How do you get "punch" in a recording?

What are the key components to getting a real snap and punchy crispness in a recording?  I'm thinking along the lines of the Disco sound of the early 80's?

Really, there's only one key component...

Do a forum search for 'dynamics processing', and you will find a lot of information about how to do this, spread over a lot of threads. Basically, what you are after is compression, but historically the plugin that does this in Audition has been called the Dynamics Processor - which is an accurate definition of what compression is.

You know, Steve, I agree with you about the compression.  In fact, to some degree or another, I use compression all the time. 

However, for the genre I mentioned, it just seems like there might have been something else.  Maybe it was the genre . . . the song itself -- the style, or possibly the mix -- or maybe even the pushing of certain frequencies a little.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but overall, it had a very crisp and driving sound. 

Layering was a trick often used at that time.  For example, combining a real kick with an electronically generated one (using the real one to trigger the other).

My favourite source of info for articles about audio recording is a podcast hosted by another user here.

Will not name him so as not to embarass him but check out the excellent pods sine language and building the pod.

Especially useful are the episodes on dynamics in the series building the pod, if I recall correctly numbers 8 to 15  but worth checking.

Episode 100 of btp is an awesome video in remixing a radio spot - big download but a must.

Kind regards toneranger33

btw: forgot to add this url:
http://www.audio2u.com

Maybe that's it.  Has to be something like that.  That music definitely had a distinctive sound -- a sound you don't here much today.  I'm sure a big part of it was just the style -- the genre itself.  It was very conducive to that rhythmic, "driving" feeling.

Gear that made 80's sound: Telefunken (Tube ) V76 mic-pre / LA2A / Pultec EQ / 1176 UA 

Telefunken (Tube ) V76 - makes a mouse roar like a lion. Analog Reel-to-reel recording with Studer / ATR machines. You don't get the same results using the above outboard gear as with plugins. I have the Telefunken V76. It'is amazing. Plug a bass into it via a Countryman FET 85 DI and you have what you are looking for. Remember: GIGO = garbage in = garbage out. What you take in as signal determines the quality you can work with.

Try compression (hand shape peaks) / then use Parametric EQ (add wide curve (Q=0.5) at low /highs - Sweep with narrow Q=10 . lower harsh frequencies in mids). Imagine the instruments in your song and how you want the frequencies to play / overlap. EQ source for this purpose. Example: aim mic at 12th fret of acoustic guitar to get a certain sound that won't challenge bass guitar. Try reducing Bass EQ above 800 Hz.

http://audiomastersforum.net/amforum/index.php/topic,1601.0.html

Telefunken (Tube ) V76 - makes a mouse roar like a lion.

Bit of a shame if you really wanted it to sound like a mouse, though.... 

You should try to search the forum first.