Peach
by Noisebud · Compressor · Threshold-split dynamics processor
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Peach is a Noisebud dynamics processor that sets gain separately above and below a threshold instead of using a ratio, with its own clipper for each zone.
It has filtered sidechain, left/right/mid/side targeting and lookahead, and costs $39 or comes with a $6 Patreon membership.
Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus, Drum Bus, Vocals, Drums. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: drums, look-ahead, sidechain input, bus processing, downward expansion, full mix, auto-gain, drum bus, mastering, metering, mid/side, mix bus, built-in mix knob, mixing, oversampling, perpetual licence, single-band, soft clip, upward compression, vocals, wide.
What it does
Peach is a dynamics processor from Noisebud that drops the usual ratio control. Instead it gives "direct control over the gain" for the signal above and below a threshold, independently, so one plugin can act as compressor, expander, limiter or gate.
- Two gain zones: set the gain above and below the threshold separately, for downward compression, upward expansion or level moves in either direction.
- Per-zone clippers: a separate hard or soft clipper for each zone, with 2x or 4x oversampling per clipper.
- Envelope: Up, Pause and Down envelope controls with adjustable curve, lookahead, and an adaptive mode for the control signal.
- Filters and targeting: frequency-selective sidechain and output filters that can act on left, right, mid or side.
- Gate mode: Mute Above or Mute Below for gate-style use.
- Monitoring: loudness matching based on short-term LUFS, delta monitoring to hear what's changed, and a dry/wet blend.
Version 1.64 is a small update that added bars showing the filter width. It is built in SynthEdit. It is a one-time purchase, or comes with Noisebud's Patreon membership.
When to use it
Peach is the pick when you want to shape dynamics by zone rather than by ratio. Compared with FabFilter Pro-C 3 or TDR Kotelnikov, it lacks a conventional ratio and knee, but upward, downward and gate-like moves all live in one plugin, with clipping built in for each zone. Unlike Klanghelm MJUC, it doesn't aim for vintage compressor colour; it is a clean, flexible shaping tool. Its Mute modes cover simple gating, though FabFilter Pro-G has far more dedicated gate and expander controls. It is cheaper than Pro-C 3, and the loudness matching and delta monitoring make its unusual moves easy to judge.
- Best for: flexible dynamic shaping on masters, buses and drums, frequency-targeted dynamics on mid or side, and combined compression and clipping.
- Genres: any.
- Look elsewhere if: you want a familiar compressor with ratio and knee; Pro-C 3 is easier to learn, and The Glue is quicker for classic bus glue.
Where to buy
- Noisebud: $39
Tutorials and reviews
- Noisebud Peach v1.63 - Did You Know You Could Do This?
- Noisebud Peach - A fresh take on dynamics
- Noisebud Peach v1.10
- Noisebud Peach 1.50 - Dynamics Reimagined
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