Thistressor - Distressor-inspired Compressor

Thistressor is a Distressor-inspired compressor plugin with an analog-style signal path and asymmetric diode-like distortion. It’s built for producers, mixers, and sound designers who want punchy, musical compression with character – from subtle glue to full-on "Nuke" style destruction.

CORE CONCEPT

Thistressor combines three main building blocks:

1) Flexible Compression Section
Classic ratio/threshold/attack/release controls with musical behavior.
2) Intelligent Sidechain & Detector
Shape how the compressor “listens” to the signal (RMS, Peak, Combined).
3) Analog-Style Asymmetric Distortion
Diode-based saturation before and after compression for added color.

HOW THE AUDIO PATH WORKS

Internally, Thistressor runs clean parallel compression with a dedicated sidechain path:

- Dry path
• Input signal goes straight to the output mixer.
• Stays completely clean (no distortion, no filtering).
• Used for the Dry/Wet Mix control.

- Wet path
1. Input Gain Compensation
- At higher ratios, the plugin automatically reduces input level to avoid slamming the compressor too hard.
- This keeps the behavior musical even with aggressive settings.

2. Pre-Distortion (30% blend)
- A subtle amount of asymmetric diode distortion is blended into the signal before compression.
- Adds harmonic richness and “analog” feel without destroying dynamics.

3. Compression (Sidechain-Controlled)
- Compression is driven by a filtered sidechain (see next section).
- Gain reduction is computed per channel, with a smooth envelope (attack + release) and optional Auto Release.

4. Post-Distortion (ratio-dependent)
- After compression, a stronger dose of distortion is applied.
- The amount scales with the compression ratio – higher ratios = more post-distortion (up to 70% blend).
- This mimics how a Distressor “grabs” and saturates more when you push it.

5. Mix & Output Stage
- Clean Dry signal and processed Wet signal are blended using the Mix control (0–100%).
- Final Output Gain lets you match or boost the resulting level.
- A safety limiter clamps the signal to ±1.0 to prevent digital clipping.

SIDECHAIN & DETECTOR – WHY IT FEELS MUSICAL

Thistressor has its own internal sidechain path, separate from what you hear:

1) Input → Input Gain → Sidechain Filters
- A copy of the input (after input gain compensation) feeds a dedicated sidechain buffer.
- This path never sees distortion – it stays clean for accurate level detection.

2) Filter Chain (Distressor-style)
- 2nd-order Butterworth High-Pass Filter (HPF)
• Frequency: 20–500 Hz
• Purpose: Stop low-end from over-triggering the compressor (reduces pumping).
- HF Emphasis Shelf Filter (around 2 kHz)
• Adds sensitivity to high frequencies so sibilance, presence, and attack transient can drive compression more.
• Controlled by the HF Emphasis knob (0–12 dB).
- Mid-Focus Peak EQ (800 Hz)
• Subtle 800 Hz peak, reproducing a core Distressor-like mid focus.

3) Detector Modes
The filtered sidechain then feeds the level detector. You can choose between:

- RMS – Musical, averaged level. Great for vocals, bass, mix bus.
- Peak – Fast, transient-sensitive. Great for drums, percussion, limiting.
- Combined – Blends RMS and Peak depending on the ratio (more peak at high ratios).

This makes high-ratio settings more aggressive while keeping low ratios smooth.

4) Soft Knee & Gain Computer
- Uses a cubic soft knee function (matching the FAUST design) to make the transition around threshold smooth.
- The more the signal climbs above threshold, the more gain reduction is applied, based on the current ratio and modes.

5) Envelope & Auto Release
- Attack and Release times are converted to proper exponential smoothing coefficients (sample-rate aware).
- Auto Release dynamically shortens or lengthens the release depending on the signal and detected peaks, giving a very “set and forget” feel.

DISTORTION ENGINE – ASYMMETRIC DIODE MODELING

Thistressor includes a custom asymmetric diode-based distortion:

- Asymmetric Clipping
• Positive and negative halves of the waveform are treated differently.
• Positive half: smooth, rounded top.
• Negative half: more complex shape.
• This asymmetry produces rich, analog-like harmonics.

- Drive, Saturation, Asymmetry Controls
• Drive – How hard the signal hits the virtual diodes.
• Saturation – How quickly the curve bends (soft vs hard saturation).
• Asymmetry – How different the positive and negative halves behave.

