Kern Audio has announced the release of the fifth plugin in its lineup of single-purpose audio tools for music producers. A three-character compressor, Push is designed to sit before, not replace, a final compressor.
SETTLE provides slow bus glue in the SSL G-Bus tradition. TIGHT is fast transient grip in the 1176 fast-mode tradition. DRIFT is slow opto breath in the LA-2A tradition. Each character is hand-tuned via blind A/B against reference compressors. No AI, no neural networks, no learned parameter selection.
All KERN plugins cap at five user-facing knobs. PUSH commits to that constraint across all three characters: AMOUNT, SPEED, FOCUS, MIX, plus a CHARACTER selector. The internal compression curves are decisions the developer made, not parameters pushed onto the user.
Push features
- Three characters, one per workflow: SETTLE glues the bus, TIGHT holds transients, DRIFT lifts quiet detail. Different gain computer, timing, and coloring per character. They sound different, not just look different.
- 40 ERB frequency bands: Dynamics mapped to the same critical bands your ear resolves. Not four arbitrary crossover points. 40 perceptually spaced bands following how you actually hear.
- Magnitude-only processing: Gain is applied to magnitude only. Phase stays untouched. No smearing, no comb filtering, no crossover artifacts.
- Upward compression per band: DRIFT lifts ambience, room tone, sustain tails, and high-frequency air without pumping up low-frequency mud. Upward compression per band, not a single broadband lift.
Push for Windows and Mac (VST3 and AU) is priced $29 USD. The four-plugin Kern bundle (Smooth, Warm, Wide and Push) is available for the launch price of $59 USD through May 25th, 2026 (regular $69 USD). Existing bundle owners receive Push for free in their downloads.
More information: Kern Audio
