MeldaProduction’s MCompressor is a free compressor in which you can freely shape the compression curve. It also has upsampling (oversampling) settings.
A compressor holds down sounds that are too loud and evens out differences in volume. For vocals it keeps the level stable and easy to hear, and it can also add punch to a sound.
In this article we compare MCompressor with 16 compressor plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.
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Score 2.3 / 5 (average of the 16 products compared: 3.2)
- Price
- Free
- Specs last checked
- 2026/09/25
- Compression character
- Draw your own curve
- Speed
- Standard
- Mix applications
- M/S
- Price (store, date)
- Not listed
Summary
Among the 16 compressor plug-ins, MCompressor is rank C. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and C is the lowest. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 2.3.
Things to keep in mind
- Compression character (2 points): the character of the compression is mostly fixed, so the range of choices is narrow.
- Speed (2 points): you have to set the values yourself.
Who it suits: people who want to try, for free, a compressor where you can even build the compression curve yourself.
Main features of MCompressor
A free compressor where you can freely build the curve
MCompressor is a compressor included in MeldaProduction’s free plug-in collection (MFreeFXBundle). Its distinguishing feature is that you can draw the “compression curve”, the shape that says how much a given input level is reduced, so you can make unusual effects as well as ordinary compression.
Separate processing of the center and the sides
It supports Mid/Side, which separates the center sound from the sound spreading to the sides, a mode that processes left and right separately, and surround. You can compress only the center vocal, for example.
Level matching, and upsampling to reduce distortion
It has a function that automatically matches the level before and after processing, which prevents the mistake of thinking something sounds better just because it got louder. It also has upsampling (1x to 1024x), which processes finely inside to reduce distortion noise, and a safety limiter that keeps the output from going over 0 dB.
Where it is useful
- Evening out the volume of a vocal without spending money
- Drawing the compression curve to learn how a compressor works by sight
Rating by criterion
Compression character: 2 / 5
We check whether you can choose the character of the compression, from transparent and natural to colored and vintage-style.
It has one kind of compression, but you can freely shape the compression curve.
If “compression character” matters most to you, Pro-C 3 and DC8C (5 points) are a better fit.
Speed: 2 / 5
We check whether it has features that get you to a good setting quickly, such as automatic settings and easy presets.
It has standard controls.
If “speed” matters most to you, smart:comp 3 (5 points) is a better fit.
Mix applications: 3 / 5
We check whether it supports mix applications such as reacting to another sound (sidechain) and mixing with the original sound (parallel).
The official feature list includes M/S (separate processing of the center and the sides).
How we score (Compressor plug-ins)
| Criterion | Basis | 5 pt | 4 pt | 3 pt | 2 pt | 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compression character | Whether you can choose the character of the compression to suit the material and your taste | Many compression styles and coloration to choose from, plus fine controls such as look-ahead | Several styles plus either coloration or spectral processing | Either several styles or a recreation of vintage hardware | One type, but with coloration or compression-curve adjustment | One type |
| Speed | How quickly you can reach a good setting | AI analyzes the sound and suggests settings | Several automatic aids, such as auto gain and auto release | Few knobs; almost everything is set with one | Standard controls | — |
| Mix applications | Uses such as sidechain, parallel and M/S | External sidechain, sidechain EQ, and M/S or parallel are all included | External sidechain plus either parallel or M/S | One of external sidechain, M/S or parallel | — | Not mentioned on the official page |
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: evening out the volume of a vocal and blending it into the backing track. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Compression character" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.
MCompressor screens and images
MCompressor system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows (64-bit) / Mac (64-bit) |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Other | Can be activated without a USB dongle or an internet connection (license-file method) |
| Free version | Free (included in MFreeFXBundle) |
| OBS (streaming) | Works as it is (VST2 is listed) |
Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.
Compared with other compressor plug-ins
Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.
| Product | RankAvg. score | Compression character | Speed | Mix applications | Free | OBS (streaming) | Price (store, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FabFilterPro-C 3 | S 4.8 | 14 styles + coloration | Automatic aids | Sidechain, SC EQ, M/S | — | ○ | $199 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| soniblesmart:comp 3 | S 4.5 | 3 styles + Custom + spectral | AI suggestions | Sidechain, SC EQ, M/S | — | ○ | $129 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| Native InstrumentsVintage Compressors | A 3.5 | 3 vintage models | Standard | Sidechain + parallel | — | ○ | $99 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Native InstrumentsSupercharger | C 2.5 | 1 coloration | Almost one knob | External sidechain | Free | ○ | Not listed |
| MeldaProductionMCompressor | C 2.3 | Draw your own curve | Standard | M/S | Free | ○ | Not listed |
| KlanghelmDC8C | S 4.8 | Many styles + coloration | Automatic aids | Sidechain, SC EQ, parallel | — | ○ | ≈$25.78 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| KlanghelmMJUC | B 3.3 | 3 models + coloration | Standard | Parallel | — | ○ | ≈$26.90 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| KlanghelmDC1A | C 2.5 | 1 type + switches | Two knobs | Parallel | Free | ○ | Not listed |
| Universal Audio1176 Classic Limiter Collection | B 3.3 | 3 vintage models + coloration | Standard | Parallel | — | × (VST3 only) | $29 (sale; regular $199) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| Universal AudioLA-2A Leveler Collection | B 2.8 | 3 vintage models | Standard | Not listed | — | × (VST3 only) | $39 (sale; regular $149) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| WavesCLA-76 | B 3.3 | 2 models + coloration | Standard | Parallel | — | △ (via Waves StudioRack) | $34.99 (sale; regular $149) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| Tokyo Dawn RecordsTDR Kotelnikov | C 2.3 | 1 type + separate peak/RMS release | Standard | Parallel | Free | ○ | Not listed |
| CytomicThe Glue | B 3.0 | SSL bus compressor recreation | Standard | External SC + parallel | — | ○ | $99 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| SoftubeCL 1B mk II | B 3.3 | Mk I/Mk II switch + optical | Standard | Parallel | — | ○ | ≈$223.06 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| WavesCLA-2A | B 2.8 | LA-2A recreation | Standard | Parallel | — | △ (via Waves StudioRack) | Not listed |
| Solid State LogicSSL Native Bus Compressor 2 | B 3.0 | SSL bus compressor recreation | Standard | External SC + parallel | — | ○ | $99 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
Features checked on each manufacturer's official website on September 25, 2026. Check the store page behind the buy button for the price.
Read next
- Supercharger: features and rating (rank C)
- DC1A: features and rating (rank C)
- Pro-C 3: features and rating (rank S)
- smart:comp 3: features and rating (rank S)
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