- Distortion Modes
0. Clean – Bypasses the distortion, pure compression.
1. Warm – Classic, tube-like even harmonics.
2. Aggressive – Boosted drive for more edge and excitement.
3. Hard – Aggressive saturation + extra hard clipping for extreme coloration.

Because distortion is applied both before and after compression (with different blends), you can get:
- Subtle harmonic enhancement, or
- Classic “spank” and grit on drums, or
- Full-on smashed, distorted parallel compression.

SPECIAL MODES – BRIT, NYLON & AUTO RELEASE

Thistressor adds three musical mode switches that shape the dynamics:

- Brit Mode
• Increases the effective ratio by about 30%.
• Feels like a British console/limiter style.
• Great for drums and aggressive mix elements.

- Nylon Mode
• Increases the effective ratio by about 20%, with a softer knee vibe.
• Inspired by the famous “Nuke” style settings – density and glue without harshness.

- Auto Release
• Dynamically shortens release for transient material and lengthens it for sustained signals.
• Easier to dial in than a fixed release when working fast.

These modes directly modify the effective ratio and envelope behavior, giving distinct compression flavors without forcing you into separate algorithms.

DRY/WET PARALLEL COMPRESSION

- Mix Control (0–100%)
• 100% = fully compressed/distorted signal.
• Lower values = parallel compression (blend dry and wet).
• Perfect for modern drum, vocal, and bus workflows.

- Output Gain (-20 dB to +20 dB)
• Compensates for gain reduction.
• Helps you gain-match and make objective comparisons.

FACTORY PRESETS – READY FOR REAL SESSIONS

Thistressor ships with 20 factory presets, designed for real-world use:
- Vocals: Vocal Compression, Rap Vocal, De-Esser
- Drums: Drum Bus Glue, Snare Punch, Kick Drum Control, Room Crush
- Instruments: Bass Tightener, Acoustic Guitar, Piano Glue
- Bus & Master: Mix Bus Master, Broadcast Limiter, Gentle Leveling
- Creative: Parallel Punch, Aggressive Rock, Pumping Effect, Distressor Nuke
- Genres: Smooth Jazz, Vintage Warmth, Clean Transparent

Highlights:
- Presets are protected – you can’t accidentally delete or overwrite them.
- Use them as starting points, tweak to taste, and save your own user presets.
- Category coverage: vocals, drums, bass, guitars, piano, mix bus, mastering, creative FX, and genre-specific chains.

VISUAL FEEDBACK & UI

- Gain Reduction Meter
• Vertical meter with dB readout for real-time gain reduction.
• Helps you visually understand how hard you’re hitting the compressor.

- Two-Column Layout
• Left: Compression, Sidechain/Detector, Distortion.
• Right: Output & Mix + Gain Reduction meter.

- Helpful Tooltips
• Every control has a tooltip explaining: what it does, how it affects the sound, and typical ranges.
• Great for learning compression & saturation concepts while you work.

USE CASES

Thistressor is ideal for:
- Vocals – Lead, rap, backing vocals, voiceover, podcast.
- Drums – Individual hits, drum bus, parallel drum crush, room mics.
- Bass – Bass guitar, synth bass, 808s, sub-heavy material.
- Guitars & Keys – Acoustic guitar, electric rhythm, pianos, Rhodes.
- Mix Bus & Mastering – Gentle glue or aggressive character compression.
- Sound Design – Pumping effects, crushed parallel chains, harmonic destruction.

If you like compressors that can go from transparent leveling to wildly aggressive with saturation and character, Thistressor is designed for you.

SUMMARY

Thistressor is a Distressor-inspired compressor with:

- Flexible compression (1:1 to 30:1) with Brit & Nylon character modes.
- Advanced sidechain filtering (HPF, HF emphasis, mid-focus EQ).
- RMS, Peak, and Combined detectors for different compression feels.
- Asymmetric diode distortion before and after compression.
- Parallel dry/wet mix and output gain with safety limiting.
- 20 factory presets for vocals, drums, buses, mastering, and creative FX.
- Helpful tooltips and a clear, performance-friendly UI.

Drop it on vocals, drums, or your mix bus and explore everything from subtle glue to explosive, characterful compression.

LICENSING & TRIAL

- License System
• First-launch activation via Gumroad license key.

- Trial Mode
• Time-limited trial with automatic mute when expired.
• Cooldown system prevents constant re-triggering.
• Lets you test the plugin in real projects before buying.

----------> DOWNLOAD FREE TRIAL HERE <-----------