LowlockBass compressor · every bass note at one level, at the same loudness
The only bass compressor plugin you'll ever need to hold every note at one level.
The notes you dig into come down, the ones you barely touch come up, and the line sits steady under the mix. A fast stage catches each note's attack, a slow one levels the rest, and a detector set for your bass keeps a low E, a long sub and a synth bass even, at the same loudness and zero latency.
- Use it on 5 computers per copy
- Lifetime updates
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Download link in minutes
- VST3, AU and AAX, Windows and macOS
- Try it free
Formats and DAWs
Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit): VST3 and AAX
macOS 11 or later: VST3, AU and AAX
Works in any 64-bit DAW that loads VST3, AU or AAX plug-ins.
Licence
Use it on up to five of your own computers per copy you buy. Yours for good, no subscription. Unlock it with your email and a six-digit code, no dongle and no password. It checks in now and then and works offline in between.
Delivery
Download links by email within about five minutes, and always in your account under Downloads.
Hear the difference
The same synthesised bass line, without and with Lowlock, loudness-matched.
Every note at one level on an uneven fingerstyle bass
A synthesised fingerstyle DI bass, played unevenly - Init (BASS GUITAR, SQUEEZE 50 %, PUNCH 60 %)
A firm, even grip on a picked rock line, the pick kept
A synthesised picked DI bass, notes dug in and skimmed - Bass Guitar / Pick Rock Grip (SQUEEZE 75 %, PUNCH 70 %)
A slap and pop part that sits steadier
A synthesised slap and pop DI bass - Bass Guitar / Slap Control (SQUEEZE 70 %, PUNCH 15 %, a fast attack)
Long sub-bass notes held steady, the tails kept up
A synthesised sub bass, long and short notes hit unevenly - the longest release (SQUEEZE 55 %, SUSTAIN 100 %)
A house synth bass pinned to one level
A synthesised house synth bass, uneven notes - Synth / Synth Bass Pin (SYNTH, SQUEEZE 70 %, PUNCH 25 %)
A thicker, steadier bass under a rock groove
A synthesised fingered rock bass under synthesised drums - Parallel / Parallel Smash (SQUEEZE 100 %, BLEND 50 %)
Every line is synthesised and played unevenly on purpose: a DI bass guitar, a sub bass and a synth bass. Before and after are loudness-matched. In the last clip the same synthesised drums play on both sides; only the bass changes.
Lowlock in action
Lowlock in under a minute: SQUEEZE, PUNCH, SUSTAIN, BLEND, TYPE and a preset on a synthesised bass line.
Why Lowlock
Every note at one level
The loud notes come down and the make-up lifts the line, so every note is pulled towards one level. The default cut the note-to-note spread by about half or more on every test line: 2.84 to 1.20 dB on bass guitar, 2.70 to 0.92 dB on synth bass.
Two stages, driven together
A fast stage catches each note's attack, then a slow optical stage evens out what is left and adds weight, the way engineers chain two by hand on bass. SQUEEZE drives both; PUNCH decides how the work is shared.
Honest from the first note
Every bass is worked as if it came in at -18 LUFS, so a quiet DI and a hot sub are held alike, and the make-up keeps the output as loud as the input: all 14 presets within 1 LU of the dry, at zero latency.
Squeeze. Punch.
Two big knobs do the work: how hard both stages hold the bass, and how much of each note's pluck gets through.
- VST3 · AU · AAX
- Windows and macOS
- Zero latency
- 14 presets
The bass compressor plugin
- Every note at one level. The default cut the note-to-note spread by about half or more on every test line, and each note's pluck stays.
- Two stages, driven together. A fast stage catches the attack and a slow optical stage levels the rest; SQUEEZE drives both, PUNCH shares the work.
- Set for your bass. TYPE sets the detector and the release range for a bass guitar, a long sub or a synth bass, each measured for the most even notes.
- Honest A/B. Every bass is worked at the same input level and the make-up keeps the output as loud as the input, so you hear the evening-out, not a volume jump. Zero latency at the default.
- SQUEEZE, PUNCH, SUSTAIN and BLEND, for parallel bass compression that never thins the low end.
- TYPE (bass guitar, sub or synth bass), with two gain reduction meters, one per stage.
- HQ, Input and Output gain, IN and OUT meters, and ENGAGE.
- 14 factory presets and your own preset files; A/B, undo and redo, MIDI Learn on every control; a window from 75 to 200 %; the full manual.
THE TWO STAGES
Catch the attack. Level the rest.
A fast stage grabs each note's attack; a slow stage evens out what is left and adds weight. A meter for each, in the clamp's jaws, shows the work.
