20 Best 500 Series Compressor For Vocals (2023 Updated)

I have had C414’s and TLM model mics. I sold everything some years back and just had a AKG Perception 120. I wanted to get back into recording some original songs, I am mostly into Indie Rock, Pop and Folk and some progressive Rock and Blues.

I Recorded a couple tests with my AKG P120 and felt the set up was ok but lacking. After some research I decided to try a Sennheiser MK4. I checked reviews, comparisons and price, the Mic is currently on clearance and I felt at the lower price I would go for it.

Compared directly to the AKG P120 the MK4 is more sensitive, detailed and clear. The P120 might make a good back up mic but does not have the clarity of the Sennheiser MK4. The difference on vocals was noticeable but when I try an acoustic guitar I was able to hear a huge difference.

I am happy with the mic and the deal I got. This Mic is not as good as a AKG c414 or TLM but at barley over $200 on clearance it comes in at a 1/3 of the price of one of those mics used.

The microphone is exceptional. It has a warm sound, loads of bass response, but also a little boosting in the “air” frequencies. Over-all, it’s a very neutral sound. I intend to use it for recording classical double bass and string chamber music.

It will do exceptionally well for this purpose. It is very similar to the vintage version of a well-known microphone (C414) that share some design and function elements. It also does very well as a live mic for improving sound quality of zoom teaching.

I use this using my Zoom H4n as an audio interface to very good effect. Eventually I will upgrade my interface, and I expect a big improvement. A small note, this did NOT come with a pop filter as advertised.

The pop filter was listed in the title of, but not included in the list of contents.

I am a full time musician that also runs live sound part time. I have recently been looking at adding a few affordable mics to my rig for a backup to my main lineup (Sure SM58s and EV767s). After a great deal of scouring reviews, youtube videos, and forums, I bought an XM8500 to use for a female vocalist in one of my bands who lost her mic.

When I got it, I immediately plugged it into my PA and began AB testing against both a Shure SM58 and an EV767. I set all three channels exactly the same. Equal volume, same EQ, all across the board.

I expected very little from the Behringer despite the high reviews. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. Vs the 58, the Behringer actually won me over (no small feat, as the 58 is THE standard for a reason).

The XM8500 is about the same volume wise, but seems to pick up Mid-Highs better, and while it does have a bit more handling noise than the 58 (not unreasonably so), it is actually more open and does not have the close proximity muddiness of the 58.

VS the 767, it truly held it’s own. The 767 will always win the low end battle vs pretty much any 58 type dynamic mic, but the volume was respectable and the clarity on the top end was actually pretty close.

All in all, this is truly a hands down winner for a modest price. Behringer has made a truly budget friendly mic that will not disappoint live. I would not recommend using this microphone on instruments, mainly for the same reasons I would not recommend you use an SM58 on instruments.

There are simply many mics better suited to that job. That said, it’s not impossible by any standard. This is a vocal mic through and through, and I will be ordering more as the value of this microphone far exceeds the cost.

It even comes with cheaper but thoughtful foam lined case (not super sturdy, but will hold up if you treat it carefully). The case really sold me, because at this price point, most manufacturers would not even give you a zippered bag.

This is a no-brainer folks!.

I got one of these as part of the Postcaststudio USB kit years ago, and left it more or less in the box as I quickly opted to get back into gigging with some friends and needed more than that kit offered.

I recently started pulling components from the kit including the XM8500 mic. Now I own a stack of Nady Starpower SP-5 mics that have worked fairly well over the years, a Shure SM58 has been in the rotation as well.

And before anyone asks, NO this is NOT a Shure SM58 clone or anything like that. And to be fair, the Shure SM58 is no Behringer XM8500 either. They serve similar purposes, but where the Shure colors the vocals, the Behringer does so to a MUCH less extreme extent.

I have been using this mic, on and off now for the last 4 years, with no issues at all. Applications have been voiceover work for Youtube videos / podcasting, and backing vocals for an infrequent gigging (average 1 / month gigs) party band.

Perhaps if you are working on international tours through combat zones where the mic will be exposed to constant severe abuse, and the coloring of the signal that other mics do, or if you are the type that wants to impress others with the name brand logos on your stuff, you might want to step up your purchase to 5 times the cost and buy the Shure SM58 because, well that’s just the way we’ve always done it right? For the other 90% of us out there trying to make good music, and vocals, this is a fantastic mic that won’t break the bank.

