Pulsar Audio IPA 25

Three VCA types, One Plugin, Zero Compromise

IPA 25 delivers the compression behavior you expect from a classic VCA design, then extends it with selectable circuit topologies, intelligent clipping/limiting, visual sidechain control, and modular signal flow.

From mastering-grade VCA precision to tube-style warmth and diode grit, you can switch character instantly without breaking your workflow.

See exactly what's happening with real-time visuals and get character and control without guesswork.

• Switch VCA character instantly: Clean, Original, V-Mu, N-Diode
• Real-time visuals: compression, spectrum, and detector behavior
• Integrated dynamics toolkit: clipper, limiter, sidechain EQ
• Zero-latency for tracking / oversampling for mixing

Faithful Where It Matters, Extended Where It Counts

IPA 25 captures the exact RMS detection, ratio-dependent knees, and program-dependent release of the original, then extends it with multiple harmonic circuits, sidechain shaping, and integrated peak control.

Instead of locking you into a single circuit, you can choose your harmonic behavior: transparent clean control, tube-like bloom, or diode-style grit.

Each one shapes dynamics at the gain-reduction stage, not just distortion pasted on top.

And because mixing today demands more than tone alone, IPA 25 goes beyond what the hardware allowed: a full sidechain EQ, adaptive clipper/limiter, and stereo link shaping, all built in, all CPU-efficient.

You don't just get the sound you know, you gain the flexibility to shape it on your own terms.

Choose Your Compression Character

With IPA 25, the detector and settings stay constant, what changes is the harmonic fingerprint of the gain-reduction stage.

It’s like having four compressors in one: the same trusted envelope, with circuit-level harmonic differences that change how your mix breathes.

Swap between them instantly without upsetting your balance.

• V-Mu: Tube-inspired saturation that blooms in the low-mids and smooths sharp edges.
  
• IPA 25 (Original VCA): Punchy and precise, with just enough rounding when pushed.
• N-Diode: Asymmetrical clipping that adds grit and brings the midrange forward.
• Clean VCA: Pure envelope control when you need transparency.

Start fast with tailored presets, or dive in and audition characters instantly on your own material.

Compression That Follows The Music

In most compressors, the sidechain is an afterthought.

In IPA 25, it becomes a creative tool, letting you decide not just how much compression happens, but why.

• Punch Selector: Original NORM, MID, and LOUD modes, shifting detector focus across the spectrum
• Visual Sidechain EQ: Four flexible bands to draw exactly which frequencies drive gain reduction
• Stereo Linking: Control how and when channels share reduction: sustained levels, fast transients, or anything in between
• External Sidechain: Trigger from any source for ducking, pumping, or creative movement

With IPA 25, the detector follows the music - not the other way around.

Push Level Without Artifacts

IPA25's adaptive clipper/limiter adds density only where your mix can mask it - no fuzzy bass, no brickwall flattening.

Limiter

Uses a control-point algorithm that steps in only where overshoots occur.

Sustained lows pass untouched, while transient-rich signals gain subtle saturation naturally masked by their spectrum.

Each move resets smoothly, avoiding the flat, choked feel of conventional limiting.

Clipper

Trims spikes instantly, adding harmonic weight where it helps and preventing downstream compressors from overreacting.

Routing

Place the module where it fits your workflow:

• Pre-Comp to tame unruly spikes before compression.
• Pre-Mix to add peak control or color inside a parallel path.
• Post-Mix as a maximizer-style ceiling across the bus.
• Shape peaks without choking sustain, raise level without brickwall artifacts.

Punch or Glue - On Your Terms

Compression isn’t just about how much gain reduction happens, it’s about when. IPA 25’s timing tools let you shape the envelope with intent:

• Lookahead: Anticipates peaks, softening them before they hit for smooth, transparent limiting on dense material.
• Lookbehind: Lets the first transient through untouched, while compressing the sustain for punch and impact.
• Feedforward / Feedback: Choose whether harmonics stay in the audio path or feed into the detector itself, subtly shifting response.

Faithful Modeling, Without the CPU Tax

IPA 25 is built to slot into real sessions without compromise.

• Tracking: Zero-latency mode keeps performers in the groove.
• Mixing & Mastering: Oversampling for the highest fidelity without aliasing.
• Efficiency: Detailed at the circuit level where it matters, streamlined where it doesn't, so you get accuracy without burning CPU.
• And with real-time visuals showing exactly what’s happening in the audio path, you make critical decisions faster.