Parallel Mix Compression

Many engineers use parallel compression — combining a dry track with the same track run through a compressor — for drums, bass, and other tracks when mixing. During his recent GearFest seminar on mixing using the Universal Audio UAD-2 card, elite engineer/producer Frank Filipetti showed us that he does the same thing with his entire mix — he blends a compressed version of the final stereo output with the original dry track. This allows him to pump up the level and control dynamics without losing the detail, life, or transients from the overall sound.