Absolutely best bang for the buck. In my band, we have the mix of the Behringer, and Nady mics. We are upgrading the Nady’s to the Behringers and retiring the Nady mics to backup usage only.

I love this pedal. I play an Epi Les Paul Classic, into my pedalboard, and into a 90’s Peavey Bandit. The amp has a Jensen Mod soesker, not the original Scorpion speaker. The Bandit with this speaker has a great clean channel.

I’m a long time Fender guy. Strats and Teles. I like a clear, bright fundamental tone. I found myself compensating with the LP and using the bridge pickup a lot. But still not satisfied with the clean tones from the LP.

That changed when I put the Keeley Compressor Plus on my board. The conbination of the Blend control and the Tone knob gives me what I want. The Tone control is, to my ear, an exceptional circuit. I get the bright, clear tone I need and superb sustain.

This pedal is a godsend for playing slide. The compressor goes before my dirt pedals with beautiful results-1-. I use a Boss SD-1 overdrive and a Donner Dark Mouse – a Rat clone. I’m very impressed with this compressor.

I put all controls at about 12:00, which the manual recommends for humbuckers. Minimal tweaks from there to get what I want. I love that it doesn’t squash the life out of my pick attack. It is always on.

Works great with acoustic/electrics as well. Great, musical piece of gear. Well done, Mr. Keeley.

The Xotic SP Compressor is without a doubt a 5 Star product! For many years I used a 1953 Gibson ES 175 or 1966 Telecaster plugged into a MXR Dyna Comp and grew to appreciate the warm squash this device had to offer as I lost the taste for most all distortion devices on the market.

The Dyna Comp was a simple two knob device that squeezed my signal rather nicely to which I still have 3 of them floating about the house. I also have the more expanded version, MXR Limiter dating from the early 80s that also does a nice job modifying my signal.

The only initial down side to the Dyna Comp was a little bit of noise. However the real down side to the old Dyna Comp was sometime in the early 90s, after Dunlop acquired ownership of the MXR Product, decided to reduce the cost of production by having all the jacks, pots, and switch connected directly to the PC Board via solder bath.

Not only did this process of assembly affect the durability of this classic old compressor, it also compromised the tone and performance of a one great pedal. The vintage Dyna Comps wired point to point are far superior product.

If you have one, keep it! In the wake of the cheapening of the Dyna Comp came the Keeley Compressor. I bought a Keeler Compressor somewhere around 10 years ago a noticed an improvement in performance over my old Dyna Comps with less noise.

And with going into great detail, every guitar, from my old 1951 L5 to any of my old Fender sound great through this compressor. So now a new and somewhat revolutionary compressor has hit in the market by way of the Xotic SP.

These guys are making some of the best pedals that I?ve run across in years. By the time I got my SP I was already the proud owner of an EP Booster and SL Drive. To later I have to say it is the only distortion that has come out in the last 30 years with a decent sounding tone that does not narrow the bandwidth of your signal path.

Not to mention these pedals just happen to be the cutest looking signal devices on the market. What really makes the SP Compressor outstanding is the 3 position Hi/Mid/Low switch. The versatility to this pedal via of this switch is just amazing.

In the Hi mode I can match the performance of my Keeley and Dyna Comp compressors for Jazz applications. However, I have taken using the Mid position for a great Blues/Rock tone. In this position the pedal allows me to play over the top of the compressor for soaring highs.

This works in great combination with my 1960 Telecaster with Barden pickups. Anyway, I highly recommend the Xotic SP Compressor with its advantage in versatility over other compressors on the market.

And here?s the bonus, this pedal is priced about $100 less than the Keeley. My hat?s off to you folks at Xotic for manufacturing a fantastic compressor at an affordable price that will thousands of guitar players sound better and better.

Now if you can reinvent the Sola Sound Tone Bender in one of these small bud boxes, that would be fantastic!.

I’d been trying to justify getting a condenser mic for a long time, I record between 3 and 10 minutes of audio a day on a battery powered 661 and had been using a Dynamic P3s but the handling noise was getting on my nerves.

