Q: I’ve been reading a lot about parallel compression lately, where is it most effective?
A: Drum kit and bass are both strong candidates for parallel compression, though we know engineers who also use it on lead vocal and on entire mixes. Because you can blend a parallel-compressed track with the original dry track in any mix proportion you like, the technique can be used to strengthen and thicken just about any sort of track or mix. Parallel compression is most often used during mixdown in the studio, but it can be equally effective in a live FOH mix situation as well.