You're a legend, I was looking at one of these for months and just couldn't make a decision on buying one (due to, as you mentioned, not many people talking about it or putting samples online), so thanks for not only taking the plunge but also spending the time to show it in action!
I bought this and the Dual Limiter when they came out. Because a Stereo FET for $450 bucks is great but the REAL shining star is the ART Dual Limiter it's a PWM pulse width modulation) compressor. Like a PIE or Cranesong for $179. The ART Dual limiter is based on the MXR PWM comp from back in the late 80s but the MXR unit was not as well made as the ART unit. The TransY is based on an old MXR design as well since most of the engineers from MXR left in 1987/1988 to create ART. Both units are great tools. The TransY has that nice Jensen transformer sound and is more versatile than my Rev-H 1178 (stereo 1176). I'm not a fan of the de-esser but I really haven't found a use for it. The Manual has some really cool tricks you can vary the ratios to get more than the front panel shows and it's just an all around great unit!
Great review and demo! I'm so torn between PRO VLA II and TransY actually - both of them are in my cart right now but only one will be checked out for sure. This video helped me by the way. Need a little push and I'm going to checkout with the TransY hehe! I like the ART PRO as well though. See, Im torned! hehe
Something I always wondered was if my pro vla had some kind of defect with its VU meters, but no seems like they barely move on yours as well. Great comparrison though!!
I'm so surprised! the transY is sounding realllyyyyyy good! WOW! I was considering getting the Pro VLA ii, but now I'm not so sure which one I'm going to get! Thanks for the amazing comparison and wonderful video
You have sold me... on YOU! I am a new subscriber. Thanks you for a great comparison video. I was a professional video editor as a living and can say that you have a natural home grown persona in front of the camera and you know what your doing with the gear. Nicely done. I'm looking for something that doesn't cost as much as the Warm Bus Comp but does the same thing mostly! Best Tod in Vegas. :)
I'm really baffled with a pair of distressors in the back ground it was the vla you decided to compare it with. I understand price point wise. But with many people comparing the distressor to THE fet compressor (1176) it would've been cool. Especially comparing $400 for 2 channels vs $3000 for 2 channels.
Fair job on making the video. What most people need to understand is this not a straight-up comparison as both of these have different intended uses. Can't believe you said that you were getting rid of the Pro VLA. If anyone is serious about audio engineering, you have permission to have multiple compressors, preamps and microphones. You should have graduated from the 8 pack of Crayola Crayons to the 64 pack by now. The FET Y-compressor is just another new color to add to your regiment. I have to admit that the Y-compressor didi peak my interest, but I'm not getting rid of any of my compressors from Symetrix, DBX, Drawmer, Presonus, FMR Audio or Aphex to run out and buy one, but I probably will add one. Thanks for the demo...
I'm planning on using the Pro VLA II & the TransY together. Any suggestions on which one should be first? I'm leaning towards running the TransY into the Pro VLA II. ?
As an official member of the Word Police, it's "pique" your interest, not 'peak". The next time, there will be a fine. Consider this your first and final warning.
@@jamesb44you're weird bro , don't want to call you names or make you feel bad. Seriously! A time-consuming hobby that removes you from being able to reply to comments online would be a great benefit to your life.
Nice review....I like it.It should be interesting to do a test where the transy compressed first, followed by the serial VLA....especially in voices and acoustic guitars.
Thanks. BTW you can create a side chain/high pass on the VLA by putting a plugin eq before and after the insert in your DAW with a negative low shelf before and it's inverse after. Also, am curious why you didn't level-match or push the VLA's output after compressing as that's where it's character happens. cheers
Great review! You have changed my mind. I was about to buy the ART PRO VLA but after hearing the ART TransY I'm going for the latter instead. You didn't mention it, but I think (heard) it bring some nice harmonics to the sounds. And character, too.
12:00 --> cool what it does to the room tone. Minimize the release and you have a live room drum sound. Maximize the release and the drum sound more sounds like a studio, the room tone kinda disappears. Never heard that effect so clearly as in this example. . I feel like this compressor is the little brother of the 3630 [ alesis ] . Thumbs up + subscribed.
Im doing some research about compressors, its pretty lame that the ART PRO VLA II bumb'd up 100€ Thomann sells it for 529€ ( instead of 429€) 529€=612$!! dang it! I was wondering would it be useful for synths?
