When using the Ace Vintage Tube VST guitar plugin, you quickly find out that the sound it produces is fantastic and is warm, clean, and bright. This vintage plugin is not right for people who are want to create heavy metal, but it might work if you try to use it with distortion pedals. Studio Devil Amp Modeler Pro. Best plate reverb VST plugins. Free: TAL Reverb 2. TAL Reverb 2 deserves to top the list of best free reverb plugins. It’s a fantastic sounding reverb that’s modelled on a plate but can go from natural and realistic to lush ambient textures. 13 Best Electric Guitar VST Plugins for Digital Shredding 0. By HTMEM on VST Plugins. If you’re a guitarist, you’ve probably had the common problem of wanting to make professional music from the comfort of your home but not having the right setup to do it. Your recording will end up sounding less than stellar if you aren’t able.

If you are serious about mixing, a compressor is an essential tool that you can’t be without. There are a variety of software compressors that you can get your hands on, each with a different specialty and its own way of reacting to signals.

You could go the digital route if you’re looking for a beautiful, clear tone and open-end parameters. There’s also compression plugins that emulate analog gear if it’s a classic, warm sound you’re after. No matter what sound you’re trying to achieve, you’ll find a compressor that can help you get there. To help narrow down your choices, we’ve put together a list of some of the best compressor plugins that are currently available.

9 Best Compressor VST Plugins

1. FabFilter Pro-C 2

If you’re looking for an incredibly versatile compressor, check out the FabFilter Pro-C 2. You’ll find all the features you would have with a traditional compressor along with many extras. The Pro-C 2 offers lookahead gain reduction, Stereo Link control, mid-side processing, 4x oversampling, and eight distinct compression algorithms, all on an amazing interface.

With the variety of compression algorithms to choose from, you can run the gamut of compression from clean to colored for all of your mixes. You can achieve a wide range of sounds from these unique algorithms, which include Bus, Pumping, Vocal, Mastering, and Punch.

FabFilter has updated their I/O metering and gain reduction capabilities to ensure that your mixes adhere to loudness standards. https://aplusyellow.amebaownd.com/posts/23206376. You’ll be happy with how fast the compressor works without overwhelming your CPU. The Pro-C 2 is a one-stop shop for all your compressor needs.

Pros

Helpful sidechain EQ
A wide variety of compression styles
Exciting interface

Cons

Colored compression styles don’t really match up to vintage compressor plugins

2. Softube Tube-Tech Complete Collection

The Softube Tube-Tech Complete Collection comes with two EQs and a compressor that will help you get the job done. The stand-out in the collection is the Tube-Tech CL 1B, a classic compressor emulation that mixing engineers are drawn to. It’s often used for mixing vocals, but its capabilities extend far beyond that. If you’re looking for super smooth compression with an impressively transparent tone, the CL 1B is where it’s at.

Softube has copied the features found in the original hardware, and they’ve also included some additional parameters. These include release, threshold, gain, ratio, and attack parameters in addition to a parallel compression parameter. This means you won’t need to make an extra aux track for parallel compression of your signal. You can also take advantage of its sidechain low cut switch.

The Soft Tube-Tech C1 1B should be at the top of your list if you are looking for a vintage tube compressor plugin that will give you smooth and transparent results.

Pros

Super flexible
Authentic vintage controls
External sidechaining capability

Cons

Pretty pricey for what you get

3. Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Kotelnikov GE

If you’re looking for an affordable software compressor that can give you wideband dynamic control, the TDR Kotelnikov from Tokyo Dawn Labs is perfect for you. You might be familiar with the TDR Kotelnikov Feedback Compressor, which was the inspiration for a number of the controls found on this VST plugin. The control scheme is user-friendly with a basic, intuitive interface. The peak and RMS content also feature individual release controls. Its precise algorithms are comparable to pricier compressor plugins you can buy today.

If you want to take it up a notch with some extra features, you can fork out a little more for the Gentleman’s Edition. One notable feature on this version is the ability to set the compression ratio based on the incoming frequencies. You’ll also find a sidechain high-pass filter to help you achieve more precise compression.

This plugin stands out because it doesn’t try to copy any particular type of compressor. It’s a great example of a moderately-priced digital compressor with modern sounds and excellent features.

Pros

Super affordable
Lots of interesting parameters
Transparent digital compression

Cons Free prophet 6 vst plugins.

Not the best option for characterized compression
Doesn’t have an auto release feature

4. PSP Audioware PSP VintageWarmer2

PSP Audioware has developed a great reputation based on the quality of their wide range of plugins. The PSP VintageWarmer 2 stands out among their VST plugins because of how authentically it mimics analog equipment. The VintageWarmer 2 has your mixing and mastering needs covered if you’re looking for warm analog saturation and compression.

You’ll have access to three different plugins, including the MicroWarmer. This is the most basic of the three with all the standard compression controls. This is an ideal option for beginners as it’s super user-friendly and ideal for adding compression and saturation to individual tracks. The next option is the VintageWarmer, which is perfect for brick wall limiting and multi-band compression. It comes with some additional release settings and EQ shelves for frequency selection. It also won’t take up a lot of CPU. Finally, there’s the VintageWarmer 2 with its exciting FAT mode, which double samples the audio input and gives you a fatter overall analog sound.

You can expect for the VintageWarmer 2 to exhibit tape when overloading. No, it’s not the best option for a clean sound. However, you should definitely pick up this plugin if you want to exhibit complete compression, coloration, and saturation to your mixes.

Pros

Ideal for mixing and mastering
Awesome auto-release mode
Gorgeous analog sound

Cons

Not backwards compatible
Not the best option for clean compression

5. iZotope Ozone 9

You may already be familiar with iZotope’s awesome collection of audio restoration and mastering plugins. They have developed a great reputation based on these high quality, intuitive plugins. With the Ozone 9, you get incredible dynamics plugins that will give you ultimate control over your sounds.

In the Dynamics section, you’ll find a limiter/compressor plugin that will give you the ability to perfectly craft your sounds. It’s primarily a mastering compressor, so this means you’ll have extra tools than what you would find on a standard compressor. These include mid-side processing, look-ahead times, and advanced metering.

One cool feature is the built-in detection filter. This will help you determine what impact the incoming signal will have on the compressor’s algorithm. You also have the option of utilizing the high-pass mode if you want to use the compressor only with signals above the cutoff point. Whatever you’re trying to achieve with a compressor plugin, the Ozone 9 can get you there.

Pros

Ideal for mixing or mastering
Great selection of advanced features
Very versatile

Cons

Might be too pricey if you’re just wanting a traditional compressor plugin

6. McDSP 6030 Ultimate Compressor

If you’re an indecisive mix engineer, the McDSP 6030 is a great set of compressors for you. You’ll get a total of 10 different compressors in a user-friendly, modular format. It’ll give you just what you want from dynamic range control technology. McDSP built some

Best Vst Plugin For Clean Guitars