Essential Free VST Dynamics Plugins for Powerful Processing

The key to a full mix is to control your program material. Tame your transients, add more punch in just the right doses and cut the bleed from unwanted audio leakage. Dynamics processing can be the hardest thing to get right, but if you harness the basic elements, go easy at first and follow your ears, you can do wonders to an otherwise uninspiring mix. The following is a list of essential free plugins for the VST host application of your choice. Enjoy, and remember to support the developers.

Compressors/Limiters/Gates:

GComp Compressor | Windows VST
Probably the best sounding and prettiest free compressor I've used so far. Controls are extensive for a simple compressor: input/output gain, RMS/Peak, Attack/Release, threshold for the compressor and a limiter with softener. Best of all, it provides a waveform view to preview how your audio is getting chopped when you set the controls. But don't forget to use your ears. The GMulti is basically the same as the GComp, but with multiband capabilities and stereo enhancers. Both plugins would be the go-to compressors in most cases if they included a gate/expander, but to compensate they can be used in conjunction with GGate or substituted with GComp2.

BuzzComp Free Series | Windows VST
Less refined than the GComp plugins, the BuzzComp series still finds its uses in many mixes. The GeneComp plugins in the Buzz pack don't seem in my opinion to be very useful due to a lack of any metering capabilities which allow you to see what the compressor is doing. The GranComp hard compressors however include both a single band and multiband compressor with meters which are far more mix-friendly. I've used the multiband compressor for general mix "fattening" and it includes several presets to get you started.

Fish Filets Channel Insert Package: | Windows, Mac 9 and OSX VSTs
Includes a compressor, de-esser, and a gate/expander. While the processors are not always as transparent as they could be, there are times when it's good to have a little "bite." When bite isn't what you're looking for, it's got a soft-knee switch to smooth things out. The gate/expander I've found to be especially useful on kick, snare and toms for getting rid of leaks from other instruments and pumping up the volume.

BuzzMaxi 3 Brickwall Limiter/Maximizer | Windows
For controlling those transient peaks that clip an otherwise consistent mix, I'll place BuzzMaxi last in the chain on the master channel, with its output ceiling set to a safe -0.3 dBs on "aggressive" mode. For a quick overall raise in loudness for scratch mixdowns (for preview purposes), I'll switch the mode to its softer setting, lower the ceiling to maybe -0.5 and crank up the "makeup" volume a couple of dBs for fairly transparent results. You don't really want to use just a limiter to raise the loudness of your material (that's a job better suited for a multiband compressor) but when in a pinch or a hurry, this plugin can help acheive greater stature in the loudness war. Apologies to Bob Katz.

And a final note on dynamics processing, a video examining the plight of the loudness war and why you should use care when messing with compressors: