Learn · All Quick-Starts · 7 min
GRIP
quick-start.
Dial a compressor style-first, set the threshold on the curve, and land clean, musical gain reduction.
6 steps · every control name is the real one · Dynamics
Pick a STYLE
Choose the topology in STYLE first: FET for aggression, OPTO for vocals, VCA for control, VARI-MU for glue, MODERN for transparency, UPWARD to lift quiet detail, DENSITY for thickness. MORPH TO blends toward a second style — 0% is the pure one. Style is the biggest sonic decision in the plugin.
Set THRESH on the curve
Drag the transfer curve down until the comet (the live operating point) rides the bend — that's your signal crossing THRESH, and the GAIN REDUCTION readout shows how much it's working. Set RATIO around 3–4:1 for control, higher for limiting-style grab; KNEE rounds the corner.
Time it
Set ATTACK slow enough to let transients through (10–30 ms on drums), fast to clamp them. Set RELEASE to breathe with the tempo — or flip on AUTO REL and AUTO ATK in ROUTING & AUTO and let the program set the timing. GROOVE RELEASE locks the release to a note value.
Filter the detector
In SIDECHAIN SPECTRUM, raise HP CUT to 80–150 Hz so kick and 808 energy stops triggering the compressor — this kills bass pumping. BELL and GAIN tilt the detector toward a problem band; LISTEN plays exactly what the detector hears, EXT KEY takes the external sidechain.
Add CHARACTER
Switch CHARACTER to TUBE, DIODE or BRIGHT and push DRIVE for harmonics and glue. DRIVE ROUTE PRE feeds the saturation into the detector; POST keeps it purely on the output.
Blend and verify
Pull MIX back for New York parallel compression. Enable AUTO GAIN so bypassing compares at matched loudness, and use DELTA to solo only what the compressor is removing. OUTPUT trims the final level.
Pro moves
Once it's working.
- Press LEARN with a LEARN AMOUNT (GENTLE / NORMAL / HARD) selected and GRIP analyses the audio and sets the threshold for you — a fast, honest starting point.
- EASY VIEW hides the lower panels and shows just the seven main knobs; FULL VIEW — this capture — exposes Character, Sidechain Spectrum and Routing & Auto.
- Oversampling up to 32× in ROUTING & AUTO cleans up aliasing on fast attack/release settings — spend the CPU on the 2-bus, not on 40 channel inserts.
- Raise KNEE for transparent vocal work; a hard knee is abrupt and audible, which is sometimes exactly the point on drums. Double-click any knob to reset it.
