CP3V

When creating electronic music, there are many tools that you can use to improve the sound of your instrumental tracks. Although nothing is mandatory and it all comes down to personal preferences, compression is still one of the most often employed tools in music productions. When used moderately, it can enhance the sound of a track by eliminating bothersome transients and allowing the quieter sounds to stand out.

Naturally, any digital audio workstation will come with at least one compression tool. But once you understand its limitations, you may want to start exploring the capabilities of third-party plugins. Today we’re going to take a look at a piece of software called CP3V.

Similarly to other plugins from Mellowmuse, CP3V is an almost minimalistic plugin that doesn’t try to offer you plenty of innovative features (which you may or not need). Instead, it offers you a warm sound similar to the analog units of old. This is evidenced by the vintage design of the plugin’s interface, comprised of four knobs, four buttons, and a classic VU meter.

CP3V can be considered a bit of an improvement from CP2V, another compressor from Mellowmuse that has even fewer features to talk about. In CP3V, you get more control over the attack and release of the tracks, and you can also choose between four fixed ratios: 4, 8, 12 or 20. Of course, you have to decide on your own which of the two compressors is best suited for your musical needs.

While those looking to get lost in a plugin’s long list of parameters won’t find much use for CP3V, there are still many who may choose it for its warm sounds. If you want to avoid the “cold perfection” of overproduced digital music and add a bit of an analog feel to your tracks, then this piece of software may be helpful.