Compression plugins

Flagship digital compressor. Fourteen compression styles, full sidechain EQ, built for precision and creative sound design alike.

• Fourteen distinct compression styles, from transparent to vari-mu-style coloration, cover a huge range of jobs in one plugin
• Full sidechain EQ section with multiple filter shapes makes ducking and de-essing setups fast without a separate plugin
• Lookahead up to 20ms available, useful for catching fast transients cleanly

• $199 puts it well above most single-purpose compressors, a real commitment for one plugin
• So many compression styles and parameters on screen that dialing in one specific vintage character takes real exploring

Proudly digital mastering compressor. Frequency-dependent ratio, equal-loudness workflow, built for transparent bus and master duty.

• Frequency-dependent ratio and an equal-loudness workflow are mastering-specific features rare at this price point
• External sidechain input plus a variable sidechain highpass filter gives fine control over what triggers gain reduction
• 64-bit oversampled signal path aims for clean, distortion-free gain reduction rather than character or coloration

• A serious cost for a single mastering compressor, priced closer to boutique mastering tools than typical bus compressors
• No dedicated multiband mode, so cross-band-specific gain reduction needs a separate tool alongside it

VCA bus compressor modeled on the SSL 4000 G console center section. Glue-style gain reduction, built for mix bus duty.

• Feedback-style VCA design is purpose-built for gentle, musical mix bus glue rather than aggressive limiting
• Mix knob enables parallel compression without a separate bus or plugin chain
• Runs in every major format on both Windows and macOS

• Built around one specific console sound, not a flexible general-purpose compressor for varied jobs
• No sidechain input listed, so ducking or keyed compression needs a different tool

Free three-band upward/downward multiband compressor. Depth and time controls, built for aggressive, larger-than-life dynamics.

• Completely free, with a huge and disproportionate influence on modern electronic music production
• Upward and downward compression across three bands simultaneously creates a dense, energetic sound fast
• Simple control set (depth, time, input/output gain) makes it quick to get an aggressive result without deep technical knowledge

• Fixed three-band crossover with documented phase cancellation at the crossover points, a real limitation for precise multiband work
• Aggressive by design, easy to over-squash a mix or track without a light touch

FET limiter collection modeling three hardware 1176 revisions. Ultra-fast gain reduction, built for vocals, drums, and bus duty.

• Models three distinct hardware revisions (Rev A, Rev E, 1176AE) in one collection, each with its own circuit character
• Ultra-fast FET gain reduction catches transients that slower compressor types let through
• Sidechain filter helps tame low-frequency pumping on bus and mix duty

• List price is steep for what is fundamentally one circuit family modeled three ways
• No multiband mode, all three models are single-band, fixed-character limiters

Free single-knob character compressor. Minimal controls, fast to dial in, built for adding punch without fuss.

• Completely free, with no functional limitations compared to a paid compressor
• Extremely small control set makes it one of the fastest compressors to dial in on a track
• Runs in every major plugin format on both Windows and macOS

• Minimal control set means no fine-tuned ratio, knee, or multiband shaping for detailed work
• No sidechain input, so it can't be triggered by an external source

LA-2A-inspired optical compressor. Sidechain filtering added to the classic opto formula, built for smooth, silky vocal and bus compression.

• Free to download, giving access to an optical compressor style normally found on premium hardware-modeled plugins
• Adds sidechain filtering on top of the classic opto formula, a modern touch the original hardware never had
• Runs in VST3, AU, and AAX across both Windows and macOS, including Apple Silicon

• Download and updates are gated behind Analog Obsession's Patreon rather than a plain direct download link
• Slow optical-style gain reduction isn't suited to catching fast, sharp transients

Free vintage-style character compressor. Sidechain highpass filtering, built for pumping rhythmic tracks over surgical precision.

• Completely free across every desktop platform, with no trial limitations or nag screens
• Sidechain highpass filter, fed internally or from an external source, shapes exactly what triggers gain reduction
• Available in an unusually wide range of formats, including CLAP and LV2 alongside the usual VST3/AU/AAX

• Built for pumping, aggressive character rather than transparent gain reduction, not the right tool for subtle work
• Adds noticeable coloration and a hard clip on the output, so it's not suited to mastering-grade transparency

Free character compressor with sigma and alpha attack modes. Vintage, colored sound, built for adding grit rather than transparency.

