moosers
Published on 12/06/09 at 17:00
The RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is a vintage dynamic processor that is simple in make up and very rare. This is an analog compressor and is one that is quite large and bigger than most out there. I'm not sure about the connections that the BA6A has since the one that I have used was already racked up in the studio that I used it at. The unit will fit in a traditional rack, but does take up about four or five spaces.
UTILIZATION
The make up of the RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is incredibly easy to understand and learn how to use. It has only some basic parameters as there isn't anything too complicated about using this. The BA6A has knobs for input, meter, balance limit, and output. There is a handy meter that will measure a few different things depending on how you set the parameter for it. Since this is such an old piece of gear, it would be hard to find a manual for this unless you found one online. I don't think that one would be necessary anyway as it is easy enough to figure it out on its own.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality of the RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is absolutely top notch. While it doesn't have a clean sound like a lot of the compressors made today, where it lacks in clarity it makes up with grittiness. It really depends on what kind of sound you are going for, but I find the BA6A to be helpful in all sorts of situations. While some engineers probably wouldn't like the grit that this has to offer, when used in the right situation this compressor can really shine. If you have access to one and are wondering what to try it with, I would recommend trying it on any and everything as I think it is versatile in the right setting.
OVERALL OPINION
While the RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is very hard to find as I've only seen one of them ever, if you are interested in vintage compressors, this one is a must see. I don't know their availability in terms of getting one used, but I would think it would be hard to buy one and if you could it would cost a pretty penny. For this reason I can't say I would recommend seeking one out, but if you are ever in a studio that has one of these on hand, this is a helpful compressor in all sorts of situations and is one that has a ton of character.
UTILIZATION
The make up of the RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is incredibly easy to understand and learn how to use. It has only some basic parameters as there isn't anything too complicated about using this. The BA6A has knobs for input, meter, balance limit, and output. There is a handy meter that will measure a few different things depending on how you set the parameter for it. Since this is such an old piece of gear, it would be hard to find a manual for this unless you found one online. I don't think that one would be necessary anyway as it is easy enough to figure it out on its own.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality of the RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is absolutely top notch. While it doesn't have a clean sound like a lot of the compressors made today, where it lacks in clarity it makes up with grittiness. It really depends on what kind of sound you are going for, but I find the BA6A to be helpful in all sorts of situations. While some engineers probably wouldn't like the grit that this has to offer, when used in the right situation this compressor can really shine. If you have access to one and are wondering what to try it with, I would recommend trying it on any and everything as I think it is versatile in the right setting.
OVERALL OPINION
While the RCA BA6A Compressor/Limiter is very hard to find as I've only seen one of them ever, if you are interested in vintage compressors, this one is a must see. I don't know their availability in terms of getting one used, but I would think it would be hard to buy one and if you could it would cost a pretty penny. For this reason I can't say I would recommend seeking one out, but if you are ever in a studio that has one of these on hand, this is a helpful compressor in all sorts of situations and is one that has a ton of character.