Summit DCL-200. Reviewed by Ali Ramzanali

Summit Audio, a company that stands by its name by being the 'peak' in its class. I had a chance use the DCL-200 while mastering Ethan Kennedy's upcoming album "Raucous." The DCL-200 is a refined piece of gear, and it shows; every knob is calibrated to a near-perfect linearity, the build is rugged, the VU's are highly sensitive, and even the switches reflect the integrity of this compressor. After about 15 minutes, the 12AX7A tubes warm up to a blissful level of amplification- I would suggest running any clean signal through this machine with the compressor bypassed. The 'slope' represents the ratio of the compression - ranging from 1:1 (0) to 7:1 (10). Side chain capabilities make it easy to hook up to an EQ to de-ess vocals - if that's what you need. The DCL-200 is a must-have in any studio. Rent it today and hear for yourself. $75 a week, $150 a month, or sale price $3339.99.