Compressor Options

[neesley]

I never seem to get the level I would like out of my mixing. Can anybody suggest a good compressor/limiter that can help slam my tracks?

Thanks.

[rickenbacker]

Compressors are tricky things to get right - too little and nothing happens, too much and you squash the life out of a track. The Universal Audio stuff really is terrific - they made the original hardware, so the software is as accurate as anyone is ever going to make it. Bomb Factory did some Pro Tools plug-ins along the same lines (I think they did an 1176, for instance), so you might like to check them out. I didn't know much about the history of the LA-2A and the 1176 before I got my UAD-1 card, but since then I seem to read about them all the time. They're still used in virtually every major studio. Now they're reissuing hardware versions and selling like hot cakes.

I digress. I suggest reading absoutely everything you can about using compressors. It worked for me and I kind of understand them now and how best to use them. The articles on the Sound On Sound web site are a good place to start.