Thank you for the review. I’m in doubt about Warm Audio MPX and Art Pro VLA II. Do you think that the Warm audio MPX would deliver much better quality sound in the end or is it just a brand name and is that why we pay more money? The WA MPX seems to be very solid but I wanted to save money, but my main focus now is quality. What do you say?
I would love to see a follow up of the TransY with your Distressor, any 1176 (Klark, Warm, etc) if you have one and a plugin. Just would like to see where it falls and if it would be redundant or bring something to the table. Can the TransY make things sound as aggressive as the Distressor can. Is the TransY as versatile as the Distressor? I imagine not since it's meant to just be FET and the Distressor was designed to model a few different compressors. Do you still have the TransY and if so where have you found it really shines on?
I do still have the TransY, although I don't have any 1176 other than a plugin or two that emulate it. The 1176 is most famous for having incredibly fast attack times, so the TransY can't match it's performance in that respect. The fastest attack on the TransY is 0.5 millisecond, while the fastest attack on an 1176 is 20 microseconds. That's insanely fast! Compared to the Distressors, the TransY sounds more aggressive and conspicuous to me. I usually have to stay below just a few dB of gain reduction unless I'm going for a really obviously compressed sound. Comparing compressors is tough for me...they do sound very different, but it's hard to quantify exactly how they sound different. The Distressors sound "smooth" to me, even when pushed pretty hard. Their built-in sidechain options are very useful, their range of attack and release times is huge, and their distortion options are cool (but really subtle). Oh, and as far as favorite applications for the TransY, it's gotta be on a stereo drum bus. It does have a bit of a weird stereo "widening" kind of effect, but its ability to bring out the room sound in a drum mix is awesome. And its overall attitude on a drum mix has become a favorite of mine. It's pretty much permanently strapped across my drum bus lately!
Are compressors only for live drums and instruments or something? I think these vids neglect how these products would treat a digital signal... like electronic drums/samples or synth basses and digital synths. What am I missing here?
@@YHRS I'm planning on using the Pro VLA II & the TransY together. Any suggestions on which one should be first? I'm leaning towards running the TransY into the Pro VLA II. ?
I really enjoyed this video! What do you use to record your videos and how do you have everything set up to get the audio from your mic and the DAW? Thanks!
Thanks a bunch! I've been terrible about replying to comments for the last several months, so this is my first in a while... I'm using a couple of Panasonic Lumix cameras as my main video, and a wireless lavalier mic for my voice. I use an external recorder to pull together all of the audio, and I feed my mic and the L/R line outputs of my audio interface into that recorder. Then I sync it all up in a video editor and use that to cut between the camera shots, edit out all of the nonessential parts, and render out the final video.
It was looking like the compressors weren't getting enough signal. It could just be me, but the meters seemed to be really low? Nvm, during the bass part it looked like it got more.
I don't typically drive the analog outputs of my interface very hard, so I don't end up hitting the inputs of external gear very hard. With ReaInsert, they're coming out of the tracks' insert points, so it's usually a relatively low output level. Looking at the specs of the TransY, it can handle up to +21 dBu on the inputs, which is a pretty stout signal strength (I think...I'm a little shaky on dBv/dBu/dBm still). I think it'd be hard to clip the inputs on the compressor with the outputs on my interface.
I always just kept the stock tubes in it and they did their job well. This isn't a design that benefits much, if at all, from nicer tubes. The stock ones remained low-noise until several years down the road. Honestly the potentiometers behind the knobs became noisier than the tubes ever did, although it was about time to get some fresh tubes in there after about 7 years.
I got one of these units and could not get it to stop buzzing. I tried everything, so I sent it back believing it was defective and ordered another one. Guess what...same problem! This cannot be an isolated case. Either way I popped for a Warm Audio unit instead...and guess what...NO NOISE! Thanks for wasting my time ART!
I use some software compressors, but in general I prefer hardware when it comes to compression. There are advantages to both, but I just find hardware compressors to be more enjoyable to interact with.
I have a TransY and I found just as you did, that it can really act as a transient shaper and make drum hits smack hard.
You're a legend, I was looking at one of these for months and just couldn't make a decision on buying one (due to, as you mentioned, not many people talking about it or putting samples online), so thanks for not only taking the plunge but also spending the time to show it in action!
