MUSO-COMP v1.0
maybe the last comp you'll ever need  ·  by André Geiger
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Compressor plugin as VST®3 for Windows (64-bit). Attack and release are set in note
values instead of milliseconds – they follow the project tempo
automatically, including tempo changes.

Muso-comp (formerly "Lite") contains the two most-used compressor types of
Muso-comp Pro – sounding identical to Pro at its default settings.


THE TWO TYPES
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  Opto  – silky, slow, two-stage release. For vocals, bass (DI), acoustic
          guitar, keys. (Default on load)
  VCA   – punch, hard knee, precise. For drums, drum bus, bass, mix bus.
          With fast attack (down to 50 µs) and Auto Release.


HARMONICS LIKE THE ARCHETYPE (Color, mode "type")
-------------------------------------------------
  Opto  – like an LA-2A: tube stage after the gain control. H2 leads,
          H3 approx. 12 dB lower. Stays constant no matter how hard it
          compresses (Color 30: H2 approx. −38 dB, H3 approx. −50 dB).
  VCA   – like an SSL bus comp: very clean, a trace of H3, hardly any H2.
          The H3 comes with gain reduction (Color 30: H3 approx. −65 dB
          without GR, approx. −56 dB with GR).
  Switchable in the Color cell: type / H2 (even, warm) / H3 (odd, hard).


NEW IN v1.0
-----------
- Harmonics modelled on the hardware (see above), H2/H3 switch.
- Opto is now the default type.
- LEARN (button in the Threshold cell): click and play – the plugin listens
  for 2 bars, then sets the threshold so the loud parts get compressed by
  the target amount. Target (1–12 dB, default 3 dB): mouse wheel over the
  button.
- SOFT CLIP at the output (always on): fully linear up to −3 dBFS, soft
  above – never exceeds 0 dBFS, no more overs on REAPER's meter. When it
  audibly kicks in, "SOFT CLIP" lights up at the bottom of the GR display.
- A touch of analog (fixed): minimal drift, component tolerances between
  left and right, and quiet type-dependent noise (approx. −109 dBFS on Opto, −115 dBFS on VCA).
  Reproducible: same project = same render.
- Bug fix: in v0.9, Color > 0 corrupted the release of Opto and VCA. Fixed.

The pro extras (Analog control, Groove Release, Swing, Accent, Soft Clip
switch) and the FET, Vari-Mu, Diode and Stress types are in Muso-comp
Pro.


FEATURES
--------
- Attack 1/1024 to 1/16, release 1/128 to 1/1, each straight, dotted
  or triplet. VCA also offers Fast 1–3 (50–800 µs).
- ms mode as an alternative (click the tempo display, top right).
- Color: type-specific saturation with 2× or 4× oversampling.
- Mix (parallel compression without phase issues), Output ±12 dB,
  Auto Gain.
- Sidechain: HPF (off / 20–300 Hz, 6/12/18/24 dB/oct), internal or external
  via ch 3/4. The HPF curve is shown in the GR display – click its label
  to change the slope.
- Stereo Link 0–100 %.
- GR display on the beat grid: scrolls over one bar, line on every beat.
- 9 presets:
    VCA:  Drum Bus Punch, Mix Bus Glue, Bass, Parallel Drums, Snare / Kick
    Opto: Vocal, Bass (DI), Acoustic Guitar, Keys / Piano
- Zero latency. CPU approx. 1.4–1.7 % of one core per instance.


OPERATION
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- Knobs: drag up/down (Shift = fine), mouse wheel, double-click = default.
- Presets: click "Presets ▾" at the top right.
- All parameters can be automated.


FEEDBACK
--------
Questions, bugs, ideas? Please send feedback to André – https://reaper.agdl.de

VST is a registered trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
