Apollo
Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A
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
Elite Analog Sound for Your Masters
What They Say
Frank Filipetti
James Taylor, Rod Stewart
Adam Hawkins
Twenty One Pilots, Switchfoot, Keith Urban
Paul Hager
Goo Goo Dolls, Jonas Brothers
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
- GSGerrit S.Verified BuyerReviewingShadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class AI recommend this productRated 5 out of 5 stars2 months agoVery 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!
- BOBryon O.Verified BuyerReviewingShadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class AI recommend this productRated 5 out of 5 stars3 months agoLove this Compressor!
Great plugin!
- DDDavid d. V.Verified BuyerReviewingShadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class AI recommend this productRated 5 out of 5 stars3 months agoTop shelf product
It fits well in my mastering signal chain. It’s a must have for putting a master together.
- DFDaniel F.Verified BuyerReviewingShadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class AI recommend this productRated 5 out of 5 stars3 months agoThis is an amazing upgrade
More presets and better ai feautures
- VRVlada R.Verified BuyerReviewingShadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class AI recommend this productRated 5 out of 5 stars5 months agoHistoric!
Such a nice plugin…
Frequently Asked Questions
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in is worth it if you want the sound of a mastering compressor that exists in only 50 hardware units worldwide. At $169, you get both dynamics stages of the rare Class A circuit, three switchable output transformers, and a set of controls the hardware never had. The original units trade hands for the price of a car, and this plug-in puts that same signal path on every bus in your session.
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in runs two fully independent compressors in one plug-in: an optical stage and a Discrete Class A VCA stage. Most compressor plug-ins model a single circuit with a single behavior. Here you can use the optical section for smooth, program-dependent leveling, add the discrete section for fast transient control, or run both in series and then color the output with Nickel, Iron, or Steel transformers.
Dual-stage compression means the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in passes your signal through two different compressors in series, each with its own character. The optical stage comes first, with a program-dependent response that levels smoothly and stays out of the way. The Discrete Class A VCA stage follows, with gain, threshold, ratio, attack, and release controls for faster and punchier shaping. You can bypass either stage, so one plug-in gives you three usable compression sounds.
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in models the upgraded Class A hardware, with its Lundahl transformers and hand-wired cabling, while the original plug-in models the standard version of the unit. The Class A edition runs 1 to 3 dB hotter for added presence, with faster transients, more depth, and a richer low end. It also adds features that go beyond the hardware entirely, including Mid/Side processing, Mono Maker, Stereo Width, and Parallel Mix.
Yes. Buying the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in also gives you a license for the original Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor plug-in, which lands in your account automatically and appears in the UAD Meter & Control application. If you already own the original, you qualify for upgrade pricing on the Class A version. Log into your uaudio.com account and select Upgrade on the product page to see your price.
Yes. The Nickel, Iron, and Steel output transformers in the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in each give the signal a different harmonic character, and you switch between them with a single button. Nickel keeps the top end open and sparkling, Iron brings the midrange forward, and Steel adds harmonic grit and weight. Because the transformers sit at the output, they shape your tone whether you are compressing hard or barely touching the signal.
Tolerance Modeling Technology gives the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in the small channel-to-channel variations you find in real analog hardware. Every physical component drifts slightly within its tolerance range, and those tiny mismatches are part of why analog gear sounds wide and dimensional. TMT models that variation rather than averaging it away, so the plug-in behaves less like a perfect digital copy and more like the unit on the rack.
Yes. The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in is a UAD DSP plug-in, so it requires an Apollo audio interface or a UAD Accelerator such as a UAD-2 Satellite or PCIe card. The processing runs on that hardware instead of your computer's CPU, which keeps your session load down. On an Apollo, it also means you can run the plug-in in realtime with near-zero latency.
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in runs on macOS 11 or later and Windows 10 or later, including Apple Silicon Macs. Behavior is identical on both platforms as long as your Apollo interface or UAD Accelerator is connected and authorized. Your licenses follow the hardware, so moving your Apollo to a different computer brings the plug-in with it.
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in works in any DAW that supports VST3, Audio Units, or AAX formats, which covers every major recording platform on Mac and Windows. It also runs inside LUNA, our recording system for Mac and Windows. Since the processing happens on your hardware, your DAW keeps its own headroom for native plug-ins and virtual instruments.
Yes. The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in works on any source, and it is a regular on drum buses, vocals, bass, and full mixes as well as mastering chains. Use the optical stage alone for gentle leveling on a vocal, or bring in the discrete Class A stage when a drum bus needs speed and punch. The transformer matrix also means you can reach for it purely as a tone shaper.
These four controls give the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in capabilities the original hardware never had. Mid/Side lets you compress the center and the sides of your mix independently, so you can hold down a lead vocal without flattening the reverb around it. Mono Maker collapses everything below a frequency you choose to mono for a tighter low end, Stereo Width adjusts the image, and Parallel Mix blends compressed and uncompressed signals without any extra routing.
Yes. The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in runs through the Apollo's onboard DSP in realtime, so you can monitor through it with near-zero latency as you track. You can also record that processing straight into your DAW if you want to commit to the sound. Either way, your computer's CPU stays free for the rest of the session.
DSP-based plug-ins like the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A are still worth buying because they deliver realtime processing at near-zero latency and keep detailed circuit models off your computer's CPU. Computers are fast now, but a session full of component-level emulations still competes with your DAW for the same resources. Running that work on Apollo or a UAD Accelerator keeps the session responsive and lets you track through the same processing you will mix with later.
UAD DSP plug-ins run on Apollo or UAD Accelerator hardware, while UAD native plug-ins run on your computer's CPU and need no UA hardware at all. The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in is a DSP plug-in, so an Apollo interface or UAD Accelerator is required to run it. The tradeoff is worth knowing: DSP gives you realtime monitoring and recording through the processing, which native plug-ins cannot do.
No. The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in takes its name from its role in mastering rooms, but engineers use it just as often on mix buses, drum buses, vocals, and bass. The optical stage is gentle enough for full program material, and the Discrete Class A stage is fast enough for aggressive transient work. Think of it as a mastering-grade compressor you are free to use anywhere in the session.
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in usually sits in the dynamics position of a mastering chain, after corrective EQ and before final limiting. Many engineers start light, around a dB of optical gain reduction with a couple of dB from the discrete stage at a low ratio, then choose the transformer that suits the material. Parallel Mix lets you keep the original transient detail while adding density underneath.
Yes. The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A plug-in is available as a fully functional 14-day demo, which you start from the UAD software by clicking Start Demo. You will need an Apollo interface or UAD Accelerator connected to run the demo, the same as with the purchased version. The demo is the whole plug-in, not a limited version, so you can test it on real mixes.