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Title: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on July 24, 2006, 10:38:22 PM
I suspect most of you have seen and/or heard the sub-$200 silvery M300 effects processor from TC Electronic. To flesh out their affordable line they've recently introduced the C300, a dual compressor/gate with the same 1U form factor and set-and-forget multi-knobbed user interface. Naturally, I had to play with one, so I called up TC and asked if they had any to spare. A week later, lo and behold, I received a small package.

The basic concept looks like this:
http://www.campuspa.com/images/c300/c300.jpg
(If you want to see a photo of the back, look here)

There's two channels of that, either of which can be a gate or a compressor. Choose a preset, set your threshold and ratio, and that's pretty much it. Like the M300, the unit purposefully takes some control out of the hands of the operator in favor of easy and rapid use.

Don't let the simplicity or the low price fool you, however. First of all, in most of the modes this is a multi-band compressor. You heard me right. Not only that, it's got the same flexible routing as the M300... it can operate in dual mono mode, or serial mode with the channels linked in stereo. This one unit can therefore be a pair of comps, a pair of gates, an awesome kick channel gate->comp, a subgroup dual comp, or any variation thereof. With only 1.56 msec of latency you're not even going to notice it's digital.

So enough about the unit, let's talk about my show. B rig went out with me on Saturday, and I did the whole how-much-can-I-pack-in-a-car trick. Turns out it's quite a lot, but there wasn't much room left over for additional processing or EQ racks. C300 to the rescue. I was pleasantly surprised to find the thing's shallower than a MixWiz, so I can rack it right up in my SKB popup case and even leave the cables in! Heck, if I didn't need that top rack space for my monitor EQ, I could rack up two and have all the comp/gate I need for that rig, ready to go at a moment's notice.

I was working for a cover band that I've mixed in the past on other people's rigs. Simple setup at a Jillian's in Albany, which venue was kind enough to clear us lots of space and provide 4 20a outlets. Here's what FOH looked like:
http://www.campuspa.com/images/c300/mixwiz.jpghttp://www.campuspa.com/images/c300/show.jpg

I split out the two vocal channels and compressed each one. Took me about 10 seconds to set up. Male vocal preset, threshold at -30dBFS, 3:1 ratio, 6dB of makeup, go! This was a little cushier than real combat audio (OK, I'm kidding, this was easy as hell) but I still appreciated the design of the unit. Very readable, even in the dark. The preset selection switch has a satisfying detent at each position. The meters are large and easy to read... I never had problems determining how much "squish" I was applying, or seeing if I was getting close to clip (which I never did).

The show went beautifully. It wasn't exactly a critical listening test, but the C300 made it easy to keep levels under control and even when I was taking 12dB off my vocalists it didn't sound strained. There was plenty of clarity and the signal still sounded dynamic, even though I knew it wasn't. I literally didn't touch either channel of the C300 after my 5 second adjustment at soundcheck. Easy, breezy, beautiful.

So I've just boxed up and sent off this unit to Evan Kirkendall, who's going to really beat it up and see what he thinks. At barely more than the price of a new 266XL, it's a bunch more processor and it sounds better too. I'm sorry I didn't try it as a kick channel strip, since I think the gate->comp package in one RU would really have blown me away. Fortunately, I wasn't exactly lacking in punch, so it was great on vocals.

I think this product is a real winner at many levels. For the weekend warrior who just needs a comp that sounds good, the price is certainly right. But for advanced users, it's got a lot of power under the hood and has the added advantage of digital I/O.

If you want to read more about what each preset does, that's available on page 14 of the manual, which is available here.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bud Bolf on August 09, 2006, 08:31:13 AM
Hi Bennett,
 Thanks for the Road Test, I missed it and thought that you got busy.
Eric pointed me to the right place, "Here".
Your review looks good.
As a Weekend Warrior, the C300 might do me some good.

Thanks,
   Bud
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on August 09, 2006, 11:06:51 AM
Bud Bolf wrote on Wed, 09 August 2006 08:31

As a Weekend Warrior, the C300 might do me some good.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm buying two. That and a short 4-channel insert snake is all that stands between me and B-Rig Rock 'n Roll.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Adam Whetham on August 09, 2006, 02:16:47 PM
Wow... This looks to be great for those last minute gigs that they don't tell you anything until you get there...

This should make Flying by the seat of your pants alot more enjoyable!
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on August 09, 2006, 04:36:35 PM
Bennett sent the C300 down to me a few weeks ago. Sadly, Ive only had it out to 1 gig and it was a pretty crappy venue. However, I did use it on kick and was quite happy with the results. I ran it in parellel mode with the gate first then the comp. I was pretty impressed with that this thing could do. It does a much better job then the 266xl. I like the gate a lot more, however the gate does have some click to it on it's fastest setting. It was only noticeable in the phones though. The comp section was pretty smooth and kept the channel out of clipping.

