XTComp

Name: XTComp
Price: 75 USD
Author: Kiive Audio

by Kiive Audio · Compressor · FET-style multi-ratio compressor

Not rated yet

XTComp is a FET-style compressor where each ratio setting behaves like its own compressor, plus a British all-buttons mode.

Saturation, parallel mix and mid/side width are built in. It sells for $75 at Plugin Alliance.

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

Keywords: FET, inspired by, hardware emulation, parallel processing, mid/side, wide, bass, drums, vintage, vocals, 60s, aggressive, bus processing, classic, colored, drum bus, heavy, mixing, pumping, sidechain input, single-band, subscription.

What it does

XTComp is Kiive Audio's FET-style compressor "with a vintage attitude." The developer built it to capture the sound of popular hardware compressors such as the 1176 and LA-2A, with a British-style mode on top, so each ratio behaves like a different unit.

Eight ratios: each with its own tonal character, attack and release behavior and knee.
British mode: an "all-buttons-in" style setting for pumping, aggressive compression.
Saturation: a Warmth control and DIST modes that add 2nd- or 3rd-order harmonics.
Sidechain filter: keeps low-end rumble from driving the gain reduction.
Two mix knobs: separate parallel blends for the compressor and the saturation module.
Stereo tools: a Gain Link switch, mid/side processing and a stereo width control.

The current version is 1.0.2 (March 2025). Plugin Alliance includes it in its CORE and PRO subscriptions. A 14-day trial is available.

Source: Kiive Audio product page

When to use it

XTComp is the better pick when you want one compressor that can cover several FET and opto-style colors instead of a single strict clone. Compared with the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection and CLA-76, it is less faithful to one hardware unit, but its eight ratio characters, British mode and built-in saturation give it more range in one window. Unlike Pro-C 3, it has no external sidechain input and is built around color rather than clean, surgical control. Its mid/side and width controls also go beyond what the classic 1176 emulations offer.

Best for: drums, vocals and bass that need fast, colored compression, and parallel crush using the separate mix knobs.
Genres: all styles, especially rock, pop and hip-hop.
Look elsewhere if: you want a faithful 1176 clone (the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection), transparent compression with an external sidechain (Pro-C 3), or a dedicated opto leveler (the LA-2A Leveler Collection).

What producers say

Little user feedback was found; the one buyer review likes the sound but wants more routing.

Plugin Alliance users rate it 4 out of 5 from 1 review, with the reviewer saying it "sounds beaut on its own".
Criticisms: the same reviewer asked for an external sidechain input, which XTComp lacks.

Plugin Alliance customer reviews

Where to buy

Plugin Alliance: $75
Kiive Audio: $149.99

Tutorials and reviews

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