When you’re trying to squeeze two big sounds together, traditional methods like sidechain compression help, but may leave behind some unwanted effects like the classic sidechain pump. Kilohearts Compactor is an ultra-precise solutions that ducks audio at the sample-level, which is as surgical and satisfying as it sounds. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it’s absolutely FREE.

This little powerhouse locks your sounds in like puzzle pieces—max loudness, no pumping, no drama. Think of it as “Compact Mixing.”

Standout Features

1. Per-sample Sidechain Ducking

If you’re sidechaining a kick to your bass, or even something more experimental, Compactor willl react at the smallest granular level, with no lag or blurring – just tight precision.

2. Controls That Keep It Simple

  • Attack – How quickly the ducking starts.
  • Hold – Hole long the ducking holds on for after the sidechain signal drops.
  • Release – How smoothly the audio comes back in full.

3. Clear-cut Detection Modes

  • Peak – Fast and aggressive, for maximum loudness.
  • ISP (Intersample Peaks) –Detects peaks between samples for greater accuracy. This can reduce artefacts and often lessen intersample peaks.
  • RMS – Smooth and transparent, great for natural dynamics

4. Range & Stereo Know-how

  • Range – Control how far the gain reduction goes, even past 100% if you fancy some creative chaos.
  • Stereo – Tweak how much the left and right channels work together: from mono-like (0%) to entirely independent (100%).

How to Use It – Quick Setup

  • Without Sidechain: Acts like a super-smart clipper. Great for mastering or on peaks where you don’t want extra pumping.
  • With Sidechain: Route a source (like a kick) to the Compactor sidechain input, dial in Attack/Hold/Release/Threshold/Range – and voilà, transparent, tight mixing.

What’s to Love

  • Precise ducking at sample level for clean, punchy mixes.
  • Flexible and intuitive controls for timing and behaviour.
  • Three detection modes for juicy accuracy or silky smoothness.
  • Range and stereo-wide control to dial in subtle or bold effects.
  • Compatible with Kilohearts Snapin Hosts, including Snap Heap, Multipass, and Phase Plant.
  • Totally free, easy-to-use, and modular-capable.

There’s nothing really to hate on here at all!

Pricing & Availability

You can get the Kilohearts Compactor for FREE directly from the Kilohearts website!

Remember – RouteNote Create subscriptions start from as little as $2.99.
You can also purchase full sample packs, beats and plugins without a subscription!

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