Cramit

Name: Cramit
Author: Sixth Sample

by Sixth Sample · Compressor · Multiband upward/downward compressor

Not rated yet

Cramit is a free 3-band upward and downward compressor and expander from Sixth Sample, inspired by the OTT sound and combined with distortion.

Seven distortion types sit on a single slider before or after the dynamics, and a paid Platinum Edition (Cramit PE) adds more features.

Best for: Drums, Bass, Keys & Synths, Drum Bus, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap, Pop.

Keywords: multi-band, bass, free, simple, downward expansion, drums, resizable UI, sound design, clean, enhancement, synths, visual feedback, beginner-friendly, bus processing, corrective, drum bus, gritty, inspired by, minimal controls, mixing, parallel processing, single knob, utility.

What it does

Cramit is a free OTT-style multiband compressor from Sixth Sample, made with Integraudio, that adds distortion to the chain. The idea is to combine multiband compression and distortion in one plugin with a "dead-simple interface" and clear visuals.

3-band dynamics: three bands, each with upward and downward compression and expansion, so quiet detail is lifted while peaks are pulled down.
Band tools: solo and bypass on each band, to hear and adjust one range at a time.
Speed: an adjustable timing control, useful for taming how the compression reacts to transients.
Distortion: seven distortion types with Drive and Dist controls, adding harmonics to round out the squashed sound.
Pre or post: the distortion can sit before the compressor or after it, which changes how hard the harmonics get pushed.
Levels: In, Out and Mix controls for gain staging and parallel blending.
Interface: freely resizable, with visual feedback on the bands and 10 factory presets.

Cramit is free; Cramit PE (Platinum Edition) is the paid upgrade with more features.

Source: Sixth Sample product page

When to use it

Cramit is the pick when you want the OTT sound with a little more control and colour, at no cost. Compared with Xfer's free OTT it adds per-band solo and bypass, a speed control and built-in distortion, and a KVR user found it cleaner on noisy material. Unlike FabFilter Pro-C 3 or other single-band compressors, it is built for exaggerated, hyper-compressed sound rather than gentle level control. Compared with Tokyo Dawn Labs Kotelnikov, also free, it is the loud, obvious effect rather than a transparent mastering compressor.

Best for: making synths, basses, drums and sound design layers sound bigger and denser, and adding grit in the same step.
Genres: EDM, dubstep, future bass, trap and modern pop.
Look elsewhere if: you need transparent multiband compression for mastering; FabFilter Pro-MB is a better fit. For distortion with deep multiband control, Saturn 2 goes further.
Tip: try the distortion both before and after the compressor; BPB notes that harmonics on either side can make the result sound even bigger.

What producers say

Writers see it as a useful freebie that improves on the basic OTT idea; feedback so far is limited but positive.

KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review (2022), calling it a "neat freebie" that sounds cleaner than OTT, which can "exaggerate noise" unpleasantly.
Bedroom Producers Blog said it "enhances the basic OTT multiband compression concept" by adding distortion, and praised the intuitive, resizable interface.

Where to buy

Sixth Sample: Free

Tutorials and reviews

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