Anthony DeMaria Labs vs Purple Audio

[rumbler]

Before I start this long-winded thread I want to let all you know I have been researching this like mad, using the search function but only got limited results, therefore I am making a thread to get more info...please don't get angry, especially Bongomania since I know everyone is always exhausting you of your effects knowledge!! Please bear with me as you have been a big help in the past!!

Ok so I was looking into compressors, except the main two that I was looking at I have got pretty much Nil info on. I read Cyrus's megathread but these were not on it. I was looking into the:

Purple Audio Action FET compressor: I have heard a little bit more on this than I have on the ADL I will bring up. I hear it is GREAT for bass. I would be rackmounting it, and it would have to be sideways I guess in order to fit. Do any of you have any experience with this?
http://www.purpleaudio.com/Product/Action.html

Anthony DeMaria Labs CIL 1000 Compressor: This has next to no info on it, I know it is a bit cheaper than its dual channel bigger brother. It apparently sounds great, but again there is little to no information on this bad boy.
http://www.anthonydemarialabs.com/pr...html#ADLCL1000

Those are the two compressors I am looking at, so if any of you have any input on that I would love to hear your experiences!!

Now one more thing. Before I was looking into a DI for my home studio but mainly also for live use. What are the benefits of having a separate DI from your amp's DI? are outboard DI's any better than the ones that come on amps? My Eden WT1205 has a built in DI which I have yet to try. I was looking into the BBE DI-1000 which I made a post on earlier since it has the very nifty Sonic Maximizer, but then I went to Basstasters, and was blown away by the Anthony DeMaria Labs 300-G DI. It is tube and sounds gnarly, although it is discontinued and pricey! I am wondering if it would be worth it to grab this DI box since I could use it at home and live.

these products have all proven hard to find online for me, except for the BBE. Anyone got any suggestions to help enlighten me on my dilemma?

I appreciate the fact that anyone who made it through this long post didn't get fed up!

Thanks very much,

Andrew

[rumbler]

and trust me! I have been looking hard for reviews and everything!!!! ( I actually can't play since I sliced my fingertip opened on a suran wrap box edge!)

If anyone could shed some light it would be greatly appreciated!!

[Bass Tees]

Use the search function.

Just kidding man...

[SoComSurfing]

One thing to keep in mind is that the Purple would need to be mounted in something like an API lunchbox, or similar rack frame. Right now Musicians Friend has an A-Designs 500-series rack in the "Clearance section" (HERE).
Depending on your pre/power/EQ situation, this may end up being a better option for you.

[rumbler]

Originally Posted by SoComSurfing

One thing to keep in mind is that the Purple would need to be mounted in something like an API lunchbox, or similar rack frame. Right now Musicians Friend has an A-Designs 500-series rack in the "Clearance section" (HERE).
Depending on your pre/power/EQ situation, this may end up being a better option for you.

Your telling me that this item on clearance is 400 bucks and that that would be the only proper way to properly rackmount this Purple audio compressor?


wow

Anyone else?

[Hoover]

Some things to keep in mind about the Purple vs. ADL units:

First of all, they're very nearly Apples & Oranges. The Purple unit is a VERY GOOD clone of a UREI 1176, a solid state limiter with an FET peak detector. The ADL is a REASONABLY GOOD clone of a UREI LA-2 with a tube based gain element & an optical rms detector.

Both can be extremely effective on bass, but depending on what you're looking for one might be just right while the other could be quite wrong.

I find the Purple to be more "grabby", with a slightly more defined onset of compression. The ADL is "thicker" or "chewier" and adds a bit more coloration that's independent of its gain-reduction action.

[SoComSurfing]

Well, not the only way, but probably the most affordable! That Purple unit is designed to be part of a 500-series module. A-Designs and API are a few of the companies that produce this format. Its kind of a way to pick and choose which Pre, EQ, Comp, etc you'd like to use together in a small package.

[rumbler]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Some things to keep in mind about the Purple vs. ADL units:

First of all, they're very nearly Apples & Oranges. The Purple unit is a VERY GOOD clone of a UREI 1176, a solid state limiter with an FET peak detector. The ADL is a REASONABLY GOOD clone of a UREI LA-2 with a tube based gain element & an optical rms detector.

