Waveform Compressor

Waveform Compressor is a free compressor with high-res dynamic visualiser and VCA/Optical modes.

See what the compressor is actually doing

Clearly see how the audio is affected by the compressor. The dynamic waveform display shows you the waveform before and after compression, so you can see what's actually happening.

The gain reduction line shows you how much compression you're applying. You can zoom in and out as you want, pause the waveform, and enable/disable beat and bar lines.

Flexible compressor controls for all situations

The compressor itself is highly flexible, with a high range of attack and release times from super fast (20 microsecond attack, 25ms release) to super slow (250ms attack, 5 second release).

This wide range in possible settings means you can use this compressor in any situation without limitations. Plus, with the knee control, you can achieve a wide array of different tones, and the detector high-pass filter allows you to control how the compressor reacts to low end information.

Replicate the classic opto sound at the flick of a switch

Great for vocals, bass, and anywhere else you want simple, adaptive compression.

In Optical mode, the attack time is variable, and the two-stage release adapts to the source material. The "memory effect" means that the compressor also adapts to how much gain reduction happens over time. These combined characteristics give the compressor a highly organic and musical sound, while also reducing the number of settings you have to think about.

Listen to the compression with Delta Solo

The Delta Solo switch allows you to hear only the difference - or "Delta" - in the audio. This means you can hear exactly what the compressor is doing, and what it's taking away.

This will give you clarity on what you're taking away, how much you're affecting transients, and what frequencies you're affecting the most.

Key Features

• Flexible compressor controls - Threshold, Ratio (1:1 to 24:1), Attack (20 microseconds to 250 milliseconds), Release (25 milliseconds to 5 seconds), Knee (0dB to 18dB).
• Regular/Optical modes - In Regular mode, attack and release curves are linear. In Optical mode, the attack time is variable, and the the release curve has two stages (50% in 1 second, then a slower tail for the remaining 50%).
• Detector HPF - Apply a high-pass to the detector/sidechain circuit to shape what the compressor hears.
• External sidechain - Sidechain the compressor to an external signal. HPF, LPF and Lookahead will now apply to the external sidechain audio.
• Free preset library - 10 free presets to recreate different classic compressors.
• GPU graphics - Waveform visualiser leverages GPU for increased performance.
• Value typing - Double click to type in values.
• Dynamic window resizing - Simply drag from the bottom right corner to resize the plugin.
• Minimum requirements - macOS 10.13, Windows 10.
• Feedforward design - The compressor operates in a feedforward design with peak detection. This emulates the characteristics of VCA compressors, known for their versatility.
• Delta listen - Hear exactly what the plugin is doing by listening to the delta (aka difference) between the dry and wet signal.
• Waveform visualiser - Before/after waveform, gain reduction lines and threshold line. Pause function to freeze waveform. Zoom in/out. Enable/disbale bar and beat lines.
• Built-in presets manager - Navigate included presets and save your own presets within the plugin.
• Value windows - Exact values of each dial shown on hover.
• Low CPU load - Optimized for efficient CPU usage, allowing a large number of instances. CPU load is lower than comparable compressors when optional modules are bypassed.
• No license or activation required - Simply download and run the installer.
• AAX, VST3, AU.

{See video at top of page}