What Lowlock does
Every control has one job: a bass line that sits steady, faster.
SQUEEZE
How hard the bass is held
How hard both stages hold the bass, 0 to 100 %: it aims at 12 dB of gain reduction times SQUEEZE, about 6 dB at the default 50 %, and the line under the knob reads it. The loud notes come down, the make-up lifts the line, and every note is pulled towards one level. Most bass sits between 40 and 75 %.
PUNCH
Keep the pluck, or flatten it
How much of each note's attack gets through. Up, the fast stage settles more slowly (up to 80 ms) and does more of the work, so each pluck comes through before it clamps; down, it grabs in 2 ms and the slow stage does more, for a flat, smooth, round line. The attack time is shown under the knob.
SUSTAIN
Hold the tails up, or let them breathe
The fast stage's release: up holds each note's tail up longer, down lets each note breathe before the next. Its range follows TYPE, from 100 to 450 ms on a bass guitar to 90 to 1100 ms on a synth bass, and it matters most on long sub notes and synth bass, where there is a tail to hold.
BLEND
Thicker, not thinner
The compressed bass against your dry bass, level-matched and in phase, so a parallel blend never thins the low end. Around 50 % with SQUEEZE high, a hard-held copy sits under the natural bass: each note keeps its attack and the line thickens.
TYPE
A detector set for your bass
BASS GUITAR, 808 or SYNTH. Each sets the detector's low cut, 30, 50 or 60 Hz, chosen by measurement as the corner that left the most even notes, and SUSTAIN's release range. The same SQUEEZE gives about the same reduction on all three, and switching is click-free in the middle of a note.
Long low notes
Held smoothly, never rippling
For a sub bass the detector listens from 50 Hz and the release never runs faster than 120 ms, so a long note is held smoothly instead of rippling; SUSTAIN at the top holds the tails up. For a synth bass it listens from 60 Hz, with the widest release range, for a plucky line or a long sustained one.
The two stages
Catch the attack, then level the rest
A fast stage at 4:1 catches each note's attack, then a slow optical stage at 2:1 evens out what is left and adds weight, letting go over seconds as a leveller. The fast stage hears the middle and the sides apart, so a bass panned hard left or hard right is held exactly alike.
The meters
See which stage is working
Two gain reduction columns stand in the clamp's jaws, 18 dB full scale: FET, the fast stage, on the left, and OPTO, the slow stage, on the right. The fast column jumps with every note and falls back between them; the slow one sits steadier and lower.
Honest level
Any bass in, the same loudness out
Lowlock works every bass as if it came in at -18 LUFS, so a quiet DI and a hot sub are held alike, and its make-up keeps the output as loud as the input at every setting. All 14 presets measure within 1 LU of the dry, so ENGAGE plays the evening-out, not a jump in level.
Zero latency and HQ
On a live bass input
No latency at the default and in every preset, at about 1.7 % of one core, so Lowlock can sit on a live bass input. HQ runs the fast stage at twice the rate, a little cleaner when it works hard, for 64 samples of latency your DAW compensates. A safety stage holds the output under -1 dBFS.
14 sourced presets
Start from settings that work
An even fingerstyle part, a firm picked rock grip, slap and pop, a light touch and a thick, smooth line; a punchy sub, a long-tailed one and a steady one; a pinned synth bass, a plucky one and a gentle hold; and two parallel blends. Every one within 1 LU of the dry.
A clamp that grips
See the hold
The clamp's grip glows violet with the two stages' gain reduction, the string under the jaws lights with the output, and the logo breathes with the level. With ENGAGE off the clamp lets go and goes dark.
Inside the plugin
The Lowlock window: two big knobs, a detector for your bass, two gain reduction meters and a clamp that grips with the bass.
Every feature
Everything in Lowlock, down to the smallest switch.
