Compressor for Vocals (Live & Studio)

[cypher2198]

I need a compressor for vocals (and occasionally for guitar) mostly for live applications, but with enough transparency for recording.

I currently have a TC Helicon Voice Prism Plus, which my brother uses for vocals, but to my ears, the compression sounds very digitized, and not smooth at all. I need something a lot smoother, and have a budget of around £200 ($350).

From a quick search of forums, I've found:

1. Focusrite Penta (Good because it also has a preamp, and valve emulator) (Top end of budget)
2. Presonus Bluemax (Easy to use) (Cheap)
3. Behringer Composer-Pro MDX2600 (Cheap) (Apparently Transparent)

Any reviews? Suggestions?

[davester1234]

i bought an RNC compressor, and did some recordings with it. I don't have it anymore, but it was really cheap, and it sounded SUPERB.

It sounded AMAZING, really. Not sure about live, but for studio, it kicks serious ass. Its simple, easy to use, and no bullsh!t.

[cypher2198]

Read a few posts saying the RNC was fantastic, but I was worried it would be difficult to tweak to get a decent sound. I was sort of opting for the 'preset loaded' models because I'm kinda new to using compression effects.

What should I be looking for in a live compressor?