VP Gate Keeper II: VCA Gate & Expander Plugin by Antelope Audio

Antelope Audio describes VP Gate Keeper II as a VCA gate and expander designed to clean up unwanted artifacts without affecting the overall musicality of a sound. The plugin is modeled on the VCA circuitry of the hardware Keepex II, an early 1970s unit that was used in many professional studios.

The developer states that the design retains the integrity of the signal even in extreme settings, which is the main reason to choose a VCA-based gate over a more linear, hard-switching one. The Logarithmic Release mode is aimed at protecting the decay of tails as the gate closes.

The interface uses Threshold, Release, Range and Output controls. Antelope Audio says the control set is similar to that of the VP Brainiac II Compressor/Limiter, which makes it easier to move between the two if you already know that tool.

Use Range to determine how much the signal is reduced when the gate is closed, and use Release together with the Logarithmic Release mode to control how naturally the tail fades. The plugin is intended for transient-heavy sources such as drums, where it can increase the perceived dynamic range and reduce leakage from ambient noise.

VP Gate Keeper II suits producers and engineers who need to tidy up recordings, particularly drum tracks and other transient-heavy sources where bleed and room noise are an issue. It is a native plugin that runs on Mac or PC without additional hardware.

The Synergy Core Real-Time version is also listed, which runs in real time with no perceptible latency on compatible Synergy Core devices.