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Welcome to VC 2A
The VC 2A brings one of the most renowned compressor units of music history into your studio
by way of the FX Framework. The VC 2A perfectly re-creates the smooth and warm sound of its
ancestor. This compressor notably achieves outstanding results on guitars, bass, and vocals,
whose quieter parts can be softly pushed in a very natural way.
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What Is a Compressor?
Technically speaking, a compressor is an audio processing unit that reduces the dynamic range
of an incoming signal, i.e. reduces the level difference between the signal's quiet and loud
sections. This way, it can help to increase the perceived loudness of a signal and attract the
listener's attention.
For many studio and live music applications, the usage of compressors is inevitable: they let
you "glue" the individual instruments of an instrument group together and make them "sit" in
the mix more naturally, which is particularly helpful when mixing drum recordings. Compres-
sion can also stretch the decay phase of instruments, mostly drums, and add sustain to the
tone of electric guitars.
However, compression can be used for a wide range of applications. Here are a just few exam-
ples:
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Electric guitars and basses: Compression is applied to picked string instruments in order to
smooth the varying intensity of the individual strokes, thus increasing the perceived over-
all level. At extreme settings, you can get a “wall-of-sound” effect!
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Drums: Adding compression to a bass drum or snare track will add punch and help define
its sound in your mix.
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Vocals: Adding compression to vocals can make them sound more balanced by leveling
the soft and loud sounds in the voice.
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Mixing/pre-mastering: A slight compression applied to the overall mix (or some specific
subgroups) can add cohesion between the various instruments.
Welcome to VC 2A
What Is a Compressor?
VC 2A - Manual - 5
Summary of Contents for VC 2A
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