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RJ-Dyn · Manual

RJ-Dyn: Manual

Version 1.0Updated 2026-07-05

RJ-Dyn is the compressor I always wanted. One that shows its transfer curve instead of hiding it. You watch the signal travel along the curve and see exactly how much gain reduction is happening right now. And when the classic curve feels too tame, you draw your own. Six real engine characters, saturation coupled to the compression, an interface that stays honest.

Overview

RJ-Dyn pairs a dynamic compressor with a visible, editable transfer curve. Six modes model real compressor characters. Not relabelled controls, but genuinely different engines. On top of that, saturation that breathes with the gain reduction, a full sidechain section, and M/S processing with independent engines.

The Interface

The heart of RJ-Dyn is the compression transfer curve: input dB on the X axis, output dB on the Y axis, each running from −60 to +6 dB.

  • A dashed 1:1 unity diagonal shows you where the signal would sit uncompressed.
  • The burgundy transfer curve is your actual compression.
  • A live level dot travels the curve, showing in real time where your signal currently lands.
  • A bold gain-reduction drop line connects the diagonal to the curve. Its length is the momentary gain reduction.
  • Seven draggable knot handles sit on the curve.

At the top, the CURVE pill toggles between AUTO (the curve computed from the knobs) and DRAWN (your hand-drawn curve). The stereo output meter sits on the right, with the six-knob row below it.

Tip: let the level dot run for a few bars before you touch anything. Its path shows you which level range is actually working. That tells you exactly where Threshold and Knee belong.

Mode

Six engine characters, each with its own timing and tonal behaviour:

  • VCA – fast, clean, precise. The all-rounder for bus and drums.
  • FET – aggressive, with bite and attitude.
  • Opto – soft, program-dependent, musically slow to react.
  • Vari-Mu – tube-like and greedy, growing denser with more level.
  • Diode – rough and grainy, with a character of its own.
  • Digital – transparent and surgical, with no tonal colouring.

Attack and Release are remapped per mode so the times feel real. An Opto release behaves differently from a FET release.

Controls and Parameters

Knob row (six controls):

  • Threshold – the level at which compression begins.
  • Ratio – 1:1 up to ∞ (limiting).
  • Knee – hard to soft, shaping the transition into compression.
  • Attack – mode-remapped, in ms.
  • Release – mode-remapped, in ms/s.
  • Budget – cascade order 1–6 for program-dependent behaviour without attack drift. Higher values stage the compression across several steps instead of a single hard stage.

Footer values:

  • Makeup – level compensation after compression.
  • Range – 0–60 dB, caps the maximum gain reduction.
  • Hold – holds the reduction before Release takes over.
  • Lookahead – 0–10 ms, for clean transients.
  • Mix – 0–100% parallel compression.
  • In/Out – input and output levels.

Detector, Sidechain and Saturation

Detector sets what the engine responds to: Auto, Peak, RMS, True Peak or K-Weight (perceptually weighted).

Sidechain (SC): external key input, filter (Off / HPF / BPF / Shelf) with Freq and Q, Link % to couple the channels, and a Max/Avg mode for how the detector sums.

Saturation (SAT) is GR-coupled: more gain reduction means more drive. The saturation breathes with the compression. Character picks the flavour (Soft, Round, Crunch, Velvet, Tube, Triode, Iron, Bloom), Amount sets how much, and Dynamics sets how closely it follows the dynamics.

The Drawn Curve

In DRAWN mode you edit seven knots directly. They are Y-only (you drag up and down only) and monotonically clamped. The curve can never fold back on itself, so you can't build an unmusical reversal. This lets you draw expansion in the low range, hard compression up top, or a transfer curve entirely your own.

Practical Tips

  • Vocals: Opto or Vari-Mu, soft knee, Mix around 70–80% for parallel compression with body.
  • Drum bus: VCA, fast attack, an HPF in the sidechain around 80 Hz so the kick doesn't pump the whole bus.
  • Character over control: low Ratio, high SAT. The GR coupling gives you saturation exactly where the signal pushes.
  • M/S: set Channel to M/S and compress the mid harder than the sides. Two separate engines keep it transparent.
  • On a hard attack, switch on Oversampling (2× or 4×) to avoid aliasing.
  • Use A/B for level-matched comparisons, and save intermediate states as a preset.

Installation and Activation

RJ-Dyn runs as VST3, AU and AAX on macOS and Windows. Download the installer, open your DAW, and find RJ-Dyn in your effects. You get a full 30-day trial with no limitations. After that, a license key unlocks it permanently. All formats and platforms are included in the same license.