The hunt for the perfect singal chain

I've selected the Manley Labs Vox Box on the side as one consideration. Basically i was too lazy to Photoslop a bunch of high end channel strips together! ~slurps Beer~

I really don't know which channel strip would be right for me but I've always liked the idea of a box simplifying the signal chain. I'd be more than happy to just hook a mic up to a box and strum my guitar and sing adding a little(okay a lot of )convolution reverb.

There are just so many channel strips out there. One claims theirs will do this another claims theirs can make toast etc etc. I'd almost have to A/B about 50 of them to really get a sense.

What are my needs? Besides the money to afford what I'm daydreaming about? My first need is a transparent signal chain that is musical as they say. What does that mean to me? Oh that was a good vintage. Really my ears should perk up like a German Sheppard. There should be good headroom. There should also be an almost aphrodisiac quality.

The compression must be pleasing....which reminds me do I even want compression? I was watching a video for a Chandler product that was based upon some EMI gear the Beatles/Pink Floyd used. They showed a drummer clean then compressed like he was in a trash compactor with C3P0 crying away. I hope that wasn't the minimal setting I thought. It sounded like a zit overdue for popping.

Being totally ignorant of recording music history but opinionated enough to form a decent theory I'm going to say the main reason music from the past had so much compression is it was being marketed over the radio and had to make sure they didn't blow up all the radios? Okay maybe that doesn't work but I do think the music and broadcast industry set certain standards that all music was going to be placed in a condom called compression. I do believe if they let some sounds go out of control with wild dynamic overtones it could damage the very small radios of the day.

Sometimes I guess I would seek heavy compression but for vocals and guitar I really need transparency. So would an Adl 660 Tube Limiter be the ticket? Anyone got $14,000?

For EQ keep it simple.