I bought this and the Dual Limiter when they came out. Because a Stereo FET for $450 bucks is great but the REAL shining star is the ART Dual Limiter it's a PWM pulse width modulation) compressor. Like a PIE or Cranesong for $179. The ART Dual limiter is based on the MXR PWM comp from back in the late 80s but the MXR unit was not as well made as the ART unit. The TransY is based on an old MXR design as well since most of the engineers from MXR left in 1987/1988 to create ART. Both units are great tools. The TransY has that nice Jensen transformer sound and is more versatile than my Rev-H 1178 (stereo 1176). I'm not a fan of the de-esser but I really haven't found a use for it. The Manual has some really cool tricks you can vary the ratios to get more than the front panel shows and it's just an all around great unit!
I have the ART Dual Limiter and that thing is nice
I think the deesser did good for the .4 seconds I heard it.. lol
the de-esser actually took out sibilance in the cymbals when you turned it up. It was eerie. Kainda cool.
Fantastic review! Vocals were great! Helped me decide. Thanks.
And you went with??
Great review and demo! I'm so torn between PRO VLA II and TransY actually - both of them are in my cart right now but only one will be checked out for sure. This video helped me by the way. Need a little push and I'm going to checkout with the TransY hehe! I like the ART PRO as well though. See, Im torned! hehe
Fantastic, both units sound really good. I especially like the TransY. The price is reasonable!!
The TransY was a very pleasant surprise! I'm looking forward to trying it on everything!
Something I always wondered was if my pro vla had some kind of defect with its VU meters, but no seems like they barely move on yours as well. Great comparrison though!!
FET -> Drums, Agressive Vocals
Opto-> Bass, Guitars, Vocals
I love your forward winding. Good work
I'm so surprised! the transY is sounding realllyyyyyy good! WOW! I was considering getting the Pro VLA ii, but now I'm not so sure which one I'm going to get! Thanks for the amazing comparison and wonderful video
You have sold me... on YOU! I am a new subscriber. Thanks you for a great comparison video. I was a professional video editor as a living and can say that you have a natural home grown persona in front of the camera and you know what your doing with the gear. Nicely done. I'm looking for something that doesn't cost as much as the Warm Bus Comp but does the same thing mostly! Best Tod in Vegas. :)
Wow that TransY really does sound good on drums and it is quite aggressive. Nice comparison!
Thanks! I'm pretty impressed with it so far, and I'm pretty excited to see what else it can do.
I'm really baffled with a pair of distressors in the back ground it was the vla you decided to compare it with. I understand price point wise. But with many people comparing the distressor to THE fet compressor (1176) it would've been cool. Especially comparing $400 for 2 channels vs $3000 for 2 channels.
Fair job on making the video. What most people need to understand is this not a straight-up comparison as both of these have different intended uses. Can't believe you said that you were getting rid of the Pro VLA. If anyone is serious about audio engineering, you have permission to have multiple compressors, preamps and microphones. You should have graduated from the 8 pack of Crayola Crayons to the 64 pack by now. The FET Y-compressor is just another new color to add to your regiment. I have to admit that the Y-compressor didi peak my interest, but I'm not getting rid of any of my compressors from Symetrix, DBX, Drawmer, Presonus, FMR Audio or Aphex to run out and buy one, but I probably will add one. Thanks for the demo...
I'm planning on using the Pro VLA II & the TransY together. Any suggestions on which one should be first? I'm leaning towards running the TransY into the Pro VLA II. ?
I truly hate it when someone tries to use smart-sounding words and spells them wrong. It's "pique", not peak.
As an official member of the Word Police, it's "pique" your interest, not 'peak". The next time, there will be a fine. Consider this your first and final warning.
@@jamesb44you're weird bro , don't want to call you names or make you feel bad. Seriously!
A time-consuming hobby that removes you from being able to reply to comments online would be a great benefit to your life.
@@typ0_music This is my hobby, and you're trying and failing to ruin it.
Thanks for the video. I like the dual distressor units you got there.
Need to use the bypass button more. Its nearly impossible to compare otherwise, thanks for the review!
Amazing comparison video, and definitely informative for someone outfitting more outboard gear into racks
Digging that TransY fet comp!
That transY sounds awesome. I would love to have a real hardware compressor in my setup.
