Sometimes the best EQ is a compressor

When we're working on a mix, a big part of what we're doing (the biggest part?) is that we're working to differentiate sounds. 

We’re working to give each sound its own special, distinct place in the sound picture we're constructing.

And, if you’re like me, your first instinct is to reach for an EQ — to add some highs, maybe, or boost some midrange, in an effort to help a sound find its perfect home.

But what if I told you that, sometimes, the best EQ is a compressor?

It's true! Every compressor has a distinct sonic signature. And you can use them in place of EQs to help a sound stand out or recede in particular ways.

Have a sound that's a little too bright, or overly aggressive? Try an LA-2A style compressor to mellow it out a bit.

Have a sound that needs some help standing out from the pack? Try an 1176-style compressor.

Have a sound that you don't want to change the sound of too much, but that you just wish were sitting a couple seats further back? Sometimes the stock compressor plugin that comes included with your DAW is just the ticket for making something a little duller (I'm looking at you, Pro Tools).

Did you double-track an instrument — for example, stereo rhythm guitars in a rock song — and you want them each to have a little bit more of their own personality? Put a different compressor on each one!

There are as many examples of this as there are compressors — meaning there are dozens. See what EQ properties you can find in the compressors you have in your arsenal!

Counterintuitively — jamie