- Compressors, as we know, reduce the dynamic range of an audio signal. Many software models—particularly those native to a host DAW—will do this in a clean, functional and precise way, acting on the volume level but otherwise leaving the audio signal pretty much unchanged: they sound "digital."
There is a flip-side to compression software, however, with considerable demand for more "outgoing" plug-ins which, rather than working transparently, impart sonic artefacts to a signal and make an audible feature of the gain manipulation taking place. These plug-ins tend to be designed—sonically and visually—to mimic vintage transistor-based compressors, such as the legendary hardware by Urei, Fairchild or Teletronix. Other notable (and free) compressor plug-ins which follow this trend include the excellent Blockfish by digitalfishphones (now sadly discontinued) and SSL's LMC1, modelled after the heavy compression applied to studio talkback on their E-Series desks.
These "character" processors, in both their hard and soft versions, generally include fewer controls than compressors designed for precision. Many have a fixed threshold and/or ratio, so that the amount of gain reduction is controlled simply by increasing the input level. Similarly, controls for response time are often labelled simply "Fast / Slow" or something equally arbitrary. As a result, users are guided by their ears, going by what sounds good instead of taking a more scientific approach to dynamic control. Processors of this type are consequently less precise but much faster and more musical to use.
Back in March of this year, SoundToys—a company with a rich heritage in audio processing technology, whose mission statement is to develop "plug-ins with attitude"—made a new compressor plug-in available for free. Devil-Loc was inspired by, and partially modelled after, a 1968 processor by Shure: the Level-Loc Audio Controller. I've seen the Level-Loc described as both "a cheap, near-useless compressor that sounds terrible" and "a legend…a really funky compressor." Regardless; as a rare piece of '60s hardware which stamps its mark indelibly on audio passing through it, prices for these units have been rising steadily, and SoundToys saw the potential for a software version.
The original Devil-Loc—branded as an "Audio Level Destroyer"—has just two rotary controls: Crush and Crunch. Crush is essentially an input gain control, which correspondingly adjusts the amount of level reduction being applied, while Crunch adjusts the make-up gain, and associated "transistor" distortion. This free promotion has long since expired, but SoundToys have now released for purchase a new version of the software with expanded functionality: Devil-Loc Deluxe. I was provided with both versions of the software for review. The Deluxe model features two additional rotary controls: Darkness and Mix. Darkness is a low-pass filter cut-off, allowing users to shape the tone of the post-Crunch output signal, while Mix is self-explanatory but extremely useful, since it allows an easy method of parallel compression: the facility to combine the dry signal with the processed one, leaving transients untouched while the decay portion of a sound is audibly pumped up. One more extra control is a Fast/Slow release switch, whereby selecting Fast halves the response time. The Attack time is pre-set to a constant 1.3ms.
Devil-Loc Deluxe can be installed in VST, AU, RTAS and AudioSuite versions, and is authorised by use of an iLok key: users without an iLok should be aware of the need to purchase one in addition to the software. This product's emphasis on the gritty and lo-fi extends to its manual, which has been designed to resemble a single roughly-photocopied "data sheet" from the '60s, and provides the bare minimum of information needed to operate the software.
I tested Devil-Loc Deluxe during mixing sessions for a pop-punk band, where its most obvious application was on the drum bus. There was no mistaking the contribution it made—in a word: huge. As mentioned, the Crush control drives the input stage and hence the amount of gain reduction, but an important side-effect of this is that the release time increases the harder the input is driven: up to 22 seconds, according to the manual. Depending on the level being fed into the processor, this can lead to unexpected results. Since the level coming into my drum bus was high—approaching 0db—turning Crush up to 10 produced the maximum release time, which of course sounded much more transparent than setting Crush to 0 (thereby shortening the release). Once I brought down the level being fed into Devil-Loc by 12db (inserting Logic's Gain plug-in in front of the compressor) the behaviour of the Crush control completely changed: setting it to maximum now produced extreme pumping effects. This characteristic may cause some initial confusion—"how come 0 sounds more impressive than 10?!"—but is quickly understood through experimentation.
The behaviour of the Crunch control is similarly linked to the incoming level and also the Crush dial. While, as promised, audio can be well and truly "destroyed" by using a short release and maxing out the Crunch, it's important to note that this plug-in will not take the channel level into the red. Quite the opposite: while my drum bus channel was initially nearing 0db, once Devil-Loc was engaged I could not get the level meters above -5db, although of course the perceived level was very much louder and more energetic.
The exception to this comes via the Mix dial, which makes it very easy to take the channel into the red. This control is easily the most useful of the "deluxe" features: on drums, it allows the transients at the front end of a hit to retain their energy, while the compressor beefs up the decay, adding body. In practice, I often found myself setting the Mix very low, since I was using the processor quite aggressively: even a setting of 1 allowed plenty of the compressed signal to fill out the sound.
While there are a great many compressor plug-ins out there, Devil-Loc Deluxe certainly has a distinct identity and, with its capabilities for distortion and tonal shaping, functions well beyond its stated use as a compressor/limiter. While perhaps most suitable for drum treatments, it can of course be used creatively on a range of material; I also particularly enjoyed its effect on vocals.
Ratings
Cost: 3/5
Sound: 4/5
Versatility: 3/5
Ease of use: 4/5