Free Bass Compressor Vst
37 Best Free Vst Compressor Plugins For Mixing & Mastering. The 1176 compressor shown in the image above is the first FET compressor to hit the market. The 5 best free VST / AU compressor plugins (with free presets) Illustration: Script & Seal Compression is an indispensable tool for the music producer, found across individual tracks, mix buses, and mastering chains. This free vst plugin goes a long way to improve your audio by eliminating a lot of the background hiss in your mic source. Subtract mode is an advanced noise suppression filter. It works by reducing the dynamic range of your microphone or audio source to eliminate noisy parts of the signal effectively.
Even though a relatively simple instrument, the bass certainly has a major part to play in the feel and vibe of your mix.
That’s why many engineers and producers like a dedicated compressor that will translate the groove and punch of a bassline in a mix well…
… so in this guide, we’ll take a look at a few choises, and see which of them is the best compressor plugin for bass.
Quick answer: Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B Compressor is the top choice among engineers. The punch and clarity that it imparts is simply magic to the ears…
Otherwise, Waves Audio C4 offers great value for the money…
While Waves Audio Bass Rider is the cheapest bass dedicated compressor plugin to get.
Let’s take a closer look 🙂
Table of Contents
- Bass Compressor Plugin Buying Guide
Find more great guides here:
Bass Compressor Buying Guide
What is a Compressor?
A compressor is a hardware or software device that applies compresses to the dynamic range of an audio signal.
They do this by reducing the higher volume sections of the audio and increasing the low volume section. The process is typically done automatically via threshold, ratio, and makeup gain controls.
To understand more about how a compressor works, take a look at our post on audio compressors.
Features to Look for in a Bass Compressor
The most important features of a compressor are their controls.
Compressors typically come with threshold and ratio controls. With these you can set the level where the compression begins to take effect, and the rate at which the compressor ceases to affect the signal.
These controls are pretty much essential for most compression applications, particularly for bass, where control over the punchiness of the sound is crucial.
Control over the attack is also an important feature for bass compressors. In most cases, you will want a small portion of the initial transient to pass through unscathed, in order to provide definition to your bass part. Without an attack control, you pretty much have to make do with how much of the initial transient the compressor circuit allows through.
Ideally, you will also want control over the release parameter. This has a considerable effect over how the individual note fades out, which is crucial for tempo-sensitive musical applications. By being able to control the rate at which the note fades out, you will be better able to shape your bass track in a more rhythmically logical manner.
You can read more about how to properly use a compressor with bass.
Choosing a Compressor Plugin for Bass
Besides knowing what controls you need in a compressor, there’s another good thing to take into consideration when choosing a good bass compressor: sound.
Although transparency is often a desirable quality to have in a compressor, this isn’t necessarily the most essential characteristic in a bass compressor.
In rock or hip-hop music, bass and other tracks are often processed quite aggressively in order to give them sufficient ‘vibe’ and ‘attitude.’
For these purposes, you might be better served by a compressor that imparts a bit of coloration or harmonic distortion to the sound.
With that said let’s take at a few bass compressors for mixing.
Best Compressor Plugin for Bass – VST, AU, and AAX
Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B Compressor
Among compressor plug-ins, the Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B Compressor stands in a class all its own.
It’s modeled after the legendary hardware compressor of the same name, the software version does a great job of making bass tracks–or most any other program material for that matter–stand out in the mix. And it does at the fraction of the cost of the original opto hardware model.
It’s warm, punchy, and solid, the sound that the CL-1B imparts is made even better by the addition of features such as sidechain low-cut filters and parallel blend control.
Specs and useful features
- Upgraded version of popular CL-1B plug-in
- Improved sound via Softube’s latest signal processing technology
- New features such as sidechain low-cut filters and parallel blend control
- High-resolution graphics
- Bundled with legacy CL-1B for backward compatibility
User impressions
The CL-1B seems to appeal to users that appreciate warm, natural compression as opposed to ultra-squashed sonic treatment. Although it does offer plenty of squishiness when pushed to the extremes, most users favor the warm and transparent quality that it imparts on bass, drums, and vocal tracks. The CL-1B is especially effective at preserving the punch and clarity of bass tracks, even as it adds its own distinctive character.
Pretty much a compressor plug-in that can handle most any task, the CL-1B nevertheless garnered some criticism for its small GUI, the odd behavior of the controls when adjusted via the mouse wheel, and the absence of dry/wet and bypass controls.