But, on a noisy stage with the bass amp 2' from the kick mic it did a great job. I cant wait to get it out to more gigs. I really want to see what this thing can do.

Ill post some pics of the unit soon as well.


Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on August 17, 2006, 03:52:22 PM
More, as promised:

I still haven’t had a chance to get it out of the house much, but it's done 2 gigs on kick.

Anyway, gig 2 with it was much easier. Now that I know how to use it, I was much quicker with setting it. I worked it hard too! I was running the input on it all the way up to "-3" and I even managed to clip it from time to time. Didn’t sound like it was being pushed though. Even when you hit “overload” there was no auditable distortion.  

I also experimented with the gate some more. Using a slower attack gets rid of the clicking, but you also lose some of the attack when used on kick. Basically, it couldn’t keep up with double basing. So, I’m just running it on its fastest setting. However, the gate is a lot better then the dbx 266xl's gate. Since this is a multi band comp, the gate is also limited to whatever setting you run it on. When I ran the 266xl on the kick the snare would make the gate open. This does not happen with the C300. The gate only opens when the kick hits. That was something I really like about the unit.

Onto the comp section: I haven’t played around with this too much, but again, comparing it to the 266xl, the c300 wins. I run my kick channel hot, and the 266 wouldn’t catch all the peaks. My kick channel would clip from time to time, even though the 266 was comping. The C300 doesn’t let a peak by! I didn’t clip the kick channel once during both times I used it.


More coming soon! I plan on using it on lead vocals, toms and bass guitar over the next few gigs. Ill be running it against my 1046.

But wait, how about some pictures?

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e194/HarfordSound/C300front.jpg

Its a very shallow unit! The C300 is about 3" smaller then the 266xl. This is great if you dont have a very deep rack to work with.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e194/HarfordSound/C300knobs1.jpg

Everything is very well labeled! Just flip the big knob to what you plan on using it for, set the threshold and go! Its very easy to use and is basically idiot proof.

Also, notice the routing switch. It can be run as 2 seperate units, or 1 gate/comp with the flip of a switch.


Ive got to upload the rest of my pics still. So, more coming later this afternoon!


Evan

PS- If you have an M300 efx unit, dont mount the 2 right next to each other. I found myself chaning the comp. settings instead of the efx from time to time. Very Happy
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Rickk Kreuzer on August 19, 2006, 07:15:18 PM
Gentlemen-

Thank you both for your reviews! I've been intrigued myself with this product. I've been thinking of going a different route and getting rid of my Presonus ACP88, which I've been for the most part happy with, but now have a bit more real estate in my rack which has me rethinking some things.

Price point is quite compelling. Glad to hear that it's decent TC stuff. Have either of you messed with the M300 yet?

Rickk
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on August 19, 2006, 09:05:24 PM
Yep. We both have the M300's. They are great units as well.

PM me if you have any questions.




Thanks,
Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on August 31, 2006, 01:33:38 PM
I just (well, a couple of days ago, but I've been busy) finished a one week festival gig that really took my system to the limits and let me explore a little better the capabilities of the C300.

The show was a 400 capacity "talent tent" at a local county fair that we packed each day. 3 completely different shows and 5 show times from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. or so, Monday through Sunday. A talent search in the morning with vocalists, guitarists, track acts, and pianists. A quick break for lunch, followed by (depending on the day) a mariachi band, Vocal Trash (a percussion and singing act from Texas), Taylor Ware yodelling, a fashion show, and/or several gospel rock groups. If you look closely you can almost see the PA I brought:
http://campuspa.com/images/dutchess/index-Thumbnails/0.jpghttp://campuspa.com/images/dutchess/index-Thumbnails/5.jpg

What I'm trying to say is that I used the compression sections of the C300 on an extremely wide variety of signal sources, with zero soundcheck or setup time for each act and no possible expectation for consistency between vocalists or instrumentalists. The on the fly adaptability of the C300 really came in handy here... depending on who grabbed what mic for what source, I had the ability to select a preset with a quick flip of a knob and then adjust my threshold and output gain to get an appropriate amount of squeeze on each source. Easy as pie.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find how transparent the C300 is even when you're not watching it and your vocalists starts using the mic like they should have 5 minutes ago, the only indication that you're taking 20dB off them is the meter on the device. Extremely transparent, very well thought out presets that really help tame different types of source material and a simple user interface make this box my new go-to for generic mostly-analog-realm compression. Even the metering is a little closer to "pro" than one might expect, with separate overload indication plus threshold for each channel. That, combined with 6-segment LED ladders for input dBFS and gain reduction make it simple to tell what's going on inside the device. I'll say it again: give it a try, it takes the pants of anything else even near the price point, with the exception of the FMR RNC which isn't quite as user-friendly.

