With/Without outboard Pre&Compressor comparison

trackmixstudio

I was revisiting a mix for a Metallica cover band I recorded recently.
These days I always mix into my DRS-Q4 pre into Drawmer 1968 compressor by inserting them on the master bus in Logic before I start.
When I finished and bounced the mix I turned off the insert to compare.
Please note that this is not scientific because there is no compression on the "dry" file and I mixed into the compressor on the "wet" file.
They are both normalized but not mastered. The "wet" mix sounds a bit louder due to the compressor.
256 MP3 tracks.
DRS and Drawmer inserted:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2133088/With%20DRS%201968.mp3
Dry with nothing inserted:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2133088/No%20Insert.mp3

Please don't divert into whether it's worthwhile recording a cover.
(These guys, Frantica, got lots of good gigs from the demo tracks)

PaulBrewer

What do you want us to do Michael ?

i57dwun4yb1pt8

the dry one sounds

1/ a little more natural
2/ a bit fuller
3/ image is smaller and less focussed
4/ drums a bit more punchy

wet sounds
1/ bigger , larger image , more foccused image
2/ a bit sweeter
3/ drums a teeny bit flat sounding

i like em both , but the wet one wins it for me



there also seem to be some kind of vinylly sounding click or kerfuffle in the first section before the first snare strike