HOUZY
One gain, a few bands, or every tone
How HOUZY differs from an ordinary compressor and from a multiband.
Updated
What is HOUZY?
HOUZY is a mastering compressor plugin (VST3 and AU) by ACRONA AUDIO. Instead of one gain for the whole mix, it gives every tone of the spectrum its own envelope, so a loud kick or bass does not pull the rest of the mix down: no pumping, a punchy kick, a clean low end. It was born in electronic and dance music and works on any genre.
One number for the whole sound.
An ordinary compressor is output = gain × signal. Every classic complaint follows from that:
- The detector is blind — the whole spectrum is collapsed into one number, so a kick and a vocal of the same amplitude are indistinguishable to it.
- The kick drags everything with it — the gain drops, and the hats, the vocal and the reverb tails dive with it. That is pumping.
- Attack fights punch — one envelope has to serve both the transient and the body.
- The bass gets dirty — the gain moves, and sidebands grow around a 50 Hz kick. The compressor ruins the very thing it was evening out.
Since the first compressors of the 1930s the principle has stayed the same: one gain for the whole signal. HOUZY drops it. Every tone gets its own envelope, so pumping, the attack-versus-punch trade-off and sidebands on the bass don't arise in the first place.
A multiband helps, but only part of the way
Splitting the mix into 3–6 bands gives each band its own gain, so the kick no longer pulls down the hats. But inside a band nothing changes: the kick and the bass still share one gain, the low band still pumps, and the crossover filters shift the phase at every split.
| Ordinary compressor | Multiband (3–6 bands) | HOUZY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gains | one for the whole mix | one per band | one per tone |
| A loud kick pulls down… | everything | its whole band (bass, low mids) | only itself |
| Pumping | yes | inside each band | no shared gain, nothing to pump |
| Attack vs punch | one envelope for all | one per band | a new tone is not compressed; attack set in wave cycles |
| Bass sidebands | gain moves inside the wave | the same, in the low band | attack never faster than half a period of the tone |
| Crossover phase | — | shifted at every split | no crossovers in the signal path |
| Latency | near zero | low | about 0.1 s, compensated by the DAW |
Even compression across every frequency in the track.
The sound is taken apart into individual tones, and each one's loudness is evened out by its own envelope. Loud sounds don't drag the rest down, and the compressor treats every sound equally steadily, whatever the loudness of any frequency in the mix. With a loud kick, low end or midrange, it squeezes the lows and the highs just the same.
The threshold is automatic: it sets itself from the loudest sound and moves along with the track. The release is automatic too (AUTO): the plugin measures how fast the sounds fade out and sets the time itself. Every tone — kick, drums or vocal — is compressed the same way, then the level is raised back automatically, which gives you a well and densely compressed track.
Works beyond mastering too, on any track or bus, with a higher CPU load.
When a multiband is still the right tool
Live use and tracking, where latency matters, or surgical work on one band with exact crossover points. HOUZY is built for the master and for buses. If you want band control on top, its ALL MIX mode gives six bands, each with its own amount.
Frequently asked questions
Does HOUZY pump?
No. There is no shared gain, so nothing can pump: every tone is compressed by its own envelope.
How is HOUZY different from a multiband compressor?
A multiband gives each band its own gain, but inside a band the kick and the bass still share it. HOUZY gives every tone its own gain, with no crossovers in the signal path.
Can I use HOUZY on single tracks, not only the master?
Yes, on any track or bus. HOUZY analyses every tone separately, so its CPU load is higher than an ordinary compressor's. Its latency is reported to the DAW and compensated automatically.
Which formats and DAWs does HOUZY support?
VST3 on Windows, VST3 and AU on macOS: Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase, Reaper, Bitwig, Logic Pro and other hosts that load VST3 or AU.