Nice review....I like it.It should be interesting to do a test where the transy compressed first, followed by the serial VLA....especially in voices and acoustic guitars.
Excellent review - I want one!
Nice Demo setup Bro !! I like the Trans because it seems to clamp down on the signal with Perfection 👌
I'm really surprised at how good this compressor sounds! I think this one is a keeper :)
Thanks. BTW you can create a side chain/high pass on the VLA by putting a plugin eq before and after the insert in your DAW with a negative low shelf before and it's inverse after. Also, am curious why you didn't level-match or push the VLA's output after compressing as that's where it's character happens. cheers
The saturation on the VLA is in the output gain?
Also, can you run an mono signal through it in series?
@@ramspencer5492 yes, the "toob" saturation occurs post-compression
The tube isn’t run at high voltage like it is in the MPA so it’s effect is minimal.
Interesting video. Thanks for the review.
Great review. Thank you.
The TransY is a slick looking unit. Sounds great! Hey, in your vocal track your vocal texture has a hint of Peter Gabriel. I like that!
I was really surprised by the TransY, I'm really enjoying it. And thanks for the kind words!
I’d really really really really really like it if someone on you tube would compare an ART MPII , to a Neve (BAE). Nobody has done it yet.
if you listen real close you can hear the de-esser take the edge of the aggressiveness real smooth very lightly
Sometime you need a de-esser that's more aggressive though.
@@lightafluident.9950 agree on that also family thank you
Old comment, but I thought the built in de-esser on the TransY sounded pretty damn smooth on his vocal.
@@commonsense5188 fasho
Great Review, thanks
I have an ART SC2 from the 90s, which looks very similar to this TransY.
Is The TransY Good On Vocals ?
Great review! You have changed my mind. I was about to buy the ART PRO VLA but after hearing the ART TransY I'm going for the latter instead. You didn't mention it, but I think (heard) it bring some nice harmonics to the sounds. And character, too.
Hey that's great to hear! I was really surprised by this compressor. It definitely has some "attitude" to it, and I've really been enjoying it so far!
12:00 --> cool what it does to the room tone.
Minimize the release and you have a live room drum sound.
Maximize the release and the drum sound more sounds like a studio,
the room tone kinda disappears.
Never heard that effect so clearly as in this example.
.
I feel like this compressor is the little brother of the 3630 [ alesis ]
.
Thumbs up + subscribed.
The PRO VLA just has a more natural, easy-going tone. It just sounded more musical to me.
Im doing some research about compressors, its pretty lame that the ART PRO VLA II bumb'd up 100€ Thomann sells it for 529€
( instead of 429€) 529€=612$!! dang it! I was wondering would it be useful for synths?
Would love you to do a review on the Art SCL2!
How does it stand up against an 1176?
Thank you for the review. I’m in doubt about Warm Audio MPX and Art Pro VLA II. Do you think that the Warm audio MPX would deliver much better quality sound in the end or is it just a brand name and is that why we pay more money? The WA MPX seems to be very solid but I wanted to save money, but my main focus now is quality. What do you say?
ART TRANSY VS DISTRESSOR PLEASE
I would love to see a follow up of the TransY with your Distressor, any 1176 (Klark, Warm, etc) if you have one and a plugin. Just would like to see where it falls and if it would be redundant or bring something to the table. Can the TransY make things sound as aggressive as the Distressor can. Is the TransY as versatile as the Distressor? I imagine not since it's meant to just be FET and the Distressor was designed to model a few different compressors.
Do you still have the TransY and if so where have you found it really shines on?
I do still have the TransY, although I don't have any 1176 other than a plugin or two that emulate it. The 1176 is most famous for having incredibly fast attack times, so the TransY can't match it's performance in that respect. The fastest attack on the TransY is 0.5 millisecond, while the fastest attack on an 1176 is 20 microseconds. That's insanely fast!
Compared to the Distressors, the TransY sounds more aggressive and conspicuous to me. I usually have to stay below just a few dB of gain reduction unless I'm going for a really obviously compressed sound.
Comparing compressors is tough for me...they do sound very different, but it's hard to quantify exactly how they sound different. The Distressors sound "smooth" to me, even when pushed pretty hard. Their built-in sidechain options are very useful, their range of attack and release times is huge, and their distortion options are cool (but really subtle).
