SNFK Music just released GlowComp, a freeware stereo bus compressor plugin for Windows and macOS.
One of the big “aha!” moments for me was when I learned what a bus compressor is and what its purpose was. You can call it the “secret sauce” of a mix. Some producers avoid bus compression (before mastering) at all costs, while others swear by it.
Be as it may, the introduction of the bus compression concept was an eye-opener for me as a producer.
Ever since then, it’s been one of the parts of sitting down in front of a DAW that I’m most excited for – it’s really cool to hear stuff coming together.
But you need something gentler for bus compression, and that’s exactly what SNFK’s GlowComp comes in.
Here’s what you get.
- Extra Harmonic Response – Cranking up the “Input” knob adds additional harmonics. It also increases the input level, obviously.
- 5 Ratios – 9 times out of 10, you want to use a lower ratio, like 2:1 or 4:1, but it’s good to have a wider range available to you. Moving the ratio knob will also affect multiple other internal parameters. The plugin’s copy doesn’t go into detail on this, but it’s cool that the functionality is there.
- Visualization – I’ve said this before, but most plugins should have some sort of visualization – this one displays changes in input and output levels, as well as overall compression.
- Low CPU Usage – GlowComp’s algorithm is designed for low CPU while still delivering an impressive sound.
- Sleek Interface – I was one of the kids that tried to eat soap, hoping it would make my mouth as clean as this GUI. Didn’t work for me, though.
GlowComp is as simple as a compressor gets, but it’s equipped for what it promises to do.
The plugin is lightweight, simple, and effective, all while being free and looking great. If you ask me, this is exactly what you want from the freeware space.
And if you click on the “About” button, you’ll see a list of all the people who’ve supported SNFK Music on Patreon.
I’m a huge fan of this growing trend (started by Analog Obsession) of plugin creators going to Patreon for support. I don’t know what the logistics for something like this working out are, but it’s a potential best-of-both-worlds situation.
So if you want to go full grassroots on this, throw a few coins to SNFK Music over on Patreon.
More info: GlowComp (4.9MB download size, ZIP archive, available as a VST3 plugin for Windows & macOS)
More articles:
- Coffee The PUn Is A FREE Pultec-Style Equalizer By Acustica Audio
- Origin Is A FREE Vintage Lo-Fi Audio Effect By Cymatics
- W.A. Production Offers FREE We Love FL Studio Bundle 2
- Noise Engineering Releases Three FREE Experimental Plugins (BETA)
Last Updated on August 23, 2021 by Tomislav Zlatic.
