dbx® 160 Compressor / Limiter
Price history
- On sale
- 75 of the last 90 days
- Lowest in 90 days
- $29.99
- Highest in 90 days
- $149.00
About this plugin
Waves' emulation of the dbx 160 captures the essence of a VCA compressor that fundamentally shaped how engineers approach drum and bass processing. The original hardware's defining characteristic was its exceptionally fast attack time paired with transparent gain reduction, a combination that allowed aggressive compression without the typical artifacts that plagued earlier designs. This plugin maintains that sonic signature while adding practical refinements for modern workflows.
The 160 excels at imparting punch and presence to drums, whether applied subtly for cohesion or slammed for obvious pumping effects. Its muscular character also translates exceptionally well to bass guitar and synth sources, thickening tone without introducing coloration. The straightforward control set - threshold, ratio, attack, release, and makeup gain - makes dialing in results intuitive, though users benefit from understanding the fast default attack behavior that defines the unit's personality.
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Waves' implementation adds genuine utility through its parallel compression blend control, sidechain high-pass filter, and flexible routing options including linked stereo, dual mono, and mid-side modes. The filter proves particularly valuable when compressing kick drums or bass, preventing low-frequency energy from triggering unnecessary gain reduction.
For drummers printing to tape-style compression, producers seeking vintage punch without resorting to saturation plugins, and engineers mixing hip-hop or rock music, the 160 remains a foundational tool. It occupies a distinct sonic territory compared to modern VCA designs - less pristine than an SSL, more aggressive than an 1176. The plugin's strength lies in its willingness to color sources when pushed, making it equally effective as a character processor as it is a dynamic control tool.