Summary

The sound of stereo buss compression has become ubiquitous in today's larger-than-life music. When it's done well it can enhance the sense of cohesion and fullness that makes a recording sound like a record. When it's done poorly it can make a recording sound bloated, puffy, muddy, muffled, distorted, and just plain bad. The stereo mix presents a challenge to the compressor that is unlike processing an individual track. Its charge is to control dynamics on a wide range of sounds without pumping on the kick drum, muddying the cymbals, burying the snare or losing focus on the vocals. The RMS755 Super Stereo compressor from Roll Music Systems was created for just this daunting task. Its controls are specifically suited for tailoring a mix. We didn't waste time or money on gates, external triggers, and other unrelated functions. Instead, the Super Stereo provides wide and precise control over attack and release time, including a unique dual release mode that allows slower release on long, loud passages while retaining control over fast transient recovery. There's also a switchable 150Hz high-pass filter in the sidechain to avoid pumping on big bass beats. All of this comes together with a superbly transparent response characteristic and pristine audio quality to create one smooth, satisfying dynamics processor that lets you hear the music, not the compression.