SNFK Music releases SK-100, a FREE dual stereo buss compressor for macOS and Windows.
We have covered a few new plugins from SNFK recently, and it’s nice to see a developer dedicated to offering quality freeware. As with the other plugins, SK-100 is free to download from the SNFK Patreon page with the option to become a supporter if you are able.
The first thing that jumps out to me is that SK-100 is available for macOS and Windows, which hopefully means we’ll see previous plugins become macOS compatible soon.
There are two compressors, one on either side of a nice-looking VU meter that shows the gain difference between input and output for either compressor or both.
SNFK Music says the SK-100 plugin has been designed to crush and tame a mix.
The harder compression is the job of Compressor One. Harder or more obvious compression is often the way to go, depending on the genre or instrument, like drums, as recommended by SNFK. But, whenever I think of harder compression, I think of one of my favorite engineers, Bob Power. I’m sure I’ve referenced him at least once before when discussing compression (sorry for the overkill).
The reason I think of Bob Power is that he explains things in a very musical way. He has often highlighted the need to be careful with harder compression, particularly the over-use of a fast attack, which can be the quickest way to kill your dynamic range.
If we are thinking of impactful sounds like drums, sometimes it’s normal to go for a fast attack to make sure you are compressing more than just the tail of the sound. But, too fast can ruin the impact/excitement completely; hard compression doesn’t need to be over-compression.
For anyone interested, you can check out the equation for the gain computer (Compressor One).
The second compressor is softer and aimed at more transparent corrections. You can use this kind of compressor on individual tracks, but it’s more about gluing things together. It tightens up instruments and creates a more unified feel. As well as gluing elements together, the right compression can add punch and depth to a mix.
At the time of writing, I haven’t been able to test the SK-100 plugin as yet. However, I’m very happy to see it available to Apple users and will be checking it out soon.
Thanks to SNFK for another freebie!
More info: SK-100 (64-bit VST3/AU plugin format for Windows & macOS)
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