Bottom-line
The Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B Compressor is one of those plug-ins that just seem to sound great no matter how you set them. Especially effective at bass, it can also easily handle pretty much any compression-related task in the studio.
Of course, versatility and great sound come at a premium, and the CL-1B has a price tag to match. Nevertheless, if you are intent on getting an almost-perfect replication of the hardware Tube-Tech CL-1B compressor, the CL-1B is the best way to get it.
Demonstration
Waves Audio C4
The Waves Audio C4 is a fully-featured multiband dynamics processor that, based on a lot of users, works amazingly well on bass tracks, and could easily handle 90% of other compression needs.
It has control over four parametric bands, along with the ability to expand up and expand down, limit, and compress each of them.
The plug-in also comes with both dynamic and standard EQs, so you’d have the ability to do some precision sculpting with your bass sound.
Specs and useful features
- Multiband compressor plug-in
- Control over four parametric bands
- Precise sculpting of frequency and dynamic response
- Control over different frequencies of the sound
- Dynamic mix shaping via frequency-based compression and expansion
- ARC auto release control
User impressions
Waves Audio C4 is another compressor plug-in that can handle most any duty in a studio setting. Most users apply it quite liberally to bass and drum tracks, although many have used it to great effect on the master buss as well. For devoted users of the C4, its ability to retain punch and bottom end are among its biggest strengths. The plug-in is especially favored for its ability to make a bass track sit better in a master mix without affecting any other track.
Any complaints? Sure. A common one is about the noise that it can introduce in certain settings. However, this is often dealt with by careful adjustment of the four parametric bands.
Bottom-line
The Waves Audio C4 is quite a capable unit that can do more than compress bass tracks. While some plug-ins might be simpler to use for bass and low end instruments, there is no denying the benefits that it can impart to any production.
Demonstration
Waves Audio Bass Rider
Simplicity is key to the appeal of the Waves Bass Rider, which manages to preserve the original character of bass like no other compressor plug-in can.
With its ability to rides bass levels automatically, the Bass Rider is perfectly suited for those times when you just need your bass to poke out more, but you don’t want to kill its dynamics with a compressor.
Specs and useful features
- Automatic level riding
- Optimized for bass
- Retains the bass’ natural character
- Dedicated studio and live components
User impressions
The Bass Rider seems to appeal mainly to “set-and-forget” users, but even those with more fully-featured compressors can’t help but be swayed by its undeniable simplicity and great sound. The plug-in is especially favored by users that want to have their bass be more present in a mix without necessarily affecting its natural dynamic range.
Of course, some users do wish that they had more control over the character of the sound, but using the Bass Rider in conjunction with another compressor plug-in usually does the trick.
Bottom-line
The Bass Rider is a fairly limited plug-in that surprisingly works well for a varied array of applications. If you have a frequent need to have your bass more forward in the mix but you don’t necessarily want a compressor, the Bass Rider might be all the help you’re looking for.
Demonstration
Waves Audio CLA-3A
The Waves Audio CLA-3A has quite a formidable heritage, being based on the classic Teletronix LA-2A compressor from the 1970s. Like its predecessor, the CLA-3A promises to deliver the kind of character and subtle harmonic distortion that you’d expect from the vintage unit. Despite that, it can also be as transparent as you need it to be, which is good.
With its fast response and sidechain frequency filter, the CLA-3A could be just the perfect sonic sauce to spice up the bass tracks in your mix.
Specs and useful features
- Based on the classic Teletronix LA-2A solid-state hardware compressor
- Compressor and limiter modes
- Ideally suited to bass and electric guitar
- Sidechain frequency filter
- Zero latency
User impressions
A few words seem to sum up the user experiences of the Waves Audio CLA-3A: “simple”, “punchy”, and “in-your-face”. It seems to be an especially popular plug-in among bottom-end merchants, used to great effect in treating bass and even booming 808 kick drums. Many users in fact use it on drums as well as bass, citing its ability to beef up tracks without a lot of fuss and bother.
One thing that many users make note of is the inability to fine tune attack and release times. Although this might be an issue for some, the CLA-3A just sounds so good that most users don’t seem to mind.
Bottom-line
Like the Teletronix LA-2A that inspired its design, the Waves Audio CLA-3A is a transparent-yet-punchy compressor that sounds good on most everything, especially bass and drums. If you want a reasonably-priced compressor that can make most any track push its way to the front of a mix, the CLA-3A could be just the thing.
