[Walt]

Serge Auckland wrote:

The cheapest solution is something like the Behringer MDX1600.

A much better solution is to use an Orban Optimod, on one of its gentler,
more purist settings.

I'd vote for an Aphex Compellor over those two units.

The Behringer is cheap, and for compressing a single input (say a
vocalist or a saxophone) in the context of an overall mix it does an
adequate job, but you can hear it pump and breathe when applied to
full-program audio.

The Optimod can sound pretty good (when used gently - it can and does
sound awful how most radio stations use it) - but it's something of
overkill as it's designed to be the final link in the airchain of an FM
radio station. As such, it's aware of limitations of the L-R
subcarrier, overall modulation limits, and other things that are
specific to FM broadcasting, none of which you should care about for
home listening. And IIRC, the output is composite (L+R with the L-R
encoded in the 38k subcarrier) rather than separate left and right.

The Compellor is actually designed to be an overall program leveler
which is probably more what you're looking for. It sounds pretty good
as long as you don't squash things too much.

//Walt