Soundtoys Devil-Loc – Deluxe Audio Level Destroyer Compressor Plugin (ELECTRONIC LICENCE DOWNLOAD)

OVERVIEW

Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe takes the brutally aggressive spirit of the 1960s Shure Level-Loc limiter and pushes it into modern creative territory. Known for turning drums into thunder, rooms into chaos, and mixes into explosive walls of sound, Devil-Loc adds its own brand of gritty, destructive compression that engineers have adored for decades. The Deluxe version expands the original plug-in with essential controls: Darkness for sculpting tone, selectable fast/slow release options for shaping movement, and a mix knob for perfectly balanced parallel destruction.

Whether you want earth-shaking drum room sounds, crushed lo-fi loops, sizzling vocals, or subtle harmonic grit, Devil-Loc Deluxe gives you the tools to push your tracks to the edge – or straight off the cliff. It even includes the original two-knob Devil-Loc for instant, no-nonsense crunch. From modern rock to cinematic sound design, this is the evil that makes your mixes sound dangerously good.

Note: Delivered as an ELECTRONIC LICENCE DOWNLOAD – no physical product.

“HOLY CRAP!!! JUST PUT IT ON THE MIX BUS AND IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!!” — Joe Barresi (Melvins, Tool, Weezer, L7)

 

“Devil-Loc is the most fun, useful and inspiring audio destruction plug-in I’ve come across since Decapitator came out. Totally addictive.” — Fabrice “Fab” Dupont (Jennifer Lopez, Santigold, Brazilian Girls, Sean Lennon)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Extreme Compression for Huge Drums:

Deliver explosive, oversized drum and room tones with gritty, aggressive character.

Mix Knob for Perfect Parallel Grit:

Blend dry and destroyed signals to taste, without routing or extra tracks.

Darkness Tone Shaping:

Roll off crunchy highs and warm up the sound for deeper, darker saturation.

Fast & Slow Release Options:

Choose your release time to control movement, energy, and creative impact.

FEATURES

• Inspired by the iconic 1960s Shure Level-Loc brick-wall limiter

• Extreme, aggressive compression for massive drum and room sounds

• Deluxe version adds Darkness tone control

• Switchable fast/slow release times for additional shaping

• Mix knob for built-in parallel compression

• Ideal for drums, room mics, lo-fi loops, vocals, guitars, and sound design

• Includes both Devil-Loc Deluxe and the original two-knob Devil-Loc

• Capable of subtle crunch or full-on destructive leveling

• Loved by producers for gritty, dirty, unusual compression effects

• Apple Silicon & VST3 compatible

• Formats: AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST2, VST3, AU (64-bit)

• Supports sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz

• Compatible with major DAWs: Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Logic, Nuendo, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig

• macOS 10.15+ and Windows 10+ required (not compatible with ARM-based Windows)

• Internet connection required for activation

TECHNICAL SPECS

Current Version: 5.5

Apple Silicon and VST 3 Compatible

Plug-in Formats (64-bit only):

• AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST 2, VST 3, and Audio Units (AU)

Supported Sample Rates:

• Minimum: 44.1 kHz, Maximum: 192 kHz

System Requirements:

• Operating systems: Mac OS X 10.14 or later; Windows 10 or later.
• Not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines.
• An internet connection is required at the time of activation.

Supported Hosts:

• Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig
• Full list of compatible host applications is listed below.

DOWNLOAD MANUAL

COMPATIBILITY

Officially Supported Host Applications

All version 5 Soundtoys products come in 64-bit VST, AU and AAX Native plug-in formats. Here is a list of our officially supported host applications.

• Pro Tools: 2020 or higher (Mac & PC: AAX Native and AudioSuite)
• Logic Pro X: 10.7 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits)
• Ableton Live: 11.0 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Studio One: 5 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Cubase: 12 or higher (Mac & PC: VST3)
• Nuendo: 12 or higher (Mac & PC: VST3)
• Reaper: 7 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Bitwig Studio: 5 or higher (Mac & PC: VST2 & VST3)
• FL Studio: 2025.1 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)

Officially Supported Operating Systems

• OS X 10.15 or higher*
• Windows 10 or higher*

* Apple Silicon & VST 3 Info:

VST3 support is available for both Windows and macOS, and offers native compatibility with both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M-series) and Intel processors.

Soundtoys will continue to support both VST3 and VST2 formats for all products for the time being. This update is free for all users with Soundtoys version 5 or later plug-ins.

Log in to your Soundtoys account and download the installers here or on our downloads page.

Known Issues and Notes

• In Digital Performer 11, discrete parameters behave incorrectly for VST3. Soundtoys recommend using VST2 or AU in Digital Performer 11 until the issue can be resolved.
• Some hosts will automatically replace VST2 plug-ins in sessions with matching VST3 versions, depending on the DAW and your DAW preferences. The Soundtoys VST3 versions are fully interchangeable with their VST2 counterparts, but not all hosts implement this feature of VST3.

Note about DAW / Computer Support

Sountoys cannot guarantee support if you are using a supported host platform listed above on an operating system or computer that is not supported by the host platform itself. Please visit your DAW’s website or manual to ensure you are using a compatible system.

If your DAW is not on the list above or if your supported DAW version is older than what’s listed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that our plug-ins won’t work. It just means that it has not been tested. If something goes wrong with an unsupported DAW, you are welcome to write to support, but Soundtoys cannot guarantee a solution. They currently recommend using their free trial with your host to confirm compatibility on your computer.

32-Bit Plug-in Support

With the release of 5.3.2, Soundtoys have officially discontinued support for 32-bit plug-ins. With macOS Catalina requiring all applications to be 64-bit, and with the vast majority of our PC customers using 64-bit plug-ins, they decided it was the right time to end 32-bit support. Their most recent 32-bit installers are available to download below.

Download Soundtoys 5.3.2 for Windows (32-bit)

Download Soundtoys 5.3.1 for Mac (32-bit)

Download Windows 32-Bit Installers for Individual Plug-ins

Hardware Support

Soundtoys 5 is not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines.