KH-COMP1

Original Levelling Amplifier

KH-COMP1 Frontplate
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Manual Download

KH-COMP1 Manual

Supported formats

AAX plugin support VST plugin supprt Audio Unit plugin support

Supported platforms (32/64 bit)

Requirements

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (MAC)

  • Intel Core CPU or Apple SIlicon M1/M2 Processor
  • 1GB of RAM
  • Mac OSX 10.9 or newer (M1/M2 supported)
  • VST, AU or AAX compatible host (64bit)
  • Display resolution of 1280x1024 pixels or more

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (WINDOWS)

  • SSE2 compatible processor (Intel Core CPU recommended)
  • 1GB of RAM
  • Windows 7 or newer
  • VST or AAX compatible host
  • Display resolution of 1280x1024 pixels or more
 

Overview

Creativity and innovation have long been restrained by a set of rules on how music is to be created and how tools are intended to be used. A new generation of mix artists is here to challenge those archaic concepts that rely on the limits of 50-year-old studio gear, while still making use of our beloved vintage classics. The time has come to push the limits of sound and unleash your creativity!

When we first started working with the multi-platinum, award-winning mix engineer, producer and sound enthusiast Koen Heldens on our plugin series, we had no doubt that we were going to produce some extraordinary tools.

Koen Heldens Signature Compressor
Studio Compressor
Levelling Amplifier
Audio plug-in

Koen is the expert when it comes to producing some of the best and most streamed albums in the hip-hop genre - and while his experience and understanding of music allow him to create and shape the emotional foundation of a song, he also has a deep knowledge of the technical aspects and limitations of each plugin and DAW he holds in his arsenal.

His go-to tools were missing some fine-tuning, so he was in need of a very specific, bespoke compressor solution, that was like no other on the market today. His ideas of process timing, channel linking and sidechain filtering have really pushed the team to come up with an entirely new tool.

The result of countless development hours and listening sessions is a one-of-a-kind, beast of a compressor, that is up to the standards of one of the greatest producers of the moment, and that includes the best levelling amplifier that Black Rooster Audio has developed to date.

Sound Samples

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Features

4 Detector modes - Hilbert/Peak/Vintage/RMS

The KH-COMP1 Compressor offers incredible versatility for shaping the envelope that drives this unit - for broad or precise capturing of the sidechain level. The 4 detector modes allow for the most flexibility with time parameters and precise threshold control. The Hilbert detector is a 90-degree phase shifter, that will show the signal’s exact envelope, without any distortion or overshoots. Forget about true peak, this is the real deal!

Invertible SC Filter

The sidechain signal can be trimmed perfectly using the 2-band invertible filter. Both the low and high ends can be processed according to your needs, which will allow for more control with ducking, pumping effects and de-essing. With inverting the filter, you are able to surgically cut out the mids. With the “listen” option, you can double-check your SC filter settings, before it will be handled by the envelope detector.

Blended Stereo-Link

Blending dual mono to stereo is very helpful when you need detailed control over the relation between the stereo channels and their processing.

Knee Parameter

The knee parameter smoothes out the compression effect beautifully, for a seamless result. If you’re aiming for a harsher effect, just let your signal brush over the hard edge.

SSE2 optimized code

DSP operations are pipelined using the SSE2 instruction set. This ensures a high-performance operation despite its very complex computations.

Zero Latency

The KH-COMP1 is a zero-latency compressor that does not require sample delay compensation, making it ideal for real-time monitoring or live environments.

HighDPI/Retina Support

The user interfaces support high pixel density on both Windows and Mac OS systems, giving you the most enjoyable user experience on high DPI displays. Please refer to your DAW manual to learn whether it is HighDPI compatible if you're working on Windows.

About the KOEN HELDENS Signature Series:

The collaboration between Black Rooster Audio and Koen Heldens began with a genuine artist endorsement and has evolved into a great creative partnership. We have maintained a close dialogue over the last 2 years, exchanging technical and artistic knowledge. This dialogue ultimately turned creating original software together into a very inspiring symbiosis. Koen is one of the most knowledgeable and hard-working engineers in the business and has produced music with world-renowned artists, shaping their sound in his very unique style at every opportunity. We are pleased and proud to have Koen use our plugins extensively in every mix and to create his Signature Series.

The series begins with the very unique and versatile KH-COMP1 studio compressor (AAX/VST/AU) and will be followed by three additional units, all designed by Black Rooster Audio in collaboration with Koen Heldens.

Examples & Videos

Customer Reviews

5
by Claudio Gurgel (2024-08-30)

KH comp

"This compressor is committed to sound clarity. The four attack modes are genuine options for a new generation of compressors."

5
by Matthew Fritz (2024-08-28)

Mixing Engineer / Novice Composer

"This is my "secret sauce" compressor for both drums, strings, and sometimes even vocals. The threshold is easy to set, the make-up gain is quite smooth, the transients come through beautifully, the HPF and LPF work like a charm, and even the compression itself is incredibly pleasant. This thing both tames transients and increases their overall punch at the same time. I wouldn't be where I am now without it."

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Industry Reviews

Koen Heldens

Koen Heldens

Producer/Mixer/Engineer Beyoncé, Rihanna, J.Lo, Timbaland mixedbykoenheldens.com

"I love how smooth and versatile the KH-COMP1 compressor is without breaking up the sound."

EJ Recourt

EJ Recourt

Producer/Mixer/Engineer

"Finally tried the Hilbert detector on drum bus, wasn't sure what to expect. I have to say I was pretty surprised when the KH-COMP1 beat every single bus compressor I threw at some drum in a bus shoot out. The way this can bring the kick and snare forward is crazy. Quick little kick drum flutter beats were easily defined through a dense mix. All the other comps struggled here. Why hasn't anyone made a compressor with this type of detector before? It seems superior for many purposes."