‘Relaxed’ uses RMS detection instead of peak for further accuracy at the expense of response time, making it ideal for slow-moving textures and vocals. ‘Deep’ applies a highpass filter to reduce low-frequency noise and increase the accuracy of the envelope follower (the part of the compressor that measures the signal volume to determine how much compression to apply). Note that the ‘negative’ takes had to have their overall volume increased to match the other takes.

Reverb was added before DC1A3 on the final take to exaggerate this effect. On the last two takes, the ‘negative’ switch was engaged to make the louder parts quiet vice versa. The four switches along the bottom change the character of the compression in mostly subtle ways.ĭC1A3 works well as a vocal compressor! Notice in the demo below, how it evens out the volume of the original vocal take in a subtle but pleasing way. This isn’t a limitation, just a different approach that still achieves the same result and some may even prefer it this way as it’s so easy to use. The bulk of the compression is controlled with the ‘input’ knob rather than a dedicated threshold control or attack and release dials. The controls are minimal but full of purpose, DC1A applies a moderate compression ratio suitable for a wide range of instruments and sounds. Though it’s essentially a reduced version of Klanghelm’s DC8C Advanced Compressor, the developer has ensured it stands on its own as one of the best free compressors with subtle tweaks, a variety of sound, and details that make it unique. Klanghelm DC1A ReviewĪs a stripped back, ‘one size fits all’ compressor, DC1A promises to add a touch of magic or a thick layer of grease with just a few tweaks.

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Critical basics you need to understand about dynamic range compression.Our top 6 free compressor plugins for 2021 are: The plugins here were chosen for their accessibility and availability, including ease of use and consideration for interface design and presets. You’ll have plenty to work with this collection of free VST compressors. Mistakes in dynamics are not always easy to spot, and the solutions do not present themselves easily.įamiliarity with compression (and the different types of compressor) is the best way to understand how dynamics can be tamed to perfection. While EQ is easy to visualize and can be described in a few words, compression comes with more baggage. The world of dynamic range compression is diverse and complicated.

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