Here's a few more shots of the C300 sitting in my FOH rack:
http://campuspa.com/images/dutchess/index-Thumbnails/7.jpghttp://campuspa.com/images/dutchess/index-Thumbnails/10.jpg
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Karl Bader on September 03, 2006, 01:54:28 AM
Evan,

Did you ever put this particular comp on more important channels like vocals? I'm curious from more than one point of view how it was. I've seen it, just haven't used it. I'm one of those guys who would rather have no compression than a crappy comp. So far I have not been impressed with DBX's stuff the 166s new or old, I think the 1046s are ok... How does it rate compared to them? Or even up to the higher end comps? Would they be something for an A rig? How rider acceptable do you all see these things? Also what happens when pushed really hard? Do they crap out or are they pretty steady?

Also, Evan, you stated that you used it as a gate, and you compared it to a DBX266xl's gating function? How does it compare to other gates? ie, Valley People, Drawmer, BSS, etc.?


Thanks,

Karl
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on September 03, 2006, 09:30:05 PM
HI Karl,
I've used the C300 on lead vocals 1 time so far. It did a very good job. I ran the input hot to see how it handled. I was hitting the Overload light a few times and didnt even hear it. I was also comping very hard. As bennett says its very transparent.

I'd say its on par with the 1066 and will blow the 166/266 away.

Gate wise. I dont have anything better yet, so I wouldnt know.

Overall, I'd say its a great comp for the money. Im not in any rush to buy one though. They are new on the market, so I dont think ryders will have them yet, but who knows what the future holds...


Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on September 04, 2006, 11:03:40 AM
I was so impresssed with the review I ran out and bought two of these widgets.

So far I've assigned them kik gate, snare gate, bass comp, money channel comp.

I concur with the bass amp 2' from the kik mic.  I was able to gate the kik adeqautely and keep the resonance out of the mic, at the same time preserving some klick.

My biggest surprise was bass guitar compression.  Normally I'd lose the very bottom or the fret noise trying to comp a bass down with a 1046.  A few tweeks on the C300 bass guitar preset and I've got nice up bass 'air' and solid rumble.

Besides, the light show is cool, put a pair together in a rack, you'll look like the mad scientist you know you want to be.

Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Corey Painter on September 05, 2006, 02:17:01 AM
[quote title=Tom Reid wrote on Mon, 04 September 2006 17:03]I was so impressed with the review I ran out and bought two of these widgets.

Ditto !!    I had to go out & get one too. Very Happy   I will certainly be buying another one ....  

That's good to know about the 'Bass gtr' preset, I was gonna try that out next.

I've been inserting it in stereo/serial mode on lead vox with excellent results.  It's definitely better than the compression on the 01v96 (at least on vox anyway), I haven't tried it anywhere else yet.

The thing I've been the most impressed with is the de-esser !  I was a little leery since it only has 2 presets & no way to adjust the frequency, but this thing Rules (at least on the 3-4 vocalists I've used it on so far).

It's worth 190.00 bucks for the de-esser alone IMO !!

FWIW,

Corey Painter
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Matt Johnson on September 07, 2006, 10:09:52 AM
I'm sort of intrigued by the 'mix' knob.  What have your experiences been with that?  Regardless, I hope TC lets you keep your test unit because you just sold another one for them.   Razz
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on September 07, 2006, 06:34:42 PM
The mix knob controls how much of the compressor is going back into the signal to the board. I just leave it at 100%. Sounds good enough there and works.

Though, I must say, after using this comp more and more it's really growing on me. Who knows, maybe Ill buy one or 2. It really impresses me, and for the money it cant be beaten. It seems to be up to any task, little or small.

______________

Im going to try it on bass guitar this weekend. Ill report back and tell you how much it rocked there too. Cool

Also, Ive been fooling around with it here at my house and Ive gotta say it works great on my TV too. Very Happy I cant stand the ~20db difference between some channels, so I had it inserted between my VCR and home theatre system and it rocked. All the levels were the same and I wasn't constantly adjusting the volume from channel to channel. But, thats off topic. Razz

I also ran some tests here at home with my voice. Using an sm58 and some headphones I played around with it. Full compression, and it still sounds fine. Ive gotta admit, its about as good, if not better sounding then my dbx 1046s! Too bad theres no brick wall limiter on it. Once or twice I was able to get past the comp and clip the channel on my mixer. But, hopefully you wont be running things that hot at your gigs. Wink

Thats all for now!

Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on September 07, 2006, 06:48:30 PM
Evan Kirkendall wrote on Thu, 07 September 2006 18:34

The mix knob controls how much of the compressor is going back into the signal to the board. I just leave it at 100%. Sounds good enough there and works.

Try it on a drum submix, Evan. Makes it super easy to get full mixes without losing punch.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on September 07, 2006, 07:54:56 PM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Thu, 07 September 2006 18:48

Evan Kirkendall wrote on Thu, 07 September 2006 18:34

The mix knob controls how much of the compressor is going back into the signal to the board. I just leave it at 100%. Sounds good enough there and works.

Try it on a drum submix, Evan. Makes it super easy to get full mixes without losing punch.



Hm, I think I need a console with busses first.

