10 Best Compressor Plugins in 2024
by The Press Desk
Empirical Labs Arousor
Dave Derr took Gearspace by storm when he announced that Empirical Labs was about to release a plug-in, and to the surprise of many it wasn’t the expected plug-in version of the coveted Distressor hardware! Instead, it was meant to be something more, an improvement over Derr’s highly successful original design which brought his latest developments in signal processing to the masses. Enter the Arousor, a plug-in that on one hand screams “Distressor” but on the other it takes the game to the next level by introducing new and unique features, such as attack shape modification, soft clipping, a sidechain EQ and more!
FabFilter Pro-C 2
There’s no doubt that FabFilter has raised the audio plug-in development bar since its introduction and the Pro-C 2 became kind of an industry standard in digital compression for many professional engineers. With great sound and a revolutionary workflow design, this beast of a software is capable of virtually anything with its eight different compression styles (Clean, Classic, Opto, Vocal, Mastering, Bus, Punch and Pumping). Whether you are applying subtle compression to a master or pumping up that EDM track, Pro-C 2 will get you covered with cool features such as the MIDI trigger that allows users to apply compression by hitting a connected MIDI keyboard controller or its dry/wet panning capability.
Acustica Audio Tiger
Differently from the majority of the company’s releases Tiger does not aim to be a 1:1 modeling of any specific vintage hardware but instead was developed to give users a software that can simultaneously replicate different classic compression ‘colors’ while bringing modern capabilities altogether in one single flexible tool. A cool feature on Acustica’s softwares is the ability to switch through GUIs wether you’re into a vintage looking 3D graphic interface or just want to tweak your parameters while focusing on the sound. The plugin is based on the company’s second generation of ‘Hyper Technology’, a proprietary engine upgrade developed mainly for CPU consumption optimization.
Solid State Logic Native Bus Compressor
Modeled after the centre section compressor from SSL’s legendary 1980’s G Series analogue console the SSL Bus Compressor 2 embodies the difficult task of bringing the original hardware’s sound and ‘glue’ factor to the digital realm and probably there’s no one better to do it than Solid State Logic itself. Currently on its second version, Native Bus Compressor 2 adds more flexibility than its predecessor by featuring new attack, release and compression ratios alongside with other enhancements such as built-in wet/dry mix control, a side-chain high-pass filter going from off to 185Hz and the capability of switching its oversampling between OFF, 2x and 4x.
Massenburg DesignWorks MDWDRC2
Massenburg DesignWorks MDWDRC2-Native high-resolution Dynamic Range Controller plugin was highly-anticipated by the company’s fans and earned many positive reviews. Designed by George Massenburg - the inventor of the Parametric EQ - the MDWDRC2 is fully packed with built-in EBU BS1770_3 Loudness Normalization filtering, true RMS signal detection, 64-bit floating point processing resolution in a 10Hz to 41kHz frequency range and much more. The DRC2-Native is often described as a crystal clear sounding dynamics tool, ideal for complex dynamic range manipulation and superb for post-production and mastering applications.
Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveler Collection
If you’re looking for an "opto" style of compressor for your DAW, there might be nothing better than Universal Audio’s Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveler Collection. This bundle offers users three historical variations that were used in countless hits throughout the music industry since the 1960s: The LA-2A Silver, LA-2A Gray, and LA-2. All models share the same spirit that made optical compression so widely loved, but each offers a distinct flavor of that smooth, creamy compression that works so well with vocals, bass and many other sources. The company has recently made native versions of its plugins so if you don't own a mac or a UAD interface that’s not a problem anymore.
Waves CLA-76
More than a decade after its initial launch, this duo is still a hit. There’s something about Chris Lorde-Alge’s 1176 units that Waves could somehow translate to this software making it stand the test of time. Labeled as ‘Bluey’ and ‘Blacky’ the two plugins included in this Wave’s suite deliver distinct tone of the classic FET compressor, with the snappy envelope character and the notorious "all buttons mode", where all ratios buttons are pressed together to get an overdriven signal that is present in so many classic rock mixes. The plug-ins also include 30 presets created by CLA himself so you can check out in first hand how he works with it.
Softube Weiss Compressor/Limiter
Officially endorsed by Weiss Engineering, Softube’s take on the DS1-MK3 Mastering Compressor, Limiter and De-Esser is a line-by-line code port of the original unit, meaning those will be the exact same algorithms used on the sought-after dynamics hardware processor, so that’s how much it sounds like the real deal! This package is a collection of four plug-ins: DS1-MK3, MM-1 Maximizer and the De-Esser pretty much wrapping up all you would need in order to tame your master track dynamics. This plugin is also included in Softube’s Weiss Complete Collection alongside other high-quality Weiss plug-ins for a reduced price tag.
Sonible smart:comp 2
After the success of its previous version, the sonible smart:comp 2 was readily embraced by the Gearspace community and earned many awards across the industry. This is an AI-powered spectro-dynamic compressor, which means that its engine analyzes the characteristics of your track and "learns it" in order to deliver compression results based on a profile chosen by the user. Everything here is as streamlined as possible, making the smart:comp 2 an intuitive to use compressor that delivers results and speeds-up the workflow like few others.
Plugin Alliance Lindell MU-66
The Fairchild 670 quickly became a staple in professional recording studios for its musical and harmonic rich type of compression. Sold by Plugin Alliance, the Lindell Audio MU-66 not only recreates the sound lushness of the Fairchild but also brings to the table tools from the digital realm for modern control, such as a stereo and M/S operation modes, an aptly named ‘smash’ switch for increased compression ratio, multiple sidechain options, separate controls for High and Low bands together with a crossover control ranging from ‘off’ to 12kHz. Definitely one of the best takes on the vintage beast ever released!
For more on compressor plug-ins, please visit our Music Computers board.
