Plugin Alliance and Mixland have recently launched Vac Attack, an optical limiter plugin compatible with both Mac and Windows. This plugin is designed to control the dynamics of individual tracks and groups, introducing a harmonically-rich warmth and character to various elements of a mix.
Vac Attack is an analog-modeled optical limiter plugin, featuring a vacuum tube saturation circuit that adds a unique warmth and character to vocals, drums, basses, and your stereo bus. This plugin is based on a highly sought-after hardware unit that was discontinued in 2020, leading to a significant increase in its value. The development of this plugin was led by Grammy-award-winning mixer Jesse Ray Ernster and coder Eddie Lucciola.
One of the key features of Vac Attack is the Gain Link. This links the value of the Reduction knob to the value of the Gain knob, allowing for level-matched A/B comparisons and a focus on the character changes rather than changes in loudness. The plugin also uses an optical design that emulates a light source and a light-dependent resistor, resulting in a natural-sounding, non-linear gain reduction.
Vac Attack also includes a two-band push EQ with two modes, J and E, for easy tone shaping after compression. The plugin also features a built-in sidechain EQ to avoid unwanted pumping effects, and a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) feature that adds a layer of harmonic richness to your audio. Additionally, the plugin offers detailed stereo control with the option to link or unlink channels.
FEATURES
- Smooth optical compression
- Vacuum tubes that deliver warmth, grit, and character
- Organic non-linear gain reduction
- A Knee that affects attack and release times
- Automatic makeup gain
- Two push EQ modes: J and E
- Three-band sidechain EQ
- Total harmonic distortion
- Left-right channel linking/unlinking
- Up to 16x oversampling
- Artist and user preset libraries
- Scalable user interface
The introductory offer for Vac Attack is currently available at a 40% discount with the coupon code: MVA-INTRO-14999. The expiry date of this offer is currently unknown.
