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  • Overview
  • Features
  • Customer Reviews
  • 4.8/5
    (424)
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Regular Price: $199.00

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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)

V. German

October 5, 2023

Incredible drum compressor!

Clear attacks, energy, power! Very good compressor, recommended!

V. German

October 5, 2023

Incredible drum compressor!

Clear attacks, energy, power! Very good compressor, recommended!

M. Schulz

October 5, 2023

Fantastic compressor

This is an excellent emulation which I really love to parallel compress

M. Krizaj

October 4, 2023

dbx® 160 Compressor / Limiter

Workhorse for all: Vocal, bass, drums, guitar, ....ect!

Y. Fujiwara

October 3, 2023

シンプルな操作

シンプルな操作でパンチの効いた音になります。加減は必要なので、全体のバランスの中で存在感出したいところに、縦粒そろえるような使い方かと思いました。

S. Rath

October 3, 2023

A piece of gear, I won't miss

The UAD Tuesday sales lured me to enlarge my tool-park. And folks, I didn't know, what I was missing. I'm actually mixing a funky poppy song. The DBX 160 was the secret sauce to get exactly this kind of bumping bass tone, I had in mind. It's so simple to play with the three knobs and just use your ears. No fancy graphics, no distraction, just listen. After that, I tried it on some tracks of strummed acoustic guitar. It's so easy to either push the track into the background or in contrary carve it out to a into-your-face-style sound. Both is possible and easy to achieve. So I went on and tried it on some fingerstyle guitar playing. What before sounded weak and kind of inconsistant, sounds glued together, clear and full. I love it. This will be a new go-to tool in my mixing.

F. Godoy

October 2, 2023

I love it, it's excellent

It really is a very good plugin, take advantage of the offer, thanks UAD, keep it up guys!!!

H. Yamamoto

October 2, 2023

Good compressor

Good compressor. When you want a solid effect.

J. Newman

October 2, 2023

Drums will come to life!

I have experienced many examples of the excellent, world famous DBX 160 on drums in my studio. The simple and fast hardware emulation works it’s magic and adds the compression sound that supports early 90’s snare and kick. I’m able to sculpt the transients and construct attack around anything I use it in; and it’s very useful. I’d suggest anyone to try the free trial and see what it can do for you !

J. Young

October 2, 2023

Great drum compressor!

This is a great compressor for drums! Basically put it on and and drive it for light or hard compression and it sounds amazing!

A. Vroomams

October 2, 2023

The best DBX 160 emulation there is

This works amazing on anything drums. But it is also a go-to for bass guitar. It makes your mix sound smoother, more together and really professional.

J. Branam

October 2, 2023

love it

has it's own quirky characteristic. works really well on kick and snare with a pultech eq taggin' along.

T. Spott

October 2, 2023

Angenehm überrascht

Stellte gestern dbx 160 erstmalig in eine Snare-Drum-Spur und hatte ohne weitere Einflussnahme auf die Parameter sofort einen überraschend guten Effekt damit erzielt. Während viele Kompressoren einer langwierigen Steuerung bedürfen, um damit hörbare Verbesserungen herbeiführen zu können, bekam ich schon durch das Switch-On ein wirklich annehmbares Ergebnis.

T. Spott

October 2, 2023

Angenehm überrascht

Stellte gestern dbx 160 erstmalig in eine Snare-Drum-Spur und hatte ohne weitere Einflussnahme auf die Parameter sofort einen überraschend guten Effekt damit erzielt. Während viele Kompressoren einer langwierigen Steuerung bedürfen, um damit hörbare Verbesserungen herbeiführen zu können, bekam ich schon durch das Switch-On ein wirklich annehmbares Ergebnis.

M. Eriksson

October 2, 2023

Five stars

A must have comp!

O. Barnes

October 1, 2023

amazing like the hardware

the dbx snap is definitely evident in this plugin

M. Enomoto

October 1, 2023

Good for Bass and Kick

My low sounds toned up!

C. Duru

October 1, 2023

Dbc160

Could use a bit more grit

R. Pazmino

October 1, 2023

Amazing plugin

One Of The best dbx160 emulations

M. Rafael

October 1, 2023

160 reasons why you should get the DBX 160 Compressor Limiter

Reason NO. 160 - Tight Low End, Huge Punch!

On the kick this SLAPS like the meme "How can she slap?" It tightens up the low end and adds a nice punch (like the bald guy with the red cloak), but I digress... If you are on the fence about getting this plugin, jump off and take a chance! I would highly recommend this. Once again, switching to UAD has vastly improved my mixes. something about this company just adds to that pro sound.