reinforcement, and recording applications. The DL241 'Auto-Compressor' incorporates many automatic functions allowing the engineer to achieve optimum results in the minimum set up time but does not compromise skilled users with limited controls. Its sophisticated design produces a smooth, transparent and warm sonic performance. Facilities available on the DL241 include: Expander/Gate. Drawmer's unique "Programmed Adaptive Expansion" circuitry allows effective 'single control operation' producing a fast smooth response and eliminating 'chatter' on or around threshold. This design differs from that of conventional Expanders in that the Expansion Ratio, Hold Attack and Release continually adapt themselves to the dynamics of the incoming signal. The Expander/Gate provides 80dB range and variable threshold from +20dB to 70dB with an OFF position._Switching is provided for 'Fast' or 'Slow' release characteristics. The 'Fast' mode can be used for instruments with rapid decay times or for additional tightening of the gating effect. The 'Slow' mode is more suitable for vocals and instruments with longer decay times or can be used to smooth over rough fade outs. A single LED indicates gating action. Compressor. A full Auto Attack/Release Compressor with variable Threshold and Ratio successfully combines the smoothness of the 'Soft Knee' principle with the precision of a 'Ratio' control. The advantage of this combination is that instead of the onset of compression being sudden at the threshold point the ratio increases over a 10dB input level range until it reaches the ratio set on the front panel control, thus achieving a more natural sounding compression._Selectable manual or fully automatic Attack and Release times dramatically extend the application range and user scope of the DL241. Selecting the 'Auto' mode removes the need for manual adjustment and is particularly valuable when the program being treated does not have predictable or consistent dynamics, often the case when processing a complete mix or a virtuoso bass guitar performance. Under manual control the wide range of adjustment available gives the user the ability to create dynamic effects as well as normal compression. Peak Level. 'Zero Response Time', 'Zero Overshoot' circuitry provides an absolute limit to the peak level of the output signal, adjustable from OdB to +16dB above system level. When set to the required level, any excessive peaks will be stopped and the gain momentarily decreased if necessary. The 'Zero Response Time' is essential to avoid unpleasant distortion when mastering for CD or sending any signal to digital equipment. 'Zero Response Time' means that the DL241 provides c