tools for your troubles
– Handcrafted Labs PLUGINS –
While the hardware devices from Handcrafted Laboratories are unmatched in usability and quality, these things get you as close as you can get in the digital domain with added features and extended control.
Parallel tube driven design.
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- HCL Islander is a dual gain stage feeder with time controls.
- Classic vari-μ design with a gritty groove and a high-end clipper with added tonality options.
- Mastering-grade clipper
- Your gain stage’s first or final step.
AAX, VST, VST3 and Audio Unit
VOLUME VARIES; VARIS
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- Dual Pentode & Triode signal path
- Vari Gain emphasis for dual harmonics
- Mu-Differential reaction and air circuit
- Feedback & Feed forward operational modes
- Dynamic sidechain and level calibration with internal or external inputs
- Tempo synced auto release
AAX, VST, VST3 and Audio Unit
Wavegrove Vastaus
The plugin that started it all has reached over 80000 downloads.
And it is about to reach a new level.
Until that, you can get version one below.
https://wavegrove.gumroad.com/l/Vastaus
Until new versions are released, you can find the rest of the plugins at Gumroad
Klas-Henrik Lindblad
Blackhead Studios, Berlin. Fatboy Slim, Eats Everything, Henrik Schwarz
It’s black magic voodoo and we love it
Sean & Dan, Studio Life 101
Creators of "Is It Sh!t” & “StudioLife” No messing plug in reviews & audio ramblings
Another gold star? Yeah it’s just.. I don’t know how they are doing it. It just sounds so legit, it sounds so analog, not one thing made my ears think I was listening to a plugin.
Carlos Flores A.K.A: Maxter “El de la magia”
Collaborator on the Latin Grammy Winner album "Mi Niña Bonita" by De Chino y Nacho. Nominated 2021 with Billos Legendarios. Magic Juan, Don fulano, Budu, Treo, La Nueva Calle, Jaison Jeack
Excellent, they have their magic! … I’m using the Varis on the Buses to generate the Glue effect, and the Islander to get the Claw 🤟🏻 HCL is part of my diary nowadays, they are doing it Very Well Wavegrove 🔥
Isaac John Klein
Recording/Mixing Engineer for GRAMMY Award Winner: Singer/Producer Steve Tyrell
I’ve tested out Varis on a myriad of different sources and have yet to run into an Achilles’ heel for it. Everything from live jazz instruments to MIDI-programmed hip-hop drums and samples sounds marvelous through Varis. I particularly enjoy what it does on the mix bus. I’m amazed at how well it handles material from the low and low-mids and also how it affects the higher frequencies. Not all Vari-Mu compressors are created equal, and if you’re looking for proof, look no further than Varis by HCL. Stellar plugin!
Alejandro González Vargas
Engineer, Music Producer, Musician Latin Grammy Nominated
I’ve been loving Varis on drums, bass and on the mixbus. The clipper on Islander got me the first time I engaged it. Both compressors sound great, they just “do something”. The harmonic enhancement is nuts.
Sonic Scoop
Top Compressors of 2023
HCL Islander is awfully clean as a compressor, handling parallel duties to boost apparent loudness quite well. It also has a clipper that sounds fantastic. All of it combines seamlessly into a compressor worth using every day.
Maged Khalil
Naughty Dog, Ms. Lauryn Hill, MF DOOM, Kool G Rap, and more
HCL has been apart of my sound for a few years now, to have anything Gena makes as a plugin is beyond exciting. The Islander plugin delivers on everything you’d expect as a buss compressor. It’s even best out some of my favorite ITB comps for certain duties. I need more HCL plugins from Wavegrove…now. Lol
Adrian Schinoff
Adrian Schinoff Studios, Latin Grammy nominated mixing engineer and composer of the ASCAP Pop Ballad of the Year winner
I’m in love with the plug in! Finally a compressor that sounds like a real thing!!
Niklas Silén / bManic
Beta testing, presets for industry leaders such as FabFilter, Tone Projects, Tokyo Dawn Labs, DMG Audio and many more.
This is an absolutely unique and superb plugin. You will not be able to duplicate it’s action and mojo with other tools. Believe me when I say that I’ve tried! That alone makes it extremely valuable in my opinion.
Wytse Gerichhausen
White Sea Studio
Wow! I’m really impressed – I can’t find anything to bitch about. They’ve done it really well
– it’s a nice color box and I like how subtle it is.
Nil Hartman
Computer musician, mastering engineer and Ableton Certified Trainer, Founding member of 3OP
Quite a wonderful compressor : while it can be set in a few clicks and work its magic already, I’m stunned by its flexibility and how you can dive deep and sculpt its dynamic behavior surgically. Tonally, it’s equally as versatile with very few controls, with lush box tone. Oh and don’t slip on its clipper !
Klas-Henrik Lindblad
Blackhead Studios, Berlin. Fatboy Slim, Eats Everything, Henrik Schwarz
Verdict after one week of work: very good control of movement and nice options for colour. Bass for the WIN 👍
A tip to all Pro Tools users, load it in Metaplugin and off you go.
Mats Takila
Producer, Mixing engineer, Helsinki Unity Music, Consultant at Universal Music Finland
I’ve had the honor to use Ukrainian HCL’s gear for 17 years. When I first heard what Islander does to the sound, I had to open the old mixes and mix again. The compression is warm and withstands even harder pushing. A really good addition is the saturation, which I used to get the necessary brightness for the song without eq. Likewise, the clipper provides appropriate aggressiveness when needed. Islander will be an important tool in my mixing kit.
Francisco Javier
Audio engineer, Producer, audiotoolsblog.blogspot.com
The character offered by this compression / saturation / clipper is distinctive, and what we are looking for. It’s that ‘Glue compression’ you’re looking for, maybe it’s the mojo your mix or your tracks need, the necessary brightness for the song without eq. Likewise, the clipper on your master to get the desired LUFS level.
Mark Wingfield
Heron Island Studio, Award winning mixing and mastering engineer
Islander has become one of my absolute goto mastering compressors. This compressor brings so many things to the table in one plugin and it does them all with such pristine sonic quality. It easily adds solid weight and punch while at the same time bringing out the energy of a song. It adds glue without sounding overdone and just as importantly it brings out the best parts of the tone of the music in a way I can’t get out of any other compressor.
Teemu “TB” Lampinen
Mixing and mastering engineer
Fun fact, I was the first who bought HCL Islander plugin.
Nowadays, Islander is always in my mastering chain. I really love how it colors my sound. With the clipper in Islander I can make music LOUD! I love this!
Jerkka Perälä
Soft Neon Audiovisual
HCL Islander really isn’t just another compressor. Truly delivering what it promises, usage varies from slight silky gluing to ultra-punishing and pummeling impacts, and does it all with ease. Delta mode and the clipper are my two favourite features, and this has been sitting on all of my drum busses since day one.
Dialing in the perfect compression with a tone flavour suitable for practically any use has really not felt this easy, 6/5.