The response of this setup is smooth and transparent. In an optical compressor, the detection circuit is unique the audio signal is turned into light, which triggers an electro-optical sensor that governs the amount of gain reduction. Virtually any compression task, because they're so versatile Not as good for: Ĭompressors typically split your input signal into two parts: One is sent through a detection circuit, which determines how the compressor will act, and the other is the audio that's operated upon by the compressor and sent to the output.Buss compression-both master and subgroup.Smoothing out peaks in a transparent way-for example, restricting the dynamic range of a vocal or instrument performance without squashing transients.Compressing drums, percussion and other transient-heavy sources.The latter has been a long time go-to compressor, especially for drums, adding its own unique snappy character to the drum transients.

Among the most renowned VCA compressors are the API 2500, which can be used as a buss compressor or on individual sources, the buss compressors built into SSL consoles, and the dbx 160.

Depending on how you set them, VCAs can be transparent or not to the original tone & harmonic characteristics. This abundance of control makes VCA compressors versatile jack-of-all-trades dynamics processors.

Many VCA compressor designs include precise control of a wide range of compression parameters including threshold, ratio, attack and release time, makeup gain and sometimes knee. VCA compressors are known for having fast response and are therefore a good choice on peaky, rhythmic or transient-heavy material. A VCA compressor reacts to peaks that are above the user-set threshold.

VCA is an acronym for ‘voltage-controlled amplifier’, which is the component at the heart of the circuitry in this type of compressor.

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