Best 500 Series Compressor picks by our Audio Engineer 2024

Author & Contributors

Single Channel Compressors

Budget Option Under $500

Stereo Bus Compressor

Things To Consider When Buying A 500 Series Compressor

Types of compressors

• VCA

  Voltage Controlled Amplifier compressors allow control of faster attack and release parameters. A lot of plug-in compressors are based on the VCA type compressor since it's the most used type of compressor. Their response curve is mostly linear (hard knee), but some have built-in soft knee to adapt them to mixbus compression purposes. They use IC chip-based transistors that determines input voltage to control gain reduction results, which gives the compressor a clean and controllable analog compressor like characteristic that people look for.

• Optical

  Optical or Opto compressors use a light source to determine gain reduction. How bright the built-in light source is determines the intensity of the incoming signal voltage. They use photocells as a detector to determine the amount of compression that is applied. Opto compressoers are less sensitive to transients, peaks and sudden spikes meaning much higher ratios can be used. They tend to have natural smoothness in response time due to the inherent delay of triggering the attack and release of the compressor.

• Variable-MU

  Variable-MUs or Vari MU compressors are tube-based compressors known for their tone and warmth. Their design uses input voltage changes to alter the bias of the tubes that controls the gain-reduction stage. Vari Mu compressors tend to have a “soft-knee” and "slow-attack" style that produces a more smooth compression. Their ratios are program-dependent and increase with the gain reduction. This means the louder a transient is, the harder the compression. They have a slower and less impulsive response time compared to FET and VCA compressors.

• FET

  Field Effect Transistor compressors provide highly colored versions of compression and fundamentally are a subset of VCA compressors. Compared to Variable-MU and optical options, FET comp units have more control on grabbing harsh transients. They are often used as a solid-state emulation of the tube analog sound, and have a much faster response when it comes to compression. Their trademark sound produces a punchy and full of imbued character.

Hard Knee Vs Soft Knee Compression

Hard knee compression is when the compressor immediately reduces the signal once the it hits the threshold. This type of compression is commonly used if you want to reduce transients right away and is suitable to use on instruments such as snare drums. On the other hand, soft knee compression occurs when the signal is gradually reduced after the signal exceeds the threshold. This is for a more natural-sounding compression and recommended to use on sustaining instruments such as strings. And it is ideal for master buss compression.

Different Uses and Sound

There's no strict standard in the music production world, so choosing an Audio Compressor is based on how to maximize its uses, and what type of sound you would want to achieve. VCA compressors usually control transients and give transparency and aggression in the mix. VCA compression is useful for recording percussion to provide a precise and punchy sound. Mixing, mastering, and tracking are factors taken into account when choosing which type of compressor is best suitable for each process. For example, FET compressors are not recommended to use for mixing and mastering since they produce colorful sound characteristics. Since they are known for aggressive and quick attacks, they are more suitable for tracking and parallel compression. On the other hand, optical compressors like the Chandler Limited TG Opto Compressor are preferably used to compress any sound source naturally such as vocals, strings, and bass. Tube-based and stereo compressors often are used for mastering purposes to make the mix sound smoother and homogeneous. Compressors are sometimes paired with preamps, like the BAE 1023L, which makes sense since preamp and compression settings often interact with each other. You can also use the different compressor types for sidechain compression. Finally, you have to consider your other recording gear and power supply.

Best 500 Series Compressor Selection Methodology

The first edition was published in 2017. The current edition was published on May 22, 2024

For this edition we looked at all the 500 Series Compressors available from major American online retailers and short-listed 24 of the most popular outboard gear compressors for detailed analysis. We then examined over 530 relevant ratings and reviews from users and experts as well as forum discussions to get the data we processed with the Gearank Algorithm to produce rating scores out of 100 for each one. We then selected the highest rated compressors in each category above to recommend. For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works.

About the Author and Contributors

Here are the key people and sources involved in this guide's production - click on linked names for information about their music industry backgrounds.

Lead Author & Researcher

Some of the recording gear I use in my studio includes the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, Focusrite Scarlett Solo, Samson QH4 Headphone Amp and Cloudlifter CL-1. My mics include Aston Origin, Aston Element, Shure SM57, Rode NT1, Rode PodMic and MXL V67G.

Contributors

Jerry Borillo: Product Research.
Alexander Briones: Editing.
Jason Horton: Illustrating.

Media

Main/Top Image: Created by Gearank.com using photographs of the Rupert Neve Designs 535, Rupert Neve Designs 543, WesAudio DIONE, Crane Song Falcon and dbx 560A.

The individual product images were sourced from their respective manufacturers' websites, promotional materials or supporting documentation.