all good suggestions & info.

How they sound to you & the different types of knee curve options & what kind of circuitry they have been modelled after are some of the things that set compressors apart, I like to think of it as 2 major applications for compressors (1) dynamic fast transients & harder compression (drums etc) (2) Less dynamic transients & smoother compression (vocals etc) , dividing it up any further branches off into your personal preferences etc. it takes peoples years of experience to develop their compressor preferences

never the less just choose a reputable one among the community & that should get you started.

 

Some trivia for you, the next time you are at a party and talking to some hot chicks, because we all know they love technical facts: the first compressors were surplus military hardware. They were used during WW2 for communications on the battlefield to maximize voice volume over the explosions and gunfire in the background. After the war they began to be used in radio stations and recording studios, until custom ones intended for recording were developed. The Fairchild 670 is one of those oldest ones of these. Molot is based on an old Soviet one:

 

The Tube & Vintage? I think they sound pretty awesome. But it's a taste issue. I also use compressors from UAD, if you own that, or consider that system. Native Instruments has good stuff also. Actually anything people suggest here is fine, it's just a matter of trying and listening what you like/prefer.

 

If i have to use digital then Plugin Alliance Vertigo VSC-2 otherwise i stick with outboard.

 

on Master : Softube FET, Sknote GTS-39 + C165a VCA and V-Plugs Uranium

on tracks: whatever works but sometimes i find my self adding the Mpressor from elysia

 

Spoiler

UAD-2 (they make one of the best plugins closer to analog, but it is on DSP card)
Cytomic The Glue
DMGAudio Compassion
FabFilter Pro-C
Vladg/sound MOLOT (МОЛОТ), also try his Limiter#6
Tokyo Dawn Labs Kotelnikov (standard/gentleman's editions) (it was made with Vladg/sound)
Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR FeedBack Compressor II
PSPaudioware
Klanghelm
MeldaProduction
Some WAVES stuff
Plugin Alliance Brainworx/Vertigo VSC-2
Native Instruments
Softube
T-RackS
Voxengo
Sonoris Mastering Compressor
SSL Duende Native
Variety of Sound (compressors, saturators etc.)
Impulse-based ("sampled behaviour from analog"): Nebula, Acqua Plugins. But I like only EQs, reverbs/delays, saturators, preamps. As for me, it's hard to use their "digitized" analog compressors...
Some other additional stuff you can try: Sonnox Oxford, Nomad Factory, DDMF, FLUX, SKnote, Plugin Alliance.

It's more than enough! Some of them are great on channels (with saturation or transparent), some of them on busses and master channel (again - transparent or analog-like). Also you should know that there are different types of compressors: FET, Vari-Mu, Tube, Optic/Opto-Electronic, VCA etc.

thantrax, you've never heard of VladG? Vladislav Goncharov? He made TDR VoS SlickEQ with Tokyo Dawn Labs & Variety Of Sound, also TDR Kotelnikov and Proximity was made both by Tokyo Dawn Labs with help of Vlad. Now Vlad and Tokyo Dawn Labs are working on TDR Ultrasonic Filter. Vlad's solo works are: Molot (compressor), Limiter#6 (try this, after that you maybe delete some of your limiters and maximizers, it's clean, transparent, very/extremely loud with minimum distortions and transient-killing, there is a lot of knobs to adjust, oversampling, inter-sample protection etc.), Nova-67P (new multiband plugin!), T Analog Channel (experimental simple saturator on channel).

 

For individual tracks:

PSP Old Timer
Boz Digital Labs Plus 10db
Voxengo Deft Compressor

On master bus:

PSP Vintage Warner
Native Instruments Supercharger GT

 

since cubase 7 ... Eq and dynamics are powered by Softube ... They understood the need for a good basic set of tool, instead of the pity it was before
so it should be more or less equal to some of Native Instruments ... powered by Sotfube too ...

Ik multimedia have some good ones

In fact they are different kind of needs : transparent compression, surgical compression and colored to total non transparent compression.
So it's difficult to say "go for this"

 

another freebie http://www.audiodamage.com/downloads/product.php?pid=ADF002 both mac and pc

if your on pc have a look at http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/vst-effects/

 

OBKenobi
That's really interesting.

SLimm
If you're on a budget check out VladG Molot or Tokyo Dawn's Feedback Compressor. Can't beat free. Also Tokyo Dawn just came out with a paid compressor which is dirt cheap and surely amazing.

 

That retro Russian compressor would drive vintage radio hams crazy Beautiful interface!

 

Thanks for the info on Molot. I use Fabfilter-c for most of my voiceover work, but toss in the C1 occasionally, depending on what sounds best to me at the time!

 

I almost never use clean compressors… but if I have to use one, just for this precision stuff I think I go with Waves C1. A totally precise and useful tool. Especially with the sidechain filter option that turns it into a DeEsser.

Although this list seems like "wow, he must be using a lot of compression", that is actually not the case. These are just Options… Usually, I only use one Masterbus Compressor and somethink on Synths and Bass and one on the Drumbus. I noticed that instead of squashing everything with a compressor, your sound will become bigger if you gainstage and moe important: EQ right. I think EQing is more important than compression and it can take you further than and comp!

Besides that I aim more a "character" compressor guy, chosing comps depending on what the Instrument or sample is.

Free:

TDR Kotelnikov >> Master Bus: Free and transparent… as Fuck…
TDR Feedback Compressor >> Master Bus… I think it's boooring…
Molot >> just a musical Comp. I've read an Article about a PRO who uses it. So it can't be bad
Limiter No. 6 >> Complex but woohooo.

Commercial

PSP Vintage Warmer >> Drum Bus, almost mandatory. I don't know another Plugin for the Drumbus that adds that oomph and knock to the Drums. If you already have a nice Kick and Snare Situation going on and throw this on top, turn the "knee" knob and it is on!!! But I wouldn't throw it on the Master Bus. Well, maybe I try, but I think it just does too much. Maybe Bass would be another option.
Cytomic "The Glue" >> Master Bus GOTO!
API 2500 >> Drumbus, Hihats, MasterBus. I love this comp. Especially in "Analog" with "Manual Gain"
IK Multimedia Prec C/L >> Master Bus Tight and punchy.
IK Black76 >> Smackin' the shit out of those Drums. AND also: Reverb Return. Probably shouldn't share this information! Pay me for this info!
Waves CLA2A >> Bass and Synths, sometimes Master Bus. It just squeezed synths nicely in the Stereo Image. I don't get that from the White 2A or VC2A.
Softube CL 1B >> Just wooow.
boz Plus 10dB >> Awesome on Vocals. It's a channelstrip, but whatever. Once you understand the signalflow it's dope.
VC160 >> Kicks and Snares and Bass. Or Stillwell Major Tom.

PS: I really love the Stuff DMG EQs, but I never quite understood DMG Compassion. It just overdrives the signal so quickly. I don't know what's wrong with me :D

 

Fairchild 670 is my choice for guitars (Blues/Rock)
...but, I think any compressor can do the job if You learn how to use it

 

Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B & FET, for multiband compression - Izotope Ozone.
Don't even think I'll ever need anything else

 

minimal systems instruments ssi comp

 

Winrar

 

lately, i've been using this one:



it's ultra quiet! (and oil-free)