Pulsar Audio Mu: this Manley emulation glues your mix together
Pulsar Audio has released Mu, an ambitious plug-in emulation of the legendary Manley Variable Mu compressor. The company touts it as “the ultimate glue compressor” for mixing and mastering. The Pulsar Audio Mu is now available with an attractive introductory offer.
Pulsar Audio Mu
Six months after the Echorec, Pulsar Audio is back with its next plug-in, and it looks very promising. The company says that it modeled the the famous all-tube compressor in great detail. The developers claim that the software version recreates all the cherished characteristics of the hardware version, including the Vari Mu’s “exceptional transparency” and its ability to add cohesion to a mix.
Like the original, Mu is a stereo compressor which can operate in L/R or M/S modes. According to Pulsar Audio, its main applications are mixing and mastering, but it can also be used during tracking.
Modern improvements
While modeling the original, Pulsar Audio added a number of features that the hardware version doesn’t offer. The plug-in can be switched between the originals SIFAM meters and a modern visualization mode. This displays the waveform and gain reduction over time, which Pulsar Audio says lets you fine-tune the compression settings.
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- Sidechain EQ · Source: Pulsar Audio
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- Visualization mode · Source: Pulsar Audio
The plug-in has an external sidechain input. They also added a complete sidechain EQ section with a low cut filter, adjustable peaking mid band and high shelf. According to Pulsar Audio, this allows for precise adjustments of the compressor’s response to various frequencies in the mix. Another addition is look-ahead and look-behind processing, which lets you control how the compressor deals with transients.
Judging by the demo sounds at Pulsar’s website, I think that the Pulsar Mu does indeed sound very good. At an introductory price of just EUR 49, it’s a great alternative if an original Variable Mu or Nu Mu isn’t an option.
Price and compatibility
The Pulsar Audio Mu is available for Windows 7 and up (VST2, VST3, AAX, 32/64 bit) and Mac OS X 10.7 and up (AU, VST2, VST3, AAX, 64 bit). It uses the iLok protection system, which means that you’ll need an iLok dongle or a free iLok account for authorization. A 30-day demo version is available from Pulsar’s website.
The introductory price is EUR 49. The regular price will be EUR 99.
More information
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