VCME

A screenshot of the VCME interface
Vulf Compressor, Mastering Edition

Limited time only: get VCME for $199 $149 while it’s in presale (or $111 if you already own Vulf Compressor)


Of all the things we’ve engineered at Goodhertz over the past decade, Vulf Compressor remains one of our most wonderful & unusual algorithms.

It has that sound.

As Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton put it during our first email exchange on the prototype: “NICE! that special sauce. the way it snaps that snare is the $$$!”

Since its release in 2014, Vulf Compressor has been everywhere: lofi beat tapes to Hollywood film scores — even on Dua Lipa’s vocal chain. Surely, you’ve heard it on some music somewhere. But for all its raw power, Vulf Compressor’s iconic three-main-control design — central to Stratton’s original vision — can be limiting in situations that demand a lighter touch.

As legendary mixer Michael Brauer once said of Vulf Comp: “On the outside, it may look like a Volvo, but under the hood, it’s a monster truck.”

Indeed. But you won’t win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a monster truck.

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce, on the occasion of its 10th anniversary: Vulf Compressor Mastering Edition (VCME), a new kind of Vulf Compressor — a Vulf Compressor purpose-built for mastering & bus processing.

Vulfmon, the spirit of the Vulf Compressor, photographed at the Vintage Synth Museum
Vulfmon, the spirit of the Vulf Compressor, photographed at the Vintage Synth Museum

VCME is cut from the same cloth as the original, yet it unlocks a range of compression that is inaccessible in its predecessor: familiar, yet distinctly refined. It’s not for everyone, and… that’s kind of the point.

  • Classic Compression Controls

    Ratio, threshold, makeup gain, sidechain HPF. VCME retains the vari-mu characteristics of Vulf Compressor but in a way that is easier to dial in if you’re used to a classic compressor control-set.

  • Release “Style” Control

    Choose your own release character: opto, FET, or anywhere in between.

  • Soft Clip

    A very special analog soft clipping / saturation section follows the compression stage. Use it to prevent digital overs, add subtle clipping, or apply all-out fuzz and saturation. It has four different modes, each with their own vibe.

    • Chino: Hifi, classic tube sound, notes of Hendrix
    • Rødovre: Round, tube-y, smooth
    • Detroit: Grungy, warm, notes of Jamerson
    • Melbourn: Punchy, British, transformer saturation
  • Sidechain Tilt

    The first of its kind: a completely linear spectral tilt on the sidechain, allowing one to control precisely how the compressor reacts to the frequency spectrum, often eliminating the need for a de-esser or multiband compressor.

  • Extensive Stereo / Surround Linking

    Support for M/S & surround modes.

  • Transparent Frequency Response

    No matter the settings, Vulf Compressor imparts a certain color on everything; here we’ve ensured the frequency spectrum remains completely untouched.

Why are you doing a presale?

In short, we want your feedback before we release it. In addition, we want to reward the people who get in on the ground floor with the best price.

By doing a presale, we’re able to beta test the plugin with the people who will actually end up using it and tailor it to their needs & wants before the control-set is locked. In past presales, like DC19 and Tupe, the user feedback took the plugin to a level we never anticipated, and several crucial features were added during the beta process.

What if I already own Vulf Compressor?

The VCME presale is 25% off for owners of any version of Vulf Compressor.