I tried their APU Loudness Limiter, It felt too advanced and definitely has a sound.

Do any of you guys actually use APU plugins frequently?

I find their plugins interesting but a bit too advanced, also don't see anybody using it on the internet, not that it matters but i wanted to learn their plugins and wanted to know if they are any better than Fabfilter or DMGAudio Quality Plugins in any way.

 

I haven't used it yet, but the video from our specialist says it's a great plugin:

You need this!

Check the APU Loudness Compressor here: https://apu.software/compressor/

White Sea Studio ---> whiteseastudio.com

 

Last edited: Oct 1, 2025

I tried this bs once but I got more annoyed from their update cycles than the product's efficiency itself. But even though , if I was ever gonna give them a chance, I changed my mind as soon as I saw that this "white shit studio" uses them. I avoid anything he advertises and definitely use anything that "white shit studio" labels as snake oil.

 

I used the loudness compressor back when it was released, didn't get it at all. Then I rediscovered it earlier this year and it became essential in every vocal I mixed.

Think of it like the perfect vocal rider. The amount of automation I do on vocals went down by 70%. I just use it all default, the only thing I change is the loudness to -14 LUFS and the thresholds (most of the time I just click learn and walk away for a minute). Doesn't sound like compression at all, incredibly transparent.

 

Didn't find these 2 videos useful, White Sea just kept wondering and the other video doesn't even say a word about the plugins or how to use

 

Thanks for the tip! I will try using it this way. Have you tried their limiter?

 

Yes, you are right! Here are two reviews:

www.attackmagazine.com/reviews/gear-software/apu-loudness-compressor-packs-a-punch-for-just-29
www.audiopluginguy.com/news-apu-software-introduces-apu-dynamics-optimizer

 

Last edited: Oct 1, 2025

Not really, I have all my limiting needs more than fulfilled already. smartLimit/Master Plan for the master bus, and PSP Twin-L for individual tracks. I also don't really get the point of their limiter, in all honesty. I don't know what it would do better than what I already have.

 

I use the compressor all the time as vocal ride, and I use contour sometimes. They are pretty good plugins and afaik there are no other commercial alternatives out there for what most of they do.

 

I see many of you use it as a vocal rider. Do you think it will work on dialogue tracks? Should I give it a second chance as a vocal rider instead of loudness "regulator". I really want to avoid as much automation possible

 

Yes, vocal riders like the Waves Vocal Rider absolutely work well on dialogue tracks—it's one of the most common off-label uses for the plugin in post-production, podcasts, and video editing workflows. Many engineers swear by it for evening out inconsistent levels in spoken-word audio without the hassle of drawing endless fader automation curves, which aligns perfectly with your goal of minimizing manual tweaks.

It's essentially a smart gain rider that listens to the audio in real-time (or offline) and gently boosts or attenuates to hit a target level, preserving dynamics better than aggressive compression or limiters.

Getting SMOOTH Dialog Mixes with Waves Audio Vocal Rider

 

PSP Flare is more or less the same, but it uses a ton of CPU. That was my approach shortly before I remembered I had another plugin with about the same use-case.

It works wonders as a rider, some people might use different settings, but I like how the vocals come out in the default measuring. Try:

- load plugin in default state
- set the input thresholds (low and high) accordingly, use the learn button if you need
- change the loudness to -14 LUFS (or leave default if you want more headroom)
- level match to the area of the track where the vocal stays consistent the most time

If you're going to do offline processing, I believe the APU Dynamics Optimizer will do a better job leveling using the same settings (much faster AFAIK).

 

Amazing!! Last Question, Is it better leveller than the combination of Fabfilter Pro-C2, UA LA-2A & CLA-76? Currently I use these 3 + Pro-L2 sometimes to mix the vocals.

 

@shinjiya Thank you. I will definitely give it a try. I hope it does a better job than waves. @PulseWave thank you . The problem with waves is that the rider levels up noises too. A clever plugin would be a rider only engaging when it's knowing there is dialogue. I guess my next move if APU doesn't meet my needs , is to side chain a vocal cleaner as a gate-driver to a vocal rider

Update: I tried using it on dialogue with noise. Worst leveler I had. I guess I'll have to stick to my chain

 

Last edited: Oct 2, 2025