Best VST Compressor DAW plugins 2023
Best and most recommended VST Compressor plugins for 2023. We tried to come up with an ultimate list of Compressor VST’s. Check the list and find the best Compressor plugins for your music project. All positions include download links and video presentations.
With 2023 there are a bunch of compressor plugins that can drastically change the way you produce music. We’ve tried to choose only the best compressor vst for you so you won’t have to waste you time and money.
List of best VST compressor DAW plugins in 2023
Picking the right compressor plugin for your music production might be a tricky task. With all the choices available how can you be sure you get the right VST compressor for your DAW?
Our list of best VST compressor plugins will help you make the right decision. All the listed plugins are industry standard tools. Tested and tried by worlds best engineers.
Remember, when choosing best VST compressor plugin for your project try to listen to the audio examples below and see if it’ll fit your genre/setup. Not all of compressor are the same, some of them have a very specific sound or controls to achieve certain sound. I really hope that our list of best VST limiters will help you make the right decision.
Dragon Fire introduces a monstrous new and easy way to tame and colour the dynamics of your tracks called tonal compression and on top adds Shape™ technology to finely shape the sound and behaviour of your compressor. The Dragon Fire offers the ease of use of an equalizer with its push-pull graph, but more freedom, power and simplicity than a multi-band compressor. Speed up your workflow and add creativity and fun to your production process keeping your ears fresh, creative and healthy.
When denise started to conceptualize a ‘denise style’ compressor, they wanted to go beyond emulating a classic compressor. It’s after all denise’s mission to take inspiration from the analogue world, but create plugins with their own unique soul, craziness and character. denise wanted their compressor to give you the freedom to tune the sound of the compressor itself – imagine fine-tuning the compressor’s saturation amount based on the gain reduction, or tweaking the envelope follower to sound more analog or vintage.
Secondly, they wanted to make compressing multiple bands easy, controlled and more flexible than with a traditional multiband compressor. To achieve this denise integrated the push-pull technology from denise’s popular God Mode, so you can target the compression towards specific elements in your mix, like the snare in a full beat. These new features and technology made us rethink the mixing process entirely.
The CLA-2A emulates the original`s smooth, frequency-dependent behaviors that have made it a favorite of engineers everywhere. The CLA-2A is perfect for recording vocals and drums as well as mixing guitar amps and bass guitar. Chris Lord-Alge’s presets give users easy access to his tried and true settings for modern music styles such as Pop, Rock or Country. Like updated versions of famous classics, the CLA-2A exceeds expectations by effectively meeting needs from quick fixes to intricate detail editing with ease!
The name Weiss is synonymous with quality in mastering, and a truly exceptional compressor/limiter is essential to any serious mastering engineer. The Weiss DS1-MK3 digital dynamics processor is the top-of-the-line go-to for a huge proportion of the world’s greatest mastering gurus, and for the Weiss Compressor/Limiter, we draw on its essence (and code-base) to bring a totally focused and fit-for-purpose modern answer to the question ‘how should I deal with dynamics on my mix bus?’
Available as a standalone plug-in, or as part of the Weiss DS1-MK3 collection (also including the class-leading Weiss Deess de-esser for your high-frequency delight, and the fast and intelligent Weiss MM-1 Mastering Maximizer) the Weiss Compressor/Limiter aims squarely at the body of your sound, and offers the perfect set of features for this most crucial of tasks.
Precisely modelled in close collaboration with Dave Derr, Empirical Labs Mike-E Comp offers high-calibre, one-of-a-kind saturation/compression based on the famous ELI Distressor. A punchy preamp that’s available before the CompSat circuitry, and three different emphasis modes—plus NUKE!—enable multi-stage distortion and quick changes to the character of the saturation/compression behaviour. Available for the first time as a native plug-in, Mike-E makes it a total blast to go overboard. And when you do, you’re rewarded with nary a hint of harshness—no matter how far you push it to the extreme. Excess without consequence? That’s rock & roll. And it’s what makes Mike-E your man in the box.
