So, I started out with alittle tankless Harbor Freight unit. It leaked and bounced around and basically ran constantly. I knew the answer was more power and a bigger tank.
I bought a 21 gal. HF compressor to run shop tools and all a while back and had not set it up. I also had a small 2gal unit for blowing off parts and filling tires.
I thought that adding a tank to the little HF was a waste of time. The spare tanks don't have enough holes and no drain. I decided to go to the local flea market and buy another small compressor. it was cheap. I took the tank of the small compressor and ran a line from the big compressor to the small tank. Regulator at the main compressor and regulator at the small tank. I can T off the big tank for tools, but have the dedicated small tank for the air brush set up. It's GREAT. Once the noisy big tank fills, you never hear it again- tons of capacity. It's big enough to run a small spray gun. The result is a virtually silent set up with good control. Yay!