Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Effect / FabFilter
FabFilter Pro-C 2 is a professional stereo compressor plug-in with eight compression styles, side-chain EQ, and mid/side processing.
Cytomic The Glue is an SSL-style VCA bus compressor with Mix, Range, sidechain HPF, and oversampling, built for drum buses, mix glue, and transparent level control.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, Cytomic The Glue comes out ahead (8.8). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | FabFilter Pro-C 2 | Cytomic The Glue |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | $99 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.7 | 8.8 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, CLAP, AU (Audio Units), AAX Native, AudioSuite | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Compression styles | 8 styles (3 original v1 styles plus 5 new in v2: Clean, Classic, Opto, Vocal, Mastering, Bus, Punch, Pumping) | — |
| Oversampling | Up to 4x internal oversampling | — |
| Side chain | Side-chain EQ section plus external side-chain triggering | — |
| Stereo handling | Variable stereo linking and mid/side processing (mid-only, side-only, M>S, S>M) | — |
| Platforms | Windows and macOS, 32-bit and 64-bit hosts | macOS 10.13+ (Intel/Apple silicon); Windows 10+ (64-bit) |
| Audition triggering | Audition Triggering option to hear which parts of the audio are triggering compression | — |
| Type | — | Analog-modelled VCA feedback bus compressor |
| Circuit inspiration | — | Classic 1980s British large-console stereo bus compressor |
| Detector | — | Dual-diode envelope follower (feed-back topology) |
| Ratios | — | 2:1 (soft knee), 4:1 (medium), 10:1 (hard / peak-limiter territory) |
| Attack | — | 0.01 ms to 30 ms (includes faster settings than original hardware) |
| Release | — | 0.1 s to 1.2 s plus classic Auto release |
| Key extras | — | Mix, Range, sidechain HPF (0–2 kHz, 6 dB/oct), external sidechain, stereo link 0–100% in 25% steps, Peak Clip, advanced oversampling |
| Formats | — | VST2, VST3, AUv2, AAXv2 (64-bit) |
| Price model | — | $99 one-time; free trial available from Cytomic |
| Related stock device | — | Ableton Live Glue Compressor uses the same core algorithm family |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.