Oh, and as far as favorite applications for the TransY, it's gotta be on a stereo drum bus. It does have a bit of a weird stereo "widening" kind of effect, but its ability to bring out the room sound in a drum mix is awesome. And its overall attitude on a drum mix has become a favorite of mine. It's pretty much permanently strapped across my drum bus lately!
If using the VLA, What settings do you recommend for strummed acoustic guitar?
Awesome demo, Thanks, btw have you maybe reviewed your distressors? How does it compare to distressors if you maybe tested them side by side?
Same, I'd love to hear them compared along with an 1176 to see where the TransY fits in.
This unit might be good for beginners 👍🏻
Are compressors only for live drums and instruments or something? I think these vids neglect how these products would treat a digital signal... like electronic drums/samples or synth basses and digital synths. What am I missing here?
This is what an Alesis 3630 wants to be when it grows up.
I use a transY on about everything. It works well as a protection limiter as well. Just a brick wall.
I'd say the VLA was better on everything except vocals.
However, I think I could make good use of that FET compressor on snare and such. Maybe.
How effective is to pair up the Art VLA with this trans Y?
thank you. I will pick one up to complement my Pro VLA 2 which I have had for years
Between those two compressors, you'll have a lot of sounds at your disposal!
@@YHRS thank you ..I will def experiment with a valve/tube swap too on the Pro VLA 2
@@YHRS I'm planning on using the Pro VLA II & the TransY together. Any suggestions on which one should be first? I'm leaning towards running the TransY into the Pro VLA II. ?
I really enjoyed this video! What do you use to record your videos and how do you have everything set up to get the audio from your mic and the DAW? Thanks!
Thanks a bunch! I've been terrible about replying to comments for the last several months, so this is my first in a while...
I'm using a couple of Panasonic Lumix cameras as my main video, and a wireless lavalier mic for my voice. I use an external recorder to pull together all of the audio, and I feed my mic and the L/R line outputs of my audio interface into that recorder. Then I sync it all up in a video editor and use that to cut between the camera shots, edit out all of the nonessential parts, and render out the final video.
I have a Fireface UFX and a Pulse-16 (MADI version) in my rig too :) NICE!
It was looking like the compressors weren't getting enough signal. It could just be me, but the meters seemed to be really low? Nvm, during the bass part it looked like it got more.
So the bypass is not linked? That's a bummer.
Deesser was Great 👍 Transy
i have the Pro VLA-II on order right now and it's sole purpose is going to be the harmonic benefits of the tube driven output..
It’s great on the mix bus
I have an pro VLA but it has a noise in one channel.... It what happend? Thanks
Is the TransY modeled after a DBX style comp? Getting DBX vibes just looking at it.
No ,dbx are vca based
And wait the Desser caught the hell out of "lifeTIME" I though? No?
Thanks for the review, How hard was you driving it? does it break up in an analogue way or the horrible digital way when over driven (input)
I don't typically drive the analog outputs of my interface very hard, so I don't end up hitting the inputs of external gear very hard. With ReaInsert, they're coming out of the tracks' insert points, so it's usually a relatively low output level. Looking at the specs of the TransY, it can handle up to +21 dBu on the inputs, which is a pretty stout signal strength (I think...I'm a little shaky on dBv/dBu/dBm still). I think it'd be hard to clip the inputs on the compressor with the outputs on my interface.
what about the pro channel?
What tube you use in your VLA?? Low noise?
I always just kept the stock tubes in it and they did their job well. This isn't a design that benefits much, if at all, from nicer tubes. The stock ones remained low-noise until several years down the road. Honestly the potentiometers behind the knobs became noisier than the tubes ever did, although it was about time to get some fresh tubes in there after about 7 years.
How many people said "hello gentlemen" after he said "we get signal" ??? LOL
I got one of these units and could not get it to stop buzzing. I tried everything, so I sent it back believing it was defective and ordered another one. Guess what...same problem! This cannot be an isolated case. Either way I popped for a Warm Audio unit instead...and guess what...NO NOISE! Thanks for wasting my time ART!
why not just use a plugin
Why not just use a compressor plugin?
I use some software compressors, but in general I prefer hardware when it comes to compression. There are advantages to both, but I just find hardware compressors to be more enjoyable to interact with.
@@YHRS Not to mention they give you a "bigger" sound.