Body by Playfair Audio is a free dynamics plugin for Windows and macOS that presents a different approach to compression and expansion.
It offers the core functionality of its big brother plugin, Dynamic Grading (£140), with the same DSP engine and Source Learn technology.
To claim the free plugin, just sign up for the Playfair Audio newsletter, and you’ll receive download links by email.
Body is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for both macOS and Windows.
On the surface, the approach that makes these plugins different makes them sound complicated; rather than upward/downward compression from a single threshold, Playfair Audio’s approach uses two thresholds to create a range they call the body range.
You can then compress or expand the content within that range without touching anything above or below. Whether you want to bring dull sound to life or squeeze it to death, Playfair Audio’s workflow has clear benefits and interesting potential.
Although it’s new to me, it’s not a unique concept, and some light digging around led me to Roger Nichols’ Dynam-izer plugin from around two decades ago.
Dynam-izer is a plugin that displays your source audio in level zones, rather than frequency zones, allowing you to target specific elements easily. If you know of any other similar plugins, drop them in the comments.
I haven’t used Dynamic Grading yet, and I’m sure there’s a learning curve, but where Playfair Audio succeeds is in presenting a potentially misunderstood concept in a straightforward and user-friendly interface.
The above is even more true of the free version, Body.
Body displays your Source input and Target output with dynamic histograms, along with standard level meters. The dynamic histograms clearly display where your material is, and where you want it to go.
Markers define the dual threshold range in both the Source and Target sections, with just two simple controls in between: Body and Gain.
The Body control sets the ratio for compressing or expanding the body range.
You can adjust the thresholds manually, but since Body isn’t a conventional compressor, Source Learn is a great way to get started.
The plugin analyzes your source and sets appropriate thresholds; even once you get used to Body, the Source Learn function is a fast way to get started before tweaking.
Body delivers immediate results, and it’s more than an introduction to this method; it’s a very handy plugin to add to your collection. Although Body features the same DSP engine as Dynamic Grading, a lot is going on under the hood that you won’t have access to, and that’s perfect for this version.
However, if you want to dive deeper with more direct control over parameters like Spectrum, Response, and Release, check out Dynamic Grading.
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Download: Body (FREE – email required)
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Last Updated on October 29, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
