M-Compressor 2
by Techivation · Compressor · Spectral compressor
Not rated yet
M-Compressor 2 is a spectral compressor with downward and upward compression and gating, plus shelf and tilt modes for frequency-dependent dynamics.
Its Mix Assist generates 12 styles to blend between, and it costs $149.
Best for: Mix Bus, Mastering, Vocals, Drums, Drum Bus. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: spectral, AI assistant, upward compression, drums, hybrid topology, vocals, bus processing, full mix, sidechain input, auto-gain, beginner-friendly, drum bus, external sidechain, mastering, minimal controls, mix bus, mixing, parallel processing, single-band, single knob, stereo-linked.
What it does
M-Compressor 2 is Techivation's spectral dynamics processor. It "combines advanced spectral dynamics processing with an intelligent Mix Assistant," compressing individual frequencies without splitting the signal into fixed bands.
- Three processors: downward compression, upward compression and a gate, all working across the spectrum at the same time.
- Ratios and gate: separate Down and Up ratios from 1:1 to 20:1, and a Gate Range that switches gating off at 0 dB.
- Threshold modes: Tilt (a tilt centre frequency and an amount in dB per octave) and Shelves (low and high shelf frequency, gain and slope), so the threshold can follow the tonal balance you want.
- Dynamics controls: Intensity moves from soft to hard knee, Attack and Release set timing, and Punch softens or emphasises transients.
- Mix Assistant: analyses 3.5 seconds of audio, generates 12 compression styles for the track, and lets you pick 4 and blend between them with one control.
- Sidechain: stereo link from 0 to 100%, a sidechain high-pass filter and an external sidechain input.
- Output: parallel Mix, auto-gain make-up, and Diff and Sidechain listen modes, with presets.
The current version is 1.0.0. A free trial is available.
Source: Techivation product page
When to use it
M-Compressor 2 is the better pick when you want to even out tone and dynamics in one pass. Unlike Pro-C 3 and The Glue, which react to the full signal, it compresses each part of the spectrum on its own and can lift quiet detail with upward compression as well. Compared with TDR Kotelnikov it is less of a clean, transparent bus tool and more of a shaping tool, with gating and tilt or shelf thresholds that colour the balance. Its Mix Assistant also gives ready-made starting styles, which none of those three offers.
- Best for: spectral dynamics on mixes, masters, vocals and drums, especially material that needs quiet parts raised without bringing up noise.
- Genres: any.
- Look elsewhere if: you want a simple character compressor with familiar controls (Techivation's T-Compressor Mk2, The Glue or an 1176 emulation), or a clean wideband bus compressor (Kotelnikov).
- Tip: one reviewer suggests Tilt mode to choose the direction quickly and Shelves for fine-tuning, and running Mix Assistant on a loud section of the track.
What producers say
Reviews are still few, but the one detailed write-up found was very positive.
- note.com review (Shirokagi Sora) found it "well beyond my expectations", praising how it holds back loud parts and lifts quiet ones without raising the noise.
- Mix Assistant: the same reviewer said the four chosen styles were clearly different and gave a usable sound just by blending.
- Caveats: the review was based on several days with the trial version, and no user ratings had been posted on KVR yet.
Where to buy
- Techivation: $149
Tutorials and reviews
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