Softube has a long history of modelling professional gear. After nearly two decades working in collaboration with premium pro audio brands like Tube-Tech, Solid State Logic, Chandler Limited®, Weiss Engineering, and Trident, Softube have a solid track record recreating indisputable classics in software form that sound precisely like their hardware counterparts.
Empirical Labs Mike-E Comp is built on this legacy, and Softube took the same meticulous approach they always do – everything needs to be exact, with skilful recording, precise testing, and fine-tuning to sound exactly like the hardware that inspired it or even better. Nothing less.
Not only do SSL E-Channel plug-ins sound smoother, more natural and detailed than any other dynamics processing plug-in – they also feature a world-class user interface. What’s really worth celebrating about this plugin is not just the product; it’s all of the people who helped make it: famous producers like George Martin and Mick Guzauski (Madonna: Confessions on a Dance Floor), top engineers such as Klaus Scheurer (ELO) and Glen Kolotkin(Simply Red). Now imagine that team working for you.
The most faithful emulation of a modern yet legendary tube compressor/limiter – perfect glue for mixing and mastering.
There are several reasons to use a variable-bias tube compressor. One is the exceptional compression transparency that this kind of compressor can achieve, even when pushed into extreme gain reduction. Another – and perhaps the most common – is their ability to add cohesion or “glue” to buses, whole mixes and masters.
Unfortunately, the original hardware is expensive and difficult to integrate with “in-the-box” workflows. Software emulations exist but most owners of the hardware agree that they cannot be compared to the original unit, as there’s always “something” missing.
With its unique Topology Preservation Technology, Pulsar Mu sounds objectively identical to the hardware in every production context, and even makes improvements such as an increased signal-to-noise ratio.
PolyComp is an analogue simulation inspired by a classic mastering multiband compressor.
The PolyComp is a versatile dynamic processor, providing three bands of VCA compression. Each band is an independent compressor with its own standard controls (Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Gain) and a three-way switch to bypass or mute each band.
You can use PolyComp as a corrective compressor on single tracks, as a mixbus compressor or as a mastering tool.
A compressor that eats transients for breakfast, the 1178 is a rare and expensive legend of the recording studio, cleaner and more versatile than its older brother, the 1176. The 1178 has been used by great producers including Chris Lord-Alge (My Chemical Romance), Bob Clearmountain (Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera), Yvan Bing (Phil Collins) and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead).
The Pulsar Audio 1178 software meticulously recreates the original 1178 hardware in its tonal colour and compression character.
But Pulsar Audio have taken the 1178 further than the original unit, adding all the features you would expect from a modern, versatile plug-in, including a full sidechain EQ for added control, an optional saturation stage for warmth and character, and precise metering.
The C6 Multiband Compressor is the beefed-up version of our best-selling C4. It features six bands that work hand in hand to compress your sound with ease, and there’s no need for knowledge on vocal or guitar dynamics. You just dial up a preset that does it all for you! The sidechain feature even lets you apply compression by sensing a track’s audio through an external effects processor–perfect for DJs, VJs, and live performers who want looping basslines to stay locked at the bottom end of their mixes
A “Punchy” hybrid compressor with controllable low end “Thrusting” inspired by the famous American compressor and the classic British console compressor. Great on drums, your mix bus, and for mastering. Go subtle or “Thrust” your sound! This is part of the new Enhanced Classics series.
At Tone Empire, they are inspired by classic devices yet yearn to bring the extended functionality to today’s modern musicians, engineers & producers working on advanced systems with a need for more flexibility and extended tones. Model 5000 is their 2nd release in the new Enhanced Classics series.
The Model 5000 is a hybrid VCA modeled on the famous “Thrusting” American compressor and the famous British “Console” compressor. Get “Bottom Weight” on your mixes with ease.
For the mastering engineer, a multi-band compressor is a powerful tool. But as Spiderman’s uncle Ben famously says: with great power comes great responsibility. A multi-band compressor that is not used diligently may create more problems than it solves. This is why Softube created Drawmer S73 Intelligent Master Processor (IMP).
