Brainworx AMEK Mastering Compressor

If it transpired that God's own compressor was the basis of Brainworx' latest AMEK-branded plugin, we wouldn't be surprised

 $399 PC MAC

Although Brainworx’s first pair of Amekinspired plugins, the bx_2098 EQ and bx_console 9099, are based on specific original Amek hardware, the subsequent AMEK EQ200 and AMEK EQ250 plugins have no direct relationship with past Amek glories. Instead, they are a more general melding of the characteristics – and circuits – of vintage parametric EQs that are particular favourites of Brainworx’ head honcho, Dirk Ulrich.

The company has taken a similar approach with its new AMEK Mastering Compressor. The plugin’s circuit models aren’t based on any OG Amek hardware but are instead taken from Ulrich’s own GML 8900 compressor, a highly regarded and exclusive processor that has never – so far as we know – been modelled and pluginified before now. Brainworx has expanded on the original hardware’s somewhat austere control panel and added a suite of modern tools and features, and the result is a handsome plugin that doesn’t really resemble anything other than itself.

Multiple detectors

Each of the plugin’s channels boasts three true RMS detector circuits tuned to be sensitive to dynamic changes that happen over different periods of time. The Slow detector averages the signal over the longest period and is least sensitive to transients, Fast measures across a shorter period of time and so is more responsive, and Peak has the fastest response, as you would expect.