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Most compressors seem to have a "sound," and except for a few variables, I chose one for its inherent personality. Nowadays, outboard comps come equipped with multiple modes, exhibit numerous personalities and offer wildly varying tones. Foote Control Systems' P3S is a perfect example of this growing trend in premium hardware flexibility.
The VCA-based PS3 bus compressor has an abundance of features, although the unit actually has more versatility than these controls indicate; many of them interact profoundly in specific modes. The P3S takes the cake for extreme versatility: a novice may not be able to understand it, a journeyman will want days with it, and busy pros may be frustrated by needing more time to tweak while clients twiddle their thumbs. Users are likely to attempt a lot of tracking with it, too (not unlike my own Chandler Ltd. Germanium with its personalities and multiple signal paths). However, unlike my Germanium, this seemingly complex P3S is actually easy to use. There are enough legends and few enough controls for an experienced user to dig right in. Comparatively, I liked the P3S almost as much as my beloved Daking FET3 on mix buss; the P3S sounded a little woolier and thicker, while the FET3 was a little more crisp and forward.
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