If you could only have one compressor plugin to use for everything, what would it be?

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

I'm sure many of us get bogged down with too-much-choice-paralysis from time to time, I certainly do. I have more compressors than you can shake a stick at, both bought and free, and included in Logic Pro X. So what if the People's Democratic Committee for Plugins dictated that you could only use one compressor plugin for everything...drums, drum buss, loud rock vocals, soft folk vocals, acoustic guitars, bass, strings etc etc etc...which one would it be? And why.

No cheating by suggesting switchable modelling as per the Scheps Channel etc. Ten years in the Gulag for anyone who tries.

[Drew Stephenson]

I also have a fair number of compressors, but i only tend to use a couple on a regular basis. My standard channel strip has ReaComp on it and my master bus has a Focusrite Scarlett compressor on (because I prefer the interface).
If i had to choose one it would be Reacomp because of the additional features (e.g. side-chaining).
As you can probably tell, i don't tend to try and use compression for character.

[Guest]

The Sonalksis SV-315Mk2 Compressor - it is just perfect.

It is transparent and unbelievable on spoken voice.

[ConcertinaChap]

Almost always use an LA-2A clone on vocals, violin and concertina, so easy and sounds good. I'm also partial to LA-3A on acoustic guitar. That covers most of my use.

CC

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Excellent, keep em coming. Incidentally, I have consulted with the Glorious Leader of the Committee and he will allow a second choice if used exclusively for your stereo buss as per BD's post.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Almost always use an LA-2A clone

Which one? Does it have the the simple two control (gain and peak reduction) as per the hardware original?

[Luke W]

Fabfilter Pro C2 for me. Useful set of controls, decent metering and just generally does exactly what it needs to do.

[Humble Bee]

DC1A from Klanghelm tends to get a lot of use. East to use. Sounds great. And is free.

I am in the process of quitting the UAD platform and go native but their LA2A and Fairchild renderings are fantastic and I have used them a lot in the past.

When I don’t need ‘character’ I tend to use the standard ones that come with Logic and Reaper.

[Bob Bickerton]

Silly question unless you’re only using compression for one task.

For me LA2A for vocals, LA3A for something more aggressive and the Fairchild 670 for subtle buss compression - all UAD.

Bob

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Silly question unless you’re only using compression for one task.

Sorry, I do apologise. I hadn't realised that the forum now had a rule that only Very Sensible Questions were allowed. Do forgive me. I will go out and whip myself with spiky birch twigs immediately.

[Bob Bickerton]

Merely pointing out that different types of compressors are used for different tasks........ thus there is no one answer to your question - even though you prescribed a one answer response........

Have fun with the birch twigs........

Bob

[Guest]

Do forgive me. I will go out and whip myself with spiky birch twigs immediately.

You don't have to do it yourself. Many years ago in Swiss Cottage underground station there was a postcard that read:

"Naughty boys report to Miss Fiona"

followed by a telephone number.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Yes, Fiona and I have been happily married for many years now.

[CS70]

I just need two. Maybe three if u want to be picky. A 1176 style, an optical L2A2 style and possibly a as-clean-as-possible one. My choices are the UAD for the 76 and the A2 (when I'm not using the outboard ones I have) and the FABFilter C for the clean one.

[ConcertinaChap]

Which one? Does it have the the simple two control (gain and peak reduction) as per the hardware original?

First the White 2A from IK Multimedia and later the various LA-2As from UAD. Both reproduce the interfaces right down to the tobacco smoke stains and there's not a great deal to choose between them other than the UAD ones integrate with Console 1, meaning you really do have just two hardware knobs to twiddle.

CC

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Very nice. Console 1 looks more and more interesting the more I read about it.

[G-Doubleyou]

UAD LA-2A is my first choice, Logic emulations are very good, and i use them also.

[muzines]

I could get by with Logic's Compressor, as it has a bunch of different compressor types, but it looks like that's against the rules.

Really, the minimum I'd want is a dirty smashy 1176-type (lots of options for this), and a smoother more general type - I'm still partial to the old Waves RenComp for this.

But given the choice I prefer other options for bass (LA3A-type) and piano and bus stuff...

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

I could get by with Logic's Compressor, as it has a bunch of different compressor types, but it looks like that's against the rules

Most definitely. Although I'd be interested in what your favourites were from the emulations. I don't really understand why Logic's LA2A emulation has all the additional controls, though, whereas the DBX160 model, for example, doesn't.

[muzines]

Because Logic's models are not direct models of any particular compressor, they are instead composite types based on the circuit characteristics of various models of that type - so they are not constrained to the original hardware's controls in the way strict models are... so many of these things are the designer's choices as to what's useful to offer...

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

I wonder if there's a patents/IP/trademarking etc issue too? Whereas 1176 emulations seem to be two a penny, there seem to be very few (if any) LA2A emulations out there that aren't seemingly or actually licensed? So by keeping the additional controls etc it's harder to accuse them of ripping off Teletronix patents etc?

[The Elf]

There's so much mystic nonsense surrounding all things audio that you would think choosing a compressor like choosing a court wizard.

The one built into Cubase's channel strip is perfectly good for 80% of what anyone might need, and I suspect that's probably the case for most bundled compressors.

As long as a compressor has sufficient attack and release ranges, and does the maths properly then anything else is not about compression.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

There's so much mystic nonsense surrounding all things audio

Well you're pushing against an open door on this one, with me. I started this thread because increasingly I just use Logic's DBX160 emulation for all my compression other than the stereo buss, simply because it seems to work without having to spend time fiddling with knee/attack/release. But, being an amateur practitioner, I start to worry I'm missing something vital by not using the emulations that are, I guess, swathed in the mystic nonsense of which you speak. And when a pro on the forum accuses you of being stupid for merely raising the topic, your confidence in your sonic choices is, of course, further undermined.

[CS70]

There's so much mystic nonsense surrounding all things audio

Well you're pushing against an open door on this one, with me. I started this thread because increasingly I just use Logic's DBX160 emulation for all my compression other than the stereo buss, simply because it seems to work without having to spend time fiddling with knee/attack/release. But, being an amateur practitioner, I start to worry I'm missing something vital by not using the emulations that are, I guess, swathed in the mystic nonsense of which you speak. And when a pro on the forum accuses you of being stupid for merely raising the topic, your confidence in your sonic choices is, of course, further undermined.

A lot of the good emulations (or good real compressor) add something beyond the compression functionality.

For example the LA2A changes the sound a little beyond what the compression setting actually does, creating a result that (for me, at least) is much harder to reproduce in, say, FabFilter's C Optical mode (surely my own limits, tough ).

Lots of the revered boxes do just a little more than what's written on the tin - due, I guess, to the electronics designs involved.

Beyond that, given the same attack and release times, the attack and release curves can (and are, insofar I understand) different among different compressor, even in the same class,; which brings audible changes in timbre, especially with longer settings (it's easier to make any compressor pump for example, so long it has fast enough release and attack capabilities). It's a bit the same difference of using a "slow" or "fast" fade outs - the time's the same but the curves produce noticeably different sonic results.

Ultimately tough they're tools, and as with any tool, if you understand what it does and how, you can get a long way just with one.

[Dave B]

Fabfilter Pro C2 for me. Useful set of controls, decent metering and just generally does exactly what it needs to do.

+1.

I am so far away from 'golden eared' (more like cloth) so I just want something that does the job and gives me a few options to try.

Of course, I could be really sneaky and say "my old Focusrite Liquid Mix" and get all of the models in there as options....