Vari-mu Compression: The simulation of the vari-mu circuits delivers warmth and pleasant compression to any kind of audio material. It's more than just suitable for vocals, bass, drums on both insert and bus. The plugin also has an automatic gain control (AGC) that keeps the output signal at the same level no matter how much input gain you add to get some serious saturation. This means that changing the color of your sound doesn't change the output volume.
Three Circuit Types: The A/B/C Model knob gives you a chance to switch between three models of circuitry with a different value of the fixed attack. The A model has a fast attack time, suitable for drums and percussive sounds. The B model has a medium attack time, suitable for vocals and guitars. The C model has a slow attack time, suitable for bass and synths. You can also use the Mix knob to blend between the dry and wet signals for parallel compression.
The Saturator: Unlike the original vintage devices, Royal Compressor also features an adjustable amount of valve saturation. The random saturation algorithm creates the effect the real hardware would have on your tracks. You can use the Saturation knob to add some harmonic distortion and character to your sound, or turn it off if you prefer a cleaner sound.
CPU Friendly: Although Royal Compressor operates using high internal sample rate, the modern simulation technology allows it to deliver great sound using the minimum CPU power. You can also choose between three quality modes (Eco, High, Ultra) to optimize the performance according to your system resources.
Second-Hand Edition for Free: Even partly broken machines can serve well in many studios. Although their functionality can be limited to just one feature, they may give your records something extra. That is exactly the case of the second-hand version of Royal Compressor, which is available for free as a bonus when you purchase the full version. The second-hand edition has only one knob (the Input) and one switch (the Bypass), but it still adds some vintage vibe to your sound.
How to Get It
The Royal Compressor by Soundevice Digital is available as a VST, VST3, Audio Unit and AAX plugin for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems on Windows and Mac OS X. You can purchase it from the United Plugins website for 129 (approximately $145), or try it for free for 15 days with no saving limits or noises. You will also get the second-hand edition for free as a bonus when you buy the full version. The plugin uses licence files to activate your software, so you don't need an iLok, a dongle or an internet access for activation. You can freely use the purchased software on all your computers as long as you are the user.
Conclusion
The Royal Compressor by Soundevice Digital is a plugin that can bring some vintage analogue sound and feel to your tracks, with a simple and intuitive interface and a realistic 3D GUI. It offers a vari-mu compression, three circuit types, a saturator, an automatic gain control, and a CPU-friendly performance. It is compatible with most DAWs and platforms, and it comes with a free second-hand edition as a bonus. If you are looking for a plugin that can emulate the classic British device from the Beatles era, you might want to give Royal Compressor a try.
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