Demonstration
Waves Audio CLA-76
The legendary UREI 1176 serves as the inspiration for the Waves Audio CLA-76, which offers the distinctive limiting characteristics of its noted predecessor in a convenient plug-in form.
The attack can be set as short as 50 microseconds, providing all the punch you need to make your bass tracks stand out.
The Waves Audio CLA-76 also comes with a unique “ALL” control that lets you replicate the explosive character of the UREI 1176 with all its ratio buttons pushed in.
Specs and useful features
- Based on the UREI 1176 Class-A line level limiting amplifier from the 1960s
- Extremely fast attack
- Exclusive ALL control
- Zero latency
- Pre-amp distortion modeling
User impressions
The CLA -76 seems to attract users that appreciate the warmth and punchiness that analog tape effortlessly imparts to recordings. More than a few have mentioned the startling similarity between tracks processed by the CLA -76 and tracks flown in from 2-inch tape, citing the smooth and dynamic frequency response.
Interestingly enough, some users also appreciate the aggressive quality that the CLA -76 can impart. A versatile plug-in that can get as aggressive as you need–and yet that can be quite transparent as well–the CLA -76 seems to appeal to a wide variety of users.
Bottom-line
Fast attack and a colorful character…these are what the Waves Audio CLA-76 provides in spades. If you are able to catch it on sale, don’t even think: just go and grab it! If you are into vintage character and aggressive rock-style push and presence in your bass, the CLA -76 is a must-have.
Final thoughts – Which to Get?
For mixing applications, the best compressor plugin for bass in this lineup would have to be Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B Compressor. The punch and clarity that it imparts is simply magic to the ears, and it can provide enough squish for any but the most determined audio mangler or dancefloor groove merchant. The price might be enough to give some people reason to consider other options, but if warmth and punchiness are your sonic goals, this one definitely delivers in buckets.
That being said, the Waves Audio CLA-76 and the Waves Audio CLA-3A pose seriously stiff competition to the CL 1B. Modeled after two legendary pieces of hardware, the CLA-3A and the CLA -76 both provide enough character and attitude for even the most discriminating users. For much less cash than the CL-1B alone, you could easily afford to pick up both plug-ins and have all your compression needs covered.
Apart from the Softube CL 1B, which really does belong in its own price range, every other plug-in here provides exceptional value. But special mention must be made of the Waves Audio C4 which does way more than your average compressor plug-in. A multiband processor that wouldn’t be out of place in your master buss, the C4 wins out over all the rest as far as value is concerned.
BEST FREE VST COMPRESSORS
FREE VST COMPRESSOR PLUGINS
Below you will find a list of free compressors with links to the respective download sites. If you scroll down further you will find descriptions of the listed compressor vst plugins.
The vst plugins mentioned may be working either on PC or Mac or on both and a few are 32-bit only. However, by the use of a bit bridge and / or a plugin-adaptor (like jBridge, 32 lives, DDMF Bridgewize or Blue Cat’s Patchwork) you should be able to use these vst plugins in almost any DAW. In Klangheim Studio we use Cubase in combination with jBridge and that works like a charm without any hickups. You can read more about bit bridging in our article About Bit Bridging
MCompressor by Melda Production
DC1A by Klanghelm
MJUC Jr. by Klanghelm
Molot by VladG
Tan by Acustica Audio
TDR Kotelnikov by Tokyo Dawn Records
RoughRider3 by Audio Damage
ReaComp by Cockos
SAFE Compressor by Semantic Audio
Leveling Tool by AdHd Audio Tools
jsCompShaper by JS Audio
FRComp87 by eaReckon
GComp by GVST
LA Thrillseeker by Variety of Sound (Windows)
Density mkiii by Variety of Sound (high quality buss and mastering compressor) (Windows)
Thrillseeker VBL by Variety of Sound (Vari-Mu compressor – this is primarily a saturation tool but it also has a simple compressor that works very well on bass) (Windows)
Nasty VCS by Variety of Sound (channelstrip with opto style compressor) (Windows)
Older vst compressor plugins – but good:
Compressive Pro by Martin Eastwood (Windows)
FL4TT3RY 2 by platinumears (Windows)
Side Chain Compressor by slim slow slider (Windows)
Sidechain Compressor by Christian Budde (Windows)
dlm Sixtyfive by de la Mancha (Windows)
Kjaerhus Compressor by Kjaerhus (Windows)
Blockfish by Digital Fishphones
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MCompressor by Melda Production (Windows and Mac)
MCompressor is a very nice and very versatile vst compressor plugin. It has a good graphic user interface (GUI) that gives you good visual feedback about what you are doing both in terms of how you are compressing (soft knee, linear, or hard knee) and how much gain reduction you are employing.