Drawmer S73 features an enhanced multi-band compressor sound design, fine-tuned to improve your mix with a minimum of tweaking. The S73 does most of the job for you by making the choices a mastering engineer would make. Simply use the Style parameter to switch between ready made mastering processing techniques to quickly find the sound that suits your mix the best.
Under the hood, the S73 is based on technology created by Drawmer for the 1973 Three Band FET Stereo Compressor. This is an award winning multi-band analog compressor design famous for its precision and flexibility. Softube has carefully modeled all the characteristics of the original analog hardware, and have taken the concept a step further by adding mastering sound design to create the Drawmer S73 IMP. The unit offers the perfect way to balance and shape your mix, and get great analog sound in no time.
The API 2500 provides the most reliable way to process your mix with absolute accuracy. Featuring two channels of compression, this versatile device can also serve as separate modules for more refined control over each channel. The auto-make up gain function is always available so you never have to worry about adjustments affecting your output level. Whether you need punch or tenacity, the API 2500 has it all!
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DOWNLOAD PDFA highly versatile mojo machine, capable of replacing multiple plug-ins in a chain – EQ, distortion, transient designer, you name it – the Germanium Compressor is so much more than gain reduction. Engineered with an ear for music before mathematics, this is a trusty companion for producers, recording engineers, and creative musicians of all kinds.
This is a meticulous model of the Chandler Limited® hardware, tested in Softube’s lab to ensure it performs like the hardware does, for the same excellent sound quality and inspiring vibe.
Everything in the Germanium Compressor is designed with an ear for music first. Ratios, knee settings, and more are all fine-tuned for use in the real world. The FET gain reduction unit allows for delicious distortion and colour. Control the harmonics with a choice of clean or dirty compression and multiple different diode combinations allow for a ton of styles and options.
The Germanium Compressor’s unique character comes from a blend of several innovative approaches. The ratio settings are tuned by ear rather than arithmetic. The dial takes you from less to more rather than fixing on especially precise numerical values. And what does it matter as long as it sounds fantastic? Knee settings are similarly artistic, named as they are after the different combinations of diodes which achieve each colour of the curve.
When the Beatles had a song they wanted to record, Abbey Road Studios always knew how to play it just right. Now you can too! The RS124 from Abbey Road Studios is so legendary that every recording made there had this unique sound.
Waves been working with them tirelessly on perfecting their model for over a year now and we finally have both the classic tube flavor as well as a model of one of those elusive ultra-rare circuit boards.
You get two flavors in one – the standard edition with its warm compression that will give your music less punch overall but more sustain and reverb, or go for an old-school 1073 amp distortion sound by choosing the crunchy Japanese mix knob.
FabFilter Pro-C 2 is a high-quality compressor plug-in for the most demanding engineers. Whether you need subtle mastering compression, an upfront lead vocal, that magic drum glue or deep EDM pumping: Pro-C 2 gets the job done with style!
Pro-C 2 offers eight different, program-dependent compression styles with beautiful sound and character. But there’s more! Apart from the classic compressor controls, you also get smooth lookahead, up to 4x oversampling, intelligent auto-gain and auto-release, a variable knee, hold, range, external side-chain triggering, variable stereo linking and mid/side processing, all packed in a beautiful Retina user interface.
The fully redesigned interface in FabFilter Pro-C 2 offers insightful metering with real-time displays that will greatly improve workflow. The large animated level/knee display visualizes exactly when, why and how compression is applied to incoming audio. Accurate level meters show the exact peak and loudness values, while the circular side-chain input meter turns finding the perfect threshold setting into a trivial task. And the large side-chain EQ controller makes it easier than ever to filter the trigger signal any way you like.
Blue Cat’s Dynamics is a full featured dynamics processor: it can be used as a compressor, limiter, gate, expander, waveshaper or all at once! The dynamics response of the plug-in can be tweaked with a unique two-thresholds system, and provides detailed visual feedback about its behavior.
The plug-in includes several filters to control the frequencies affected by the compression. Its continuous VCA/Opto and Peak/RMS controls let you smoothly and precisely choose the behavior of the envelope detection like you have never been able to.
