The FMR RNP8380 is a solid preamp that works great; it has 2 channels with balanced XLR connectors. This preamp is very small and is made for a table top, it is not rackable. The gain range is 0-66dB with a clipping level of +27.5dBu. On the front of the preamp there are 12 ¼ inch HI-Z inputs that are made for your instruments. You can also switch off and on the phantom power easily on the front of the RNP8380, and you can see your levels with the 3 LED meters. UTILIZATION Using this preamp is easy; it comes with a well written manual to get you started. On the back of this preamp is where the rest of your inputs are, 2 XLR inputs for mics, 2 ¼ TRS insert points and 2 ¼ balanced outputs. SOUND QUALITY I have been using this preamp since 2009 and it has not let me down. I only use it for smaller projects because it does not have as many instrument inputs that I need to have but it stays here in my home studio at all times. The general set up process of the RNP8380 is quick and simple. I have used other FMR interfaces and products before and most of them are made well. They have not gave me a bad experience and they have great customer support in case you need help setting something up. OVERALL OPINION Overall this preamp is good but it is not the best you can get for the money. There are some really good interfaces out there and this one does not stand out over most of them. It is not a bad preamp at all, it is warm and quiet. But for the price there are a lot of other preamps that are just as good or better. Some of the other preamps you should consider are the MICO and some by Radio Design.
The FMR Audio PBC-6A is a single channel compressor, and is the newest that FMR Audio has to offer. It has both XLR and 1/4" connections and isn't in a traditional rack mountable case, as it is in a box about half the size. I have though, seen two units of this size made by FMR Audio in a custom rack. UTILIZATION If you've ever used a compressor before, you will be able to use the FMR Audio PBC-6A without a problem. It has pretty much all of the basic parameters associated with compressors. You've got knobs for drive, knee, attack, release, and output, as well as switches for 'thick' and bypass. It also has LED metering for gain reduction. Not too much else that you need to know about this unit, so unless you don't understand what these parameters do, a manual is not needed. SOUND QUALITY While a bit different than it's counterpart, the RNC (Really Nice Compressor), the FMR Audio PBC-6A has an overall very impressive tone. It is versatile as I've found it useful in just about every situation I've used it in. However, I do feel that you need to know this compressor in order to use it in the right spots, as it isn't for use with everything. It will hit your signal very hard! Of course you can back off a little bit depending on how you set the parameters, but in general this is a heavy compressor for sure... OVERALL OPINION When compared with the Really Nice Compressor, the FMR Audio PBC-6A isn't the same type of bang for your buck deal, but is nonetheless a very good deal. They set the bar very high with the RNC, which is probably the best deal on a compressor out there. Having said this, the PBC-6A comes quite close, as you're getting a top of the line compressor for around $500 USD. Absolutely worth looking into for both home and professional studio owners alike.
The FMR RNC 1773 is a stereo compressor with all the basic parameters (attack, threshold, ratio, release, gain) with side chain capabilities and a "secret weapon" type button that alters the style of compression. This unit can only be edited via the knobs on the face. This compressor is actually a hybrid digital/analog unit. Essentially all the controls are digital but it retains a 100% analog signal path. The only connections found on this unit are mono/stereo 1/4" inputs and outputs and the side chain input. The unit is actually quite small and is rackable. It appears you can actually fit three side by side in a 1U rack space. UTILIZATION The editing of the compressor is very easy and is all done via the 5 knobs and 2 push in buttons. If you are familiar with compression than this unit will be a breeze. If you are not familiar, than this, being how simple it is, would be a great place to start. The interesting parameter here is the "really nice" mode button. According to the manual, this mode actually uses three layers of compression to minimize the artifacts and "harshness" you can get with traditional compression. This mode is especially nice for using the compressor on a whole mix. The compression is very subtle and transparent in this mode and is really quite nice. SOUND QUALITY The main function I use this unit for is for my synthesizer mixer. I have several hardware synths that all run to a Mackie VLZ3 which mixes my synths down to a stereo channel that than goes to my RME Fireface 800 for my live performance. The music is on the electronica/dance side so I needed some side chain compression. I looked around and this is actually one of the cheapest compressors on the market but everyone was raving about it so I thought I'd give it a try. So it usually sits in between the mixer and the Fireface, but I have been experimenting with it on the whole mix, and I must say this is a way better compressor than I would have imagined. With the "really nice" mode engaged, there is virtually no coloration to the sound and the mix sounds so much tighter. I have used a couple different DBX models in the past, some of which actually cost more than this unit. I would need to do a side by side comparison to be sure, but I feel confident saying that the FMR is significantly better than any of the "Project 1" DBX's and at the same level or better than the 266xl I ran live sound with. OVERALL OPINION What I like most about this unit is....well everything. Excellent sound quality, it's super small and compact, it offers all the basic controls and side chaining (very important for me) with a ratio up to 25 to 1 db, and finally, it's one of the cheapest compressors on the market. You just can't go wrong. I expected to get a pretty decent sound out of this thing after reading several positive reviews, but I definitely underestimated it. The sound quality is indeed very good. I have used many hardware compressors including Avalon, DBX, Joe Meek, Alesis, and Behringer. This guy is no Avalon, no one would expect that, but it gives the DBX's I have used serious competition and blows the Alesis and Behringers away. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a quality all around compressor and has a small budget. In fact, I would recommend this to anyone who isn't looking to spend more than $800 on a compressor.
