Why use it
What it doesOpto compression - slow, round and forgiving, the kind you leave on and forget.
Reach for it whenWhole-mix duty at 2 dB. Bass that needs evening out. Vocals that should not sound compressed.
What makes it differentTwo-stage release and the creep that an optical cell has, so it stops sounding like a fixed time constant.
A tube opto compressor. Slow, round, and forgiving — the kind you leave on
the whole mix and forget about.
CONTROLS
· THRESHOLD -40 to +30 dB
· RATIO 1.5:1 up to 10:1
· ATTACK 0.5 ms to 300 ms
· RELEASE 50 ms to 10 seconds
· OUTPUT ±30 dB of make-up
· PARALLEL 0 to 100% — blend the dry back in without a second channel
· SELECT fixed, manual, or fixed/manual for attack and release
· LOW CUT off · 80 Hz · 220 Hz on the detector
· GENERATION vintage or modern
· BUS SELECT internal or external sidechain
· METER switch the VU between input, compressor and output
Watch the ghost on the right — it gets squashed flat right along with
everything else. The more gain reduction, the flatter it goes.
WHAT'S NEW IN 1.6.2
· The In switch no longer causes an abrupt waveform change (0.227 → 0.0005).
· Factory presets are now deterministic. They were partial, so a preset kept values from whichever preset you loaded before it.
· The Default program in the host's preset menu now actually restores the plug-in's defaults.
· Fixed a crash that could bring the host down: closing the plug-in window and then removing the plug-in left a timer running on freed data.
· Licence activation fixed: a bundle key now counts one activation per computer instead of one per plug-in, so one key covers five machines as stated.
· Rebuilt, re-signed and notarized for macOS (Universal) and Windows.
REGISTRATION
· The plug-in runs unrestricted for a 7-day trial from first launch, counted separately for each plugin.
· Your licence key is on your Gumroad receipt and on the download page.
· Paste it into the plug-in once — it needs internet that one time, then works offline.
· Message me on Gumroad if you need it reset for a new machine.
FORMATS
macOS AU + VST3 + AAX (Pro Tools), Universal (Intel + Apple Silicon)
Windows VST3 + AAX (Pro Tools), 64-bit
INSTALL — WINDOWS
1. Unzip.
2. Right-click "Install.bat" and choose "Run as administrator".
It puts both the VST3 and the AAX version in place.
3. Restart your DAW and rescan plugins.
INSTALL — macOS
1. Open the .pkg installer and follow the prompts.
2. Pick the formats you want (VST3 / AU / AAX).
3. Restart your DAW and rescan plugins.
Signed and notarized by Apple — no Terminal, no security workaround.
The installer asks for your admin password because the plug-ins go to /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins (available to every user on the Mac).
Signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple — no security
warnings, no Terminal commands.
Stuck, or something sounds off? Message me — I answer every one.
More plugins coming, posted gradually.
UPDATES
Buy once, updated forever. Every future build is free to you — Gumroad emails you when there is a new one. No subscription, no upgrade fee, no re-purchase.
FOLLOW ALONG
New plugins and what goes into them:
