Recently some podcasters asked me for advice on a good compressor. Many of them are using tools like Audacity or Audition and are looking for external plugins. I am a fan of Klanghelm plugins, so I recommended the MJUC jr It’s the little FREE brother of the MJUC. I bought both the MJUC and DC8C compressors but I must say that the MJUC jr. gets the job done.

Sure, the MJUC and DC8C are offering more features, but the MJUC jr. has a feature which can’t be ignored: simplicity.

I am a big fan of the Cakewalk RE-2A (LA2A emulation) which I use in the Reason Rack. I use it on vocals, guitars and bass most of the time. I am also a big fan of the McDSP Moo compressor. You won’t hear it is compressing. It’s great for podcasting/documentary interviews and can act as a vocal rider.

The thing is MJUC jr. is capable of that too. The FAST mode is great on vocals, guitars, drums, bass, you name it. And SLOW is just great for slow MU-like compression.

Sometimes I ask myself: why did I buy all the extra plugins? I don’t have an answer for it. If you’re using Ableton Live or Reason I don’t think you need additional plugins. The Glue compressor in Ableton and the Master Buss Compressor in Reason are very flexible compressors. It can do FAST compression but also SLOW compression and anything in between.

I am often trying out (and buying) plugins. But I must say that most of them won’t offer anything new. However, having lots of plugins to choose from can create a huge problem: decision stress.

Although I’d like to keep things simple, that’s no longer the case. I own way too much stuff.