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  • Overview
  • Features
  • Customer Reviews
  • 4.8/5
    (424)
Try it Free

Regular Price: $199.00

$99.00

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4.8/5
(424)

Experience the quirky VCA compression of the vintage hardware.

The dbx 160 Compressor/Limiter plug-in is a fully licensed, faithful emulation of the legendary studio hardware, capturing the quirky sonics of its colorful VCA compression along with added controls for modern workflows.

Included Versions

UAD Native
Runs on your Mac or PC without UA hardware.

Apollo Realtime & UAD‑2
Runs accelerated on Apollo interfaces and UAD‑2 hardware.

UAD Native plug-ins run on both macOS 10.15 Catalina or newer and Windows 10 and 11. Go to our UA Support page for system requirements.

  • Add a unique voice and flavor to your compressor toolkit with the first solid-state VCA compressor ever made
  • Harness fat compression textures on bass guitar, drum buses, synths, and more
  • Give acoustic guitars and snare drums in-your-face “thwack”
  • Create with Dry/Wet mix control for quick parallel compression and Sidechain Filter for reduced low-frequency pumping

Want to Try It?

Use this plug-in free for 14 days and find out if it's right for you.

Try it free

TAKE A LISTEN

Add Versatile VCA Compression to your Tracks

Add Versatile VCA Compression to your Tracks

Whether you’re using it on synths, bass guitar, or a drum bus, the dbx 160 plug-in emulates the original hardware’s grabby, low-end glue and old-school character, full of the same unique nonlinearities that make it a must-have for any engineer’s compressor toolkit.

Simple to Use, Timeless Character

Simple to Use, Timeless Character

With the same simple control set and at-a-glance metering of the original, the dbx 160 plug-in makes it easy to crush a parallel drum bus, or inject subtle fatness. It can also add aggressiveness and impact to everything from guitar power chords to a hip-hop vocal.

Leveled Up for Modern Workflows

Leveled Up for Modern Workflows

Along with graphic enhancements and improved VU metering, the dbx 160 plug‑in’s Dry/Wet Mix control lets you easily punch up a drum bus with parallel compression, while the added Sidechain Filter lets you keep the low end tight, enhancing the compressor's impact.

5-Minute UAD Tip
5-Minute UAD Tip

5-Minute UAD Tip

In this video, learn how to add parallel compression to drums, even out a bass performance, and bring presence to acoustic guitars with the dbx 160 Compressor/Limiter.

Key Features

Add a unique voice and flavor to your compressor toolkit with the first solid-state VCA compressor ever made

Harness fat compression textures on bass guitar, drum buses, synths, and more

Give acoustic guitars and snare drums in-your-face “thwack”

Create with Dry/Wet mix control for quick parallel compression and Sidechain Filter for reduced low-frequency pumping

Use with any audio interface, no UA hardware required



Customer Reviews

dbx® 160 Compressor / Limiter

Overall Rating

4.8/5
(424)

J. Tillman

December 14, 2023

70’s punch and glue

Love it on bass and kick - really works well for mono drum bus as well. For an old school flavor, you just can’t beat it.

c. izquierdo

December 6, 2023

not expected so good!

I bought because it was in offer and it's one of my first option when I have to dedice between compressors. It's very easy to use and tight compressor for drums, synth bass. Nice one!

K. L

November 24, 2023

Super on Drums!

Awesome compressor, it became my to-go compressor for kick snare and toms!

C. Brown

November 13, 2023

All True

Everything you see in the reviews is true. Easy to use and a little special sauce for you mixes for sure.

C. Miller

October 28, 2023

Nice

Great plugin

T. Poe

October 26, 2023

Drum Compression 101

As others have mentioned, this thing beefs the heck out of drums giving them a “digital punch” that is satisfying in the correct context of a mix. It’s well executed and ideal for bussing applications

D. Arango

October 20, 2023

excelente producto

tiene mucho caracter y da vida a la percusión latina

A. Holbert

October 20, 2023

Need More Punch on Drums?

Well You better buy this plugin and throw it on your drum so they can cut threw the mix!

E. Castro

October 18, 2023

Always in my mixes

Agresive, punchy, easy to use.

F. Antonio

October 18, 2023

Special Comp on Drums and Bass!

This guys delivers SNAP!!!
It has a little bit more Extended low end than my HW but it's actually better for what I use!!!
Great Job UAD!!!

m. cedrick

October 18, 2023

Perfect

Deep on mix bus and more …

J. Berthier

October 17, 2023

smooth and punchy !

Perfect on my synths, gives punch and smooth the 'digitalness'...
Plus the 'mix' potentiometer allows easy parallel compression on bus or master.
Excellent !

A. LISNICHYY

October 16, 2023

Great punch

Gives nice punch for Drums

J. Harris

October 16, 2023

You just gonna want to experience it

Changed my life. Thats all there is to it.

R. Candy

October 15, 2023

Oodles of character

Love this Compressor - bags of mojo

J. Greathouse

October 12, 2023

I use it a lot

The dbx 160 changed my mixes drastically, I definitely would recommend this plugin to anyone in search of Better drums.

m. fritsch

October 10, 2023

dbx® 160 Compressor / Limiter

Great addition to my plug-in collection.

C. YEŞİLYURT

October 10, 2023

NİCE

SUB MİX VOX SUB MİX PERCUS SUB MİX SUCCESSFUL

H. Cruz

October 9, 2023

Very, Very Smooth Compressor!

This is a very, very smooth compressor for drums and bass. I'll admit that I'm NOT an audio engineer by any means, just a hobbyst. If you are into recording and mixing audio this baby needs be in your list

P. Toth

October 9, 2023

cant avoid to have it

kicks, snares and bass guitars - it is really that sound. also it is suprisingly nice as a buss compressor, especially with the dry/wet mix feature