*cough cough* Wink




Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Dan Brandesky on September 24, 2006, 07:14:25 PM
Evan: out of curiousity, have you used the C300 on groups with screamers? My main trouble with them I think is partially channel clipping which can't be avoided too much with that kind of thing, but I was also wondering if the C300 would be a more musical but still powerful enough tool for the screaming/singing than, say, my symetrix 421m, which is more of a automatic signal leveling device than anything. (Not to mention the symetrix has a nasty habit of raising the gain waaay too much when the band isn't talking causing gain/hiss unless the gate isn't set just right).

-Dan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on September 24, 2006, 09:10:44 PM
YES! I've been using it on everything.

It did a great job with the screamers. I hit it hard too. I was hitting -18db on the C300 and you could hardly tell. It's on the same level as my 1046's! And, when you arent hitting it, its invisible in the chain. I love this thing.

I used it on toms and snare last night. It had the perfect attack and release times. Also, unlike with my 266xl, the C300's gate only opened when the drummer hit the toms. The 266xl liked to open when the drummer started pounding on the cymbals.

It worked great on snare too. Hi hat didnt effect it. The gate was quick enough to open as the drummer hit the snare and then close right away.

Im thinking about buying a few of these...


Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300 Update
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on October 13, 2006, 04:51:22 PM
Just an update:
After using the C300's for the past few months I fell in love with them and decided to buy a pair for myself. TC Electronic was really cool about everything and got me a great deal on them. I cant wait to get them!



Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on October 14, 2006, 07:15:50 PM
Just hours ago I gave the C300 a workout in terms of transparency... Compressing acoustic guitar 3-6dB without making it sound nasty and dull is a real chore for most comps. The C300 passed with flying colors... I put its sonic quality for acoustic guitar right up with the FMR RNC which I had previously thought was the most transparent compressor available for less than several thousand dollars. This baby makes me look good!

Here's a photo of it at work (Oooh! Action shot!):
index.php/fa/6205/0/
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: John Chiara on October 14, 2006, 11:20:35 PM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Sat, 14 October 2006 19:15

Just hours ago I gave the C300 a workout in terms of transparency... Compressing acoustic guitar 3-6dB without making it sound nasty and dull is a real chore for most comps. The C300 passed with flying colors... I put its sonic quality for acoustic guitar right up with the FMR RNC which I had previously thought was the most transparent compressor available for less than several thousand dollars. This baby makes me look good!




That's saying a lot. I slapped an RNC on an acoustic at 2 shows this week and boy did it make it come alive. I would check out a C300 based on that comparison.


Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Danny Thompson on November 08, 2006, 08:11:57 PM
After reading this thread I decided to purchase two of these. I can't wait to try them out.
Danny
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: John Horvath on November 09, 2006, 01:19:59 PM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Sat, 14 October 2006 18:15

..I put its sonic quality for acoustic guitar right up with the FMR RNC which I had previously thought was the most transparent compressor available for less than several thousand dollars.

Hey Bennett, how close would you rate the FMR or C300 to a BSS, Klark, or Drawmer?
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on November 09, 2006, 02:01:00 PM
I've never done a side by side comparison. The RNC obviously has a disadvantage over "brand name" comps because it's got a wall wart and limited metering, etc. The C300 is also lacking a bunch of control, but it's a lot easier to haul around.

In terms of sound quality, the RNC and C300 both don't have a sound to them. I've never used the BSS, but Klark and Drawmer certainly have their own "thing", which isn't necessarily bad. I've got dbx in my A FOH because I like that sound, but if I'm compressing extremely hi-fi acoustic sources I don't want it, and personally I'd be happy to reach for one of these two budget comps. Were I buying something to take out to shows where other engineers would be using it, I'd probably find something a little more "rider friendly".
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Jon McDowell on November 10, 2006, 04:40:40 PM
Ok, you've got my curiosity going. Just ordered 2 units to try with Saliva next Thursday and Jimmy Van Zant next Saturday.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Danny Thompson on November 11, 2006, 01:57:58 PM
I got to use my new C 300 compressors last night. Let me say thanks to the guys that did the review here. I purchased them as a direct result of this thread.

Previously I had a DBX 266, JBL(forgot the model) and a Presonus ACP 8. The C300 outshines all of these in my opinion. I used them on Kick, Bass, Guitar/Keys sub group and Vocal sub group.
Everything was straight forward and easy to setup. The only "issue" was the vocal group. The band that I mix has 6 members and ALL sing. As you can imagine each one has different mic techniques etc....   so I did a fair amount of tweaking as the night went on. This is not the compressors fault, just the situation.

I am very happy with the purchase and would recommend this unit.

Thanks again
Danny
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Adam Whetham on November 11, 2006, 02:11:29 PM
Getting a trial unit from the local TC Electronic dealer to try out for a show.

I realy think this will make my setups and set-changes faster. dial in the general idea, then tweak it. I realy like it. Granted its more lazy. but for those 2 minute line checks something like this will realy shine.

