• Best Free Vst Compressor Plugins
• Best Free Limiter
• Compressor Limiter Vst
• Classic Compressor Vst

If you want a better mix, knowing how to use compressors is key. Not every compressor does the same thing. Compressors have personalities!

In fact, you should have several compressors and get to know what each one brings to your mix.

Best Free Limiter Plugins Limiter No6 Limiter #6 is a mastering plugin that includes five modules: RMS compressor, peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter. It has brickwall and soft limiting features with different timing settings, M/S and multiband modes, 4x oversampling, and more. Blockfish by Digital Fish Phones is a free compressor VST plugin with countless ways to shape the incoming audio signal. Unlike many other software compressor plugins, Blockfish has its own distinct sound. It likes to bite, but it can be tamed easily once you've learned how to use its potential. See also: Free Compressor VST Plugins Waves’ emulation of the dbx® 160 delivers all the functionality of its hardware counterpart, with some additional features. Developed in collaboration with dbx® engineers, the plugin also includes a mid-side matrix, a mix knob, a noise control, and a stereo component. Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound. This is a more complex and versatile take on limiting. It offers more control than LoudMax, which can be helpful if your program material requires detailed tweaking. Its five modules include: RMS compressor, peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, and true peak limiter.

Compressors give you more loudness without clipping. They smooth out peaks and give more punch.

So here are 7 free VST compressors plugins for you:

1. Rough Rider
2. OTT
3. DCAM Free Comp
4. TAN
5. SAFE Compressor
6. FR COMP 87
7. MCompressor

Grab them for either Mac or PC and install them on any DAW.

Add them to your toolkit today and compress your way to success:

1. Rough Rider

By Audio Damage

Free tape saturation vst mac. Audio Damage’s Rough Rider is a modern compressor with a vintage flavour.

Rough Rider is the best for adding pump to rhythmic tracks. It’s not designed for transparency but gives great high impact bite. Drive it to get some extra crunch and warmth.

Adjust the Ratio, Attack, Release times, and Sensitivity and Makeup gain knobs to find your perfect ride.

Download Rough Rider for free here.

2. OTT

By Xfer Records

OTT is a multiband upwards/downwards compressor made by Xfer Records.

It’s an aggressive-style of compression very popular in dubstep and electro productions.

Tweak the knobs to adjust the Depth, Time, In Gain and Out Gain. Play with Highs, Mids and Lows. Adjust the percentages of upwards and downwards compression to your taste.

Download OTT for free here.

3. DCAM Free Comp

By FXpansion

FXpansion’s DCAM Free Comp is modelled after classic console bus compressors.

What does it do best? It glues together subgroups in your mix. Gluing gives you more punch and definition while also taming your peaks. Nice!

Change the settings for a more extreme creative effect.

Download DCAM Free Comp here.

4. TAN

By Acustica Audio

Acustica’s TAN compressor was modelled from classic analog VCA compressors.

It’s a versatile compressor that gives you a wide range of adjustments.

The TAN compressor has a unique ShMod knob. It allows you to fine-tune the shape of the attack. For all of you precision freaks out there!

Download TAN for free here.

5. SAFE Compressor

By Semantica Audio

The SAFE compressor is part of a unique project. Semantica Audio has one mission: “control your audio effect plug-ins using terms that normal human beings can understand!”

Just type a term into SAFE’s text box (warm, bright, etc.) and the plugin will look for a setting to match it. Add your own words for a particular setting you like.

A dream right?

Download the SAFE Compressor for free here.

6. FR COMP 87

By eaReckon

Instead of giving you a limited demo version of their ANALOG87 series, eaReckon made a fully functional free FR COMP 87.

What this plugin does best? Simplicity. The FR COMP 87 has two knobs: threshold and makeup. Choose from three speeds—fast, medium and slow. Or turn on the limiter switch if you need it. Sometimes simple is just better.

Download FR COMP 87 for free here.

7. MCompressor

By MeldaProduction

MCompressor is a feature-packed, smart compressor.

Fully customize the shape of your graph. Use the smart randomization feature to instantly generate new settings. Use side-chaining to better mix your kick and bass. Even map your MCompressor onto a MIDI controller!

