Which Compressor Plugin Should I
Choose for My Mix?
October 18, 2018
Learn the different types of compressors and when to use each one while
mixing. In this guide, we'll level out which compressors are which: VCA,
FET, Optical, Variable-Mu and digital compressor plugins; increase your
threshold of compression knowledge!
By Mike Levine
Compression is hugely important when producing and engineering
music, both for dynamics control and sound coloration. Because there
are so many different compressor types, it can be confusing to
decide which one to choose for a given situation. The aim of this
article is to give you some clarity on the different compressor types and
talk about how they're typically used.
Once you understand the strengths and weaknesses of different
compressor types, it's a lot easier to know which one to choose in
given situations. The suggested applications here are only guidelines,
based on how various compressors are typically used, but there's no
saying that you can't go counter to them if it works for your music.
Let's jump right in, starting with the main categories of analog
compressors. Because so many plugins are built to emulate the
characteristics of these classic designs, it's useful to know a little bit
about how they work, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how
they differ from each other.
VCA Compressors
VCA is an acronym for "voltage-controlled amplifier," which is the
component at the heart of the circuitry in this type of compressor. A VCA
compressor reacts to peaks that are above the user-set threshold. VCA
compressors are known for having fast response and are therefore a
good choice on peaky, rhythmic or transient-heavy material.
Many VCA compressor designs include precise control of a wide range of
compression parameters including threshold, ratio, attack and release
time, makeup gain and sometimes knee. This abundance of control
makes VCA compressors versatile jack-of-all-trades dynamics
processors. Depending on how you set them, VCAs can be transparent or
not to the original tone & harmonic characteristics.
For transparency, it's important not to set the attack too fast because it
can squash the initial transients of a sound, which tends to make it seem
more audibly compressed. If you set the threshold too low and the ratio
too high, you'll end up compressing more than peaks, and it can seem
"over-compressed." Not only that, VCAs can cause some serious
distortion when pushed too hard. If its accurately modeled, a digital
emulation of a VCA compressor will exhibit similar characteristics to the
analog hardware version.
Among the most renowned VCA compressors are the API 2500, which
can be used as a buss compressor or on individual sources, the buss
compressors built into SSL consoles, and the dbx 160. The latter has
been a longtime go-to compressor, especially for drums, adding its own
unique snappy character to the drum transients.
Good for:
Compressing drums, percussion and other transient-heavy sources
Adding punch
Smoothing out peaks in a transparent way—for example, restricting the
dynamic range of a vocal or instrument performance without squashing
transients
Buss compression—both master and subgroup
Virtually any compression task, because they're so versatile
Not as good for:
Adding warmth or color
In this video, Grammy-winning mixer Tony Maserati (Beyoncé, Jay Z)
applies an SSL G-Master Buss compressor to a hi-hat loop, and explains
some of the subtleties of working with compression and what he feels it
adds to recorded music and audio:
FET Compressors
Like the VCA, FET compressors are solid state but use a particular kind of
component called a "field-effect transistor," which was designed to
emulate the behavior of tube circuitry. FET compressors offer even faster
reaction times than VCAs. Many FET compressors have no threshold
control. The amount of compression applied is governed by the
combination of the amplitude of the input signal, and the setting of the
input level control. The louder the input, the more signal gets
compressed.
A FET compressor is not what you'd choose if you want transparent gain
control. It imparts a distinctive sonic fingerprint on the source
material. Probably the most famous FET compressor is the Urei 1176,
which is heard on thousands of classic albums and offers an aggressive,
fast compression that's great on vocals, drums, guitars and more.
The CLA-76 is a plugin emulation that not only mirrors the control set of
an 1176 but also offers you the option to switch between models of two
different iterations of the well-known compressor.
Good for:
Adding an aggressive sound and excitement to vocals, drums, bass,
guitars and more—from a little extra vibe to super pumpy
Limiting, due to fast attack time
Parallel processing; their ability to create extreme compression is useful
when you're blending it in with the uncompressed sound
Not as good for:
Transparent compression
Optical Compressors
Compressors typically split your input signal into two parts: One is sent
through a detection circuit, which determines how the compressor will
act, and the other is the audio that's operated upon by the compressor
and sent to the output. In an optical compressor, the detection circuit is
unique; the audio signal is turned into light, which triggers an electro-
optical sensor that governs the amount of gain reduction. The response
of this setup is smooth and transparent. Unlike other compressor types,
hardware optical compressors have fixed ratios, typically 3c1.
Perhaps the most famous optical compressor of all time is the Teletronix
LA-2A. Technically referred to as a "leveling amplifier" (hence the "LA" in
the name) it combined both electro-optical circuitry and a tube amplifier
for a smooth and pleasing compression that was particularly useful on
vocal tracks, but also great on other sources. The LA-2A hardware unit is
ubiquitous in commercial studios and has been heard on countless
recordings. It is available in faithful plugin form as the CLA-2A.
The LA-3A model offers similar functionality but without the tube
circuitry, giving it a cleaner sound. This one is also available as a plugin:
the CLA-3A.
