Gem COMP160

Name: Gem COMP160
Price: 69 USD
Author: Overloud

by Overloud · Compressor · VCA compressor (160 style)

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Gem COMP160 emulates three revisions (VU, XT and A) of the classic 160 VCA compressor series.

It adds mid-side, parallel compression and harmonics control. It costs about $101.06 (€89, regular €139).

Best for: Drums, Bass, Guitars. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: VCA, metering, mid/side, punchy, hardware emulation, mixing, parallel processing, bass, aggressive, electric guitar, sidechain input, undo/redo, A/B compare, analog-sounding, classic, clean, drums, harmonic enhancer, kick, minimal controls, built-in mix knob, oversampling, single-band, smooth, snare, transformer.

What it does

Gem COMP160 is Overloud's emulation of the 160 VCA compressor series, which it calls "the definitive emulation" of those units. Like the hardware, it has no manual attack and release; the response is automatic, and three revisions give three flavours of that punchy VCA sound.

VU revision: the original, with a punchy, aggressive sound and rich analog character, and a hard knee.
XT revision: smoother and more versatile, with a richer low end, an optional transformer and the OverEasy soft-knee control.
A revision: the newer design, cleaner with a wider frequency response and a faster attack for shaping transients, with a hard knee.
Main controls: Threshold, Ratio and Output, plus a user-set amount of harmonic generation.
Sidechain, mid-side and parallel: a low-frequency sidechain filter, a built-in mid-side matrix and dry/wet mixing for parallel compression.
Workflow: ultra oversampling mode, A/B comparison, multilevel undo/redo, scribble strips and VU meter calibration at four levels.

KVR lists version 1.0.1. A trial is available.

Source: Overloud product page

When to use it

Gem COMP160 is the pick for the grabby, punchy sound of the 160 on individual tracks, with three revisions to choose from. Compared with SSL G-Master Buss Compressor and The Glue, which are VCA bus compressors with attack and release settings, it has fewer controls and a more aggressive VU model, and suits single sources more than gluing a mix. Compared with CLA-76, a FET design with attack and release knobs, it trades that control for the 160's automatic response; its A revision's faster attack is the option for shaping transients. Its mid-side and mix controls also go beyond what the original hardware offered.

Best for: kick, snare, bass and guitars, where you want quick, punchy control with few knobs.
Genres: rock, pop, hip-hop and most mixing work.
Look elsewhere if: you need set attack and release (Pro-C 3), bus glue (SSL G-Master Buss Compressor or The Glue), or smooth vocal leveling (Gem COMP LA).

Where to buy

PluginFox: $69 (regular $99)
AudioDeluxe: $69 (regular $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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