Reviewed By filter303 [all]
September 15th, 2012
Version reviewed: 2.4 on Windows
I just recently found this product and I have to say that I am very impressed so far.
when it comes to compression, Polysquasher is in the same class as Elephant is for limiting.
I have been using a very popular SSL Buscomp emulation on my drumbus and masterbus.
But after trying Polysquasher I realized that I will have to change my project layout once again.
I will probably continue using the SSL type compressor on single tracks because it's more versatile than Polysquasher. But on the drumbus Polysquasher reigns supreme and that's where I am going to be using. I have tried so many compressors on the drumbus but Polysquasher is the first one that I instantly liked more than the any of the SSL clones. I just felt very comfortable with it from the first moments.
Polysquasher works wonders on the masterbus also. It just seems to hold the sound together much better than the plugin I have been previously using. On drumbuss the individual transients sound like they are coming trough better which pleases me very much. This allows the bassdrum, claps and snares to cut trough the mix better. Polysquasher doesn't change the overall tonal balance either which is very important for me. I really hate it when I am forced to change the balance of high frequency instruments like hihats or cymbals just because they have been run trough a compressor. I feel like this makes mixing drums so much faster.
I also like how this plugin is designed to be used as a transparent dynamic tool instead of relying on tricks like low frequency boost or added harmonic distortion. I can do that stuff with other plugins.
I personally didn't need a manual with this thing because Polysquasher is very easy to use. Only thing you have to adjust to get what you want is the threshold and ratio. It just doesn't get any easier than this. There are not many presets but all of them are useful. I am a big fan of the modern GR metering that this plugin has, it really beats the crap out of old VU style metering.
I think that the GUI is very well thought out. It's easy to see and adjust anything you might want and nothing is confusing to the user.
Polysquasher is just the kind of package I have been waiting for. Quality bus compression that is not an emulation but an original design. This is something that I have always liked very much in all Voxengo products. They never ride on the old products reputation, but they are proudly new designs instead. I am personally not fond on paying any extra money just for seeing a hardware style GUI with glowing tubes and brand logos on the plugins I am using.
Polysquasher might not be a jack of all trades, but it certainly is a master of being transparent bus compression.
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