pure:comp - Audio software Sonible - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Audio Compression Plugin (VST, VST3, AU, AAX)
Brand	Sonible
Model	pure:comp
Platform	Windows 10+ (64-bit), macOS 10.12+
CPU	Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 (or higher)
RAM	4 GB minimum
OpenGL Version	3.2 or higher
License Types	Machine-based (2 computers) or iLok (USB dongle)
Demo Period	Limited time (see website for current period)
Compression Styles	Clean, Mixed, Dirty
Main Controls	Compression Strength, Style, Clarity
AI Learning	Automatic parameterization based on input signal
Soft Clipping	Enable/disable (prevents output exceeding 0 dB)
Auto Gain	Automatic output gain after learning (optional)
Tooltips	Enable/disable on hover
OpenGL	Can be disabled for compatibility
Internet Requirement	During trial and initial license activation only
Manufacturer	sonible GmbH, Haydngasse 10/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
Contact	[e-mail], [phone]

Frequently Asked Questions - pure:comp Sonible

How do I install pure:comp on macOS?

Open the .dmg file, run the purecomp.pkg installer, and follow the on-screen instructions. The plugin is automatically installed in the default AU, VST, VST3, and AAX folders.

How do I install pure:comp on Windows?

Extract the .zip file, run the installer, and follow the prompts. Default folders are VST3 (C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3), VST, and AAX.

What are the system requirements for pure:comp?

Requires Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 CPU, 4 GB RAM, Windows 10+ (64-bit) or macOS 10.12+, and OpenGL 3.2+.

How do I authorize pure:comp with a machine-based license?

Open pure:comp, click 'Register', enter your license key (received via email), and ensure internet connectivity. The plugin will activate on your computer.

How do I transfer my license to an iLok?

In your sonible user account Dashboard, click 'transfer to iLok' next to pure:comp and follow the instructions. Attach the iLok to your computer; the plugin will auto-register. Note: 1st gen iLok and iLok Cloud are not supported.

How does the AI learning feature work?

Play a relatively loud section of your track, then click the learn button. pure:comp analyzes the signal and automatically sets optimal compression parameters. You can re-learn from a different section anytime.

What do the Compression Styles do?

Clean provides transparent compression, Mixed balances clean and colored sound, and Dirty adds punch and warmth, ideal for drums and transients.

How do I adjust Compression Strength and avoid over-compression?

Use the Compression Strength slider. Higher values apply more gain reduction. If the slider enters the red section, you may be over-compressing — aim for a balance between dynamic control and natural breathing.

What is the Clarity parameter?

Clarity increases the transparency of compression, smoothing tonal imbalances to maintain consistent tonal and dynamic balance.

How do I enable soft clipping?

Go to the Settings page (cogwheel icon) and enable 'Enable soft clipping'. This ensures the output never exceeds 0 dB. Disable if using a limiter afterward.

USER MANUAL pure:comp Sonible

pure:comp

Compression, spot on

Contents

Welcome to pure:comp 3

Install 4

Authorization 5

User interface 6

Getting started 7

Fine-tuning 8

Settings page 9

3We

pure:comp is a straightforward compression plug-in to instantly control a track's dynamics – at the touch of one button.

The plug-in simplifies the process of applying compression to an instrument or voice track. With the help of sonible's award-winning intelligent algorithms, the complexity of interdependent compression parameters is concentrated into just three controls: Compression Strength, Style and Clarity. Together with sonible's signature AI learning feature and automatic parameterization, users can rely on pure:comp to deliver professional signal shaping without artifacts or overcooking.

System requirements

CPU

Intel Core i5

AppleM1

RAM

4GB

Operating systems

Windows 10+ (64 bit)

Mac OS 10.12+

OpenGL Version 3.2+

You will need admin privileges to successfully install the pure:comp plug-in.

Mac OSX

To start the installation process, please open the disk image sonible_purecomp_osx_x.x.x.dmg. This will mount the image and open a finder window showing the content of the installation package.

To install pure:comp on your system, run the installation file purecomp.pkg.

The installer will now guide you through the necessary steps to install pure:comp on your computer. pure:comp will automatically be installed in the default locations for audio plug-ins.

Default folders:

Audio Unit

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

VST

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/

VST3

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/

AAX

/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/

Windows

To start the installation process, extract the downloaded zip-file sonible_purecomp_win_x.x.x.zip onto your hard disk and run the installer.

The installer will now guide you through the necessary steps to install pure:comp on your computer. pure:comp will automatically be installed in the default locations for audio plug-ins.

Default folders:

VST3

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\

VST

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST\

AAX

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins

Licensing system

You can select between two licensing systems: machine-based or iLok (USB dongle).

By creating a user account on www.sonible.com and registering your products – if they are not already visible in your Dashboard, you can manage your plug-in activations.

Machine-based

Each license key allows you to install pure:comp on two computers with unique system IDs. These system IDs are computed during license activation.

The same license can be used by multiple users, but each user has to individually unlock the full version of pure:comp under their account.

In case a system-ID is changed (e.g. replacement of the hard drive), you can revoke/activate the plug-in next to the respective system-ID in the Dashboard of your sonible user account.

iLok

If you want to transfer one activation to your iLok, just make sure the plug-in is registered in your sonible user account. Click on the button „transfer to iLok“ next to the plug-in in your Dashboard and follow the instructions.