• Completely free, with a devoted following for its distinctive vintage character
• Dual sigma and alpha attack modes give two genuinely different compression behaviors in one plugin
• External sidechain input lets it be triggered by a different source than the track it's compressing

• Windows gets VST2 only, and Mac is limited to VST2 and AU, no VST3 or AAX support for modern host compatibility
• Built entirely around its own colored, characterful sound, not a fit when transparent gain reduction is the goal

Digital compressor with switchable feed-forward, feed-back, and interactive detection. Internal sidechain ducking, built for flexible mix and creative work.

• Three switchable detection topologies (feed-forward, feed-back, interactive) cover both surgical and musical compression styles in one plugin
• Internal sidechain ducking with bipolar delay and filtering built in, no separate ducking chain needed
• Runs in an unusually wide format list including CLAP alongside VST3 and AAX

• No multiband mode, all detection topologies operate on the full signal as one band
• Three detection modes and internal sidechain routing add a learning curve next to a simpler single-mode compressor

Two-stage Class-A mastering compressor blending optical and discrete circuits. Switchable output transformers, built for high-end mastering chains.

• Blends optical and discrete Class-A compression stages in one unit, a two-stage signal path most mastering compressors don't offer
• Switchable Nickel, Iron, and Steel output transformers shape overall tone beyond just gain reduction
• External sidechain input plus a sidechain filter gives precise control over what triggers compression

• List price puts it firmly in premium mastering-chain territory, a serious investment for one processor
• Two-stage Class-A design with transformer switching has a steep learning curve next to a simpler single-knob mastering compressor

VCA bus compressor modeled on an 80s British console design. Feedback-style circuit simulation, built for smooth mix bus glue.

• Circuit-simulated feedback VCA design targets the smooth, glue-like character of classic console bus compression
• External sidechain support plus a sidechain highpass filter gives control over what triggers gain reduction
• One-time purchase with no subscription, runs in every major plugin format on both Windows and macOS

• No multiband or lookahead controls, it's a fixed single-band bus compressor
• Built specifically around one console-style glue character, not a general-purpose compressor for every job

FET compressor modeled on the classic mid-60s limiting amp. Fast attack, aggressive character, built for vocals and drums.

• Extremely fast FET-style attack captures transients other compressor types can't grab in time
• Signature aggressive coloration adds punch and density without extra processing
• Runs in every major format on both Windows and macOS

• Single-purpose character tool, not built for transparent or surgical gain reduction
• No multiband or lookahead controls, all its personality comes from one fixed FET-style circuit

Variable-mu tube compressor with three switchable circuit models. Vintage 1950s-60s character, built for coloration over transparency.

• Three distinct vari-mu circuit models in one plugin, each with its own dedicated controls
• Tube-style gain reduction curve adds natural-feeling density that's hard to get from a purely digital compressor
• Affordably priced for a multi-model vari-mu emulation

• No sidechain input or multiband mode, it's built purely around single-band tube coloration
• Vari-mu behavior reacts slower than fast-attack compressor types, not the right tool for catching sharp transients

VCA bus compressor modeled on the API 2500 hardware. Discrete and VCA detector modes, built for punchy mix bus glue.

• Modeled on a hardware unit known specifically for punchy, aggressive bus compression rather than transparent gain control
• Runs in every major plugin format on both Windows and macOS
• Native or UAD-accelerated operation, so it can run on a host CPU or offload to Apollo/UAD hardware

• No sidechain, multiband, or lookahead controls confirmed, it's a fixed single-band bus tool
• Built around one specific console character, not a flexible everyday compressor

Digital mastering compressor with three-band sidechain detection. Frequency-dependent ratio and threshold, built for transparent, precise mastering.

• Splits sidechain detection across three frequency bands with parallel RMS and peak detectors, without splitting the actual audio path
• Frequency-dependent ratio and threshold give mastering-grade tonal control most single-band compressors can't match
• Wideband processing keeps the signal path simple even with multiband-level detection detail

• $199 price puts it squarely in premium mastering-tool territory, a serious investment for one processor
• Multi-band detection with frequency-dependent controls takes real study to use to its full potential