Its not for every show. But it has its market, and i don't see anything that can compete with it right now. Good Price, good idea. I'm almost sold without hearing it.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bob Leonard on November 11, 2006, 07:51:32 PM
Ok, I'm very into the TC quality and own some TC units so I'm sold if someone could be more specific with;

1. The difference between the DBX 166-266 units.

2. Has anyone compared the TC to a Focusrite Compounder, my current mid line compressor of choice for vocals and instruments.

I own all of the above so if I can be convinced then I would start with one of my DBX 166 compressors. Very Happy

Thanks for the great review so far.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on November 15, 2006, 10:47:46 AM
I've used a pair of C300s in the wild for a couple months now.
Damn I like these widgets.

Some could say these are the compressor for dummies, since most of the presets give decent results.

The gates really shine. I've been able to get some serious after thump ring that cuts off immediately with big woofers and tiny rooms.  

I've been experimenting with some hard limiting to lead vox with really nice results.

$600 for a total drum gate kit ain't bad either.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Jon McDowell on November 21, 2006, 09:03:43 AM
After a weekend of use - really liked it on bass gtr, definitely more than my acp-8, maybe even my 1046. Top end was better preserved. Sounded good on snare too. Gonna patch them into drum, bass, gtr, & voc subs this weekend in one of the better sounding rooms I do. Great comp for <$200. Perfect for a B or C rig.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Sara Elliott on November 21, 2006, 06:42:28 PM
NEWS FLASH -
I wanted to report to you that TC Electronic was so impressed by all the great feedback they received from Road Test that they will be using some of the reviews in a e-newsletter that they will be blasting worldwide.  So, maybe one of your reviews will be one of them.  Actually, I think they will be providing a link to this thread.  
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: CHANCE PATAKI on December 08, 2006, 12:51:21 PM
I think I will pick up a pair for remote recording. I hate dragging some of my comps out of the rack in the studio. I already have some pieces of gear from the "Helicon" side of TC and they make quality products
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: John Horvath on February 09, 2007, 12:36:30 AM
I recently sold the last two of my ten year old Behringer Composers.  So today I picked up 4 C300's for my B rig FOH rack.  Hopefully everyone here is right about these things because tomorrow night they're the only compression I'm bringing.  If they suck, I'm crackin' skulls!

Razz

Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on February 09, 2007, 10:13:01 AM
John Horvath wrote on Fri, 09 February 2007 00:36

If they suck, I'm crackin' skulls!

index.php/fa/7873/0/
Title: No skull crackin' needed!
Post by: John Horvath on February 10, 2007, 05:16:07 PM
Bad stuff:
Doing a side-by-side comparison against a 266xl and the C300, I have to say, the 266xl has a much smoother compression and is much less noticeable even when compressing as little as 3db gain reduction at 3:1.  The C300 also has a faint, weird fluttering sound that I'm not very happy with.  It's not noticeable through a system, but using headphones it's pretty apparent.  The C300 also starts cutting high-end drastically when using anything above 3:1 with more than 6db of gain reduction.

Good stuff:
I used the C300's last night with excellent results!  They really are excellent for for the money.  I love their ease of use, and their versatility.  I didn't want a single 4ch comp because you're obviously locked in at 4 comps, and same with a 4ch gate.  With 4 C300's, I've got 8 channels of whatever I need.  An ACP88 would have worked as well, and been 2 spaces less, but I've never been a huge fan, and they're up to $900.  I've very happy with the purchase and feel they'll be in my B rig FOH rack for quite some time.

Oh and take the handles off the front - They look much cooler without the handles!
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Silas Pradetto on March 01, 2007, 03:40:22 PM
My first C300 died at the first gig, middle of last summer. The second 2 have lasted fine.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on March 12, 2007, 12:02:25 AM
I had a channel of a C300 go out this weekend.
Thought it was a faulty cable, replaced, and still no go.

At times the display thought it was a gate, but no audio passed.
At least it shorts the input to the out when in fails.

Units babyed in a Road Ready FX rack.

...more later.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on March 22, 2007, 11:02:08 AM
...follow-up

Don't look for ribbon connectors inside, ribbons are soldered to the pcbs.

TC mailed me with an RA within four hours of sending a trouble ticket via their site.

So far I have a good warm fuzzy about TC repair.
We'll see ...  
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Andy Peters on March 22, 2007, 04:14:42 PM
Tom Reid wrote on Thu, 22 March 2007 08:02

Don't look for ribbon connectors inside, ribbons are soldered to the pcbs.


I fuckin' hate that, even though it saves fifty cents on the BOM for each connector eliminated.

-a
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: theo mack on March 22, 2007, 05:15:51 PM
Alright already!

I ordered one. will post once I get a few shows with it.
at $200 it's worth checking out for sure.

I am very tired of my dbx 1046's
I have 2 urei 7110's I like
And 2 minty dbx 165's. Love these.