Added to that Dynamics are fine and have their advantages such as no need for power, but I was after a wider pickup and for that you’re really looking at a Condenser – I was wary of a large diaphragm as I have no intention of moving past my 661 and phantom on a battery recorder was always going to be an issue for me due to my personal takes on power management with my particular recorder.

When I discovered the C1000s it ticked all the boxes. Condenser, small diaphragm so less likely to blow out/damage than large diaphragms, the internals are rubber mounted which helps with handling noise and it runs on its own batteries.

It took a long time to justify the cost but am pleased with the mic, it covers everything I wanted it to and I regularly forget to switch it off but it doesn’t seem to have an adverse effect on the battery life, which is rated for 120 hours but I left it on for five days and it is still working on that set of batteries.

5 month into the astounding aural improvement that this EXCELLENT center speaker has brought to my already fine home theater set up. I waited to see if there were any negatives, & there are none. The center speaker it replaced was very nice, but dated (Advent).

This one elevates the experience to the point where it is hard to imagine it getter better. Also makes for a fine solely audio experience. Visitors have been surprised, as they thought the previous experience outstanding.

Other reviews correctly point out that the dialog in a movie is crystal clear and more understandable even when multiple conversations are going on. SPECIAL NOTE: measure the area you plan to put this to make certain it will fit.

This beast is also heavy! I’d be careful that any stand being used can take the weight. Well worth the $$$$! We are not talking loud, we are talking quality sound. The bass almost replaces a sub-woofer, in my case it augments the sub.

I bought one of these to replace a center channel speaker from “another” manufacturer. In a 5. 1 system that has 2 older JBL professional studio monitors for the fronts, a Klipsch SPL100 sub and a pair of R41Ms in back.

The new center channel is amazing, opening up the sound stage and increasing clarity (especially dialogue) at the same time. Also hands off the bottom end to the sub so smoothly it’s almost like they were made to go together! Driving them with a new middle-of-the-line Denon 5.

1 receiver, 100W per channel will play louder than I want to listen to in a big living room, which leaves plenty of headroom in the amp for the big hits like sound effects, drum beats and live piano.

Fast transients never sounded better. The only “problem” is that the JBLs, some of the most accurate speakers I’d ever heard when I bought them years go, now sound a little edgy during loud sound effects by comparison.

It’s hard to tell if it’s the speakers or the amp that’s getting stretched but the JBLs were always power hungry, so my money is on the amp. I’ve got a feeling a pair of RP61Ms are in my future. What they are not is beautiful.

Very clean, simple design that doesn’t call attention to itself, and blends in to the room, which is just how I like them. If you want “furniture” that looks as good as these sound, you’re going to have to spend a lot more money.

This speaker is something to behold. Before even mentioning audio, the build quality is impressive. MDF wood wrapped in an elegant ebony flavored wood veneer, it works excellently in any type of home environment and decor.

As for audio, it is crisp and it is clear. Performance was incredible when at higher volumes. It was loud (like, really loud), and it still maintained clarity. Yes, feeding this speaker with more wattage will increase performance (rms is 150w).

My Denon AVR-S960H is rated at only 90w per channel and it still performed fantastically. Even with some receivers at 70w, this thing comes to life. but, if you’re spending this much on a speaker, why buy a receiver at that low of an output when there are other options out there.

Audio is very clear thanks to the tweeter, and it’s supported at lower sound levels by the 4 speakers integrated into the enclosure. It is a ported speaker some make sure it has some space to breath, otherwise it may affect its performance.

It won’t ruin the experience by any means, but for audio fanatics, it’s something to keep in mind. The magnetic front cover is really nice as well. Strong material build and a nice fabric. It was oddly comfortable to the touch.

I might be weird for that but oh well, life goes on. If you have a budget for this level of speaker, I can comfortably say to “look no further. ” You want great movies with vocal quality, it’s got you.

You like rock, you’re covered. Rap, hip hop and music with bass, you’re good to go. It ain’t a subwoofer by any means, but this thing is an absolutely excellent choice and it can tackle about anything you throw at it and looks bougie and classy while doing it.

It’s a triple win. And that will conclude my TedTalk, you’re welcome.

I had purchased an SM58. went home and tried it out and found it to be rather muddy in response. Put it to you this way I didn’t appreciate how my voice sounded on it. Was worried that it would be difficult to find a good mic that would be suitable for my voice.

