In this article, we will share our top picks for the best compressor plugins.
The importance of having different compressors
Compression is mainly about shaping the dynamics of a source, but not all compressors are designed equal, especially in the analog era.
The several limitations of physical components have come with both pros and cons.
While compressors couldn’t be as accurate and fast as their digital counterparts, it’s also true that each one of them had its signature sound that shaped music over decades.
Without even counting how much they cost to this day and how hard it is to implement them in a setup, especially for bedroom producers/engineers.
Now, we have the blessing of disposing of affordable emulations that also take advantage of the digital realm’s features, like sidechain compression, lookahead, faster attack times, accurate meters, multiple modes inside a single unit, and a lot of physical space saved.
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The best Compressor plugins
So, what are the best VSTs for dynamic compression?
Here’s a list of the best deals available on AudioPluginDeals:
- Black Rooster Audio VLA-FET
- Boz Digital Labs Manic Compressor
- Tone Empire Firechild
- Tone Empire Loc-Ness
- Tone Empire OptoRed
- Sonible smart:comp
- Soundspear KTT
Black Rooster Audio VLA-FET
Authentic circuit emulation
Black Rooster Audio’s real-time component based circuit simulation approach allows for authentically capturing the sound and feel of the analog unit as close as possible. All the crucial parts, including in- and output transformers, an additional sidechain, and audio path networks and filters have been faithfully modeled.
SSE2 optimized code
DSP operations are pipe-lined using the SSE2 instruction set. This ensures highest possible performance operation despite very complex computations.
Auto-adjusted oversampling for maximum audio transparency
Aliasing artifacts are efficiently attenuated using a low latency linear phase Dolph-Chebyshev poly-phase design. The oversampling is auto adjusted to your session‘s sample rate to save valuable CPU power while offering the most transparent sound possible.
HighDPI / Retina support
All Black Rooster Audio plug-ins support high pixel density on Mac OSX and Windows to bring you the most enjoyable user experience on high DPI displays. Please refer to your manual to find whether your DAW is HighDPI capable if you‘re working on Windows.
Go get Black Rooster Audio VLA-FET
Boz Digital Labs Manic Compressor
MANIC COMPRESSOR is not only manic, but also has multiple personalities—six to be precise, each one providing its own unique character. Manic Compressor addresses the creative needs of mix engineers in ways that no other compressor does. Its ability to instantly switch between compressors models without changing settings lets you can choose the most effective compressor for the job without losing perspective or valuable mix time.
Go get Boz Digital Labs Manic Compressor
Tone Empire Firechild
The Firechild aims to emulate the characteristics of the King of Compressors from the 1950s. The vintage units are variable-mu type compressors, which use the vacuum tubes for reduction of gain right in the audio signal path, (no re-routing to a compression circuit)
Given its primary purpose as a protective device in broadcast or vinyl cutting environments, in which the limiter was required to catch any unwanted signal peaks reliably, these fast attack times were one of the compressors most important features.
Firechild features not 1, but 4 models including a “clean version” – off mode for the convolution, which presents a “non-colored” compression characteristics version as well.
Featuring 6 Release modes, each carefully emulated & sampled from 4 different units each with slightly different electrical components or tubes with different stages of tube life. A Knee control is also provided to further shape the compression characteristics.
Modern Features in the plugin take it way beyond the originals by add adding a full side-chain section with Hp/ Lp filters( 24db/oct) and side-chain gain, as well as a mix knob for mixing the compressed signal with the non-compressed signal. This gives the user a lot of choices in shaping and coloring the sound as they please.
Go get Tone Empire Firechild
Tone Empire Loc-Ness
Drums, the most crucial part of your mix that can make or break a track.
For decades pro engineers have used various combinations of compressors, pre-amps, eq’s, and saturation to make styles of sounds that stand out. Not just a compressor or eq, Loc-Ness is the mystical plugin that brings all the right controls and colors for drums to your workstation.
This is a dedicated channel designed for processing Individual Drum Hits, The room sound, and the entire drum bus.
Features 4 carefully modeled analog signal paths for light to crunchy saturation with the “Crust” control.
Use “Smash” to neatly limit and sustain the sound into pleasing “Splat” or “Thrust”.
Two filters let you zone into bands that you want to process, leaving the rest of the sound untouched. Dedicated wet and dry controls to carefully dial in the details of the sounds in your head.
Works great with acoustic as well as electronic drum recordings.
This processor makes it effortless to make pleasing drum sounds quick, no matter what the source is. Loc-Ness can also be creatively used on other sounds such as Bass & Guitars, Pianos, strings, Vocals, and other percussions.
Go get Tone Empire Loc-Ness
Tone Empire OptoRed
OptoRED is an optical compressor based on the famous American Classic Tube Optical Compressor, found on every hit record ever made. The idea was to start with a 1:1 emulation and take things far beyond the original functionality.
This optical compressor has a built-in side chain circuit, A Low pass filter, automatic gain, wet/dry mix, and other features. This allows it to go beyond the original intent of just being suitable for vocals and bass. OptoRED kills on Drums, Synths, Percussion, and both Electronic & Acoustic instruments.
The Lo-Cut Filter is designed to let the artist use this as a tracking compressor as well, getting rid of unwanted low frequencies at the time of tracking, yet get a low latency compressed signal perfect for tracking.
Unlike the original classic, OptoRED is super clean and does not impart any unwanted “Coloration.” Transparency was the key design feature here!
Go get Tone Empire OptoRed
Sonible smart:comp
smart:comp takes a unique approach to compression. It is both a time-domain compressor that recommends the most appropriate settings for threshold, ratio, attack and release with just one click, and a spectral compressor that dynamically keeps an eye on the tonal balance of the input signal. Behind smart:comp, runs the smart:engine – a content-aware A.I.-based system that takes psychoacoustic principles as well as extensive hands-on mixing experience into account.
Compression is crucial but, compared to EQing, it feels a lot less tangible. Its effect however, only seems subtle. It can in fact be enormous. The path to achieving great compression results is often iterative and the parameters users are faced with are not easy to comprehend. With smart:comp we have developed a compressor plug-in that serves users of all experience levels. It tackles well-known compression challenges in a precise, time-saving and user-friendly manner, and contains fine-tuning features that create incredible definition and clarity in audio tracks.
Go get Sonible smart:comp
Soundspear KTT
KTT is a 6-bands upwards/downwards compressor. Multiband compression divides the frequency spectrum into different bands to compress them individually. Upwards compression boosts the low-intensity dynamics while downwards compression reduces the high-intensity peaks.
Having more bands means having more control towards the audio spectrum while leaving the broadband headroom untouched. KTT also features a chained 12AX7 dual-triode exciter which helps to enrich the signal with harmonics synthesis on top of the compression.
Go get Soundspear KTT
