PULSAR SMASHER

Pulsar Digital are relatively new plugin developers but with a lot of experience – their team having previously programmed plugins for Arturia and Slate Digital. They have three plugins: Mu, Echorec and Smasher, and it’s the latter 1176-type compressor that we have here for free!

Generally speaking, compressors can be used to tame audio subtly – as you might do in mastering – or used as an effect to add punch and grit. As you might expect from the name, Pulsar Smasher definitely falls into the latter camp. It is essentially emulating the ‘all-buttonsin’ effect first experienced on the classic hardware UREI 1176 compressor. Also known as ‘the four-button trick’ or ‘British Mode’ this effect was discovered when pressing all of the hardware’s Ratio buttons in at the same time. The resulting sound is aggressive and, like we say, not subtle. Engineers like using it especially on drums