Beatskillz Max1 is a free auto-compressor plugin that promises instant loudness

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A big sound with minimal effort?

If you want to make your mixes louder but don’t really know how to go about doing it, Beatskillz thinks that it has the solution in the form of the free Max1 plugin.

Billed as an ‘auto-compressor’, this is designed to be slapped on your mix bus (or any other track) and Just Work. You get presets for a range of different material, and a basic control set that enables you to tweak the sound (Threshold, Attack and Post Gain knobs, plus a Soft Clip option).

Max1’s ‘auto’ element is derived from its “intelligent” and variable release time and ratio settings. We’re told that you can control peaks and increase energy with minimal effort, and that the plugin works transparently to deliver a “huge” sound.

You can download Max1 now from the Beatskillz website. It’s available for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. After 15 days of use you’ll need to register the plugin, but there’s no charge for doing this.

Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.