Parallel Compression

[Watersound]

I apologize if I already posted on this subject not too long ago, but I need a clear answer to something. Let's suppose I have a stereo mix that I have in the computer. I send it out through my Rosetta 8 into an analog compressor and then back into the DAW. I repeat this with a few different compressors so in essence I have 4 separate stereo mixes. Now obviously when all these tracks play back they are out of phase. Here's the question, do I line them up manually by zooming in as closely as I can or is there a preffered method to ensure the tracks are dead on? How do you guys do it?

[Watersound]

I also wanted to mention that when I send the mix back into the DAW I record the pass.

[Rick Sutton]

I'm probably not the best guy to answer this 'cause I do parallel compression on an analog board but I would like to pose one scenario. If you are going out to a compressor then repeating the process several times to other compressors why aren't you going out to all the compressors at once? If you are recording four stereo comps you would need 2 channels out and 8 channels back in simultaneously. If you've got enough channels of conversion and this multiple comp method is what you want to do it seems like that would save a lot of work. Then all 8 channels of comp could be grouped and slid into place at one time.
As a disclaimer I have to admit I've never heard of this use of multiple comps paralleled to the stereo mix but that doesn't mean much as I haven't seen everything!

[Watersound]

You may be right, this could be a very convoluted concept. Maybe I am going about it the wrong way, but my analog board sucks so I just wanted to know how the two(analog compressor and DAW) could work together in this way.