Looked up many reviews and finally came down to purchasing my first Sennheiser. Well, this baby makes my voice pop and I actually feel more confident as I sing through the e 945! It really sounds so clear and amazing.

actually gave myself goosebumps haha! I love the fact that it’s professional to match my new PA system and mixer. If you’re in doubt about which vocal mic to choose. I highly suggest this bad boy! This mic definitely deserves a great review! Thank you Sennheiser and Guitar Center for making this such a wonderful purchase!.

Pro’s Well made all metal housing. Everything works as advertised. Easy to setup and easy to use (download and install the drivers from Behringer 1st). I’m on PC running windows 10. Signal quality and adjustability has been good for what I have done so far.

electric guitar, acoustic guitar and vocals. Working fine with my DAW (Reaper) Con’s The instruction booklet is terrible. Fortunately this unit is popular and there are many instructional video’s online.

Summary: Great features and quality for the price. I got the 204 (2in 4out) because I wanted the dedicated midi in/out (on the back of this unit) so I could connect electronic drums into the daw or drum machine and then back to the drum kit (so I can utilise sound library’s).

If you dont need that feature then you might save some $ by getting the 202 (2in 2out).

The saying – It just sounds better with the pedal on – is applicable here. If your a tone freak this pedal is for you. I sold my Mini Ego to get this and I dont regret it. The ego is a quality compressor and is the best I had used until I got this one.

Ive used various Electro Harmonix, TC electronics, Wampler, and Boss compressors. This pedal will please those players who like to leave their compressor on all the time, like me, or the ones who turn it on and off and change the settings for different songs.

There is no tone knob on this. because you dont need it. The compression sound is perfect wherever the amount is set. The dry mix knob allows you to blend your uncompressed guitar with the compressed.

For me this means i can get the sustain without loosing any of my tone – attack, low end, etc. It allows you to have a wide range of compression for very little to as squishy as you want. The noise in most compressors has been an issue for me.

This one is much better IMO. You can use this with both clean and dirty tones. Both sound great. The build quality on this pedal is excellent. Theres no click for the on/off switch- very nice. The indicator light is very helpful on the amount of compression.

There isnt a cheap part on these pedals. The knobs are very smooth andclearly are top shelf quality. Dont be afraid to spend the extra money on this thing, its worth every penny.

The beringer is very useful for its price and does a good job with many outputs and four inputs. The monitor button is very useful when it comes to recording, though I have yet to use any DAW software since the UMC204HD does not include any.

I will try to record some instrument in my spare time with the right software though. I use the UMC204HD mainly as a DA/ soundcard for my computer right now, although I’ve also used it to rerecord my old vinyl into flac files.

I also plan to do sound measurements to test speakers using REW software, so this maybe a good buy.

Milwaukee’s 2 gallon compressor is a huge upgrade from your corded compressors on the market. First off it is powered by M18 batteries, which removes the hassle of needing an outlet to power the compressor.

It is more quiet compared to other compressors at only 68 decibels. The compressor is designed to be carried to and from the job site very easily with well placed handles and the compressor only weighs 31.

25 lbs. On a full charge you can shot up to 1,600 18 gauge brad nails. The tool uses a single turn regulator for easy use and you can charge the compressor to a max PSI of 135 PSI. It is oil free and uses a 1/4 connector for your hose.

I have everything cordless in my tool collection so I didn’t buy this compressor to run nailers or other tools. I mainly purchased this nailer as a means to clean my tools after a day on the job. Using an air pistol, the compressor makes tool clean up easy and convenient.

I like to keep a clean work area and at the end of the work day I always clean my work areas and tools and this compressor does what I need to wrap up the day. I have used the compressor on a few occasions to inflate car tires.

This tool is very quiet compared to my old pancake 2 gallon corded compressor and much easier to carry. It is also designed to sit right on top of your packout making it even easier to carry to and from the job site.

I did test out the compressor with my old trim nailer and I did a full day of work doing trim and on one 5. 0 battery, it lasted the whole day. Overall good design and functional!!.

This little air compressor was the key to me finally being totally cordless. I’m an industrial technician by trade and an extreme DIYer so I already have an extensive Milwaukee line-up already. A reliable air supply with a tank for surge purposes was the only tether I had because even an inflator can only air up a tire it can’t seat one on a bead or blow anything off.

