Nomad Factory Essential Multiband Compressor

The Nomad Factory Essential Multiband Compressor is a compressor that is broken up into three separate frequency bands for in depth dynamics control. The plug-in can't be bought individually as it comes as a part of the Nomad Factory Essential bundle. It's not going to be hard to install this plug-in bundle, as it's a standard step by step process. The interface of the software is broken up into the three bands, where it allows you to set the frequency range between the three bands rather than individual frequency control. Each band gives you the choice of RMS or peak limiting, along with parameters for threshold, ratio, attack, and release. There's also a master section which gives you control over input and output levels and the type of limiting you'd like. That's pretty much everything that you'll find in the interface of this plug-in, and I would think that most users would be able to skate by without the assistance of the manual.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I've got the Nomad Factory Essential Multiband Compressor running on my system at home, which is Pro Tools LE based. I'm running version 8 of Pro Tools with a Digi 002R audio interface, while I've got a Mac Book Pro lap top with a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM to run everything on. I'm monitoring with a set of Adam A7's as well. I've never had a need to run one of these on every channel or anything close to it, but I would imagine that I'd see a little lag if I did so since it's a pretty in depth plug-in. This having been said, I've been able to run multiple instances of the plug-in without issues...

OVERALL OPINION

The Nomad Factory Essential Multiband Compressor allows you to get more in depth with your dynamic choices than you would be able to with a traditional compressor. A more traditional compressor is also included in the Nomad Factory Essential bundle, so if you've got this one, you've got both. I've found this plug-in to be useful on a number of different levels, but it's especially great on drum buses for eliminating dynamic unwanted low end compression. I'll still tend to use a single band compressor that covers the whole frequency range, but if I'm looking to get more specific, it's great knowing that I have a tool to do so here. If you're thinking about getting the Essential bundle, I'd encourage you to do so as it's a great way to get all of the basic processors at an extremely reasonable price.