Difference between a stereo buss and mastering compressor?

[dblock]

One store guy told me the only difference is that mastering compressors have detents (which I guess mean that the knobs can be set a specific incremental stops for prcise adjustments).

I was curious about a trfpro "mastering" compressor I saw on ebay but think maybe it's overkill if there isn't some fundamental difference in sound and electronics that is the reason for the "mastering" compressor label. My other concern is that maybe this compressor is just plain outclassed my current gear list and might actually bring down the overall quality.

This is the mastering gear I have:

Alan smart c2, avalon 2055, tubetech LCA-2B, MANLEY SLAM!

(Interesting note on the tubetech LCA-2B which doesn't seem to be too popular. While not marketed as a mastering compressor, I did find it mentioned as one of 3 examples of compresssors "often found in major

mastering facilities" in the Mastering Engineers handbook by Bobby Owsinski. Apparently it's good enogh to make records.)

If there's no electronic difference between buss and mastering compressor, I'll forget about looking into the tfpro.

Any thoughts?

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I would first say, almost never listen to the guy at the store.

Secondly, in practical use there's really no difference between the two other than who puts the compressor over the mix, and what stage they're calling the process. A mix buss compressor is really doing the same thing as a mastering compressor (i.e. they're both compressing the entire mix), so it's really just about what they're meant to do and if it's the mixing engineer or mastering engineer who's putting it on.

If it's the mixing engineer, the compression is being used to become a part of the mix the same as an EQ choice. A mastering engineer may want the same thing, or they may use the compressor to acheive a different purpose (tame some transients for example).

Either a mix bus compressor or a mastering compressor could add color to a mix or not, it could pump or not, it could have detented knobs or not, these are all choices.

[Chopper]

the tf pro is a good choice by the way, the stereo spread knob is quit good (and i usually hate those...), and it's comfortable with tracking as well. more than a mastering comp, and one of my best buy in 19 years. learn how to use it properly and you're in for gratifications.

[dblock]

What your saying makes perfect sense but the example of the mixing engineers use of eq and say a mastering engineers use help illustrate my question in that a mastering engineers will require an eq designed for precision tayloring that your average eq is quite up to. At least that's what I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. So I was wondering if that precision translates to compressors for mastering.

[dblock]

Correction "...mastering engineers will require an eq designed for precision tayloring that your average eq is NOT quite up to. sorry.

[dblock]

the tf pro is a good choice by the way, the stereo spread knob is quit good (and i usually hate those...), and it's comfortable with tracking as well. more than a mastering comp, and one of my best buy in 19 years. learn how to use it properly and you're in for gratifications.

Thanks for that input. You know I really was considering putting it at the end of my chain but based on the gear I mentioned, I thought maybe it might be redundant more so than worrying about the quality of that particular unit. I wonder if mastering houses use it. I don't see many of them around.