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Audio: Sound Control (page 2)

Compressors Galore

Do a quick Google search for "freeware vst compressor," and you'll find dozens of options. Some of them will emulate the classic compressors from the past, while others will walk their own paths, yielding some very interesting results.

One final type of compressor is the Multi-Band compressor. JB's Broadcast Processor is a perfect example. It splits the audio into three bands and applies separate compression settings to each. This is how mastering engineers and radio stations process their sound to get maximum clarity and loudness. In any case, the professionals use compressors on their projects every day, and you should too. Open up your audio software, download a few compressors and play with the sound. If you've never used compressors before, you'll be surprised, even shocked at the difference they make. Happy compressing.

Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant.

Sidebar: Virtual Compression

Software processors have transformed the audio production world. Instead of shelling out thousands of dollars for racks full of gear, now you just install a small bit of computer code. The best part is that you can use multiple instances of that code - as many times as your computer will handle. This means you can have a compressor on every channel that needs one. Maybe one compressor works great on vocals, while another type is better suited to music duty. Don't forget that there are many freeware audio compressors on the internet. Try several until you find the ones that work best for your production style.

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