Best Low End COMPRESSOR Plugs

[Tuberizer]

Ok folks I was so glad when I read this topic I thought I ask the same question only about compressor/limiter/dyamics plugins:

I'm in need of some nice compressor/limiter/dyamics plugins, VST or DX please. I would mainly use it on vocals (spoken word, singing) and on the mix bus.

Like in the EQ-topic: Think less than $200, ok?

Thanks in advance everybody!!!

[XHipHop]

I REALLY like this plugin. I have almost $10k worth of plugins I've bought over the years and this shines - Vocal channel strip audio plugin - Voxformer - Voxengo

It actually has 2 compressors.

[Mr. Wilson]

Delamancha
Stillwell
Antress
Varietyofsound
Ikm

All must have VSTs that are cheap or even free... Google away!

[hgen]

The new Waves H Comp is excellent, Vintage Hybrid comp and has parallel function with mix slider to dial in a settings. Amazing on drums and bass, great for vox too, $129 on Ebay if they're still availabe!!

[Tuberizer]

Did anybody try the DDMF dynamics? I know everybody loves their EQs, but what about the compressors and the limiter?

[Beyersound]

1. PSP Old Timer - Sounds great on anything, and a total "A List" vocal comp. Amazing switchable tube emulation, and totally versatile time constants. $99

2. The Glue - Great VCA/SSL style comp $99

3. PSP MasterComp - The single greatest transparent plugin comp ever devised. Has no peer as a 2 buss comp, and sounds more "expensive" than anything else. Has every sidechain/filter option you could want. It also comes with an abbreviated and cpu saving version that sounds great as well, "MicroComp". It is normally $249, but I think they are still honoring their $99 dollar special. The best money I ever spent!

[mattg082]

Originally Posted by Beyersound

1. PSP Old Timer - Sounds great on anything, and a total "A List" vocal comp. Amazing tube switchable emulation, and totally versatile time constants. $99

2. The Glue - Great VCA/SSL style comp $99

3. PSP MasterComp - The single greatest transparent plugin comp ever devised. Has no peer as a 2 buss comp, and sounds more "expensive" than anything else. Has every sidechain/filter option you could want. It also comes with an abbreviated and cpu saving version that sounds great as well, "MicroComp". It is normally $249, but I think they are still honoring their $99 dollar special. The best money I ever spent!

any of these

[Obitheincredible]

Try the new SonEQ. Its free! :D

SonEQ 1.1.1 | ObiAudio

[Obitheincredible]

Sorry I thought this was EQ not compressor! In that case...

Try Nasty VCS and Density MK II

Variety Of Sound

[David_Kessler]

Originally Posted by Beyersound

1. PSP Old Timer - Sounds great on anything, and a total "A List" vocal comp. Amazing tube switchable emulation, and totally versatile time constants. $99

2. The Glue - Great VCA/SSL style comp $99

3. PSP MasterComp - The single greatest transparent plugin comp ever devised. Has no peer as a 2 buss comp, and sounds more "expensive" than anything else. Has every sidechain/filter option you could want. It also comes with an abbreviated and cpu saving version that sounds great as well, "MicroComp". It is normally $249, but I think they are still honoring their $99 dollar special. The best money I ever spent!

How are you setting up the Old Timer on vox? Valve on or off, time settings, how much compression etc..

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by David_Kessler

How are you setting up the Old Timer on vox? Valve on or off, time settings, how much compression etc..

Depends on the vocal track, and many times the vocal chain used to record it. The current record I am mixing I have the Valve off (Clear setting). The artists vocal tracking chain was a tube/transformer mic, API 312, and a Summit TLA100. As you can imagine, there is a lot of nice harmonic content from the chain, the "valve" setting on the PSP was just too much. I set the time constant around 5-6, 3:1 ratio, use 4-7db of peak GR on the softer vocals, 8-12db on the more dynamic stuff. I have used Old Timer on voc tracks with different chains in "Valve" mode, and it was outstanding. It is truly a plugin that doesn't make me miss hardware, you just can't really get a bad sound out of it. I do feel the PSP guys are doing something truly special in the plugin world, when there are many of their plugins ( I use a lot of their EQs as well) stacked in a mix, things just seem clearer and more "hi Fi" than with most other plugs. Maybe it is their basic architecture (oversampling, etc) that does this, I just know I like the absence of "haziness" that I have experienced before with many instances in a mix.

