Description
The Really Nice Compressor is a tiny compressor with a big sound and an even bigger reputation. It’s a true-stereo compressor with traditional threshold, ratio and attack / release controls and an accessible sidechain for external keying / pumping or EQ insertion. It also has a “Super Nice” button for when extreme compression niceness is required
On a bells & whistles-per-pound-Sterling basis the RNC is outgunned by cheap compressors offering dubious noise gates, spurious clipping limiters and Blackpool Illuminations flashing lights. But what FMR has done is to make a serious compressor, rather than a toy, and the RNC is better than anything else in its price range – better by a very long way
The RNC uses a microprocessor to control the gain reduction & operating setup of the compressor. This approach gives great control over how gain reduction is managed. In “Super Nice” mode, it’s capable of subtle, unobtrusive compression. In “Nice” mode it’ll pump if you want, not if you don’t – careful use of the attack & release controls is the key
I tried it on the drum track I use to assess compressors and it worked beautifully. The controls have just the right range & sensitivity to allow attack & release to be timed perfectly to change the dynamics of drum sounds & the relative levels of attack & ambience. Cheap compressors rarely succeed in getting controls just right – they’re normally too cramped at one end and much too critical – but the RNC was spot-on. It reminded me of the Distressor I tested recently
The RNC isn’t a character compressor but it’s sufficiently versatile & efficient to make it a must-have. There is nothing to touch it for value and it sounds great. I’ve just added it to the Honourable Mentions section of my Top Five compressors list
“Though the RNC is remarkable for its clean and transparent sound, it can get nasty. I experimented with a variety of extreme settings while processing various drum, bass, and synth samples, and I was able to get some truly hair-raising results. The RNC can not only pump and breathe in ways that would bring a smile to Joe Meek’s face, but it can also be overdriven into raspy distortion tones that would please Trent Reznor”
“I mainly use mine for vocal tracks while engaging the super nice mode. If that is all you ever used it for, that alone makes it worth every penny”