This little thing fills that gap 100%. Now if you’re trying to run a 1/2″ impact or even a full-size nail gun on a job you’re gonna be sadly disappointed in this it will not accomplish it efficiently but like me I have the M18 impacts, nailers, and staplers so I don’t need it for any of those just like the circular saw, Sawzall, and die grinders as well.

But try to seat a lawn mower tire with an inflator it’ll never happen but with a 2 gallon tank at 130 psi no problem even a 15″ rim trailer tire easy peasy. Working on a tractor and need to blow something off real quick before taking it apart absolutely perfect.

Previously a air tank and an inflator was the only viable alternative not anymore. It gets 10 out 10 for me I have used it probably 25 times in the couple months I’ve had it and has performed flawlessly everytime and I only use it with 6.

0 and 8. 0 batteries. I highly recommend this and you won’t be disappointed unless if you have unrealistic expectations.

Milwaukee scores again. I spent 47 years in the construction business with 4 gallon and 17 gallon compressors that have stood the test of time. I am hopeful that this compressor will live up to the great experience that I have had with Milwaukee tools, for generations.

I do question the need for a battery operated compressor vs electric, but none the less, I am impressed at the portability as well as how quiet the unit is. I purchased it specifically to inflate E rated 80 psi tires while on the road in case of an emergency when there would not be be electric available by the roadside.

It has handily topped off large backhoe tires. I am not expecting it to be able to handle high output tools as it was not designed for that. I can see it being an asset when doing remodeling in an owner occupied home.

The quick connect air fitting is a nice touch.

I bought this set because I had my SM58’s stolen days before a karaoke gig and didn’t have the money to replace them. I wasn’t expecting too much from them, but apart from needing slightly different EQ settings on the mixer I didn’t notice the difference.

I’ve had cheap oriental SM58 knock-offs before that I though were ‘OK’, but these were an order of magnitude better. I’m sure that if I was doing studio recordings they wouldn’t cut muster, but for use as a DJ microphone, karaoke mic or even band vocals they would be ideal, if you can get over the 10-a-mic price tag.

One professional singer who’s tried them noticed i had new mic’s and said she thought they sounded really nice. Given the choice, I’d prefer my SM58’s but at nearly ten times the price they are only slightly better, so the bang-for-buck of the XM1800’s is excellent.

The microphones came in a good quality case that also houses the microphone stand clips. The case is rugged and should stand reasonable levels of abuse. Only time will tell how fragile the microphones are in use – I doubt they will stand the abuse that SM58s do, but at a tenner a shot I’m not going to worry about that! So, in conclusion, if you don’t have magic ears and need the best available regardless of cost then these are good entry level microphones.

If you’re doing studio recordings or do have magic ears then you’d probably be better off with a R0de NT1 condenser microphone or better, so you wouldn’t be looking at SM58’s in the first place. Will I be replacing my SM58’s? Yes, of course I will.

But the XM1800s will do for a while and then for backups or if I’m doing karaoke with a roomful of wannabe Tom Joneses.

We always use SM58s when gigging, however we never go anywhere without our standby Behringers. They are fantastic and great value for money and deliver every time. I have used these microphones for 14 years and have purchased many sets of three! I use them for our extensive rehearsals and ;leave them set up at all times.

They must be great as people keep stealing them LOL. I don’t know of any other microphone that comes near the pound for pound value that they offer. Another great feature is that you always get the Microphone brackets included in the pack and the carry case is very user friendly when packing for gigs.

In short when I had to renew last time I purchased a box of three Behringers before I renewed my SM58s. THE WES PAUL BAND!.

I received this pedal as a gift from my bro for my 50th birthday last year and to say it was exactly what I wanted, is a total understatement. I had recently purchased a Fender Blues Jr. III amp that I use live but as you may (or may not know) the overdrive in a FBJR is a tad on the bluesy side (well, duh!).

Because the band I’m in runs the gamut of rock tunes, I require slightly bluesy overdrive to more 80s metal sounds and everything in between. I went on a quest to find the right overdrive/distortion pedal and nothing was cutting if.