Good for:
Transparent compression
Adding warmth and sheen to vocals, guitars, basses and other
instruments (especially true with the CLA-2A)
Improving the vibe of vocal tracks
Not as good for:
In this tutorial excerpt, hear two varied styles
Controlling hard transients
Aggressive-sounding of compressors applied to a lead vocal, one
compression
after the other. Once the CLA-2A is applied,
notice how it brings the vocal's overall level up significantly without
feeling overly squashed, and adds a helping of harmonic richness and
warmth:
Variable-Mu Compressors
A variable-mu compressor is based around tube circuitry that produces
smooth compression with pleasant coloration. The circuitry achieves its
attenuation through re-biasing of the tubes. It's not a super-fast acting
compressor, so itʼs not as good for transient control, but it adds warmth
and depth to just about anything; you can get nice-sounding aggressive
compression if you push the input and threshold controls to extremes.
The most legendary iteration of a variable-mu compressor was the
Fairchild 670 Tube Limiter (which also came in a mono version, the
Fairchild 660). Original Fairchilds are incredibly rare and really expensive.
Fortunately, there are excellent tube emulations including the PuigChild
660 and 670 plugins, which provide realistic emulation of the original
Fairchild units.
On the original and the emulations, the attack and release controls are
linked together under the Time Constant parameter, and you can choose
between six different pre-set attack/release time combinations.
Good for:
Adding warmth, color, and fatness to Not as good for:
any source
Parallel compression
Adding glue on the master buss
Mastering limiting
Precise attack and release control (on Fairchild emulations specifically)
Controlling hard transients
Non-Emulative Digital Compressors
While analog-modeled compressors are very popular, there are plenty of
compressor plugins on the market that aren't designed to simulate the
sound and behavior of specific vintage units and have capabilities that
take advantage of the precision and versatility of digital technology.
For example, the Waves eMo D5 Dynamics plugin uses the Waves'
Parallel Detection technology, which is only achievable on a digital plugin,
to provide incredible precision, plus other one-stop-shop dynamics
controls. The H-Comp plugin offers the ability to dial in different types of
analog-compression characteristics in ways that wouldn't have been
possible in a hardware unit.
The Waves Renaissance Compressor is another example of an original
design digital compressor. It offers the versatility of both “Warm” and
“Smooth” character types, which engage low-frequency harmonic
warmth, or bypass it for transparent compression more true to the
signalʼs original tone. Also built in are “Electro” and “Opto” behaviors,
which respectively engage more quick or slower release times.
Good for:
Its versatility Not as good for:
Extra features not possible on
analog units
Comprehensive and precise
control
Emulating specific hardware compressors
Multiband Compressors
Multiband compressors, which allow you to focus on several user-
definable frequency bands, are used most commonly on the master buss
and in mastering situations but can also be quite helpful in a mixing
context. They're a bit more complicated to use because you have to set
crossover points to define the frequency zones and configure the
compression parameters for each one independently. They can be
beneficial for many types of tasks that single-band compressors wouldn't
be appropriate for.
By giving you the ability to target specific frequency areas for
compression, multiband compressors can not only control dynamics but
can be used for frequency manipulation as well.
Waves offers three different multiband plugins: the six-band C6, four-
band C4 and the Linear Phase Multiband Compressor.
Good for:
Targeting specific frequency bands for compression
Mastering
Smoothing out sources—such as vocals—that change in timbre when
they get louder or softer during a mix
Reducing problem frequency areas in a source
Not as good for:
Simple operation
In this video excerpt, multi-platinum mixer Lu Diaz (Jay-Z, Beyoncé, DJ
Khaled) details his process of getting a lead hip hop vocal under control
before adding color and flavor, using the C6 Multiband Compressor and
other digital-style compression plugins:
Low-Level Compressors
Another type of compressor that exists only in digital form is a low-level
compressor (a.k.a. "upward compression"). Like a standard downward
compressor, it reduces dynamic range but does so by bringing up soft
sounds rather than lowering loud ones. If, for example, you have a vocal
track where the singer gets too quiet on some words, you could use the
low-level compressor to bring those words up automatically.
You can also use it to accentuate parts of a signal that were recorded
lower. So, for example, if you have a room or overhead drum mic, you
could accentuate the room sound with a low-level compressor.
Waves offers a few different compressors with low-level capabilities:
MaxxVolume and the MV2. These models both include not only low level
compressors but downward compressors as well, allowing you to squash
a source from above and below if you want to. MaxxVolume also includes
a noise gate and a leveler.
Achieving good results on an upward compressor typically requires that
you use subtle settings. Heavy settings will not usually yield pleasant
sounds. Typically, you'd use a low-level compressor on individual
sources, although they're sometimes used on the master buss to thicken
the sound a little. For example, the "modern" limiter mode in the Abbey
Road TG Mastering Console features an original-design VCA-based
compressor that incorporates some low-level compression elements,
perfect for a modern mastering sound.
Good for:
Bringing up low-level aspects of a track such as Not as good for:
room sound
Reducing dynamic range by raising quiet Squeezing it all in
sections
Adding warmth As youʼve seen, there are quite a few types of
Controlling compressors to choose from. They each have their
transients
strengths and weaknesses that once youʼre
Peak reduction
familiar with, makes it easier to choose the best
Parallel
one for any situation. Often there will be more than
compression
one type that can successfully get the job done, and
your decision will come down to the particulars of the music.
Itʼs useful to experiment with different compressors on a range of
sources to get first-hand knowledge of how each one sounds and
behaves. The sooner you get a grasp for what the various types can do,
and the particular characteristics of the ones you own, it will become
second nature to pick the one thatʼs right for your track in any situation.
Want to dive deeper into compression? Explore more compression tips,
techniques and tutorials here.
See the full range of Waves compression plugins.
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