Free Comp
by Venn Audio · Compressor · Compressor
Not rated yet
Free Comp is the compressor in Venn Audio's Free Suite, a set of free mixing plugins.
It is part of Venn Audio's Free Suite (VST3, AU, AAX for Windows, Mac and Linux) and is free.
Best for: Vocals, Drums, Bass, Guitars, Mix Bus. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: free, mixing, bass, drums, vocals, visual feedback, bus processing, metering, simple, AAX, full mix, Linux, mix bus, resizable UI, single-band, tight.
What it does
Free Comp is the compressor in Venn Audio's Free Suite, a set of free mixing plugins the developer says covers "all the tools needed to fully mix a track".
- Compression: a straightforward compressor for controlling dynamics on vocals, drums, bass and buses.
- Envelope display: a visual display shows both the compressor and output envelopes.
- Attack, release and knee: attack and release shape the response, and a knee control was added when it moved from the earlier FX Collection into the Free Suite.
- Light and resizable: the developer calls the suite "performant, light weight, resizeable, zero fuss"; the 1.5 update rewrote the back end for performance and stability.
- Part of a set: it shares its look with the other Free Suite plugins, including Free EQ, Free Strip, Free Gate and Free Clip 2.
Free Suite version 1.5.7 is free.
Source: Venn Audio product page
When to use it
Free Comp is a sensible pick for a clean, no-cost compressor that matches the rest of a free mixing chain. Compared with Pro-C 3, it has far fewer styles and no detailed sidechain options, but it costs nothing. Unlike the CLA-76 or the LA-2A Collection, it does not model hardware, so it adds little colour. TDR Kotelnikov is also free and offers more detailed controls for transparent bus work, while Free Comp is simpler to set up.
- Best for: everyday compression on vocals, drums, bass and buses on a zero budget.
- Genres: any.
- Look elsewhere if: you want analog colour (CLA-76, LA-2A Collection) or advanced modes and sidechain filtering (Pro-C 3).
What producers say
Few users have written about Free Comp on its own; comments are positive about the sound, with one request for better metering.
- Gearspace thread user Karloff70 called it a "very well sounding compressor" with a "tight modern feel" that seems like "one massive sweetspot".
- KVR users rate the Free Suite 4.5 out of 5 from 2 reviews; one reviewer (on version 1, before the 1.5 update) said Free Comp needed a gain reduction meter.
- Requests: a Gearspace user asked for sidechain EQ filtering and classic attack/release presets; the developer replied "stay tuned!"
Where to buy
- Venn Audio: Free
Tutorials and reviews
- 9 New FREE VST Plugins For Mixing (Venn Audio) - Free Suite (Eq, Comp, Delay, Meter, Clipper & More)
- Free Suite - free audio plugin bundle!
- Venn Audio Free Suite is a free plugin bundle
- We checked out the Free Suite from Venn Audio - Nov 17 2023 Stream Highlights
- Free Suite da Venn Audio - Um Pacote Completo de Plugins Gratuitos com EQ Digital, Compressor e mais
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