API® 2500 Bus Compressor
-
An obsessively accurate emulation of API’s flagship compressor.
The API 2500 Bus Compressor is a permanent fixture on the stereo bus of many of the world's top engineers and producers. Considered the best of the Paul Wolff-era API circuit designs, this famed compressor adds energy, movement, and tone to stereo mixes and subgroups unlike any other compressor.
The API 2500 Bus Compressor plug-in for UAD-2 hardware and Apollo interfaces is a spot-on emulation of this classic compressor, capturing its all-discrete signal path with Thrust® circuitry — and features a fanatically detailed modeling of API's custom transformers and 2510 and 2520 op amps.Now You Can:
Glue together your stereo mixes and subgroups with the world’s finest circuit emulation of the iconic API 2500 compressor
Select between "Old” and "New” compression, with feedback or feed-forward sounds
Sharpen your workflow with plug‑in‑only Mix and Headroom controls
Punch up low frequencies with API's patented Thrust technology
Contour your mix's stereo interaction with percent-based L/R Link controls
Mix with artist presets from Jeff Balding (Faith Hill), Vance Powell (Jack White), Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and more
TAKE A LISTEN
API 2500 5-Minute Tip
Learn how to use the API 2500 on drums, bass, guitars, and your entire mix.
The Only End-to-End API 2500 Emulation
Poring over proprietary "for-your-eyes-only" schematics made available to Universal Audio by API, our team of DSP experts analyzed two classic API 2500s — rackmount and in-console — ensuring one of UA's tightest behavioral circuit models to date. Working together with API's engineers, we scrutinized every facet of the plug-in against its analog counterpart, delivering the definitive representation of this iconic compressor. Early beta testing with UA artists confirmed that the plug-in ranks among the most accurate analog emulations in UA history.
Built for the 2-Bus
API designed the 2500 compressor with program material firmly in mind. Its Release control includes fixed or variable options, while the Attack, Threshold, and Ratio controls offer musical tweaking throughout their range, making the API 2500 a toneful dynamics overlord for your stereo bus.
Shaping Tone and Dynamics
The API 2500 allows selection between three custom-voiced compression Knees — Soft, Medium, and Hard. You can shape the tone further with two compression types; "Old" for characterful peak-detection harkening back to API's earliest, highly-coveted 525, or "New", which features a modern feed-forward design.
Thrust Control for Unmatched Punch
Taken from their Paragon series of consoles, the API 2500’s Thrust feature puts a filter before the RMS detector, evening high and low frequency energy — so neither triggers the compressor more than the other. This gives you a tight hallmark API punch beyond any other compressor.
Enhance Energy and Motion
Most compressors only allow you to turn left/right linking on or off. The API 2500 Bus Compressor Link parameters allow for precision control of your mix's L/R dynamic interaction. Set exactly how much dependence — or independence — you want your L/R spatial dynamics field to have, and hone your dynamic contours even further with the Shape control.
“The API 2500 Bus Compressor is the only piece of analog gear that’s stayed consistent with me through the years. Now with the UAD plug-in there is finally a worthy model.”
– Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs)
“The API 2500 is my all-time favorite drum bus compressor. The Punch and sound is unmatched by any other in it's class. This is a must have in any studio.”
– Grieves
“The API 2500 plug‑in has all the same character and punch as the original hardware.”
– Adam Hawkins (Twenty One Pilots, Switchfoot, Keith Urban)Watch The Reviews
Customer Reviews
r. lewis
May 18, 2022
Favourite 2500 plugin version
The api 2500 is one of my favourite bus compressors, excellent for shaping, making drums especially punchy and bringing out the room tone in creative ways, I’ve tried a few different...
Read MoreR. Tolbert
May 16, 2022
More versatile than you think.
My favorite thing to use the 2500 on is BGV's. There is just something about it.
Read MoreH. Holzheu
May 16, 2022
API, Great Sound
It works great, on all busses and instruments, that‘s what I missed.
Read MoreV. German
May 15, 2022
The best compressor for the master bus
Unprecedented sound quality. Flexible compression adjustment and response to each channel separately. Very precise operation of...
