Audio Compressors for recording studio

Discover our careful selection of analog compressors for professional use in rack or 500 series format.

All the compressors in our catalog of professional outboards dedicated to recording, mixing and mastering have been carefully selected to meet the most demanding requirements for sound quality and equipment reliability, whether foruse in the recording studio or in more technically stressful situations, such as concerts or events.

Compressing a sound means reducing the dynamics of an audio signal by reducing the 'distance' from the highest peaks of a waveform to the lowest peaks, thus changing the harmonic content of the processed sound.

From an acoustic point of view, the compressor helps us to have a more controlled sound that is easier to place in a mix. From a technical point of view, however, compressing a sound is equivalent to changing the original waveform, leading it, in the case of excessive compression, toward distortion.

Given the many fields of use of an analog or digital compressor, it is very important to carefully consider the choice of the most suitable outboard for the purpose.

Analog Compressors divided into 5 technological categories:

VCA Compressor

These are the most widely used compressors and easiest to build. They use a VCA for dynamic control and can have a very high compression range. They tend to be very versatile and can be used in almost any type of application. Their low cost makes them the most suitable choice in most cases.

OPTO compressor

The optical compressor is characterized by a very neutral and transparent sound. Even at the most extreme settings it tends to hardly make its coloration audible. It is characterized by the Detector operated by a photosensitive sensor and, thanks to this, by automatic attack and release, which ensure extreme naturalness of the sound. The optical compressor is very suitable for tracking or mastering.

Vari-Mu Compressors

These are the most colorful and sought-after compressors in recording and mixing. They give depth and body to the sound through the use of tubes in each stage of the circuit, including the detector. Vari-Mu are on average more expensive than the other families because they are built using only selected and hard-to-find components, but they are irreplaceable for their color and warmth. Very suitable for lead vocals, basses, ambient drums or master bus control.

FET (Field Effect Transistor) Compressor.

The FET compressor is built following the same type as the Vari-Mu, but using a transistor (Field Effect Transistor) instead of a tube. It is the best alternative to its larger tube sibling and is characterized by a slight emphasis in the midrange. Widely used in tracking and mixing of vocals, basses, guitars, drums and more.

Digital Compressor

The digital compressor offers all the features of its predecessors in one solution, as most plugins are emulations of their analog brethren, with the addition of features characteristic of digital such as the "look ahead" function. To date, however, the digital solution is still only one of the options as some tonal characteristics are still only obtainable in the analog domain, so it is crucial, when choosing a compressor, to carefully consider the sonic target you are looking for. For this reason, the staff at Milk Audio Store is always available to identify with you the compressor that best suits your Recording, Mix or Mastering needs.

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