Ten of the Best: Compressor Plugins 2020
We pick ten of our favorite compressor plugins, from affordable all-rounders through to top quality analogue hardware emulations.
There is nothing so indispensable for a mixdown than a good compressor. In the days of hardware studios, producers and engineers got by with one or two carefully chosen compressors but these days, with all that’s available in the box, we’re spoilt for choice.
“Compressors can be used sparingly or heavy-handedly, or anywhere in-between.”
Audio Damage RoughRider 3
Price: Free
Audio Damage first released its RoughRider compressor 10 years ago and has continued to update it over the years. Now on version 3, they claim that RoughRider is “one of the most popular dynamics processors on the planet, with well over a half a million downloads.” It’s not hard to see why it’s so popular. The RoughRider compressors sound great, with a warming circuit that adds a bit of oomph to any signal and makes it a great go-to for dynamics duties that don’t require transparency.
Klanghelm MJUC
Price: €24
Klanghelm’s MJUC is a variable-mu compressor, which is the oldest (and arguably least common) type of compressor available. Also known as a tube compressor, variable-mu units use tubes to control the gain stage, resulting in a sound that is rich and warm. Traditionally, compression ratio was dependent on the amount of signal pushing into the circuit and, as this is older technology, attack is usually slow with a soft knee. This allows transients to pass through uncompressed, making them particularly suited to bass, vocals, and the mix buss.
MJUC features three variable-mu models of varying complexity, ranging from the rather simple and highly coloured Mk1, to the Mk2, which adds FET-style controls for attack and release and an interstage transformer to reduce noise and distortion.
Advertisement
Mk3 completes the package with a modern take on the variable-mu, albeit one that is very clean and punchy. With all this variation, MJUC can handle most any dynamics duties you may need, from vocals and keys to mix buss and mastering.
MJUC sounds amazing and punches well above its price point of €24. This is an absolute monster of a compressor for a kitten of a price. If you’re still not convinced, check out the free “junior” version, MJUC Jr.
Native Instruments Solid Bus Comp
Price: $99
Among the many functions that a compressor can perform, perhaps the most coveted for producers of electronic dance music is the “glue,” that lovely mojo you get when running summed tracks through a buss (sometimes just bus) compressor. The buss compressor as we know it derives from SSL desks, particularly the G Series, made in the 1980s. The compressor sits across an auxiliary buss and squashes all the tracks passing through it together. The interaction of the sounds all affects the way the compressor works, resulting in an even, overall compression that makes it sound like everything was recorded at the same time—something particularly essential in this day of plugins and in-the-box mixing.
Native Instruments’ Solid Bus Comp is a firm favourite here at Attack Magazine due to its simplicity, low price, and of course ability to get the job done with little muss or fuss.
U-he Presswerk
Price: €129
Most software compressors are modelled after or inspired by classic hardware: your LA2A’s, your FET’s, your VCA’s. These are incredibly useful, as each has a distinct character that shines best on a certain kind of sound. For example, the slow attack of optical compressors makes them ideal for bass, while ultrafast and transparent VCA emulations sound best on mixes, as they can tame peaks without tarnishing the rest of the signal. But what if you want a compressor that can do it all, and do it all with aplomb? Then you need u-he’s Presswerk.
Much like their Diva, Presswerk takes the best of a number of different compressor types and rolls them into one package. It can do vocals and instruments, bass and drums, even mastering-use mid/side compression. Think of it as a dynamics greatest hits package.
And while the front panel can be a little intimidating at first, what with its plethora of controls and options, u-he have seen fit to add a number of different compressor “views” that reduce and simplify your options depending on the job required.
Presswerk also includes a number of features that take it above and beyond your normal dynamics processor. You can choose between detection topologies, whether that be feed-forward, feedback, or an intelligent blending of the two. There’s also a dual phase rotator, which smears phases and increases headroom. And let’s not forget the saturation circuit.
Presswerk is excellent for anyone that wants an all-in-one dynamics solution, or for someone who wants to get under the hood and really fine-tune their compression.
Slate Digital FG-Stress
Price: $149
The Empirical Labs Distressor is a modern hardware compressor (and voted one of Attack Magazine’s Best Compressors Of All Time. With digital control and analogue circuitry, it offers the best of both worlds and, with its variety of unique compression ratio circuits, can sound like any number of different, famous compressors.
Slate Digital have worked with Empirical Labs to create the FG-Stress, a software version of the Distressor. At first glance, it appears deceptively simple. With just four main knobs, controlling input and output gain and attack and release, you might wonder what all the fuss is about.
But this uncluttered panel belies the complex beast hiding behind the front panel. Each ratio, from a gentle 1:1 to the brick-wall 20:1 and on to Nuke, is for all intents and purposes a different compressor, with FET, VCA, and Opto circuits all lying in wait.
FG-Stress is more than just a compressor with a number of different dynamics styles. Below the ratio buttons are two saturation buttons, which can impart second-order and third-order harmonics, respectively. The saturation can even be used without any compression at all. There are two high pass curves to remove compression from bass and a dry/wet knob for in-machine parallel compression as well.
FG-Stress (which is also available as part of Slate Digital’s subscription service) is a gorgeous-sounding compressor that goes surprisingly deep.
Sound Radix Powair
Price: $149
Many of the compressors featured in this list are inspired by classic hardware units. This is not the only way to compress, however. There’s no reason that more modern and forward-thinking methods can’t be applied to the field of dynamics, and that’s just what the lab coats over at Sound Radix have done with Powair. It’s a thoroughly modern affair that just happens to work and sound great.
