Orra Press: Complete Feature Overview
Six Compression Engines
Each slot in Press can host any of six distinct compression algorithms—from classic VCA dynamics to spectral processing that operates on individual frequency bins. Mix and match across slots to build the exact dynamics chain your source material needs.
Classic
VCA-style compression with full envelope control. Threshold, ratio, attack, release, knee. The workhorse—transparent at gentle settings, characterful when pushed.
Optical
Program-dependent envelope behavior modeled after optical compressors. Smooth, musical attack and release that responds to the source.
FET
Fast, aggressive transistor-style compression. Punchy attack characteristics for transient shaping on drums, vocals, and bass.
Multiband
Linear-phase 4-band compression using FIR filters. Frequency-split dynamics control without phase smearing—ideal for mastering and full-mix bus work. 511 samples of latency.
Spectral
FFT-domain per-bin compression. Each frequency bin gets its own dynamics processing—surgical control over resonances, room tone, and noise without affecting surrounding frequencies. 2048 samples of latency.
Limiter
Mastering-grade true-peak limiting with three quality tiers (Standard 4×, High 8×, Ultra 16× oversampling) and ISP detection. Latency equals lookahead time.
Six-Slot Serial Architecture
Reorderable Slots
Press has six slots arranged in series. Load any engine into any slot, and reorder them with the on-slot arrow buttons. Want Optical → FET → Limiter? Done. Want Multiband first to control the lows, then Spectral to clean up resonances, then a gentle Classic on top? Also done. The signal flows through whatever chain you build.
Duplicates Allowed
Nothing prevents you from loading the same engine into multiple slots. Stack two FETs for sequential transient shaping. Run Classic into Classic for stage-by-stage gain reduction. The architecture treats each slot as independent.
Per-Slot Oversampling
Each slot has its own oversampling control: Off, 2×, 4×, or 8×. Use higher oversampling on aggressive stages to manage aliasing, leave gentler stages at native sample rate to save CPU.
Sidechain System
Three Sidechain Modes Per Slot
- Off: Standard internal detection from the slot's own input
- External: DAW-routed external sidechain input
- Link: Receive from any live track in the session, picked by name, powered by the free Orra Link 2 companion sender (numbered Link 1–36 channels still supported)
Six Slots, Six Independent Sidechain Sources
Each slot configures its sidechain independently. One slot can react to the kick, another to the vocal bus, another to a pad, another to the kick again—all within a single Press instance. No DAW routing acrobatics, no bus juggling.
Orra Link Companion Plugin
Orra Link is a sender-only plugin included with Press. Drop it on any track to broadcast that signal to one of 36 numbered channels. Any Press slot, on any track, can then receive that channel as its sidechain source. This works between any tracks in your session, even where traditional sidechain routing is awkward or impossible.
Workflow Features
A/B/C/D Snapshots
Four full-state snapshots per instance. Compare radically different chains side by side without losing your work, then commit to whichever lands.
Per-Slot Bypass
Bypass any slot without losing its settings. Audition the chain with and without specific stages to hear exactly what each module is contributing.
Reorderable Slots
Use the on-slot arrow buttons to move any slot earlier or later in the chain. Order matters—shifting a Multiband ahead of a Limiter changes the entire dynamics behavior.
Oscilloscope
Built-in waveform display lets you see the signal at a glance. Watch the dynamics happen in real time and visually confirm what your ears are telling you.
Visualization & Metering
- •Per-Slot Gain Reduction: Each slot displays its own gain reduction meter so you can see exactly which stage is doing the work
- •Input/Output Metering: Track signal flow into and out of the full chain
- •Built-In Oscilloscope: Real-time waveform visualization for monitoring dynamics behavior
Preset Management
Press ships with 14 factory chain presets covering common scenarios: drum bus, vocal chain, mastering, broadcast voice, and more. Each one is a complete chain definition staging 2 to 4 modules, with all parameter values, sidechain configurations, and oversampling settings. Every module also has its own preset browser, stocked with 30 factory module presets (5 per module type). Save your own in either bank and recall them across sessions.