Why use it
What it doesBus glue - holds a mix together and breathes with the programme instead of flattening it.
Reach for it whenMix bus at 2:1 with a slow attack. Drums at 4:1. Room mics harder, when pumping is the point.
What makes it differentAuto release follows programme material within 0.09 dB of the reference curve. BLEND for parallel without a second channel; mid/side to glue the centre and leave the sides.
September sale: 30% off until September 30 - use code SEPT30 at checkout.
The glue compressor for your mix bus — the one you leave on at 2 dB and forget about.
The colour changes with how hard it works. Most emulations add a fixed amount of harmonic content no matter what you do; on the reference unit the even harmonics come up as the compression deepens, so it thickens as it grabs. That's modelled here, and it's why it sounds different at 6 dB than at 1 dB.
The fade control is for the mix bus specifically: it eases the compressor in and out over a set time instead of switching, so you can A/B without the jump.
CONTROLS · THRESHOLD · MAKE-UP · RATIO 1.5:1 · 2:1 · 4:1 · 10:1 · ∞:1 · ATTACK 0.1 · 1 · 3 · 10 · 30 ms · RELEASE 0.1 · 0.2 · 0.4 · 0.6 · 0.8 · 1.2 · 1.6 s · AUTO · BLEND parallel, dry against compressed · STEREO LINK how tightly the channels move together · SIDECHAIN HPF keeps the low end out of the detector · COMP MODE · ANALOG how much of the console the circuit brings · FADE / FADE TIME eases the compressor in and out · IN hard bypass
WHAT'S NEW IN 1.6
· Manual release times were 10x too slow - fixed
· Knee measured from a console bus compressor reference
· Rebuilt, re-signed and notarized for macOS (Universal) and Windows
REGISTRATION
· The plug-in runs unrestricted for a 3-day trial from first launch.
· 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. Copy "Shane BusComp.vst3" to: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 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 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:
