HoRNet CompExp – FREE Compressor/Expander VST/AU/AAX Plugin

HoRNet Plugins has released HoRNet CompExp, a freeware compressor/expander effect in VST/AU/AAX/RTAS plugin formats for Windows and Mac OS based digital audio workstations.

The plugin was actually released on Halloween last year, but it somehow managed to fly under pretty much everyone’s freeware radar, including my own (it seems that only Audiofanzine was aware of the plugin’s release). That’s pretty crazy for such a cool little mixing tool, especially considering that it’s a very useful two-in-one compressor/expander combo coming from an established developer such as HoRNet Plugins. I’ll definitely need to speak to the head of our radar control team.

Anyways, since I’ve discovered this plugin in January this year, it will be considered as one of the potential entries in our 2016 plugin round-up, even though it was released in October 2015. Had I heard of it before, HoRNet CompExp would definitely be included as one of the Top 50 free VST plugins of 2015, so it totally makes sense to give it a chance in this year’s edition of our annual freeware plugin summary.

Interestingly enough, the plugin is based on a microchip that was designed for reducing the background noise in telephone lines. The chip boosts the signal when it goes above a certain threshold and lowers the overall volume when the value is below the threshold. In other words, when applied to a telephone line, the signal is amplified when someone is speaking and reduced during silence.

HoRNet Plugins figured that his concept would make for a pretty cool audio plugin and they were definitely on to something interesting there. Unlike the original chip, the plugin gives us the option to use the compressor and expander separately, as well as to adjust the compression/expansion amount and attack/response times. The threshold is set to -18 dBFS internally and it can not be changed. As you can hear in the official demo video below, the plugin can do some pretty interesting things when used in a more musical scenario. It can sound quite subtle and transparent, but you can also do some crazy pumping and hard limiting with it.

The only drawback here is that the plugin is a bit tricky to get. Not too tricky, though, but I’m sure that this will be a deal breaker for some potential users. What you need to do in order to grab your free copy of HoRNet CompExp is to share the plugin’s product page on Facebook or Twitter and then email your download request to HoRNet Plugins. After that, they will email you the actual download link.

Video Demo

Check out the HoRNet ComExp demo video:

Download

HoRNet CompExp is available for free download via HoRNet Plugins (9 MB download size, RAR archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU/AAX/RTAS plugin format for Windows & Mac OS).