Dual Level Compressor DLC-2

Name: Dual Level Compressor DLC-2
Brand: Korneff Audio
SKU: ka-dlc101

The Ultimate in Gain Control

Downward compression... and upward compression

The Dual Level Compressor 2 is two compressors in one. The High Level compressor pushes loud signals down. The Low Level compressor pushes quiet signals up. Together, they act like an invisible hand controlling a channel fader, making uneven performances tight and cohesive. It’s great for controlling levels and tightening up loose recordings.

It’s also great at bringing up details and ambience, and adding thickness and weight. And with full control over attack and release, you can add lo-fi character and vibe easily. You’ll think it’s amazing.

Windows, Mac and Linux Compatible
VST3, AU, AAX
Proprietary licensing system
Licenses include all future upgrades—you purchase once, forever.

Control the gain of uneven vocals to get smooth, professional sounding performances.
Add punch and pop to bass tracks while recovering quiet, lost notes and passages.
Increase room sound and ambience on drums without compression squash and artifacts.
Add bottom end to subs and 808s with precise control of presence and clarity.
Seat thin sounding instruments and voices in the mix by adding density and maintaining dynamics.
Add character with full control of punch and pumping effects.

Ride the Gain like a Boss

An invisible finger on the fader.

Riding the gain on a wonky signal is a pain in the neck, requiring automation as well as compression. The Dual Level Compressor makes it easy. Two steps:

DLC-2 LOW LEVEL fader, BOOST meter, CUT meter and HIGH LEVEL fader

Pull down HIGH LEVEL to push down the loud stuff.
Slide up LOW LEVEL to bring up the quiet stuff.

You’re done. The DLC-2 will track the signal and seat it perfectly in your mix.

Pull Up the Quiet Stuff

Without squishing the loud stuff.

The LOW LEVEL compressor is great for bringing up quiet details on any source. Make drum rooms sound huge, bring up instrument details, make vocals sound closer or further without using reverb.

You can even set TWO thresholds, one to hit the loud stuff, one to pull up the very quiet nuances, and leave the bulk of the signal untouched, for a rich, unprocessed sound.

Character and Mojo

Because sometimes clean and natural sucks.

The Dual Level Compressor 2 can be invisible, but sometimes you have to make some noise. The HIGH LEVEL compressor is, after all, a traditional compressor. We’ve added attack and release controls so you can play nasty with it.

Adjust the ATTACK to let the transients through and make that signal punchier. Or set the release too short, slam the fader down and get that compressor to pump and breathe for some lo-fi noise and charm.

Attack and Release

Set attack to 0ms to stop any transient dead. Set it to 10ms to bring out drum punch. Longer settings (up to 100ms) are perfect for shaping bass, guitars, or vocals.

Set release to a fast 20ms and make any instrument pump. Set it longer (up to 2 seconds) to blend the compression naturally into the decay of the signal.

Auto Release

Setting release for a natural sound is tricky; auto release makes it much easier to get a smooth, buttery sound out of the DLC-2.

Look Ahead

Worried about fast transients clipping your mix? Switch in LOOK AHEAD to catch those problematic peaks before they cause clipping and distortion.

Use Cases

I only have an interface, and no outboard compressor.

The DLC-2 can take a vocal with levels that are all over the place and gently even them out. If you don’t have a lot of outboard, the Dual Level Compressor is a lifesaver.

Instrument resonances are out of control in my mixes.

Resonance and dead spots on an instrument are a pain in the neck. The DLC-2 can tighten the dynamic range of any recording without making it sound stiff and overly processed.

I squash my drum room and it sounds all compressed and terrible.

Compressing down affects the transients of signals, and you lose attack and high end. The LOW LEVEL compressor brings up the room without affecting the punch and transients. It’s like parallel compression but even easier.

I hate the sound of compression on acoustic and orchestral instruments, but they get lost in the mix.

Bringing up quiet sounds adds density to an instrument without sounding compressed. You get natural depth and detail with no unnatural compression artifacts.

Pros talking about the Dual Level Compressor DLC-2

Sometimes you use a tool for many years because it gets the job done… but eventually you end up wanting more out of it. That’s why I created the DLC-2

Dan Korneff Producer/Engineer/Mixer/Plugin Developer

Pierce the Veil, Paramore, Breaking Benjamin, Sleeping With Sirens, My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach, El Niño

It’s a foggy day in London today but very peaceful… But it’s not peaceful in my mixing room. The DLC-2 has got me pumping more than iron! I love what this is capable of. Talk about musical! This is a very exciting tool for me.

Chris Kimsey Producer, engineer and mixer

The Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Led Zeppelin, Marillion, Killing Joke, Duran Duran, Peter Tosh, The Cult, INXS, Emerson, Lake & Palmer