Fuse Audio Labs VCL-515
VINTAGE VARI-MU TUBE LIMITER

American Beauty





The VCL-515 is an emulation of a remarkable and rare late 1960s tube limiter which was a competitor of the classic 438 hardware from the same era. The unit was mainly used in broadcast applications and features an optional preamp-card, custom transformers, 6BZ7 vari-mu and 6SN7 output stage triodes and fixed time constants.

The plugin adds level compensation, continuous attack and release time and sidechain filter parameters and a dry/wet mix. It features a rather soft-knee characteristic which is quite typical for most vari-mu levelers, but allows to cover a lot of different sonic flavors due to the adjustable attack and release times. Everything from super gritty and smashing to steady and gentle is possible.

THE CHALLENGER
The VCL-515 is a very rare and remarkable tube limiter from the 1960s. Based on a push-pull feedback topology and originally designed for US broadcast, it entered the market with technical improvements to compete with the famous 438 compressor from that era. With its smooth and harmonically rich character, the VCL-515 is Vari Mu par excellence.

COMPRESSION, NATURALLY
Its soft-knee style compression curve creates a huge yet relaxed effect which is perfect for embedding voices and instruments into a track in the most natural manner, and it also shines as the main compressor on the mix or drum bus. Its set of esoteric triodes and custom transformers creates a wonderful, warm tone which makes the VCL-515 desirable for the sound of its circuitry alone.

FIVE TO ONE
The original hardware basically features just a single control in form of an input gain which drives the intensity of compression. For more flexibility in everyday use, the VCL-515 plugin adds variable attack, release and sidechain filter parameters as well as an integrated mix stage with an output level control. The mode switch allows to enjoy the beautiful tube sound either with or without compression applied.

STREAMLINE DYNAMICS
Its pleasant and unobtrusive tube saturation let the VCL-515 stand out with smooth and creamy thickness which is the perfect glue for your tracks. Its gentle transient handling and generous gain reduction, free of undesirable artifacts make something difficult become something really easy: Truly musical compression.

More here! With audio examples:
https://fuseaudiolabs.com/#/pages/product?id=300980541

 

Hmmmm, I love the Fuse Audio Lab plugins.

Especially the VCL-25A and the VCL-864U.
They are very subtle, warm, smooth and musical.
On a voice, on a bass, on everything ... they sound perfectly.
Even without compressing, just passing your signal in brings a je ne sais quoi that sounds good.
Among my favorite plugins.
I will quickly try this one.

@mild pump milk, Thanks again for all the good infos