Gem COMP G

Name: Gem COMP G
Price: 99 USD
Author: Overloud

by Overloud · Compressor · British VCA bus compressor

Not rated yet

Gem COMP G simulates a British VCA master bus compressor and adds parallel mix, mid-side and a sidechain low-cut.

It is part of Overloud's Gem series. It costs about $101.06 (€89, regular €139).

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

Keywords: bus processing, VCA, mastering, mix bus, mid/side, sidechain input, British console, drum bus, parallel processing, classic, full mix, metering, built-in mix knob, resizable UI, undo/redo, glue, A/B compare, bass, CPU-light, drums, heavy, inspired by, mixing, single-band.

What it does

Gem COMP G is Overloud's simulation of the classic British console VCA master bus compressor, part of its Gem series. The idea is to keep the sound of the hardware while adding controls the original never had, such as a mix knob and mid-side mode.

Bus compression: a detailed model of the VCA master bus compressor, built on Overloud's fourth-generation DSP.
Continuous controls: time and ratio can be set continuously, not only in the hardware's fixed steps.
Parallel compression: a built-in mix control blends the compressed and dry signal.
Mid-side: compress the mono (mid) and stereo (side) parts of the signal separately.
Sidechain low-cut: a high-pass filter on the detector so heavy bass doesn't drive the compression.
Metering: the meter can be calibrated at four sensitivity levels.
Workflow: resizable interface, multilevel undo and redo, A/B comparison and scribble strips for notes.
Low CPU: Overloud quotes more than 1000 instances on a MacBook Pro Retina.

KVR lists version 1.0.7. A trial is available.

Source: Overloud product page

When to use it

Gem COMP G is a good pick if you want the classic British bus compressor sound with more control than a strict copy. Compared with the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, it adds a mix knob, mid-side mode, a sidechain low-cut and continuous time and ratio settings. Like The Glue, it models the same type of bus compressor, so the choice there comes down to sound, extras and interface. It is less flexible than Pro-C 3, which covers many compressor styles, but it is quicker to set for bus glue.

Best for: glueing mix and drum busses in the British console style; Sound On Sound also found it works on almost any single source.
Genres: all genres, especially rock, pop and electronic mixes.
Look elsewhere if: you need a transparent or multi-style compressor (Pro-C 3) or vintage FET and opto colour (1176 Classic Limiter Collection, LA-2A Leveler Collection).

What producers say

The few reviews are very positive, with praise for its versatility.

Sound On Sound (2021, Gem Studio review) found it "even better" than Overloud's Comp 76 and a versatile compressor for practically any source.
Sweetwater users rate it 5 out of 5 from one review; an engineer said no other bus compressor he tried gave him what COMP G did.
Criticisms: Sound On Sound's only reservation was about the price of the full Gem Studio bundle, not this plugin.

Where to buy

PluginFox: $99
AudioDeluxe: $99
Overloud: $101.06 (regular $157.83) (€89 (regular €139) incl. VAT converted to USD (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

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