Alesis 3630 Compressor/Limiter/Gate

While it IS easy to use - the artifacts and circuit instability makes it virtually unusable.

- Compression artifacts (clicks/pops/assorted noises) abound - even at light settings.
- Affects sound quality of orignal signal even in BYPASS mode.
- Cannot handle signals at the +4dbU gain structure (although it has settings for both).

It is dependable from the fact that it is a consistently poor performer.

Alesis customer service is quite good, for the most part.

Pass on this one - you can do MUCH better for the same amount of money. Look at the RNC at this price point. Even Behringer comps outperform this loser....

Very easy. This was the first compressor unit I ever bought, and I learned all about compression by using this unit.

I have used this for recording every type of instrument and voice imaginable. I've used it for tracking and mixing. I have since collected many other units with more "musical" sound quality, but I still use the Alesis unit on a regular basis. I really love the noise gate. Sometimes I use the gate from this unit with the compressor from a different unit.

Super reliable. I've had it over 6 years with no problems.

don't know.

It's a great deal, it's solid, works like it's supposed to, and I still use it. I would buy it again. I like it better than the DBX 266XL and Behringer MDX4400, but not as much as the Bellari RP583. I guess you really get what you pay for when it comes to compressors.

Very straightforward, manual was adequate, but not great. Anyone with a basic knowledge of compression will have no trouble using this unit.

I use this in my home studio for a variety of compression applications. I have several other compressors, including ones by Presonus, DBX, and ART. For some uses I prefer this one over the others. Clean, very little coloration if used properly. The sidechain is especially useful for de-essing vocals when used with an EQ.

Very reliable. Two years of heavy use and not one problem...

I have a home/project studio where I record myself and many different styled local bands and individual artists. For some reason people trash the 3630 compressor, which I have never understood. I personally feel it is the best compressor in it's price range, and a great value for the money. Very "user-friendly" and versatile. EVERY compressor colors the sound a little, and the 3630 is no exception. However if you take the time to figure out how to use it properly, you'll find it's a great little compressor. The noise gate feature is the best and easiest one to use I have seen on ANY compressor.

a non tube sound. ok.

the manual made it very easy to use.

the Prosonus line is better then this though

Well on the scale of compressors this is chip based and not tube. So it is a chip sound. really a sound of crunch compression. much like a microphone tube is best and chip. . well is chip sounding. and this is that.

it is very easy to use. it is not as warm as i would want but what do you want for 100 bucks?

pretty realiable.

sure gig it. it is the cheep man stable compressor.

N/A never had to use it.

if you are looking for an electronic NON warm compressor this is it.
I have been playing since i was 13 (now 25) but using compression since 1996 and only have delt with alesis and prosonus. prosonus bluemax and apc 88 are much warmer to use and better features. for the bang for the buck get a prosonus blue max.

THIS UNIT IS VERY EASY TO USE. THE GATE/COMPRESSOR/LIMITER IS VERY WELL EXPLAINED IN THE USER MANUAL.

I AM RUNING A ROCKTRON GAINIC INTO A LEXICON MPX500 THAN I RUN ALL THAT INTO THE 3630. IT DOES A GOOD JOB MAKEING MY SETUP SOUND AT IT'S BEST.

I WOULD USE THIS UNIT IN ANY STAGE SETUP OR STUDIO PROJECT.

I HAVE NOT HAD TO DEAL WITH ANY SUPPORT TEAMS YET.

IF YOU WANT A GOOD COMPRESSSER/LIMITER/GATE THIS UNIT WILL DO THE JOB PERFECTLY.

This unit does it's job very well, for the price. The switchable input levels (+4 or -10) are nice for folks who have mostly balanced gear, but need the unbalanced option. The controls all make sense. I don't think I've ever read the manual.

