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Good compressors


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First time I mixed I used the Fish Fillets compressor on my guitar tracks. Thought it sounded pretty good. This is a free vst plugin though which means there should be a way to get even better sound - from a compressor that's not free. :wink:

When someone asks "what tool should I use for mastering?" they almost always get the same answer: T-Racks, Ozone or Soundforge. Is there a well-known software compressor in the same style that "everyone" likes and talks about?

And I wouldn't use Fish Fillets for vocal tracks so any suggestions for a good compressor in this area?

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I'm a big fan of TRacks, but it's a specific type of sound. It's "colored", not transparent. I also have the Waves Rennaisance compressor (part of the Rennaisance plugin pack) which I've found is a more sterile sound. I also use the FL Compressor a lot which is pretty surgical too.

There's also "Dominion", a free VST plugin that can create some more saturated/crunchy sounds, though I'm not sure if it would be good for vocals.

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The difference between just any compressor and a mastering package like T-Racks and stuff is not necessarily the cost of the thing. It's also the fact that a mastering solution offers a multiband-compressor, with different compression ratios per frequency band (low, lo-mid, mid-hi, high). This matters quite a bit.

You might try to simulate this; simply group the end result and split that in 4 parts. Put a strong equalizer over every part. Put a compressor on every group, but use different settings.

Below's a schematic of each of those groups.

multiband2cu.png

It might take a while to get there but it can be a free solution :). Plus, more important - you'll learn what works and what doesn't. Mastering is no dark art, albeit that it seems that way, sometimes. A plugin that does the work for you will stay a black box; simulating what happens in there will make things clear.

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