Both can be extremely effective on bass, but depending on what you're looking for one might be just right while the other could be quite wrong.

I find the Purple to be more "grabby", with a slightly more defined onset of compression. The ADL is "thicker" or "chewier" and adds a bit more coloration that's independent of its gain-reduction action.

Thanks Hoover!

So the Purple is more of a limiter? with that said, how does it's compression sound?

The ADL is thick sounding, that sounds like what I am looking for, a compressor to even out my dynamics and add some punch!!

anyone know anything about the ADL 300-G?

[bongomania]

To reiterate, the Purple Action requires an external rack frame/housing that includes a power supply, so you can't just use it by itself. If you wanted to avoid that (in a sense), you could get their more established MC77, which is a 2RU unit with its own power supply like the ADL. The MC77 has a few years of reviews around, but the Action is brand new and there are not many in-hand or long-view reviews of it yet.

If you want a description of the Action/MC77 sound, you can also look up commentary on the original 1176, of which there is ample discussion to read.

Def. go over to Gearslutz, as there are loads of reviews and debates there on both Purple and ADL gear. Interestingly, there was a recent blind shootout there between the MC77 and the reissue UA 1176, and more people in that thread preferred the clips featuring the reissue 1176.

[rumbler]

Thanks Bongo,

Looks like you guys don't have much experience with the ADL stuff. Anyone know anything about the ADL DI I was talking about? It sounds great on basstasters.

Im gonna check out this gearslutz page!

Thanks

Andrew

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by rumbler

Thanks Hoover!

So the Purple is more of a limiter? with that said, how does it's compression sound?

It sounds fine. I wouldn't necessarily make the distinction that it's "more of a limiter", just that peak detectors respond differently than rms detectors. (And btw, all my experiences are with the Purple MC77, not the 500-series module.)

Originally Posted by rumbler

The ADL is thick sounding, that sounds like what I am looking for, a compressor to even out my dynamics and add some punch!!

Well, ime when I'm looking for "punch" I always reach for a compressor/limiter that has variable Attack...so I can slow it down and allow some of the uncompressed transients through before the compressor grabs the note. Unless you use the ADL in a parallel arrangement, it won't offer this feature, and you're at the mercy of how "punchy" it's detector is. Which is okay, but not the first thing I think of when I think bass through an LA-2 clone. "Chewy" yes, "punchy" not so much.

[rumbler]

I just realized these are more for a studio situation and their beautiful little nuances probably won't even be heard live!

Anyone got any ideas on the DI's? how important is an outboard DI box to have?

Andrew

[bongomania]

An outboard DI is extremely useful to have. Firstly, the one built into many "average" amps is not so good, so it's easy to upgrade the sound that goes to the PA by buying a really nice external DI. Secondly, an external DI is useful if your amp shuts down in the middle of a gig. With that external DI, your bass will keep going through the PA uninterrupted no matter what happens to your amp.

You could kill two birds with one stone by buying a Retrospec Squeeze Box (long discontinued, but they occasionally show up used). The Squeeze Box is both an excellent tube compressor/limiter and an excellent DI.

For other recommendations, try using the Google TB search on "best DI", since of course the regular search won't do anything under 3 letters.

[rumbler]

Well I got an Eden WT1205,

And everyone over at the Eden forum says that this D.I. is fine although you have to crank the DI output knob to get a decent signal at the board.

The ADL 300-G sounds great and I can run it through my amp's input so I can give my amp a more tubey tone. Although this would mean my eq's wouldn't affect my house sound which can be good or bad depending on the soundman I guess.

I checked out Gearslutz for those two compressors I was talking about, alot of good things about both of them. But they are both fairly pricey! Would compressors like that be even worth it to put in rack? I don't see too many guys with studio gear in their racks around here, I don't want to spoil my ****** bass playing ass!

Andrew

[bongomania]

Although lots of us gearheads do put ridiculously expensive gear in our racks/pedalboards, it is not really practical or sensible in most cases. You have to be a popular player in a really flattering mix before anyone will notice how good your tone is.

[rumbler]

True Say!

I guess the only people who really hears what the tone sounds like is us, because we are the ones who know what we have been after, and once we find that tone, although others may not hear those fine nuances, we do!

True, Well I will continue my search, thanks to all who helped!

Andrew