You have full control over attack, release, ratio and threshold and you can target either the audio peaks or the average loudness (RMS) of the incoming signal – or set up the MCompressor to target the audio signal somewhere in between these two.
MCompressor also has a sidechain and a highpass and lowpass filter which makes it extraordinarily flexible. It comes with the Melda Free Bundle that includes quite a few other nice vst plugins. Highly recommended.
Download link: MCompressor
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DCA1 by Klanghelm (Windows and Mac)
The DC1A compressor from Klanghelm is a simple yet powerfull free VST compressor plugin. If you are a beginner this could be a good compressor to learn by since it is very easy to tweak plus you are forced to use your ears and not rely on numbers.
The DC1A is resembling an OPTO compressor. Its attack and release timings are program dependant although you have the choice between a faster response (which is the default mode) and a slower response with the ”relaxed” mode engaged. It has a fixed threshold and the more you gain the input the more compression you will get.
Use the output knob to match the compressed level to the uncompressed. This way you will not be fooled by differences in loudness between the unprocessed and the processed audio.
The DC1A can add a nice saturation effect to the audio. The saturation is stronger with higher gain reduction. You will have less saturation when the ”relaxed” mode is enabled. If you use it for just a few db of gain reduction in ”relaxed” mode it will work in a much more transparent way.
On stereo tracks you can compress the left and right side separately by enabling the ”dual mono” mode and Klanghelm has also given us an internal sidechain high pass filter which comes in handy when you want to keep the low end more intact (for instance on the drum bus). Finally you have the option of using negative compression ratios.
So, even though the DC1A looks simple at a first glance it is quite surprisingly versatile and can work well on many different types of audio material from drums and percussion to vocals, guitars, and keyboards. It is a very good sounding free VST compressor and should you want even more flexibility you should check out its ”big brother”, the DC8A, which is a high quality compressor with a lot of tweakability for just a little more than 20 US Dollars.
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MJUC jr by Klanghelm (Vari-Mu compressor) (Windows and Mac)
Yet another simple but powerful vst compressor plugin by Klanghelm. MJUC jr is a scaled down version of the amazing MJUC compressor plugin by Klanghelm. However, the MJUC jr still gives you a little of the flavour that you will find plenty of in its bigger sibling. Both plugins are emulations of the Vari-Mu compressors type and thus they add quite a bit of tube coloration / saturation.
With just a few controls – compress, make up gain, and a choice between three time constants (fast, slow, and auto) – the plugin is very easy to operate and you may be surprised about how much you can get out of this scaled down version. If you need more control and would enjoy playing with a lot of extra parameters you can buy the full version for very little money.
Download link: MJUC jr
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TDR Kotelnikov by Tokyo Dawn Records (Windows and Mac)
TDR Kotelnikov is a free VST compressor designed primarily for mastering purposes. It can function in a very transparent way and will definitely also find it’s use as a channel compressor or a group bus compressor.
The developers have added control features that you will not find on many compressors such as separate control over peak and RMS release values and a way to balance the importance and influence of each of these release times on the processing (through the peak crest knob and of course through the peak release knob and the RMS release knob).
You can also control the stereo sensitivity and chose whether the compressor should work on the full stereo audio or on the mid (”sum”) alone or the ”side” (”diff”) alone. If you want to dial in both mid and side compression and control these individually then you can simply use two instances of TDR Kotelnikov.
TDR Kotelnikov offers an internal sidechain function which gives you the option of relaxing the way the compressor responds to low end frequencies. There is also a mix option for parallel compression.
Timingwise the TDR Kotelnikov is capable of very fast settings. The attack time can be as low as 0.02 milliseconds and the release time can be as fast as 10 milliseconds for the peak release and 20 milliseconds for the RMS release. Of course you can choose slower settings as well since the attack time is fully adjustable up to 250 milliseconds and the release time likewise fully adjustable up to 2 seconds. All in all a very versatile tool for transparent compression.
TDR Kotelnikov is a fabulous free VST compressor plugin and it is amazing that you can get this quality for free. For mastering it is one of the best free vst compressors around. Highly recommended.
