PolyComp

Name: PolyComp
Price: 45 USD
Author: Audiority

by Audiority · Compressor · 3-band VCA multiband compressor

Not rated yet

PolyComp is an analog simulation of a VCA mastering multiband compressor, with three bands and two crossovers.

Each band has its own threshold, ratio, attack, release and gain, and a dry/wet control allows parallel compression, for $49.

Best for: Mix Bus, Mastering, Drum Bus, Bass, Vocals. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: VCA, multi-band, mastering, parallel processing, bus processing, bass, built-in mix knob, full mix, metering, corrective, drum bus, drums, inspired by, mix bus, mixing, resizable UI, sidechain input, vocals.

What it does

PolyComp is Audiority's "analog simulation of a VCA mastering multiband compressor". It splits the signal into three bands and gives each its own VCA-style compressor, with a fixed, hardware-like layout rather than a graphic display.

Three bands: Low, Mid and High, separated by two crossover filters.
Per-band compression: Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release and Gain on every band; the gain knobs became bipolar in version 1.2, so a band can be cut as well as boosted.
Band switches: an On/Bypass/Mute switch per band, handy for soloing a band by muting the others or taking one out of the compression.
Sidechain selector: choose whether each band's detector listens to its own band (Per Band) or to the full-bandwidth signal (Full BW), added in version 1.1.
Parallel and level: a Dry/Wet control for parallel compression plus global input and output gain.
Metering and interface: input and output meters (added in 1.3) and a resizable window with a corner resizer.

Version 1.3.1 is current; version 1.3 (September 2023) added the meters, and the first release came in February 2021. A demo is available that outputs 3 seconds of silence every minute.

Source: Audiority product page

When to use it

PolyComp suits mastering and bus work where a single-band compressor is too blunt and you want simple, analog-style multiband control at a low price. Unlike Pro-C 3, The Glue or the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, it can compress the low end without pumping the mids and highs. Compared with TDR Kotelnikov, which is a clean, very precise single-band mastering compressor, PolyComp is more about VCA colour and band control than transparency. Against a modern multiband such as FabFilter Pro-MB, it has fewer bands, no spectrum display and no dynamic EQ features, but its fixed, hardware-style layout is quick to set by ear.

Best for: taming boomy lows or harsh highs on mix buses and masters, drum buses and bass, with a touch of VCA character.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you want more bands, a visual display or dynamic EQ (FabFilter Pro-MB), or transparent single-band glue (TDR Kotelnikov or The Glue).

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $45
Audiority: $49

Tutorials and reviews

Similar plugins

MBC by Lindell Audio · Multiband VCA compressor · $150
BX3 Compressor by Antelope Audio · 3-band multiband compressor · $179
C4 Multiband Compressor by Waves · 4-band multiband compressor · $32.91
Pro-MB by FabFilter · Multiband dynamics · $169
MBC by ToneBoosters · Multiband compressor with saturation · $44.28
Master X HD by TC Electronic · Multiband dynamics processor · $75
KolinMB by Analog Obsession · Multiband compressor/limiter · Free
Weiss DS5 Multiband Compressor by Softube · Mastering multiband compressor · $549
Drawmer S73 Intelligent Master Processor by Softube · Mastering multiband processor · $39
C6 Multiband Compressor by Waves · 6-band multiband compressor · $35.73

All compressors