Psycho Circuitry’s new miniVCA compressor is now free to download at the company’s website with support for MacOS and Windows.
What’s even more impressive is that it’s free with no strings attached – no email signup, nag screens, or anything other than a great free plugin.
miniVCA is a peak-based VCA-style comp with three feed-forward VCA action modes. The plugin has Psycho Circuitry’s new harmonics multipliers and saturation system, oversampling (up to a rate of x16), and a newly designed switchable transformer output stage.
It’s worth noting that miniVCA is the freeware little brother of the more fully featured MiniVCA+ plugin, which is available for $15 as an introductory price, down from a regular price of $25.
The free version has one transformer type (modern) and one harmonics mode (natural), while the paid version has two transformer types and three harmonics modes.
The MiniVCA+ harmonics modes are Natural, Crispy, and Fuzzy, with the section being able to go from subtle to extreme, while the transformer modes are Modern and Vintage.
The paid version also offers additional features: external sidechain, variable sidechain filter, auto-release, and dual mono-channel mode.
The MiniVCA+’s new channel mode can force mono operation or be set for dual mono operation.
Besides the differences listed above, both versions offer the same easy-to-use functionality.
Both versions of the miniVCA offer the following support: Windows 10/11 (x64) & MacOS BigSur+.
Note that Psycho Circuitry is currently in the process of gaining an Apple Developer ID, so running the software on MacOS currently has to be done manually.
Psycho Circuitry is a one-man operation by Jon (no last name provided), and he’s quite passionate about free plugins without restrictions or strings attached.
Jon is also quite passionate about compression, as the other plugins currently offered by Psycho Circuitry are both comps as well.
In addition to the MiniVCA, Psycho Circuitry offers the following two free plugins: The RLC-79 and QX-COMP.
The RLC-79 is based around an “iconic RMS Limiter/Compressor introduced in 1979” and is a program dependant-like “true RMS” comp designed with a no-frills, easy-to-use interface.
The QX-Comp is a compressor and two-band dynamic EQ. The gain reduction from one of the bands can be inverted and blended into the other band, adding dynamics while also maintaining balanced loudness.
Download: miniVCA (FREE)
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2 Comments
alex
onThx! Very nice plugins.
Psycho Circuitry
onUpdated to 1.1
Fixes an issue with short noise burst on load or engaging the transformer in some situations.
ALSO, new FAST release button, multiplies the release by x0.1