VCL-864U

$29

Web fuseaudiolabs.de Format PC/Mac, VST/AU/AAX The latest affordable plugin from Fuse Labs is a circuit-modelled emulation of a vintage 1954 tube limiter used in the Korean War – many audio signal processing devices have roots in military technology.

Operationally, VCL-864U is standard compressor stuff. Plenty of input gain and overdrive are on tap if required (compensated to an extent at the output), and although the attack is fixed at around 50ms, five stepped release times are offered: 0.3, 0.5, 10, 15 and 20 seconds. Similarly, the Ratio steps between five fixed settings: 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, 10:1 and inf:1. A 6dB/octave high-pass filter can be set to take everything below 40, 80, 140 or 200Hz out of the sidechain detection circuit, so as to reduce bass-driven pumping, while the Mix control enables parallel processing. You can even set the level of the simulated noise floor of the original unit, up to -60dB.

A versatile and characterful compressor/limiter, VCL-864U particularly impresses on drums and vocals. The stepped settings make it easy to use, and at this price, we can’t fault it.

n9/ 10n