Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor by Softube compressor plugin interface

Chandler Limited® Germanium Compressor: Softube Compressor Plugin

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (264 ratings)

Chandler Limited® Germanium Compressor is a compressor plugin by Softube, a software model of the Chandler Limited hardware unit. It adds gain reduction along with colour and harmonic distortion.

VST3VST2AUAAXRTASWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Chandler Limited® Germanium Compressor is a plugin model of the Chandler Limited hardware, built by Softube. Softube says the model was tested in its lab against the hardware to match its sound. Beyond gain reduction, the developer describes it as a tone-shaping tool that can stand in for several other effects in a chain, including distortion, EQ, and transient shaping. It is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats for Windows and macOS.

Best for

Drum bus compression
Vocal colouring
Bass saturation
Tone shaping on guitar
Mix bus character
Sound design processing

Developer: Softube
Category: Compressors
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Software model of the Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor
Clean Comp and Dirty Comp modes with THD control
FET-based gain reduction with fast, saturating compression
Comp Curve with a diode-combination knee character
Attack and release times for drums, vocals and bass
Gain, Germanium Drive and Feedback controls
External Sidechain with gain control
Mid/Side Processing and Console 1 compatibility

03In depth

Sound, Character and Distortion Control

The compressor uses a FET gain reduction element, which gives fast, heavily saturating compression. You can switch between Clean Comp and Dirty Comp modes to control Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). According to Softube, the ratio and knee settings were tuned by ear rather than set to precise numerical values.

The Comp Curve control uses a combination of diodes to set the knee character. The gain and Germanium Drive controls, together with Feedback, route signal back to the input, which affects gain, distortion, and tone shaping.

Attack, Release and Software-Only Features

Attack and release times can be set for a range of results. A fast attack suits drums, while a slow release can add smoother tones to vocals or bass. Softube notes that the attack and release controls can make an average drum kit sound tighter and crisper or fatter with longer decay.

The software version adds features that the hardware does not have: External Sidechain with gain control, Mid/Side Processing, left/right or mid/side input and output routing, and output gain. Console 1 users can also use the plugin inside the Console 1 mixing ecosystem.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Softube
Type	Plugin
Category	Compressor
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, RTAS
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is the Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor?

It is a compressor plugin by Softube that models the Chandler Limited hardware Germanium Compressor. It is designed for gain reduction along with colour, saturation and tone shaping.

Which formats and operating systems does it support?

It is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and RTAS formats. It runs on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) and on macOS Big Sur 11, Monterey 12 and Ventura 13.

What do I need to use it?

You need a compatible DAW that supports VST, VST3, AU or AAX, a Softube account, and an iLok account. An internet connection is needed to download installers and manage licenses.

Which software-only features does the plugin add?

The plugin includes External Sidechain with gain control, Mid/Side Processing, and left/right or mid/side input and output routing. These features are not part of the hardware.