Focusrite d3
We should start here, I think if Avid did with d3 what they did with the old Joe Meek plug-ins and redesigned them into the current 304 suite, more people would probably use them. No matter how dated the UI may look, if you give it a try you’ll find a very powerful compressor/limiter modeled on the Focusrite d3 hardware originally designed by Rupert Neve himself.
I haven’t used it in a long time, but when I do, it’s usually because I like the autorelease option, which is relatively uncommon in plugins. After years of using hardware plotters for live shows, I’ve never had a problem using the automatic function if it’s there and this one works great.
While using it, I found that it got the job done with ease. The two versions of Compressor/Limiter and Compressor + Limiter reflect its heritage as a TDM plug-in in an era when DSP was not wasted, while the “+” version allows the use of a compressor and limiter at the same time. Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about running the native version. One thing I really like is that, like a good live compressor, the gain reduction meter remains active when the compressor is disengaged, allowing you to dial in the settings with some visual guidance and then put them into the circuit, so the sound Almost dialed in.
