Looking for a compressor to glue a mix together or add punch to a drum bus? The infamous SSL bus compressor is the first choice for many professionals. Luckily today we have countless plugin versions available to give us an ITB solution for getting that SSL vibe.

Today I look at 3 versions: IK Multimedia T-Racks Bus Compressor, Waves SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, and Native Instruments Solid Bus Comp.

IK Multimedia T-Racks Bus Compressor

I’d say this one gets the most use for me on drum busses. With the SSL type compression I more often than not want to hear the compressor working the drums. The threshold needs to be just right to capture the kick and snare while letting the snap-through. The IK Multimedia version has the right color and weight to make the drum track pump.

Waves SSL G-Master Buss Compressor

This one is a bit more forgiving and you can slam it a little harder. On drums the track won’t thin out as early as with the IK version but it is still very similar. Before I got the IK version this was my go-to SSL compressor.

Native Instruments Solid Bus Comp

This is the hardest to work with. The standard SSL knob values do not seem to work here. You need to dig in and try different attack and release settings to get it where you want it to be. I mostly use it only when I’m in Native Instruments Maschine and it’s convenient to have NI plugins there to have them visually appear in the mixer as soon as you insert them. Otherwise, the previous two will give you better results.

Conclusion

The IK Multimedia version has the best punch, the Waves version is the most transparent/forgiving and the NI version needs a lot of tweaking, although you only have few knobs to do so, but still. So I’d recommend the IK Multimedia or Waves versions. With Waves there’s, of course, the WUP (Waves Update Plan) that really means that you will rent their plugins and not buy them, so just get the IK Multimedia version 😉