SphereComp

Name: SphereComp
Price: 59 USD
Author: W.A. Production

by W.A. Production · Compressor · Dual-mode compressor

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SphereComp is a dual-mode compressor from W.A. Production with peak and RMS (buss) modes.

It adds parallel compression with punch and saturation, sidechain and soft clipping, for $59.

Best for: Drums, Drum Bus, Mix Bus, Vocals, Bass. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: bus processing, drums, parallel processing, punchy, soft clip, sidechain input, beginner-friendly, mix bus, auto-gain, glue, tube, bass, corrective, drum bus, enhancement, external sidechain, full mix, mastering, built-in mix knob, mixing, preset-driven, single-band, vocals.

What it does

SphereComp is two compressors in one: a peak mode for single tracks and an RMS buss mode for groups and the mix. The developer says it can cater to "the seasoned pro and the beginner", with timbre buttons that add punch or tube-style color.

Two modes: Regular mode for peak compression and Buss mode for RMS compression.
Main controls: threshold, ratio, attack and release in milliseconds, plus input and output gain of ±15 dB each.
Auto Gain and stereo/mono: Auto Gain matches the output to the input level; a switch picks stereo or mono operation.
Timbre buttons: Punch adds parallel processing before the compressor, Saturate adds tube-style saturation after it, and Clean tames both for a cleaner sound.
Sidechain: an external sidechain mode that feeds the right input channel to the detector and compresses the left.
Soft clipping and mix: a soft clipper that rounds off peaks near 0 dB, and a dry/wet control for parallel compression.
Presets: 45 presets for individual instruments, drums, groups, the mix bus and mastering.

The current version is 1.5.0 (June 2020), and a demo is available.

Source: W.A. Production product page

When to use it

SphereComp is a good pick for producers who want one compressor that covers tracks and buses and adds its own color. Compared with FabFilter Pro-C 3, it has far fewer styles and detection options, but its Punch, Saturate and soft-clip options give quick character in one window. Unlike Cytomic The Glue or Waves SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, its Buss mode is a general RMS compressor rather than a model of the SSL bus compressor. It is also simpler than Klanghelm MJUC, which offers several modeled variable-mu characters, while SphereComp's color comes from its timbre buttons.

Best for: punchy drums, bus glue and parallel compression with a little saturation, especially for beginners who start from presets.
Genres: any style; the Punch and Saturate options suit hip-hop, EDM and pop drums.
Look elsewhere if: you need precise detection, lookahead and metering (Pro-C 3), a specific hardware sound (The Glue, CLA-76 or the LA-2A Collection), or clean mastering compression (TDR Kotelnikov).

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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