DynaMix from Plugin Alliance is a collection of compressor and limiter plug-ins designed for mastering as well as mixing duties. From gentle gluing to sound shaping drum compression to brickwall limiting on the 2-bus, processing can be done in mono, stereo and M/S configurations for individual signals, buses and the stereo master.
The bx_limiter from Brainworx is a simple but effective low latency limiter plug-in with features that make it an excellent mastering tool, but also useful for mixing duties. Use the dry/wet control to smash up drum beats, pull up vocal details in mixes, control bass sounds, etc., and then seamlessly blend from linked to unlinked mode for stereo mastering.
Additional processing can be achieved by driving individual tracks or stems hard into the limiter to trigger saturation while still maintaining overall levels. Parallel processing can create vintage drum and vocal sounds or special effects of all kinds. And in this case it is important to keep multiple-track peak levels under control, rather than trying to do all the work on the master buss.
bx_XL V2 from Brainworx is a low latency, M/S mastering limiter whose main purpose is to make mixes loud while keeping them clear (undistorted). Many modern productions are loud while at the same time having no dynamics. The aim of the plug-in is to make tracks as loud as any major label production and less squashed than many of them.
The software converts stereo signals into M (mid/sum) and S (side/difference) signals and splits the M channel into two bands (high and low). This allows for limiting and leveling three individual channels to increase loudness and improve clarity of stereo mixes with much less distortion artifacts while still keeping the "punch."
The alpha compressor from elysia is a native based plug-in that faithfully recreates the company's hardware mastering compressor. With integrated M/S matrix processing, two selectable compressor characteristics, a sidechain filter, parallel compression and more, the software provides all the tools needed for full mastering inside a DAW.
Since the compression section by itself is a useful tool, a reduced-interface version of the plug-in is included as a dedicated mixing tool. All the major plug-in formats are supported for both 32- and 64-bit operating systems.
The mpressor from elysia is a native based plug-in that closely emulates the company's hardware creative compressor. The original's all discrete circuitry and special characters have been translated into software in great detail, delivering a universal compressor as well as a dynamic effects machine.
Functions include Auto Fast that makes life easy even on longer attack settings and the Anti Log feature offers an alternative release curve that can be engaged for instant pumping effects. In addition to standard ratios, the plug-in also provides negative values.
The gain reduction limiter regulates the virtual control voltage and keeps even the most extreme settings under control and the additional filter is a perfect for changing the sound character of the compressed signal. An external sidechain input adds further flexibility.
All the major plug-in formats are supported for both 32- and 64-bit operating systems.
The VSC-2 from Vertigo is a compressor plug-in based on the company's well respected VSC-2 Quad Discrete Compressor hardware. Made in close cooperation with Brainworx, the plug-in recreates all the fine nuances of the flagship VCA compressor.