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MXR M87 v. Aguilar TLC PLEASE HELP!

#41
scottfeldstein said:
"Blindly" is exactly how you don't use it. :)

But, hey, to each his own. I'm new to the compression game and I for one really value a visual indicator to help guide me in the use of a sound processor designed to be as inaudible as can be.
Click to expand...
yes i actually open the pedal and remove the leds with pliers :eyebrow:

what i mean by blindly use it... is i have a predetermined idea in my head on where I "think" I like my compressor set in relation to previous compressors I've used.. which might keep my thinking more in the box rather then starting from scratch and using my ears.

all im saying is that compressors arent all the same as far as how they react to the signal going in to it and theres also the fact that some compressors(like the punchfactory and ashdown) that have indicators that arent so accurate..
 
#42
Hey, all.
My M87 came in late yesterday, just in time for me to throw in a battery and head for practice. Sounded great last night with the settings "roughed in." Been messing around more with it tonight and am still very happy. It's exactly what I was looking for, transparent yet functional.

I wanted to post a reply as a word of thanks to everyone's feedback on the TLC and the M87 as I (like a lot of others) was torn between the two. Narrowed it down to those two mostly based on Bongo's reviews, and then this thread to finally decide. I'm not one to buy a piece of gear without trying/hearing it first, but between the excellent info from you TBers (and well, the 30-day satisfaction guarantee), I had little to lose.

My next gig next Friday will be the true test. I'll probably be able to post an actual review by then.

Should have mentioned that this is my first "real" compressor, btw. Needed to get one since I recently replaced my Ampeg 3Pro rig with MarkBass gear. And before my 3Pro, I briefly used an old Alesis MicroLimiter (fairly decent, but colored my sound).
Thanks again!
 
#43
Rock on. I also learned a lot in this thread and am the new owner of the M87. I find it to be exactly as you said: does what it's supposed to do while being so transparent as to be forgettable.

The only problem i've had with it is basically user error. One day while jamming with some guys I boosted the signal from my bass only to discover that I actually became quieter instead of louder :)
 
#44
for me the m87 is harder to set because of the threshold control having a quite low resolution, so it's fairly easy to miss the sweet spot. I like the lights, but I don't want my eyes to do the work of my ears. Even so I think the metering is reasonably accurate.

I just used it in a series of concerts. It went well.
 
#45
I am resurrecting an old thread as I do not want to start a new one dealing with this exact issue.

I'm currently torn between the two. I've never owned an actual compressor pedal before and the only ones that I've used are the ones included on:
-the Zoom B2.1u (which I just don't like. Sounds fake)
-the compressors in the Line6 M9 (which I like a lot when I played harmonics. Kept everything nice an even)
-and the one one built in on the Carvin R1000 (I don't like the dip and swell effect on it).

So here are my needs. After MUCH reading and researching, I am thinking that I need more of a limiter. I play with A LOT of effects and many of them have huge spikes. Like when I trigger my SYB-5, it has a tremendous "boom" when that first note hits.

So what I'm gathering here is that the MXR might more suit my needs as it has a faster attack. Is this correct? Will it control that huge pop that the SYB-5 puts out when a note is triggered?

There is also the Hartke Bass Attack that I use that only sounds good when the Harmonics knob is cranked and is WAY louder than everything else. Will the limit function of these compressors help bring level down?

Thanks for your patience.
 
#46
I'm far from an expert, so everything I say could be wrong.

I have the MXR comp and I like it. With its spread of knobs and its LED metering at least I feel like I know what I'm doing.

You seem to be saying that you want a comp to level out your volumes when you're using different effect pedals. Makes sense.

I, however, don't do that. I struggle with my effect pedals to make sure that I get as close to unity gain as possible--so that my compressor doesn't suddenly start compressing more than it did before. Mostly I've been able to do that. The only real effect I'm running is the MXR envelope filter. (Great pedal.)

And if I get to the point where I'm not happy with what it's doing to the signal before it gets to the compressor, I could always swap their order and compress before enveloping. It just seems backward because you don't want to squash the dynamics of your playing before going into a pedal which is controlled by..the dynamics of your playing. But we'll see.
 
#47
I definitely try to set up all my effects to unity, but some of these, it's just impossible. Well namely just the Boss synth and the Hartke pedal. No matter how I set the synth, it always has a huge attack at the beginning of the note, then evens itself out.

I guess after reading way more, I will have to just end up trying it out. I just wanted to get in the ball park of what these pedals can do for my situation before I dropped the cash.
 
#49
I considered Aguilar for my compressor and for my overdrive/DI pedal. I went with other manufacturers in both cases. I only regret doing so in one case--and it's not the compressor.

I seriously think the LED metering on the MXR is a killer feature. And it's got a good spread of controls. It's clearly the one for me, no regrets.

After having owned the SansAmp Programmable bass driver DI, however... I realize I didn't need the 3 button programmability and that I don't care for the scoopiness of the SansAmp circuitry. I should have gone with the Aguilar Tone Hammer. (And might still do.)
 
#50
I am surprised no one mentioned this puppy:

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Same price point as both the TLC and the M87 .. great reviews..