[dickiefunk]

For free :-

Density mkII

For cheap

Stillwells The Rocket and Bombardier

For around $100

Cytomic The Glue
PSP Old Timer
IK Multimedia singles - Fairchild 670, Opto Comp and Classic Comp

[Old Goat]

Originally Posted by dickiefunk

For free :-

Density mkII

+1 Luv this somannabitch!

[mamm7215]

The New York Compressor is excellent, not for everything (mix-buss mostly) but great sounding. DDMF is imho probably the best quality for price plug-ins available...

[funkycam]

+1 on the glue.
+1 on stillwell: check out the rocket & major tom

[Downsound]

+1 on Stillwell Major Tom - one of my favorites!!! Just the other night I was trying a bunch of different ones on this bass part, and I was getting all these weird artifacts. I got to Major Tom and it was just perfect. It's so great.

[NeedsMoreFuzz]

Another vote for Stillwell's the Rocket and Major Tom (esp in oversampled mode), and Cytomic's The Glue --- I've A/B'ed The Glue against the Waves SSL comp, and far prefer the Glue.



Has anyone mentioned Digital Fishphones' Blockfish yet? It's a great little comp, and it's free!

[SoundEng1]

Originally Posted by Beyersound

PSP MasterComp - The single greatest transparent plugin comp ever devised. Has no peer as a 2 buss comp, and sounds more "expensive" than anything else. Has every sidechain/filter option you could want. It also comes with an abbreviated and cpu saving version that sounds great as well, "MicroComp". It is normally $249, but I think they are still honoring their $99 dollar special. The best money I ever spent!

Great Comp!

[Jimsi]

Originally Posted by Obitheincredible

Sorry I thought this was EQ not compressor! In that case...

Try Nasty VCS and Density MK II

Variety Of Sound

[-Noodles-]

I really like the Fab Filter plug-ins..

Compressor and EQ are awesome! (Also within your price range..)

[illacov]

+10000 on freeware compressors.
As a friendly disclaimer:

If you have a great tracking chain (mic, pre, comp,EQ) then you find the stuff like Blockfish, Density MKII, Classic Compressor, Rocket, Major Tom etc...they really are great units. Imagine what a unit like Blockfish would cost if it was hardware?

Sometimes I find people who utilize less than stellar tech in their studios relying heavily on the plugin compressors and EQs out there to sweeten their audio.
And if the plugs don't deliver the mojo then something that costs more money MUST be the answer right?

I say if you aren't hearing the results you need with the established freeware stuff the problem lies elsewhere.

I did a complete mix and master in Cockos Reaper with freeware plugins on Ronnie Spector that was submitted and approved. Needless to say though, her session was tracked exceptionally well with great gear and great players.

I extensively used Ferric TDS, EpicVerb, Glaceverb, Classic Compressor, Classic Delay, TesslaSE, Rocket, Major Tom, Blockfish, DensityMKii, Pushteq, 1973 and so on and so forth.....

Peace
Illumination

[ciro]

I have the NY DDMF comp and it´s a great clean compressor, it does an excellent job as a bus/master comp , for example (when needed,of course). For some "mojo" on instrumens/voice I "almost" bought the stillwell Major Tom (which is excellent), but ended with dlm 165 , this is also killer, has the DBX thing and a lot more versatile, + a bargain ($15...).


Ciro

[Electric Sugar]

Molot is free and excellent.

[branbolio]

Great thread!

[Jimsi]

BlockFish, reminds me a little of the dbx 160 with less attitude...its also free

[Beyersound]

Found another outstanding one, SkNote GTS-39 (take a look at all of their plugs!). It is a great emulation of a Gates Sta-Level (I don't think any other developer offers one), it is the absolute bomb on bass (like the hardware), and is very nice for some other things. The best feature of all, $29us! Incredibly underpriced............

[sonic dogg]

I like that Waves H comp also. Since I bought it with the Gold Bundle I have no idea how much it costs.

[musicroom]

I have the Old Timer and love it - along with Bootsy and Variety of Sounds plugs. My favorite compressor plug that I'm using for a parallel two bus compressor shocks even me - it's BlockFish. I keep auditioning plugs to find something better, but it comes out on top... Old Timer is my second fav.

After reading the posts - I'll give voxformer another look. If I remember, it had a harshness I didn't like. But maybe I can dial it in better.

[wcb123]

Fabfilter, flux, waves SSL comp or the glue.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Gearslutz.com App

[tyedie]

I've tried lockfish and not been able to get any sounds I like from it but I think I just need to spend a bit more time on it.

Density MK II is incredible! I really love that one. I'd check some of these free ones before forking out money. Just because your paying for it doesn't necessarily mean that it's better.