Raèld I76 2.0. Fast, forward, alive.
Raèld's own plugin, modelled on vintage FET limiting amplifiers in three versions of the hardware: the early blue-stripe, the low-noise black-face and the anniversary edition. It's built from the circuit, from the input transformer and the field-effect transistor that does the gain reduction to the class-A line amp and the output transformer. It grabs a transient in a fraction of a millisecond, and the harder you hit it, the thicker and grittier it gets.
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The classic FET limiter, all the way to ALL
Built from the published circuits and specifications, and measured against them in our test suite: the ratios, timing, distortion, frequency response and noise below are what we measured.
Built from the circuit
INPUT attenuator, input transformer, the FET, preamp, OUTPUT, class-A line amp and output transformer, with a detector that charges and lets go the way the hardware's does.
Lightning attack
ATTACK runs backwards, like the hardware: 7 is the fastest (about 20 µs), 1 the slowest (about 800 µs). Fully anticlockwise it clicks into OFF: no compression, just the amplifiers' and transformers' colour.
A release that remembers
RELEASE goes from 7 (about 50 ms) to 1 (about 1.1 s). After long, heavy compression it lets go more slowly, as the hardware does, so rooms swell and vocals stay even.
Ratios, plus ALL
4, 8, 12 or 20:1 (2, 4, 8 and 20 on the anniversary). Shift-click or right-click any ratio button for ALL: every button in at once, the famous aggressive setting.
HR: headroom
Sets where 0 VU sits: 12, 18 or 24 dB below full scale. More HR means less drive and less colour, and the level stays the same, so you choose how hard the circuit works.
MIX, in time
Blend the compressed and the untouched signal for parallel compression. The dry path is time-aligned, so it never comb-filters, and BYPASS crossfades so it never clicks.
4x oversampling
4X is the cleanest, with no aliasing from the fast attack and the grit. Turn it off for 2x, lighter on the CPU. Switching fades out and back in, never a click.
Sidechain high-pass
SC HPF puts a 60–400 Hz high-pass in the detector, so a kick or a bass line doesn't push the compressor and pump the rest of the mix.
NOISE and LINK
NOISE adds each model's own analog noise floor (off by default). LINK runs one detector for both channels to keep the stereo image; off, each side compresses on its own.
Gritty, clean or smooth
MODEL changes the whole unit: its circuit values, its ratio buttons, its timing, its noise and its faceplate. The change is a short crossfade, never a click. The inscription on each faceplate says what it does and what it's best on; hover over it for a starting setting. Pick one below to see it.
BLACK · the black-face: clean, punchy, fast
Turn INPUT up, set the level with OUTPUT
The threshold is fixed, as on the hardware: INPUT sets how hard the unit is driven, so how much it compresses. The dials read like the hardware's, in dB of attenuation, from ∞ (off) to 0 (fully up); at 24 on both, the unit is near unity gain. 5–8 dB on the needle is a typical vocal.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| INPUT | How hard the unit is driven, so how much it compresses. 0 is fully up; ∞ is off. |
| OUTPUT | The level out. It never changes the compression. |
| ATTACK | 7 is the fastest (about 20 µs), 1 the slowest (about 800 µs). Fully anticlockwise: OFF, no compression, only the amplifiers' and transformers' colour. On the anniversary that position is SLOW (10 ms). |
| RELEASE | 7 is the fastest (about 50 ms), 1 the slowest (about 1.1 s). After long, heavy compression it lets go more slowly. |
| RATIO | One button at a time. Shift-click or right-click for ALL. |
| METER | GR (gain reduction), the output with 0 VU at +8 or +4, or OFF (the lamp out). |
| MODEL | BLUE, BLACK or ANNIV. |
| HR | Where 0 VU sits: −12, −18 or −24 dBFS. More HR, less drive and less colour, at the same level. |
| MIX | The compressed and the untouched signal blended, in time. |
| 4X · NOISE · LINK · SC HPF | In the strip along the bottom: oversampling (4x, or 2x when off), the model's analog noise floor, one detector for both channels, and the 60–400 Hz detector high-pass. |
| MONO · BYPASS | Hear the output folded to mono (not saved in presets); the untouched input, in time and crossfaded. |
Knobs: drag up and down (Shift for fine control), use the mouse wheel or the arrow keys; double-click resets. A readout shows the value while you adjust, and the stepped knobs click into each position. The window scales from 90 to 200% and reopens at the size you left.
Specifications
Measured on the black-face model at 48 kHz, 4X on, INPUT and OUTPUT 24, attack 3, release 5, unless stated. 0 VU = −18 dBFS (HR +18).
