If you’re looking to “glue” multiple sources together and add instant excitement without killing your dynamic range, this is my favorite compressor. This compressor, which models the classic Neve hardware, is a regular on kick, snare, drum buss and master buss. Try bringing it down to just before the signal starts breaking up, and then push the input for instant vintage saturation and excitement. There are so many tonal options with this plugin - it’s like an EQ, compressor, saturator and signal destroyer all in one. It can also really warm up a master buss and is excellent on lead vocals and close-miked drums. It’s a mainstay on my drum buss and other sub-aux tracks. If I had to choose just one plugin from UAD, this would be it. Beneath are the UA plugins that I use most often. To complement their impressive line of interfaces, which also include the Apollo Quad, Twin, Solo and newer Volt, Universal Audio have been making some of the finest analog emulation plugins for over a decade now. The flexibility, sound quality and reliability make it a perfect interface for recording, production and mixing. The centerpiece of my home studio is a Universal Audio Apollo x8.