The MCompressor can handle mono, stereo and even 8 channel surround processing—great if you’re mixing for video, film or movies!

Download MCompressor for free here.

Be a Comp Champ

Stock up on these compressors and build a killer virtual effects rack.

Testing lots of compressors and finding the perfect ones for each mixing situation is key.

So download this list, try them out and keep your favorites close.

Make the art of compression part of every DAW session.

Get all of the LANDR-approved free VST plugin collection:

Article Content

As I cover in my new course Mastering in the Box, there are some incredible plugins available for anyone interested in computer-based mastering. Although nothing can replace an experienced engineer, working in an expertly designed room, on high-end equipment, there are some fantastic free tools available online that will aid engineers working on projects with limited budgets.

Here are some completely free plugins that you can work into your in the box mastering workflow …

1. Voxengo SPAN

As I cover in the course, Metering is absolutely essential to mastering, and SPAN is a versatile and free utility plugin.

It provides spectral analysis, correlation metering and clipping detection, as well as displaying RMS and max crest factor. The interface is simple, clear, and even somewhat customizable. It’s a truly deep, accurate and useful metering plugin, which is refreshing considering that it’s free. It’s also compatible with virtually every DAW.

2. LoudMax by Thomas Mundt

Described as “a look-ahead brickwall loudness maximizer plugin with a clean transparent sound, designed to retain the original character of the music as much as possible even at high compression levels,” LoudMax is a wonderfully simply tool. It has two sliders: threshold and output — and that’s all it needs.

If you’re interested in learning how a limiter works and affects your material, LoudMax boils the concept down to its most basic elements, all while providing a mostly transparent sound. Good vst plugins for trap beats.

3. Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound

This is a more complex and versatile take on limiting. It offers more control than LoudMax, which can be helpful if your program material requires detailed tweaking.

Its five modules include: RMS compressor, peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, and true peak limiter.

Each of these modules have extremely flexible controls. There are some expensive and well-known limiter plugins that don’t come with features like mid-side processing, oversampling and true peak detection. The fact that these features come included with Limiter №6 makes it even more special.

4. mvMeter from TBProAudio

I’m still pretty shocked that this plugin is free. It looks great, it’s easy to use, and it’s deeper than some metering tools that cost hundreds of dollars more. It allows you to measure PEAK, RMS, EBU R128, VU and PPM. Additionally, it has multi-channel metering so you can see what’s happening on the stereo, left, right, mid, or side channels.

The five different themes allow the user to change the look to various classic VU and PPM Meters, which is a nice touch. (It doesn’t improve the sound quality — I prefer the sleek look of the retro skin.)

5. Stereo Tool v3 by Flux

Some mixes require a bit of balancing the information spread between the channels, and Stereo Tool v3 is prefect for this application. It includes panning controls for the left and right channels, a vector scope display, global stereo width and pan controls, PPM Input and Output meters, a phase correlation meter, and a variety of other useful features.

If the content you’ve been delivered has balance and phase issues, this is an excellent free plugin.

6. Voxengo Marvel GEQ

Being able to sculpt your signal using an equalizer is essential for a mastering engineer. This linear-phase 16-band graphic equalizer is impressive in both functionality and sound.

I’m not sure why every plugin doesn’t have an “undo/redo” function, because after using this equalizer, I find it to be quite helpful. Being able to work in mid-side mode allows the user to treat information in the center separately from the sides, which, when used properly, can result in a much clearer stereo spread, and a more defined space amongst individual elements.

As with each of the great tools on this list, it’s surprising that such a useful tool is free.

Best Free Vst Compressor Plugins

I generally believe that in audio, you get what you pay for, but each of the aforementioned plugins are exceptions to this rule.

Best Free Limiter

Mastering in the Box Course

If you’re interested in expanding your knowledge and learning effective techniques for getting great sounding masters 100% in the box, check out my debut course: Mastering in the Box

Mastering in the Box with Ian Vargo

As I cover in my new course Mastering in the Box, there are some incredible plugins available for anyone interested in computer-based mastering. Although nothing can replace an experienced engineer, working in an expertly designed room, on high-end equipment, there are some fantastic free tools avai

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Compressor Limiter Vst

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Classic Compressor Vst

Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!