40 features
The hold
-
Two stages in series
A fast stage catches the attack, a slow one levels the rest
-
SQUEEZE
Both stages together, from nothing to about 12 dB of gain reduction
-
PUNCH
The pluck kept or flattened: attack 2 to 80 ms, and the share of the work
-
SUSTAIN
The fast stage's release, per type: tails held up or left to breathe
-
BLEND
A parallel blend with the dry bass, level-matched and in phase
The bass
-
TYPE
A detector cut at 30, 50 or 60 Hz, measured for the most even notes
-
Bass guitar, sub or synth bass
A release range for each, so long notes never ripple
-
Panned bass held alike
The fast stage hears the middle and the sides apart
-
Two gain reduction meters
One per stage, in the clamp's jaws, 18 dB full scale
Level and timing
-
Automatic input level
Every bass worked as if it came in at -18 LUFS
-
Automatic make-up
The output as loud as the input at every setting
-
Level-matched presets
All 14 within 1 LU of the dry
-
Input and Output gain
-24 to +24 dB in your DAW, with a safety stage under -1 dBFS
-
Zero latency
At the default and in every preset
-
HQ
The fast stage at twice the rate; 64 samples, reported to your DAW
Workflow and control
-
A/B compare and A>B
Two complete settings, switch in one click
-
Undo and redo
Step back and forward, or press Ctrl+Z
-
MIDI Learn
Take complete control of your workflow: right-click any control, move a knob
-
Host automation
Automate every control from your DAW
-
ENGAGE
Click-free bypass, to hear the before and after
-
IN and OUT meters
See the level going in and coming out at a glance
-
Tooltips
Every control explains itself as you point at it
-
Resizable window
75 to 200 %, and the size you pick is remembered
Presets
-
14 factory presets
Each one built from a documented setting
-
Previous and next arrows
Audition presets one click at a time
-
Save your own
Keep your settings as .basscomppreset preset files
-
Open presets folder
Back up or share your presets in one click
-
Reset to default
Back to a clean start in one step
Performance
-
Light on CPU
About 1.7 % of one core at 44.1 kHz and 1.9 % at 48 kHz, stereo
-
Mono or stereo
A mono bass held exactly as a centred stereo one
-
Any session rate
Tested at 44.1 and 96 kHz, within 0.15 dB
-
Audio-reactive face
A clamp whose grip glows with the gain reduction
Licence and compatibility
-
VST3 and AAX, Windows 7 SP1 or later
Loads in any 64-bit Windows DAW with VST3 or AAX
-
VST3, AU and AAX, macOS 10.13 or later
Loads in any Mac DAW with VST3, AU or AAX, Intel or ARM
-
5 computers per copy
Studio, laptop and more on one licence
-
Email and code unlock
No dongle, no password, no extra app
-
Works offline
No internet needed between check-ins
-
Check for updates
From the plugin's menu; nothing installs without asking
-
Lifetime updates
Every future update included
-
Platinum priority support
Questions answered by the people who build it
How Lowlock compares
Two stages driven together, set for your bass and honest about loudness, with the controls most leave out.
| Lowlock | Typical bass compressor plugins | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Two big knobs: working the moment it is inserted | Often threshold, ratio, attack and release to set by ear |
| Stages | Two in series: a fast catch, then a slow leveller | Often a single stage |
| Bass types | Detector and release set for bass guitar, sub or synth bass | Often one detector for everything |
| Input level | Any bass held alike, a quiet DI or a hot sub | Often a different amount on every track |
| Level | Make-up keeps every setting at the input's loudness | Often louder with every turn |
| Latency | Zero at the default; HQ for the mixdown | Often look-ahead latency |
| Meters | One gain reduction meter for each stage | Often one meter, or none |
| Try-and-compare | A/B, A>B, undo and redo | Often missing |
| Hardware control | MIDI Learn on every control | Often host automation only |
| Licence | 5 computers per copy, no dongle, works offline | Often fewer activations, or a dongle |
| Updates | Lifetime updates included | Often paid upgrades |
"Typical" describes what we commonly see in this category; it does not describe any particular product. Lowlock facts are from the plugin and its manual, October 2026.
What you get
Vox Samples
90-day money back · Thank you
Specs and system requirements
- Formats
- VST3 and AAX on Windows; VST3, AU and AAX on macOS
- Operating system
- Windows 7 SP1 or later, 64-bit; macOS 10.13 or later, universal (Intel and ARM)
- Host
- Any 64-bit DAW that loads VST3, AU or AAX plug-ins. No standalone app.
