Comp TUBE-STA: Tube Compressor Plugin by Arturia Free Download

The original Gates STA-Level was known for adding intimacy, air and subtle saturation to the signals it processed. Producers often used it on bass and vocals, where it could fill out weak low end and add harmonic richness.

Comp TUBE-STA follows the original's simple design. The top panel gives access to the classic controls, and Arturia's developers describe the sound as harmonically rich and warm. The plugin's Single, Double and Triple modes and its variable Recovery parameter come from the original hardware.

For drive-heavy tones, the plugin includes an analog clipping LED and a switchable analog VU meter with three calibration settings.

Comp TUBE-STA adds several controls that the original hardware lacked. The input-output link switch keeps the output level steady while you raise the input, so the compression changes without a volume jump.

The Mix knob provides dry/wet blending for parallel compression, a technique often called New York compression. The advanced panel adds external sidechain input, five detection modes including mid/side processing, an advanced sidechain EQ, and the option to monitor the sidechain signal directly.

The plugin also includes A/B comparison, a resizable window, a set of presets, and built-in tutorials with preset tips.