Unlike a lot of other reviewers of this product, I haven't had a single instance of the clicking problem. I think that has to do with the setup and (especially) input level. It does what it's supposed to do, and I prefer it over my dbx 266xl. I've never used a high-priced compressor (not a hardware unit, anyway), so I can't make any comparisons there; however, for the price, it's not fair to put this unit up against a nice tube or optical compressor. But it is well worth the price.

I never really use the gates. I played with them a little when I first got it, enough to decide that yes, these are indeed noise gates. (I firmly believe the problems people report with the gates are due to improper input levels).

My first compressor was the Alesis Nanocompressor, which uses the SAME COMPRESSION CIRCUITRY as the 3630 (I say this as a clarification; the Nanocomp is really NOT a toy). I bought the 3630 based on the luck I had with the Nano.

I've had zero trouble with the unit. It's always ready and willing to do it's job whenever I need it.

I've never had to contact Alesis for any gear probs. The one time I did is when I needed to replace some buttons on my Studio 32 mixer (came form the factory with loose buttons). I got a full set of replacement buttons for the cost of shipping.

For a basic compression solution, this is a fine unit. There is a degree of high-end loss, but it's really not bad. I don't use it to master a mix, but for individual tracks (bass, vocals, drums, acoustic guitars) it's works well. I'd likely buy another one, and would recommend the 3630 as anyone's first compressor.

very user friendly......must be used at the correct impedence as sound quality is affected.

good sound quality for the money. ultimately it is slightly rounded at the extreem top end in effect mode, it does what it is supposed to do but when the sound is closely examined you will notice that it squashes the sound very slightly even in auto mode. the best thing i can say about it is i would'nt avoid using it because of its side affects: it always sounds pleasant which is credit to the unit because it now can be bought very cheaply. i would seriously consider whether it would be the right choice for an overall mix....you really need something special for this application,...unless of course youre not too fussy about the slight loss of air or youre after a low-fi sound. oh yes...it sounds quite nice on drum submixes if an obvious compression setting is used...perhaps due to the warmth of the extreem top!?

no promblems in about nine years or so! have used it in the studio, live p.a. and live recording.

no contact

if it was stolen i would try to go more upmarket but when i first started recording, sometimes everything would go through it and it didnt "hurt" the sound too much at all. for me now, for that kind of money, i think i would prefer it obviously effect the sound and use it as an obvious effect, instead i think it tries very hard to be pure sounding but ultimately isnt although it is very pleasant,tonally.

Well, within an hour or so a couple of us had pretty much figured out the basics of this unit without ever using a compressor before. We were mainly hoping to cut down on the overall "presence" of drums and other instruments and this unit seems to do the trick. I doubt very seriously though that we are utilizing the unit to its full extent though because we haven't even played with the settings since we first set it.

I really am impressed with the sound quality of the unit. The first use really seemed to cut back the volume of our band when drums and vocals entered, but with a minor adjustment that was corrected (we ran the drums through a channel by itself). Recently we recorded a demo with this unit and it made a great difference after recording without it for so long, when the drums or lead guitar came in it provided a smooth transition rather than the burst that we were used to.

So far so good with this unit (we've only had it a few months), but I suspect that it will hold us for quite some time. I've used it on a few gigs and it always works fine.

Never dealt with the company, but I doubt that it'll be needed.

We play pretty much every type of music on this unit and it works great for what we've needed. Basically it seems to pull the whole band together and not allow one instrument or voice to overpower everything else. I'd certainly buy another one, but I'll bet I could find a much better price. I'd really like to play around with it a little more, but it's so hard to get practice time as it is!

Took some time to set the dials, similiar to most compressors. I owned a nanocompressor and a dbx 266XL. Hard to get a good sound as compared to the other 2 compressors.

I used it primarily for smoothing out mic'ed acoustic guitars. It adds a boomy "sound" to the low end and kills the presence. Makes the sound very dull. I put a BBE sonic maximizer after the 3630 and that helped a lot. Then I took out the 3630 and the BBE and it sounds natural and good again. Therefore, I did not need it. The noise gate was very unnatural in the way it turned off and on even when the rate was maxed.