I finally settled on something else when Wampler’s Sovereign Distortion Pedal literally Dues Ex Machina’d the whole thing and saved my sound! Yes, it’s on the expensive side but it’s a boutique pedal, so you know what you’re getting into price wise.

The fact that I didn’t have to pay for it, was a blessing certainly, but now knowing how good it is, I would have bought one anyway had I been able to try one out. Trust me, I tried a ton of pedals (on rental at my local pro shop and went back every couple of days saying “Nope, what else you got?”) looking for that right one and was always close, but not close enough.

The pedal is well made, features a satisfying crunchy engaging click and has enough knobs to dial in a multitude of sounds. If you’ve got a bright guitar, there’s a switch for that, if you’ve got a not so bright guitar, there’s a switch for that! The Mid Behaviour control allows you to subtly arrive at just the right tone – and you really have to see the difference it makes shifting a bit to the right or left.

It’s touchy but in a good way. Same goes for the Tone control. Crank the Gain all the way and you’ll be at that satisfying 80s hard rock / metal sound. Bright, punchy and cutting. Watch some videos on it and see if it’s the pedal you’re looking for.

Worked wonders for me!.

Revamping a stage rig, second Wampler product I’ve bought in a few weeks. Very pleased with construction, control layout and sound. Using the Ego to add a little sweet sustain to an analog to Fender amp signal chain,used for variety pop – rock, funk, jazz, country, whatever.

With attack and blend almost all the way down and sustain and tone dialed relatively high I get a very natural attack from Gibson and D’Angelico hums and Strat single coils, while adding a long tail sustain with some nice sparkle.

I leave it on most of the time now for anything except fingerstyle jazz when I need a more percussive sound. Works great with the blend turned way up into a heavy squash for funk rhythm and country chicken-pickin’.

Can’t speak to longevity, I’ve only had it on three gigs and one session so far, but it seems solid. Not noisy, no tone-suck unless you dial it in that way.

Size: The pedal is dead small so very easy to take with you to gigs or stash away in the drawer when you aren’t using it. Features: The built in reverb/echo/delay is great and very adjustable. The memory function is great.

Easy enough to switch to a saved setting, although I do wish the actual button was bigger so I could switch to another memory mid song. Sometimes you want different harmonies on different sections. The bypass pedal is great.

Very easy to tap whilst playing. Auto-Harmonist: I bought this pedal specifically for this function. The harmonies definitely sound more natural and fit in with the song better because it follows the chords you are playing.

But, I tend to use unconventional chords and I felt that the harmony struggled sometimes. Without the auto-harmony it was more difficult to keep the harmonies in tune. If you stray even slightly, it sounds terribly out of tune.

Variety: I liked being able to switch between whatever harmonies I wanted. Unison, a third above or below etc. I did find however, it always sounds best when you use two harmony lines instead of one.

The flaws are too obvious when just using one. You have to be so so precise. I found that less is more with this device. I balanced the sound very much in favour of my lead vocal with the harmonies reasonably quiet in the background to compliment the lead.

Overall I’m very happy with the purchase and would recommend it as it gives your performance that something extra. PMT were great. Delivered right on time and very quickly. Not issues whatsoever.

I lead worship services on guitar and have 20 years as a professional classical singer. Because I occasionally lead a service by myself, I thought this might be a useful tool for adding some richness to a song.

I found on simple, single-key pieces, it chose well about 85% of the time, which is probably fine. If the piece was more complicated, it would often scramble and choose a sour note, or just struggle to stay in tune, singing the minor third in a major triad, for example.

It also seems to think singing the flat seventh of any chord is a reasonable choice, and sometimes it isn’t. If you’re a singer-songwriter doing mostly three- and four-chord songs where it’s more about the writing than anything else, this could be a very cool piece of equipment in your arsenal.

If you’re looking for spot-on perfection in performance, this isn’t worth it. You won’t be happy and it won’t do what you want it to do. If you’re considering using this in a band context, stop considering that immediately :).

The natural differences between tuning for multiple instruments will just make any mistake the box makes harsher and will ruin whatever you’re trying to do. That said, there’s probably a performance art piece or experimental use for it by plugging in an electric guitar but not amping it and telling the box you’re singing one thing, then having it try to harmonize with you.

Could be very trippy and cool. I am saying I’d recommend it, because I would. if you’re a four-chord singer/songwriter.