Alesis 3630 or FMR RNLA... which would you get?

Hey guys
Let’s see what people think. They’re not 100% the same thing but I want some DAWless stereo compression/limit/glue/with some color, with sidechain on a budget.

3630 = cheap af, responsible for that infamous daft punk pump and glue (which i f*cking love)
RNLA = relatively cheap, super compact (which is great for me as i’m in a 1 room flat), really nice slight saturation (from what i’ve read).

This is mostly just to give my Digitakt some sauce, with the option to sidechain my synth group as well.
Could be into other ideas, but let’s keep it under €300. I need to upgrade my Beatstep to a Pro and just bought an expensive synth so I’m on a serious budget. I feel like for €50-80 I just can’t lose with the Alesis.

Thoughts?

re; sidechain i’m aware that i’ll need to get creative with the DT outputs here. most likely i’ll only be sidechaining when using “standard” drum kits like 909 or something, so i can prob just hard pan the kick to the left and keep the rest mono slammed to the right.

get an old Behringer MDX 2100 or 2200 - does everything you mentioned for the same or less money. In my opinion, more flexible than the Alesis & can work dual mono, unlike the RNLA (I also have an RNC which really like).

interesting, thanks! will check it out.

the RNLA´s sidechain doesn´t really work like you would probably expect if you know it from the 3630:

the RNLA has a sidechain SEND/RETURN, meaning whatever you put into it´s regular input gets sent out from the sidechain insert for external EQ/filtering and then sent back into the detector circuit.

you CAN get a “external key” input by using a TRS to 2x TS jack cable and only connecting your kick output to the “return” side of the 2x TS´s.

So, if it´s only “pumping”/ducking sidechain you´re after, get the 3630.

if you want a kickass, very compact and light leveller/compressor, get the RNLA. I love mine. :wink:

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gotcha! food for thought! thanks :slight_smile:

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Check out the OTO Machines Boum :slight_smile:

people keep recommending their stuff to me, but i’ve yet to enjoy any of the sounds, in demo videos at least. i tried :slight_smile: maybe i’ll have to try one in person. but thanks for the tip all the same.

Alesis at that price is a no brainer.

I own 2 x 3630s, they are harsh and do your sound no favours. I have used an fmr rnla and they sound amazing. The pumping french house sound of the 3630 gets tired fast. I just use them now as noise gates and dont let the compressor kick in.

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This is where I ended up with my 3630 as well.

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+1
Before a 3630 adds sauce or glue or any such subjective flavor it will degrade your signal. Back in the 90s you could call it “cost effective”, today I’m not even sure about that. FMR’s are a whole other level.

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I’ve had my RNLA for 8 years… it sounds great, good build quality, and does all the pumpy sidechain stuff I could ask for.

This is all really helpful, thanks y’all! I think I’m gonna get the FMR :slight_smile:

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Yeah I never understood the somewhat recent hype around the 3630, it wasn’t a hidden gem then or now, IMHO. One would probably get more use out of a cheap dbx since the compressor sounds better and is probably better suited for a variety of material.

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FMR. Bang for your buck

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Your comparing apples and oranges - the 3630 is a weird fx box, the RNC is a solid work horse compressor

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Gated drums don’t seem to be terribly in vogue at the moment but none of the FMRs will have a gate. That is something to consider. That said, I have an RNC that I’ve owned for something like 17 years now and it is rock solid. It’s great and I’m sure the RNLA is at least as good.

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You don’t like the compressor in the Digitakt? There’s a lot of sauce in there already.

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This is now an even more serious weapon in my studio after @AdamJay’s genius approach of hi-pass filtering it - major difference!

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