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Ok I know we have some mastering engineers here and lots of mix engineers so I'd like to know what you use on your stereo buss when mixing for compression. What box you use. How much you use.

I'd also like to know how you mastering engineers feel about this. What you prefer and what you hate.

I tried searching for this and came up empty.

If the compression a mixer is using makes the mix work and the mix doesn't work without it, I don't generally advise them to bypass it. I only ever advise against dynamics processing that is in place simply to achieve more output level. There are times when the compression artifacts in the mixes I receive are rather obvious. There's not much that can be done when that happens, shy of remixing, which can be unfortunate or impossible.

NOTE: Edited to be a bit more on topic.

I used a stereo bus compressor once. Just the once. Not into it.

carlsaff wrote:STC-8: capable of very transparent compression, awkward/confusing controls, can add a richness to the mids

I love the STC-8. As a mastering engineer, I rarely compress the master buss durning mixdown.

However, I love to do Sub-groub Buss compression. The STC-8 on a subgroup of all the guitar tracks is something I really enjoy. Also, I enjoy putting it on a bus of all the close drum mics.

Good times.

Ben Adrian

I don't generally do it unless someone specifically tells me they really want it, when that happens I usually use as little as possible to make them happy. The Smart C2 seemed pretty good, but I really like the Calrec compressors that are in my desk (the same as the DL501 or 502 I think?), very transparent, even when you're working them pretty hard.

I've never been that into the Smart C2 when I've had one to use.

I was at Electrical last spring but we did no mixing so I wanted to get Steve and companies take on 2 buss comps. Also I want to hear from all the mastering guys that contribute here.

I never used to use 2 buss comps and then about five years ago I had "big named producer/mixer" come into my room for like a month. And even though this guy is a total DICK I do like his work. I didn't have a comp on the stereo bus the first day he came in to listen to roughs and he made a big hubbub about always having that going on. So I kind of got used to it. After a while I started needing it. And now five years later I'm still hooked.

I'm mixing a record right now that I'm really proud of. And I'm dutifully inserting my comp and it occured to me the other day. "Do I really need this thing?"

So I thought I'd ask you good people.

I'm use it very lightly. About as light as possible and it does tend to add a little glue to the mix. But I'm trying to think of all the options and also trying to put myself in the mastering engineers shoes.