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Apollo
Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A

Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A

4.7 (571)

Get the tone and precision of a rare dual-stage compressor.

  • Use Optical and Discrete Class A compressors in a single plug-in, for ultimate punch and presence
  • Switch between Nickel, Iron, and Steel output transformers — each delivering a unique flavor of rich analog tone
  • Access powerful plug-in-only features like Mid/Side, Mono Maker, Stereo Width, and Parallel Mix
  • Enjoy enhanced depth, faster transients, and a richer low end compared to the original Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor plug-in

Runs on macOS or Windows. Requires an Apollo audio interface or UAD Accelerator. View full system requirements.

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Plug-In:

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Elite Analog Sound for Your Masters

Only 50 Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A units were ever built, making them one of the most sought-after pieces of mastering gear on the planet. Now you can harness the upgraded Class A circuitry — with Lundahl® transformers and hand-wired cabling — giving your mixes greater clarity, weight, and punch than the original UAD plug-in.

Grab on to Dual-Stage Compression

The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in gives you two fully independent dynamics stages. Use the optical compressor for smooth transient control, followed by a Discrete Class A VCA section for fast, punchy tone shaping. You can run both stages in series, or bypass one or the other depending on what your mix needs.

Dial in Your Sound with Switchable Output Transformers

With three transformer choices at the push of a button, your mixes can go from clean and open to harmonically rich in seconds. Choose between Nickel for sparkling highs, Iron for bold midrange, or Steel for some added harmonic grit.

Enhanced for Your Modern Studio

Hear every nuance of the original circuit with Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT) by Brainworx, giving your mixes even more depth and analog realism. Plus enjoy features not found in the hardware — from Mid/Side processing and Mono Maker to Stereo Width and Parallel Mix control.

Hear the Next Generation of a Classic

Compared to the original Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor plug-in, the enhanced Class A edition runs hotter by 1–3 dB for added presence when inserted on your master bus. This gives your mixes extra punch and dimension, without sacrificing clarity.

What They Say

What a beauty! The variations in sonic signatures from the UAD Shadow Hills Compressor plug-in are astonishing.

Frank Filipetti

James Taylor, Rod Stewart

The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor plug-in has character and punch that no other plug-in can duplicate!

Adam Hawkins

Twenty One Pilots, Switchfoot, Keith Urban

Whatever you put the UAD Shadow Hills compressor plug-in on it just makes it sound better. Great way to warm up and fatten any mix.

Paul Hager

Goo Goo Dolls, Jonas Brothers

Reviews

4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
Based on 571 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 483 Total 4 star reviews: 47 Total 3 star reviews: 19 Total 2 star reviews: 12 Total 1 star reviews: 10
93%would recommend these products
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571 reviews
  • GS
    Gerrit S.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Yesterday
    Very good!

    I have not yet worked with the original hardware, which serves as a model for the UAD emulation. Therefore, I do not know how close the emulation with its signal quality is to that of the original Compressor. Without a doubt, however, it is fully possible to produce professional results with the UAD emulation and that is what matters! Impressive are the results, the tonal flexibility!

    Was this helpful?
  • BO
    Bryon O.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    4 weeks ago
    Love this Compressor!

    Great plugin!

    Was this helpful?
  • DD
    David d. V.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 month ago
    Top shelf product

    It fits well in my mastering signal chain. It’s a must have for putting a master together.

    Was this helpful?
  • DF
    Daniel F.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 month ago
    This is an amazing upgrade

    More presets and better ai feautures

    Was this helpful?
  • VR
    Vlada R.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    3 months ago
    Historic!

    Such a nice plugin…

    Was this helpful?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Customers who own the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor qualify for special upgrade pricing to the “Class A” version. To see your upgrade price, log into your uaudio.com account then select “Upgrade” from the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A product display page.

When you purchase the newest Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A, you’ll also receive a license for the original version. This plug-in will be automatically deposited into your account and will appear in the UAD Meter & Control application.

Yes, you’ll need an Apollo audio interface, UAD-2 Satellite, or UAD-2 PCIe card to run these plug-ins, using the onboard DSP. The plug-ins run on the hardware itself, without adding strain to your computer’s CPU. In an Apollo, onboard DSP processing allows you to run realtime UAD plug-ins with near-zero latency, and even record that processing directly to your DAW.

Yes, you can start a fully functional 14-day demo from any plug-in bundled with the UAD software. Simply click “Start Demo”, and start using it in your DAW.

UAD-2 licenses follow the hardware, it does not matter which computer they are connected to. You can have up to six UAD-2 devices registered to a system in your Universal Audio account, which share those licenses. See UAD-2 Plug-In Licensing Explained for full details. Authorization of UAD-2 hardware is managed by the UAD Meter & Control Panel Application.

Check our Knowledge Base for additional questions

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