A few TC C300 boxes might be a good addition.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: jack owen on March 23, 2007, 12:31:28 AM
Hi Bennett,
   Do you have any "road tests" planned for other TC Electronic products?
               
                      Jack
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on March 23, 2007, 06:15:20 AM
jack owen wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 00:31

Do you have any "road tests" planned for other TC Electronic products?

Yes, probably EQ Station and the new-ish M350. This stuff will start back up soon, although I may not be doing the reviews for either of these.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Andy Peters on March 23, 2007, 02:06:02 PM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 03:15

jack owen wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 00:31

Do you have any "road tests" planned for other TC Electronic products?

Yes, probably EQ Station and the new-ish M350. This stuff will start back up soon, although I may not be doing the reviews for either of these.


I'll believe it when I get a package in the mail.

-a
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on May 04, 2007, 02:32:07 AM
Andy Peters wrote on Thu, 22 March 2007 15:14

Tom Reid wrote on Thu, 22 March 2007 08:02

Don't look for ribbon connectors inside, ribbons are soldered to the pcbs.


I fuckin' hate that, even though it saves fifty cents on the BOM for each connector eliminated.

-a


I recieved a shiny new hermetically sealed TC300 from the brown truck this afternoon.

Thanks TC folks.  

Now I've got three of these widgets in my A (B,C,&D) rack.
And I made a really cool swap for an RNC1773!


Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Sara Elliott on May 04, 2007, 04:16:31 PM
Tom Reid wrote on Thu, 22 March 2007 08:02


I recieved a shiny new hermetically sealed TC300 from the brown truck this afternoon.

Thanks TC folks.  

Now I've got three of these widgets in my A (B,C,&D) rack.
And I made a really cool swap for an RNC1773!





Congrat's Tom, enjoy your new widget.  Just wanted everyone to know - Keep your eyes pealed for the upcoming thread on the TC M350.
Andy Peter's is currently looking out his window for the Big Brown Truck bearing gifts.  
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Adam Whetham on May 05, 2007, 12:36:58 AM
Sara Elliott wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 15:16



Congrat's Tom, enjoy your new widget.  Just wanted everyone to know - Keep your eyes pealed for the upcoming thread on the TC M350.
Andy Peter's is currently looking out his window for the Big Brown Truck bearing gifts.  



Wooo. Thank you Sara. This was the other unit of theirs i was interested in hearing about. We've been debating becoming a dealer for TC, as their isn't much for bands buying from local dealers, but these two units seem to fit nicely into the bands we have around here. and the big hitters for installs...

I just want to hear how this guy holds up to everyone on the board... So far it has positive vibes.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on May 05, 2007, 02:00:36 AM
Quote:

Andy Peter's is currently looking out his window for the Big Brown Truck bearing gifts.


I don't think words could describe the mental images this evokes.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Andy Peters on May 05, 2007, 04:41:12 PM
Sara Elliott wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 13:16

Congrat's Tom, enjoy your new widget.  Just wanted everyone to know - Keep your eyes pealed for the upcoming thread on the TC M350.
Andy Peter's (sic) is currently looking out his window for the Big Brown Truck bearing gifts.  


Said Big Brown Truck arrived not long after I got home from work last night, just in time for my gig tonight with Elf Power.  Stay tuned (in a new thread).

-a

PS: Watch those apostrophes, Sara ...
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on May 05, 2007, 06:08:15 PM
Quote:

I just want to hear how this guy holds up to everyone on the board... So far it has positive vibes.


One of the most important issues to me from any vendor, besides a decent product, is how they take care of you when things go wrong.

In this case, one channel went dead on a C300.
I got up on the TC website, posted an issue.
Got email within 24 hours.
They told me what to do, what to check.
I sent the unit in.
TC acknowledge reciept of the unit. Told me estimated times.
During the estimated time quoted, a new unit showed up at my door.

It doesn't get better than that.
Other vendors should take notice.
...it's in the service, silly.

Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on May 05, 2007, 06:14:05 PM
Andy Peters wrote on Sat, 05 May 2007 15:41

Sara Elliott wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 13:16

Congrat's Tom, enjoy your new widget.  Just wanted everyone to know - Keep your eyes pealed for the upcoming thread on the TC M350.
Andy Peter's (sic) is currently looking out his window for the Big Brown Truck bearing gifts.  


Said Big Brown Truck arrived not long after I got home from work last night, just in time for my gig tonight with Elf Power.  Stay tuned (in a new thread).

-a

PS: Watch those apostrophes, Sara ...


One of the annoying things about the M300 is the position of the 'Vintage Phaser' patch.  Located a knob click down from slapback, it's in that location that is tough to see with the popular rack mounted light PSU.

Slapback is so popular in my mixes, I'm reaching for this all the time.  In the heat of mix, I've had the phaser start out a song a few times.

I wonder if the ergonomics of the 350 improve on this.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on May 05, 2007, 09:23:02 PM
Tom Reid wrote on Sat, 05 May 2007 18:14



One of the annoying things about the M300 is the position of the 'Vintage Phaser' patch.  Located a knob click down from slapback, it's in that location that is tough to see with the popular rack mounted light PSU.