Read More -
Key Features
Painstakingly modeled by Universal Audio's plugin design team, licensed and authenticated by Automated Processes, Inc.,
Beloved Paul Wolff-era API design, exclusively measured from the all-discrete, in-console version of the 2500
Provides the entire circuit path and control set of the API hardware including custom API op amps and transformers
Signature API 2500 features include patented Thrust® sidechain filtering, "New" and "Old" Compressor Types, and Variable Sidechain Link
Plug-in-only features include Dry/Wet parallel processing and Headroom for user-customizable operating level
Includes artist presets from Vance Powell, Jeff Balding, Ryan Hewitt and Adam Hawkins
-
Customer Reviews
API 2500 Bus Compressor
D. Faggiolino
API 2500
Bus Compressor at its best!
r. lewis
Favourite 2500 plugin version
The api 2500 is one of my favourite bus compressors, excellent for shaping, making drums especially punchy and bringing out the room tone in creative ways, I’ve tried a few different plugin versions, waves, sk note (which I love), Softube American class a (which is excellent but limited controls in console 1).
Uad version is my favourite yet, doesn’t quite capture the sense of space for whatever sound you send it like the hardware, but it’s close, also like the tone of the hardware slightly more, but the compressor action is superb. Find the dsp hit to be reasonable, overall happy with my purchase.K. Dobracki
Perfect bus compressor
It is a must in every studio!
R. Tolbert
More versatile than you think.
My favorite thing to use the 2500 on is BGV's. There is just something about it.
H. Holzheu
API, Great Sound
It works great, on all busses and instruments, that‘s what I missed.
V. German
The best compressor for the master bus
Unprecedented sound quality. Flexible compression adjustment and response to each channel separately. Very precise operation of the compressor. Thrust detector above all praise.
Won on the Neve 33609 bus master.j. viggins
2500 buss compressor
I thought waves had a good one until I got uad. Man there is a big difference in them. Uad has better quality and punch. Keep up the great work. 2022
J. Davis
Best bus compressor ever
I’m putting it on everything now, it’s so good.
B. Kotsanis
API 2500
Its like a huge punch on my master bus!
R. Matias
Studio standard
Absolutely essential for every mix
a. gyutae
Crazy Bus Comp
I love it
H. Sharif
Love It!
API 2500 sounds can produce a very smooth sound sticking your grooves together! However, keep in mind how important it is to make sure that your recording is clean and done right for best results. It also helps to really understand how to work the compressor and not just slap it on and hope for a miracle! Happy compressing! :)
M. Johnstone
Top class
This is far best buss I have ever used
A. Tyler
Another awesome "is it hardware or software" mystery from UAD
I work with the real deal API 2500 analog rack mount often and like others have said here this UAD plugin version is very very close. I have also owned other plugin versions by different brands and the UAD version is by far the best. The analog hardware may be slightly more open in the top end and warmer in the low mids but both sound wide, punchy and huge.
J. Gang
Great Sound!
Great Sound! Mixbus or Mastering, also Tracks. Very musical sound. Love it!
A. Viola
I was skeptical too..
but having bought the 2500+ in hardware.. well, it is very hard for me to tell the difference between the two. The hw might have a bit more of depth (a hair) in the low end, and the transients and hi-mid are also A LITTLE BIT clearer.. but the plug in is stunning, the difference is not ten times the price. I am thinking in returning the hardware and find a more unique tool because the plug in is so close, it behaves practically the same.
R. Priori
I was skeptical...
Since the 2500 is such an incedibile tool, I was really skeptical about this emulation so... I asked a friend to bring the hardware in my studio and we did a blind test with different settings. This plug-in is so close I had to buy It immediately. it's great, period.
J. Morrison
Versatile
Use this on anything, track’s, groups, mixbus & mastering, awesome!
UAD User
Meaty!!!
I put this on my percussion bus and the section just sing! You can hear the effect of the compression in action, but that's not a bad thing in the case of this plugin as the compression is incredibly musical. I'm lucky enough to have used a real API 2500 Bus Compressor and this plugin sounds just like it. Brilliant!
S. Eaton
Produces expected results, which is a good thing!
Can be a little "thick" in the low mids like the hardware so you need to be careful if your mixes often suffer from low-mid build up, but overall it's very good and probably the best emulation out there. The only thing more 2500 than this is the actual hardware. I like the fact UA have now started including functions that aren't on the hardware too like mix controls etc.