Powair is a two-stage compressor, with a broadcast-leveller first (useful for mastering among things). The second is the compressor, which is a fixed-threshold design i.e. turn the knob for more compression and the amount of input gain will determine how much compression is applied.
Attack and Recovery controls are also available, with the Recovery portion syncable to tempo or note value. Very handy. Punch allows transients to poke through (are you imagining using this on drums?) and Adaptive averages out the levels while maintaining dynamics (excellent for vocals).
While the controls may be simple, the results are staggeringly transparent and musical. The applications for this kind of compressor are legion, and with unlinkable stereo and mid/side processing, it’s well-equipped for mastering duties too. In a word: inspiring.
FabFilter Pro-MB
Price: €169
There are times when you want to focus your dynamics processing on just one part of a signal, say the bass or mid-range. Conventional compressors will affect all frequencies equally. In situations like these, having a good multiband compressor is essential, and FabFilter’s Pro-MB is about as essential as they get.
Where most multiband compressors will provide you with crossover points to isolate frequencies for dynamics processing, Pro-MB instead allows you to insert bands at the appropriate point. Compression can then be applied where and only where you need it.
Settings can be called up in the traditional way i.e. with dials but they can also be done by dragging on the screen. Anyone familiar with FabFilter’s other plugins like Pro-Q 3 will feel instantly at home, and even newcomers will have no trouble getting their heads around it. It’s an incredibly intuitive multiband compressor—and that’s probably the first time “intuitive” and “multiband compressor” have ever been used in the same sentence.
With additional functionality like expansion (upwards compression), a dynamic phase processing mode that eliminates latency and pre-ringing, and mid/side modes alongside your usual functions like lookahead and soft knee, Pro-MB has most everything you could need in a multiband compressor. The price is a little on the high side but it has to be said, it really does sound great, and the intuitive GUI is the icing on the cake.
Waves SSL G-Master Buss Compressor
Price: $249
“Another bloody buss compressor?” I hear you ask. “How many of these things do we need?” Good question. That depends on your budget of course, and if you can afford it, your mix will love you if you introduce it to Waves’ fine SSL G-Master Buss Compressor.
Based on the master buss comp of the legendary SSL 4000 G console, the G-Master is ideal for adding that finishing polish to a mix. Use it on drums, vocals, and of course the master buss to meld your sounds together, adding that elusive tightening that separates a run-of-the-mill mix from a strong and professional-sounding one.
The SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, which was developed under license from Solid State Logic, is simple to understand. Set your threshold for where you want the compression to kick in, then adjust attack and release amounts. Ratio and makeup complete the VCA-style compression circuit. There’s also an autofade dial—not likely something you’ll use a lot but when you’re meticulously emulating a classic board, you do it all the way. Lastly, Waves have added sidechain input and a button to toggle on and off the “analogue,” which adds pleasant noise and harmonic distortion present in the original circuit.
As one would expect from Waves, The SSL G-Master Buss Compressor sounds incredible. It’s as transparent as the Invisible Man and adds just the right amount of mojo to anything you push through it. What else can we say but get on the Buss.
iZotope Ozone 9 Dynamics
Price: $249 Standard
Izotope’s Ozone software suite has become indispensable for producers looking to add a final mastering polish to their mixes. With a wide variety of modules, from EQ to dynamics to stereo imaging, plus the implementation of AI, Ozone 9 is a powerful software mastering solution.
Included in the package is Dynamics, Ozone 9’s multiband compressor/limiter. Available as part of the suite in Standard version and as a separate plugin in the Advanced, Dynamics is an excellent, all-purpose mastering multiband compressor that should not be overlooked.
The frequency band can be split into up to four bands, with each capable of handling compression, expansion, and limiting independently of the other bands. This independent processing extends to other functionalities like the usual ratio, attack, release, and knee amounts, plus parallel mix amounts and even auto gain and adaptive release, the latter of which will monitor the signal to create more natural release settings.
iZotope’s products are known for their implementation of AI and Ozone 9 follows suit, with a learn mode to help set crossover points, one of the more difficult aspects of multiband compression to get right. It also features an interactive threshold control for both compressor and limiter.
Dynamics is an excellent, transparent, and modern multiband mastering compressor. It would be worth the Stardard price tag on its own. The fact that it comes as part of a much larger mastering suite is just phenomenal.
Brainworx Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
Price: $299
Even with the democratization of mastering thanks to software like iZotope Ozone, mastering is still something of a dark art. Think prohibitively expensive boutique gear festooned with military-grade knobs and controls. You’re probably imagining the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor right now. High-class heroes Brainworx have taken it upon themselves to fastidiously model this voodoo box and the results are astonishing.
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor is a two-stage compressor. The first stage is an optical compressor much like the famous LA-2A, with knobs for threshold and gain. The second stage is a discrete compressor modeled on classic VCA units like the Solid State Logic G-Series.
The latter provides more detailed options for control, with typical gain, threshold, ratio, attack, and release controls. Lastly there’s an output transformer stage, with three different modes for different tonal balances. As this is a mastering compressor, it’s meant to process signals in stereo, with all knobs duplicated on the left and right side of the panel.
There’s more of course, with mid/side modes, stereo width adjustment, and internal and external sidechaining, but what really sets this compressor apart is the sound quality. Smooth, round, airy, deep… You get the idea. You don’t have to be a mastering engineer to use this either. Adding it to your mix buss can add a polish and sheen that has to be heard to be believed. It’s not cheap, granted, but it’s a lot more affordable than the hardware!
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor is also available as part of Plugin Alliance’s subscription service.