The plug-in also provides advanced stereo features, with mid/side processing capability, multiple stereo linking options and the ability to choose the channels affected by the processor.
An additional brick wall limiter and clipper protects the output for complete control over the dynamics response.
Three different modes are available for external side chaining, using either the external side chain input, MIDI control or automation lanes.
The configurable visual feedback shows every detail of what is going on inside the plug-in. You can also record this information as automation curves, to monitor the modifications applied to the signal on top of the audio representation of your favorite host application.
“The H-Comp is a sleek, miraculous piece of machinery that combines the modeled behavior of transformers, tubes, and transistors to provide unprecedented sound quality.
With this Plugin you’ll have access to everything from all out harmonic distortion transistor fuzz diodes with overdrive saturation colors fit for an alien movie soundtrack.
The punch control on the side can be used to manicure your tone just right taking your boisterous bass down into pulsating sub-levels or cleanly mastering your stereo bus without sacrificing any sound quality. Needless to say, it does compressor stuff too but do we really need more words about that? ”
T-RackS Comprexxor is based on one of the most flexible and creative analog compressors ever made. With eight selectable curves, selectable 2nd or 3rd order harmonic saturation, high-pass/band-pass filters on the sidechain path and much more, Comprexxor delivers endless sonic flexibility, whether that’s emulating classic sounds of the past or inspiring new ones for tomorrow.
The PuigChild Compressor is a creative and wiz-kid’s dream come true. With its unmatched sound quality and power, this wonder wormhole connects the past with the present – an instrumental connection that only Jack Joseph Puig could fully understand.
Waves teamed up to recreate his iconic “Fairchild” sound for today’s music makers – amplifying their desires without every losing sight of what matters most: sonority!
Smasher is an unprecedented custom modification of the classic Urei 1176 compressor circuit, a unique formula that the Pulsar team stumbled upon while fine-tuning other algorithms.
The original 1176 compressor hardware offered a selection of four ratios, but studio engineers soon discovered that pressing them all at once led to a distorted, explosive and highly compressed sound. It’s this “All buttons in” or “British” mode that Smasher was painstakingly designed to recreate.
While remaining very close to the original circuitry, the modifications Pulsar have built into Smasher will add definition to transients and make your tone more aggressive. Pulsar love using it to enhance the ambience in drum busses, but there are many more creative uses too. Smasher won’t work on every single track, but where it does, it works magic.
Smasher excels at raw and gritty sounds, calling to mind bands like Vulfpeck, The Whitefield Brothers and The Black Keys.
Linear Phase Multiband Compressor is a plugin for mastering that features five user-definable bands with linear phase crossovers. All of the technology in this EQ has been designed with one purpose, to provide absolute precision you need to ensure your tracks are heard as intended.
Utilizing unique technologies like Adaptive Thresholds, Automatic Makeup Gain, and Finite Response Filters, Linear Phase Multiband will transform your music by giving it high clarity with unmatched precision.
This plugin also comes equipped with every feature you could possibly need to ensure successful mastering. With intuitive drag-and-drop interface controls for tagging frequencies per band you can easily identify any inconsistencies in balance across the frequency range at a mere glance!
When it was released, the original DBX 165A® was a compressor unlike any other. Rather than the more traditional vacuum tube, it used a solid-state VCA to create its compression effect, and cutting-edge RMS dynamics detection. It also sounded great, which is the important thing!
These days, it’s getting harder and harder to find working originals, but their legendary sound-shaping power is still highly sought-after. Now, thanks to Arturia’s advanced TAE® modelling, you can enjoy using this fabled compressor in your DAW, on as many channels as you want, and with advanced features only possible through software.
Unlike the more common DBX 160, the 165A® sported several unique features that made it a “must-have” for studios looking for tight, punchy percussive sounds. Known as the “Over Easy” compressor, its auto attack-decay detection made great compression simple, its harsh peakstop limiter added a touch of vintage filth when things really hit hard, and its unique compression sound gives even extreme settings a natural feel.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use compressor with character, you’ll love Comp VCA-65
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