Should you want even more options there is a ”Gentleman’s Edition” at a very affordable price.
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Thrillseeker LA by Variety of Sound (Windows only)
This is definitely one of my favorite free VST compressors and probably the one free VST compressor that I use the most. The Thrillseeker LA is a very versatile compressor. In many ways it works like an OPTO compressor but although some people on the internet describe it as a free version of the LA-2A it is much more flexible than that.
Yes, indeed, the Thrillseeker LA can work very much like an LA-2A but you have many extra options on this Variety of Sound plugin. First of all you have faster attack times (both attack and release times are dependant on the incoming audio material – just as is the case with the LA-2A – but you can tweak and control the timing to some extend with the attack and release knobs).
This means that it is possible to tweak the Thrillseeker LA to work very much like a dbx 160 when it comes to timing – or a Tubetech CL-1B as well as a Fairchild or an LA-2A compresor.
Variety of Sound has also given us control over the total harmonic distortion (THD) with the interstage section. Once you have found the right amount of compression and adjusted the attack and release to your liking you can turn on the interstage section and add 2 order harmonics. If you want to go further than that you can use the slider to add even more THD and obtain thicker saturation effects.
Finally you have the ability to colour the saturation effect to your needs and even switch on a transformer circuit simulation to fatten up the sound even more.
Thrillseeker LA has internal and external sidechain options and in the top left corner you will find a little knob that calibrates the plugin to a conservative (and advisable) mix level of -18 db.
In other words Thrillseeker LA can work as a clean compressor or as a more vintage sounding unit. It can work with much faster attack times than an LA-2A and it has its own little colour tool box in the interstage section.
You can use it as a channel compressor or indeed as a bus compressor. And last but not least: it sounds amazingly good. It proves that free plugins can sound as good as commercial plugins – and be more innovative than most of them! That is just one good reason to dive into free VST compressors and other free VST plugins. Highly recommended.
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SAFE Compressor by Semantic Audio (Windows and Mac)
The SAFE Compressor is special in the sense that it allows you to type in more intuitive or descriptive terms or words into the plugins textbox – such as for instance bright, warm, punchy etc. – and if the word or term is on the developers server the compressor will be set to parameters that can bring forward the wanted and described effect.
You can save your own suggestions for semantic terms that represent a compression effect and it can then be shared with other users via the server. In other words SAFE Compressor is a unique intuitive compressor that may be of special interest to beginners.
Download link: SAFE Compressor
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FRComp87 by eaReckon (Windows and Mac)
FRComp87 is a delightfully simple vst compressor plugin. It only has a few controls: threshold, makeup gain, and three timings (fast, medium, and slow). Finally, you can switch in a limiter to tame peaks after the compression. Because of the simplicity FRComp is very fast to use and may be just the right starting point if you are a beginner when it comes to compression.
Download link: FRComp87
dlm Sixtyfive by de la Mancha (Windows)
Free Bass Compressor Vst Pedal
The developer de la Mancha has created a really good free VST compressor plugin inspired by the dbx 165 A compressor. However, de la Mancha’s Sixtyfive gives you several extra options compared to the hardware which inspired his work.
Bass Compressor Vst Free
If you are looking for a dbx-style compressor plugin Sixtyfive is a good choice. It sounds very good and adds a little, nice coloration and character to the audio material you run through it.
Free Bass Compressor Vst Plugin
De la Mancha has given you extra features like a dry/wet knob which makes it easy to dial in ”New York” or parallel compression. While the fastest attack on the original hardware is 1 millisecond de la Mancha lets you dial in even faster timings. Like the dbx 165 A de la Mancha’s Sixtyfive also has an auto attack and release button which activates a program dependant attack and release response. It also features a peak stop option for hard limiting on the final output.
Sixtyfive is a soft knee compressor. You can tweak it to give you smooth, musical compression or to work in much more agressive ways. So if you need a vintage style VCA compressor plugin with extra features you need look no further.
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GComp by GVST (Windows and Mac)
With the GComp vst compressor plugin you have full control over attack, release, threshold, hard knee or soft knee or anything in between as well as dialing in the balance between how the compressor should react to audio peaks versus RMS (the average loudness of the program material). On top of that it also includes a limiter.
You can adjust the input and output volume and GComp gives you a good visual feedback of what is going on and how much compression you are applying.
GComp has a sibling called GComp2 with a few different parameters that you could check out as well.
Download link: GComp