Note: 1st gen iLok dongles and the iLok Cloud are currently not supported.

Unlocking

If you purchased a license for pure:comp online, you receive your license key via email.

Machine-based unlocking

When opening pure:comp for the first time, a notification window will be displayed asking you to unlock pure:comp with a valid license key.

Please make sure that your computer is connected to the internet before starting the registration process. Enter your license key and click „register." The plug-in will now communicate with our server to check if the license is valid. If it is – enjoy! :)

iLok

If you transferred your license to an iLok, simply attach the iLok to your computer. The plug-in will then be automatically registered – enjoy!

If you don't receive the email within minutes please check your junk folder first before contacting our support ([e-mail]).

Trial version

To run pure:comp in demo-mode, simply click "try" and you will then be able to use pure:comp for a couple of days without any limitations. (Please refer to our website to find out more about the current demo period of pure:comp) When the demo period expires, you will need to purchase a full license in order to continue using the plug-in.

Internet connection requirements

sonible plug-ins only need an internet connection during the trial period and for initial license activation. During the trial period, the plug-in needs to go online every time it is used. Once the license of your plug-in has successfully been activated, an internet connection is no longer needed.

6Use

pure:comp is equipped with a unique learning feature that finds the right parameters for well-balanced compression results. To get started, let pure:comp learn from your signal:

1. Profile

A profile calibrates the processing of pure:comp to a specific sound source. You can always start the learning process with the "Universal" profile and switch to a more specific profile later.

2. Playback & learning

pure:comp needs an incoming audio signal for the learning process. Once the playback has started, click the green record button and let pure:comp listen to your signal.

Hint: It is recommended to let pure:comp learn from relatively loud sections of your track (e.g. the refrain). This gives the plug-in a good idea of the most critical dynamic section of the track.

3. Done!

When the learning process is finished, pure:comp automatically sets and unlocks all plug-in parameters.

Hint: If you want the plug-in to learn from a different section of your input signal, you can simply start the audio playback from there and click the learn button again.

While the intelligent processing of pure:comp allows to instantly control the dynamics of a track, the plug-in also allows you to fine-tune the results to match your sonic vision.

Style

The Style parameter determines the character of the compressor:

Clean

A clean compression style aims for a very transparent sound. It is suggested for content that should sound natural, but this style generally delivers clean compression results for a wide range of material.

Mixed

A mixed compression style leads to a good balance between a clean and dirty sound. It works well for most audio material and balances out the dynamics of a track without adding too much color.

Dirty

A dirty compression style helps to make your track sound punchy and adds a warm compression character. This style is perfect for giving drums or signals with a lot of transients the right dynamics without taking away their punch.

Compression Strength

The compression parameter allows you to control the amount of compression. The higher the value, the more compression is going to be applied. You will instantly see the impact on the waveform of the compressed signal in the signal history.

While a certain amount of gain reduction (compression) is intended when using a compressor, you should always try to go for a good balance between taming the dynamics and letting the signal breath. If you reach the red section of the slider while increasing the compression, you may be over-compressing your signal.

Clarity

The clarity parameter allows to increase the transparency of the compression process. Increasing the clarity helps to smoothen out tonal imbalances to ensure a consistent tonal as well as dynamic balance.

To visit the settings page, click the little cogwheel in the upper right corner.

Enable soft clipping

Soft clipping makes sure that the output level of your signal does not exceed 0dB. You can disable this setting if you are using a limiter (e.g. pure:limit) after the plug-in or if you want to avoid potential saturation effects caused by the soft clipper.

Enable auto gain after learning

Automatically activates the auto gain (automatic output gain) after learning. Auto gain automatically sets an output gain to compensate for the level reduction caused by compression. In most cases it's recommended to keep this setting activated.

Plug-in & Licensing information

Here you can find the name and version of your plug-in as well as the license key (when not licensed via iLok).

Update notice

When a new version of the plug-in is available, you'll receive a notification here and it's also indicated by a little dot on the cogwheel in the main view of pure:comp. Click on the green text to download the latest version.

graph TD
    A["pure:comp"] --> B["Enable soft limiter"]
    B --> C["Enable auto gain after learning"]
    C --> D["Show tooltips"]
    D --> E["Use OpenGL"]
    E --> F["Share anonymous user data with sonible"]
    F --> G["License information"]
    G --> H["License found on host machine XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX"]
    H --> I["Plugin information"]
    I --> J["pure:comp by sonible version 1.0.0 (VST)"]

Show tooltips

Enable/Disable tooltips on hover.

Use OpenGL

OpenGL might cause rendering issues on certain computer hardware. Use this option to disable OpenGL.

Share anonymous user data with sonible

Enable to share fully anonymous user data with sonible and help us improve pure:comp.

pure:comp

www.sonible.com/purecomp

sonible GmbH

Haydngasse 10/1

8010 Graz

Austria

phone: [phone]

[e-mail] spe

©2023, sonible GmbH. All rights reserved.

Engineered & designed by sonible in Austria.

www.sonible.com