Module Reference · EQ & Dynamics
Compressor
This is not one compressor - it is ten. The Character selector re-voices the detector and gain curve from Clean and Glue to Opto, FET, Drum, Vocal and Bus, while Dyn Mode flips the whole engine between downward compression, upward compression (lifting quiet detail), expansion and gating.
Around that core sit the tools that make a compressor trustworthy: sidechain high-pass and low-pass filters, lookahead, hold, a gap between the gate's open and close points so it never stutters (hysteresis), a release that adapts to the music, auto-makeup for honest A/B, and a built-in saturation stage for density. Feed the detector from the plugin's external sidechain input and it becomes your pumping, ducking rhythm machine.
Why it hits different
The GhostWare take.
- Ten voicings covering the classic hardware families in one module.
- True upward compression and a full expander/gate in the same engine.
- External sidechain key with dedicated detector filters.
In the shot
Reading the panel.
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1
TRANSFER + KNEE
Threshold, ratio and knee drawn on the actual transfer curve.
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2
GR HISTORY
Gain reduction scrolling past as the compressor works.
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3
COMP DECK
Attack, release, character and the sidechain section.
Control Showcase
Every control, explained.
21 controls, named exactly as they appear in the plugin.
The level where compression starts. Lower it to catch more of the signal.
How hard the compressor pushes back above the threshold: 2:1 is gentle, 20:1 is nearly limiting.
How fast the compressor clamps down. Slow attack lets transients punch through.
How fast gain returns to normal. Short is energetic, long is smooth.
Softens the transition into compression. 0 is a hard corner, 24 dB is very gradual.
Manual gain to bring the compressed signal back up.
Blend between the untouched signal and the processed one. 100% is fully wet.
High-passes the detector only, so bass stops pumping the whole mix.
Ten voicings that change the detector and gain curve - Clean, Punch, Smooth, Aggressive, Glue (bus-style), Vocal, Drum, Opto (smooth optical), FET (fast and grabby) and Bus.
Automatically compensates output level for the gain reduction so you compare at equal loudness.
Freezes gain reduction for a moment before release begins - steadies choppy material.
Lets the detector see a few milliseconds ahead so it can react before a peak arrives (adds that much latency).
Final level trim after compression.
What the dynamics engine does: Comp Down (classic), Comp Up (lifts quiet parts), Expand (increases dynamics) or Gate (silences below threshold).
Maximum gain change the expander/gate is allowed to apply.
Gap between the gate's open and close levels so it stops chattering on borderline signals.
How level is measured: Peak (fast, transient-aware), RMS (average, musical) or Auto.
Lets the release time adapt to the material automatically - fast on hits, slow on sustains.
Low-passes the detector only, so harsh highs stop triggering the compressor.
Adds harmonic saturation inside the compressor for analog-style density.
What the detector listens to: Internal (the signal itself) or External (the plugin's sidechain input bus).