Slapback is so popular in my mixes, I'm reaching for this all the time.  In the heat of mix, I've had the phaser start out a song a few times.

I wonder if the ergonomics of the 350 improve on this.



Nope, sorry Tom. Still the same:

index.php/fa/9077/0/



Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on May 06, 2007, 05:05:09 AM
I see they've eliminated the redundant Flanger, and went with a 'Vivid Chorus' in its place.

I think the 300 will become my snare insert FX.
That'll teach it.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Loren Aguey on May 12, 2007, 08:06:26 AM
I know by now this is an old thread so I don't know if the original posters are still checking it but I've got a quick question for Bennett, Evan or anyone who uses this. I noticed that the threshold on the c300 only goes to 0, as opposed to +12 or +20 db. With certain singers I find myself using a threshold of up to +5 or +10(rarely)on the 266xl. Has anyone found themselves wanting to to use a higher threshold than what is available on the C300? I've already got one on the way so I guess I'll find out soon enough but I was wondering if anyone has encountered this. Thanks.

Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on May 12, 2007, 11:36:21 AM
Loren,

The threshold knob on the C300 is referenced to 0dBFS (decibels full scale) due to the digital nature of the internal processing. I find setting it somewhere between -15 and -30 works well for me, -20 would be roughly equivalent to the 0dBu you're used to.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on May 12, 2007, 11:37:43 AM
This is a digital unit. Dont hold me to these numbers, but I believe 0db in the digital world is about the same as +18 in the analog world.. Though, Im not 100% sure, so hopefully Bennett will correct anything wrong with what I say, as always. Razz




Evan
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on May 12, 2007, 01:34:31 PM
0dBFS is often specced at 24dBu. This could be the "official" value, but I could be wrong.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Ales Dravinec 'Alex' on May 12, 2007, 01:56:18 PM
...Dorrough says 22dB difference between dBfs and dBu...

index.php/fa/9170/0/

A
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on May 12, 2007, 02:39:43 PM
I'm not aware of an official standard, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Could be several  Laughing

JR
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Mac Kerr on May 12, 2007, 03:25:22 PM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Sat, 12 May 2007 13:34

0dBFS is often specced at 24dBu. This could be the "official" value, but I could be wrong.
It depends on the gear. On most of the Yamaha consoles 0dBfs is +24dBu because that is what the maximum output is. The DM2000 is +18dBu, and the rest of the consoles can be optionally set to +18. The Digico D5 is +22dBu. The maximum level at the input to the DA converter is always going to be 0dBfs, because that is what defines it. The maximum analog capability of the DA into 600 ohms is what will define the corresponding analog level in dBu. If a device can only put out +18dBu, that is what 0dBfs will be for that device.

Mac
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Loren Aguey on May 12, 2007, 05:00:13 PM
ahh of course, its digital, silly me. Shoulda figured that out on my own.     Embarassed

Thanks guys, can't wait to get the unit and I'll probably end up getting 1 or two more.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Robert Lunceford on May 16, 2007, 09:57:32 PM
Looks like all the presets are designed for pop/rock types of music.
Has anyone tried one of these on other sources, acoustic instruments such as fiddle, accordion, brass, etc? What presets would you use?

Robert
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on May 16, 2007, 10:24:28 PM
Robert, I use one for acoustic guitar all the time, and I just did 6 shows over two days with a pair of wireless lavs and a handheld at high end corpie gigs... took care of presenters with less than even voices and less than predictable head movement smoothly and seamlessly. Made my job easy.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on May 16, 2007, 10:33:30 PM
It should be mentioned that TC Electronic has released the C400XL, an upgraded version of the C300 with XLR balanced I/O, both analog and AES digital. Looks like it's about $100 more, but not many retailers seem to be carrying it yet.

http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/C400XL_front.jpg
http://www.tcelectronic.com/C400XL.asp
http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/C400XL_toback.gif
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Robert Lunceford on May 17, 2007, 01:23:02 AM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Thu, 17 May 2007 03:24

Robert, I use one for acoustic guitar all the time, and I just did 6 shows over two days with a pair of wireless lavs and a handheld at high end corpie gigs... took care of presenters with less than even voices and less than predictable head movement smoothly and seamlessly. Made my job easy.


Hi Bennett,
The C300 has a preset for acoustic guitar, I was curious about using it on sources for which there is no preset.
BTW, congrats on your appointment with ADRaudio. I saw the article in the latest FOH magazine.

Robertindex.php/fa/9243/0/
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Robert Lunceford on May 17, 2007, 01:26:01 AM
Oops, looking at that photo again I see there is a horn/inst preset.
Never mind.  

