Mixing with the Chiswick Reach…

I’ve had a run of mixing projects lately so producer Richard Scott lent me his Chiswick Reach valve compressor to use on some mixes I’m doing for him.

The Chiswick is a proper high-end piece designed by Vic Keary, the man behind the Thermionic Culture Phoenix, and is hand-built (like a tank) in the UK. Sound On Sound’s Hugh Robjohns gave it a glowing review (ha!) and lots of big-name producers agree  that “…it never fails to sound fabulous…”.

At low compression levels it rounds off transients smoothly, glueing things together in a very subtle, transparent way. As you increase the level things get interesting – the sound becomes thicker in a very, dare I say, musical way, with a weighty bottom end and a slight halo at the top, before really starting to growl at higher settings.

In short, I love it. Everything you put through it comes out sounding better, and I don’t want to give it back…