Rack mounted

e-mailed them about a software upgrade for a Midiverb a year ago and no response.

For mixdowns it changes the sound too much. I recommend anybody on a budget to save for a higher quality compressor like the 166 or a Composer pro (a little better). For individual instruments it is pretty bad. I don't play bass or drums so I don't know those. But for acoustic or electric guitars and mixdowns it is definatley not the best choice. I like the cheaper Nanocompressor more, which is not dual mono but sounds better with less discoloration. But it is real pretty looking if your into cool lights and such. I sold it and am saving for something better...not quite sure if I will get another compressor since I just use keyboards and guitars...

Cet appareil n'est pas tres complique a utiliser. Cependant, il est preferable d'avoir deja utilise un compresseur auparavant, d'autant plus que cet appareil s'adresse aussi aux professionnels.
Le "Noise Gate" tres simple d'utilisation (2 reglages). Donc, pour les connaisseurs, No Problemo.

Je n'ai fait qu'essayer cet appareil. Je suis guitariste et je joue sur une Ibanez S-1540FM et un ampli PEAVY ULTRA PLUS. Celui-ci me permet d'utiliser le 3630 en boucle d'effet.
Mon objectif etait d'accroitre le sustain et le niveau d'attack de ma distortion (Canal Ultra du Peavy Ultra Plus, distortion tres Metal).
j'ai essaye tous les reglages possibles et imaginables, je n'ai pas pu obtenir le moindre soupcon de compression.
En utilisant la touche Bypass, j'ai compare le son original avec celui traite : !!! AUCUNE DIFFERENCE !!! Meme avec le Limiter !!!
J'ai malgre tout obtenu quelque chose avec le NOISE GATE, qui permet de supprimer totalement les bruits de fond et les Larsens. Mais si c'est pour que le Noise Gate fonctionne tout seul, autant acheter un Noise Gate a part...
Donc en resume : COMPRESSOR/LIMITOR = 1/10
NOISE GATE = 9/10
J'attribuerai donc 5 points a cet appareil, uniquement pour son Noise Gate. It's Noise Gate is awesome but it's compressor/Limiter sucks !!!
LE 3630 N'EST PAS FAIT POUR LES GUITARISTES...

J'ai juste essaye cet appareil. Mais la personne chez qui je l'ai essaye l'utilise au moins depuis 8 ans. Il utilise le 3630 en rack dans son Home Studio pour les voix. A ce qui parait, ca marche du tonnerre. Et c'est solide aussi. Mais de mon point de vue de guitariste, ca m'est egal, puisque je n'acheterai pas le 3630.

Je n'en sait rien. Je ne connais aucun utilisateur ayant eu des problemes de services apres-vente.

Je fais de la guitare depuis 10 ans. Je joue principalement du Neo-metal en groupe (Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Deftones, Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, ...). Mais aussi du Blues et des solos comme les Guitar-Heroes (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, ...).
En Neo-Metal, j'utilise la distortion de mon ampli (PEAVY ULTRA PLUS).
C'est une distortion chaude et tres aggressive !!! Mais j'ai toujours senti qu'il manquait quelque chose, car j'ai un son tres "brut".
Il y a quelques temps, j'ai essaye une multi-effets (KORG A2) en boucle d'effets. J'ai essaye le compresseur : je n'avais jamais entendu ca !!! Ma distortion etait metamorphosee !!! Le niveau d'attack au maximum... ma distortion etait plus aggressive et mon jeu le plus aggressif du monde !!! Ca ressemblait comme deux goutes d'eau au son des DEFTONES sur AROUND THE FUR !!!
j'ai malheureusement du me separer de cet appareil (KORG A2). Depuis, je cherche un compresseur qui puisse remplir a nouveau cette fonction.
Et ce n'est surement pas le 3630 qui pourrait le faire...