Robert
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Paul E Fenelon on August 22, 2007, 10:28:17 AM
Well I went out and bought four of these. I badly needed new band comps and had been considering an 8 channel unit. I have done two shows with them now. I am using one unit for Kick- gate & comp. Snare- gate & comp. Bass- comp, Keys- comp, backing vox- comp and guitars (there are 5) comp. Bass is Brilliant, Kick & snare very good, Vocals- not bad but I have six vocalists to try and control. I was using the Choir preset but changed to Female Vox. Keys- 2 x mono keys with wildly varying patch levels- Sounds very clean here even at -15db. Guitars-not really needed but saves me jumping on a fader when a player turns gets over zelous. They are as good as any of the 10 series DBX comps IMHO. I still love the 160x for lead vox but these little units are great value for money. I may replace the backing vox preset with one of my RNC1773's.

Thanks to those who posted on these units.

Paul Fenelon
www.adraudio.com.au
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Adrian Stuart on November 28, 2007, 08:53:34 PM
Sorry, I know this is an old thread but I have a qick question. Looking at the manual I see there is a brick wall limiter as well as the multiband comp. Is there any way of adjusting the limiter threshold?
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on November 28, 2007, 09:08:13 PM
Not that I'm aware of, Adrian. The TC C series comps take a bunch of control away from the user which, for what I'm using and recommending them for, is great. I'm sure no small part of the reason they sound good is because there's all sorts of carefully pre-tweaked settings and multiple stages/bandpasses of compression inside, none of which anyone I know would bother setting up except for maybe one or two channels for a high dollar act.

If you need control, break out your favorite limiter and throw it after your favorite compressor. If you need to set it and forget it, use the C series stuff.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Adrian Stuart on November 30, 2007, 10:54:39 AM
Aw, that's a shame. Thanks for the info Bennett.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Matt Jordan on March 10, 2008, 03:55:52 PM
How is T.C.'s product support? I just had one of the c-300 comps fail on me. I hope the others aren't soon to follow. Hopefully an isolated incident.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Mark Long on August 09, 2008, 09:26:44 PM
Bennett Prescott wrote on Thu, 07 September 2006 17:48

Try it on a drum submix, Evan. Makes it super easy to get full mixes without losing punch.


Which preset were you using on the drum sub? Persussion or composite? I just picked up 2 of these and plan on trying it on the output of a set of Roland V-Drums.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Bennett Prescott on August 10, 2008, 11:44:37 AM
I used composite, Mark.
Title: some memory
Post by: Mac Kerr on August 10, 2008, 11:49:58 AM
good memory Bennett, you used that setting almost 2 years ago.  Shocked

Mac
Title: Re: some memory
Post by: Bennett Prescott on August 10, 2008, 12:03:09 PM
That's how I roll! I did only use it once two years ago...
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Matt Jordan on September 12, 2008, 05:49:01 AM
looks like the C300 has been discontinued.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Stuart Pearson on October 09, 2008, 04:00:21 PM
Been playing with this unit, but with all it's coolness, its studio-usefulness is not really happening for me - I'm missing the grain of a VCA, even tho the features on this unit are fun fun fun.

Is there any mad scientist out there who would know how to adapt this unit from being a cold-sounding digital compressor to a VCA compressor, keeping all the other things the same?  Is it possible?
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Andy Peters on October 12, 2008, 11:32:29 PM
Stuart Pearson wrote on Thu, 09 October 2008 13:00

Is there any mad scientist out there who would know how to adapt this unit from being a cold-sounding digital compressor to a VCA compressor, keeping all the other things the same?  Is it possible?


Without butchering the PCB?

No, not possible.

-a
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: David Kaiser on July 27, 2009, 05:34:37 PM
I just bought my second C300. I got it through Guitar Center. It will be replacing a Presonus Blue Max in my recording rack.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: David Kaiser on July 05, 2010, 04:56:54 PM
The unit just mentioned in the previous post just went wonky on me this weekend. I was running speech through channel one to recording and the channel quit. Power light was still on, but no channel lights. I switched to channel two and went on. Then channel 2 stopped for a short while. Then it restarted  on its own and worked to the end of the three day gig. I ran a cd player directly into the inputs and it seemed fine. Will be calling TC Electronic about repair.
Title: Re: TC Electronic C300
Post by: Tom Reid on August 31, 2010, 10:53:46 PM
David Kaiser wrote on Mon, 05 July 2010 15:56

The unit just mentioned in the previous post just went wonky on me this weekend. I was running speech through channel one to recording and the channel quit. Power light was still on, but no channel lights. I switched to channel two and went on. Then channel 2 stopped for a short while. Then it restarted  on its own and worked to the end of the three day gig. I ran a cd player directly into the inputs and it seemed fine. Will be calling TC Electronic about repair.


I had one of these do exactly that. Then die.
TC had it back to me quick.

I run (on a GB8) a C300 on the vox group and compress 7 and 8 with individual channels no stereo link.  It fits nice there and brings the vocals into the realm of the other instruments in the mix while staying on top.  It does have a few bad side effects as any open compressed vocal group would.