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Ratios, measured just above the threshold | 4:1 → 3.8:1, 8:1 → 7.6:1, 12:1 → 11.6:1, 20:1 → 20.0:1; ALL → 15.4:1 |
| Attack, to 63%, on a step 20 dB up | 0.12–0.26 ms |
| Release, to 37%, after 1 s at 5 dB of reduction | 53 ms (7) to 1.55 s (1); slower after longer, heavier compression |
| Distortion | 0.003% uncompressed at −20 VU; 0.30% at 6.7 dB of reduction; mostly 2nd harmonic |
| Frequency response | −0.17 dB at 20 Hz, within 0.1 dB from 50 Hz to 20 kHz, at 44.1–192 kHz |
| Noise, NOISE on | 81.7 dB below the threshold level |
| Latency | At 44.1/48 kHz: 93 samples (4X) or 85 (2x). At 88.2/96 kHz: 85 or 0. At 176.4/192 kHz: 0. Reported to your DAW automatically. |
| CPU | About 1.3–2.9% of one core, stereo, any model, any rate |
10 presets, plus Init
Init is the black-face at 4:1, INPUT and OUTPUT at 24, attack 3, release 5. If a preset compresses too much or too little for your track, adjust INPUT, then balance the level with OUTPUT.
2.0 is a free update
Raèld I76 2.0 replaces Raèld i76 1.0 and is a free update: it's the same product with the same plugin ID, and the license key you have activates it. Install it over 1.0 and your sessions open with their settings translated; your own 1.0 presets are translated the first time 2.0 opens, each original kept beside it as .raeldpreset.v1. The sound is new, so a session may need a touch of INPUT to get the same amount of compression.
| In 1.0 | Opens in 2.0 as |
|---|---|
| Rev A | BLUE (blue-stripe) |
| Rev E | BLACK (black-face) |
| AE | ANNIV. (anniversary) |
| INPUT and OUTPUT | The same drive: 1.0's 24 is 2.0's 24 |
Own it, or get it with everything else
Raèld I76
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- Raèld I76 with all three models
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Windows 10/11 (64-bit), VST3 and a standalone app. Download Raeld-I76-2.0.0-Windows.zip; DAWs list it as "Raeld I76", so type "raeld" to find it.
Good to know
What does ALL actually do?
It's every ratio button pressed at once: shift-click or right-click any ratio button. It's the famous aggressive setting, explosive on drums and room mics. Try the All-Buttons Drums preset and blend it under the dry signal with MIX.
Why do ATTACK and RELEASE go backwards?
That's how the hardware works: 7 is the fastest and 1 the slowest. Attack spans about 20 µs to 800 µs, release about 50 ms to 1.1 s. Turn ATTACK fully anticlockwise for OFF (SLOW on the anniversary).
Which model should I use?
The black-face is clean, punchy and fast, a great default for lead vocals, bass and drums. The blue-stripe is gritty, thick and aggressive: rock vocals, guitars, room mics. The anniversary is the smoothest and cleanest, with a 2:1 button and a slow attack for the mix bus. The inscription on each faceplate says the same, and hovering over it gives a starting setting.
What does HR do?
It sets the headroom: where 0 VU sits, 12, 18 or 24 dB below full scale. Higher HR drives the circuit less, so you get less colour at the same level; lower HR drives it harder. 18 matches the usual studio alignment of 0 VU = −18 dBFS.
I own Raèld i76 1.0. Do I pay for 2.0?
No. 2.0 is a free update: the same product with the same plugin ID, so the license key you have activates it, and installing it replaces 1.0. Sessions open with Rev A, Rev E and AE as BLUE, BLACK and ANNIV., with the same INPUT and OUTPUT drive, and your own 1.0 presets are translated the first time 2.0 opens. The sound is new, so a session may need a touch of INPUT.
How accurate is the sound?
Raèld I76 is built from the published circuits and specifications of vintage FET limiting amplifiers, and measured against them: the ratios, attack and release, distortion, frequency response and noise in the table above come from our test suite. It's Raèld's own plugin, so we don't claim it's identical to any particular unit.
Does it add latency?
At 44.1 or 48 kHz, 93 samples with 4X on or 85 with it off; at 88.2 or 96 kHz, 85 or none; at 176.4 or 192 kHz, none. Your DAW is told and compensates automatically, and MIX and BYPASS stay in time.
What does it pair well with?
Chain the I76 into the Raèld i2a on vocals: the I76 grabs the fast peaks, then the i2a smooths out the overall level.
Does it work on mono tracks?
Yes. It runs on mono, mono-to-stereo and stereo tracks, and your DAW picks automatically. On a mono-to-stereo track the mono source feeds both sides. The MONO button folds the output to mono, to check how the mix holds up on a mono speaker; it isn't saved in presets.
Read the Raèld I76 manual · Download · All support questions →
Raèld I76 is Raèld's own plugin, modelled on vintage FET limiting amplifiers. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any hardware or software maker, and no other company's names, artwork or code are used.