Top rock drummer Matt Sorum, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 with Guns N’ Roses, is also an accomplished producer and owner of Drac Studios in Los Angeles, which is equipped with a dbx Professional 160A compressor/limiter as well as 162SL comp/limiter with AutoVelocity.
“I’ve used the dbx 160A since I can remember,” states Sorum. “It’s the workhorse compressor for me – it sounds great on kick, snare, electric bass and vocals. Its sound quality – that classic, even, musical compression we know and love and the fact that it can easily be adjusted from barely-there to a hard ‘squash’ make it perfect for the studio.
“Also, it’s a really tough piece of gear, specifically built to be roadworthy so I know I can depend on it when I go on tour.”
Sorum has also begun using the dbx 162SL. “I’m finding it to be an amazing stereo compressor. I use it on individual tracks, on a stereo drum bus mix or on an overall mix. It sounds fantastic in all of those applications and its simple control layout makes it easy to dial in a great sound no matter what I’m using it for. Simple, but effective.”
On the road, he also likes using a dbx 1074 QuadGate noise gate with a 162SL to get his distinctively punchy and powerful sound wherever he plays.
“Its four channels of noise gating have threshold, depth and release controls on each channel, along with a frequency-selectable filter, which makes the 1074 extremely versatile for getting my tom toms to sound just the way I like them.” Sorum explains. “It’s great for getting my tom toms to cut through a mix, and the sound engineers like the way it keeps the mic feeds clear and clean.”