I have come to realize that I am not big on effects.. That's why I am selling my Gt-10B .. but I do want to get a compressor.. and I was looking at these two and the MkB.. a good friend of mine also recommended the TRex Squeeze ... but I read a few reviews tat said it was a little noisy whereas on all 3 of these the word was quiet as all get out.
 
#52
After reading all this thread I have placed an order for an Aguilar TLC. My decision was based on:

- It doesn't have light indicators: less visual distraction and more hearing to come
- It has one knob less: I trust Aguilar chosing settings over me
- Paul Turner chose this: he can't be wrong

Now I just have to wait one month for it to arrive in a suitcase from Mexico all the way to Argentina. That's how we buy toys down here!

I'll tell you how it works when it gets home. It will be paired with a Stingray5 HH, a VT Bass v2 and a Little Mark III.
 
#53
Zermelo said:
After reading all this thread I have placed an order for an Aguilar TLC. My decision was based on:

- It doesn't have light indicators: less visual distraction and more hearing to come
- It has one knob less: I trust Aguilar chosing settings over me
- Paul Turner chose this: he can't be wrong

Now I just have to wait one month for it to arrive in a suitcase from Mexico all the way to Argentina. That's how we buy toys down here!

I'll tell you how it works when it gets home. It will be paired with a Stingray5 HH, a VT Bass v2 and a Little Mark III.
Click to expand...

David Wilson sold his TLC... to me :D

Battle of the Admins!
 
#54
Zermelo said:
After reading all this thread I have placed an order for an Aguilar TLC. My decision was based on:

- It doesn't have light indicators: less visual distraction and more hearing to come
- It has one knob less: I trust Aguilar chosing settings over me
- Paul Turner chose this: he can't be wrong

Now I just have to wait one month for it to arrive in a suitcase from Mexico all the way to Argentina. That's how we buy toys down here!

I'll tell you how it works when it gets home. It will be paired with a Stingray5 HH, a VT Bass v2 and a Little Mark III.
Click to expand...

I just got one last week. Trust me, you'll love it.
 
#55
I've had a TLC for a the better part of a year now and gigged quite a bit with it. It's a great compressor for bass. As a pedal though, the design of the chassis drives me nuts. It doesn't like most right angle cable ends and the lips on the bottom make using it on a pedal board a PITA.
 
#57
nismaniac said:
I am in need of a compressor pedal and after reading numerous posts and reviews it seems like these are probably the ones that will suit my needs best.

I will be using it in an always on situation. I'm just looking for a mild smoothing out of my tone and I don't slap. I use effects some of the time and usually a very mild overdrive from the pork loin is always on.

Some people say the Aguilar might impart a slight mid bump where the MXR is more transparent. I also read that the Aguilar has more flexibility with the ratio settings. I can't buy both and A/B them so if any of you have, I would appreciate your thoughts.
Click to expand...

My TLC is always on and last in my chain , which includes filters, delays, OD, Fuzz, Chorus, Wah, etc..

Can't say enough good things about it.:)
 
#58
For grins i checked out a used TLC and was pretty impressed. Sadly it was sold before I got back to GC with the $. So I spent an hour checking out the TLC vs the MXR M87 in a new bass-specific store near Boulder CO. Here's my $.02...

MXR was a good sounding pedal! The LED was helpful for me to get settings I liked. I had a great slap tone going as the pedal seemed to have a bit of added low end thump. If I was going to be slapping all night or use the pedal part-time in the chain, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat.

I purchased the TLC and, after digging around for some short cables with straight ends... (SHORT CABLES WITH STRAIGHT ENDS??? ) got the thing working like a dream! I put it in front of all my other pedals and left it on set with the output level about 2 o'clock and the other knobs not too far from straight up and down. I am very happy with this pedal. It made my rig sound even more killer and made all my other pedals behave better.

No clipping my old OC-2 and no unexpected level drop or jump from the Q-Tron anyway.

The first time I plugged in the TLC, I used an angled jack dangled over the back of a raised pedal board. I got distorted output with a low level and figured I bought a reject. It worked at the store when I took it back which is when I dug around in my old gear for a short cable with straight ends. I am puzzled as to why Aguilar would build the chasis so none of my normal cables work.

But I am extremely happy with the TLC at this point.
 
#59
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I'm soooo in love with this!!!!!!

It's amazing, I can't believe what it does for my sound and my playing. It was like going from a "nice tone" to the bass I've heard in my favourite recordings. Fat, punchy, in-your-face, yet delicate and subtle. You won't notice I'm using this unless you're a bass player or sound tech looking for a compressor.

Just great!
 
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#60
bongomania said:
You know, that's a funny thing, and I agree with you. I actually suspect whoever wrote the M87's spec sheet mistakenly used the mu character to mean "milli" instead of "micro", because I hear a lot more difference in the attack times than the ridiculously tiny range of microseconds would suggest.

Time to figure out a test methodology.
Click to expand...

Did anyone ever follow-up on this ? The spec of the M87 looks awesome to me except for one thing, the very short attack times.

Is it now thought that the M87 has a slower attack than the published spec ?

Or is the ovnilabs assessment "The attack knob has a very narrow range, from fast to faster" more accurate ?
 

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