- Channels
- Mono or stereo; the fast stage hears the middle and the sides apart, so a bass panned hard left or right is held alike, and a mono bass exactly as a centred stereo one
- Sample rates
- Whatever your session runs at; tested at 44.1 and 96 kHz (the reduction within 0.15 dB)
- Latency
- 0 samples with HQ off (the default and every preset); 64 samples with HQ on, reported to your DAW
- Stages
- A fast stage at 4:1 (attack 2 to 80 ms), then a slow optical stage at 2:1 with its own slow, music-dependent release
- Gain reduction
- About 12 dB x SQUEEZE: about 6 dB at the default 50 % (5.5 to 6.2 dB across the three types), 11.6 to 12.1 dB at 100 %
- Types
- Three: detector low cut 30, 50 or 60 Hz; fast-stage release 100-450, 120-500 or 90-1100 ms (bass guitar, sub, synth bass)
- Controls
- SQUEEZE, PUNCH, SUSTAIN and BLEND 0 to 100 %; TYPE; HQ; ENGAGE; IN and OUT -24 to +24 dB as DAW parameters (not on the window)
- Level
- Input worked at -18 LUFS; make-up up to 18 dB either way keeps the output at the input's loudness; every preset within 1 LU of the dry at -10, -18 and -26 LUFS in; peaks under -1 dBFS
- CPU
- About 1.7 % of one core at 44.1 kHz and 1.85 % at 48 kHz, stereo (measured on a busy computer, an upper bound); 5.3 to 5.8 % with HQ; about 1 % more with the window open
- Presets
- 14 factory presets; your own as .basscomppreset files
- Manual
- https://voxsamples.com/lowlock-bass-compressor-manual
- Window
- 960 x 600 at 100 %, resizable from 75 to 200 %
- MIDI
- MIDI Learn from any controller routed to the track
- Licence
- 5 computers per copy you buy. Unlock with your email and a code we email you. Checks in now and then and works offline in between.
- Internet
- Needed once to unlock, then for the occasional check-in
90Day money-back guarantee
Our guarantee
-
90-day money-back guarantee
Not for you? Email contact@voxsamples.com within 90 days for a full refund.
-
5 computers per copy
Use it on up to five of your own computers per copy you buy, and move it yourself from the plugin's Licence menu.
-
Lifetime updates
Every future update and upgrade of Lowlock, included.
-
Platinum priority support
A real person at contact@voxsamples.com, first in line.
Try Lowlock free
The whole plugin, with the same sound as the full version and no time limit. It goes silent for a moment every few seconds; the full version never does.
Windows and macOS installers in one download. Like what you hear? Get the full version on this page, with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Questions
What does a bass compressor do?
It evens out a bass line: loud notes are turned down, the line is brought back up, and every note sits at about the same level under the mix. Lowlock's default cut the note-to-note spread of level by about half or more on every test line.
Why two stages?
The fast stage catches each note's attack; the slow optical stage then levels what is left and adds weight. SQUEEZE drives both, PUNCH decides how the work is shared, and the two meters show it.
Does it work on sub and synth basses?
Yes. TYPE sets the detector and the release range for a long sub or a synth bass, and there are presets for both.
Why doesn't the bass get louder when I turn SQUEEZE up?
The automatic make-up keeps the output as loud as the input, so you hear the notes coming together, not a level change. Use OUT, in your DAW's list of parameters, to change the level.
Does it add latency?
No, with HQ off: the default and every preset. HQ adds 64 samples, which your DAW compensates.
Can I blend in the dry bass?
Yes. BLEND mixes the compressed and the dry bass, level-matched and in phase; the preset Parallel / Parallel Smash is SQUEEZE 100 % at BLEND 50 %.
Does it have ratio and threshold controls?
No. The ratios are fixed, 4:1 on the fast stage and 2:1 on the slow one, the thresholds follow SQUEEZE for each TYPE, and there is no external input to key it.
Why does the level settle when I press play?
Lowlock learns the track's loudness as it plays. Play a few bars before you judge it, and render with a bar or two of lead-in.
Does it work in my DAW?
Any 64-bit DAW that loads VST3, AU or AAX plug-ins, on Windows 7 SP1 or later or macOS 10.13 or later. There is no standalone app.
How many computers can I use it on?
Up to five of your own for each copy you buy. To move it, deactivate it in the plugin on the old computer and unlock it on the new one.
Does it need the internet?
Once, to unlock it with the code we email you. After that it checks in now and then and works offline in between.
Is there a manual?
Yes. The full manual explains every control, every preset and the menus, with tips. It opens from the help key (?) in the plugin's top bar, and lives at https://voxsamples.com/lowlock-bass-compressor-manual.
What if it's not for me?
Request a refund from your account within 90 days.
Founder's Story
"When COVID hit, I finally had time to dive into music production—only to discover I was missing the right tools. The plugins I tried were clunky, overloaded with unnecessary features, and killed my vibe with endless tweaking. I knew there had to be a better way.
So, with my engineering background, I started making free and simple audio plugins for my producer friends. They loved them! That’s when I set out on a mission to create plugins that save you time, streamline your workflow, and keep your creativity flowing."
- Ryan Svensson (Founder & CEO)
Every bass note at one level. At the same loudness.
Two stages driven together, a detector set for your bass and an honest make-up: every note held steady under the mix, at zero latency.
$43.04 AUDPrecio habitual $143.51 AUD70% off
- 90-day money back
- Five computers
- Lifetime updates
Pairs with
Lowlock Bass Compressor
$43.04 AUDPrecio habitual $143.51 AUD70% off