TDR Kotelnikov Explained: Every Control, Free vs GE, and a Settings Chart for the Mix Bus and Master

The short answer: TDR Kotelnikov is a free wideband stereo compressor from Tokyo Dawn Labs, built for clean compression on the mix bus and the master. Its trick is two detectors working at once: an RMS path, set by Threshold and Release RMS, for the sustained level, and a peak path, set Peak Crest dB above it with its own Attack and Release Peak, for transients. Whichever path asks for more gain reduction takes control, so a drum hit can recover fast while a bassline recovers slowly. For a mix bus or master, start where TDR's own manual points: a ratio between 1.5:1 and 3.0:1, Peak Crest between 3 and 8 dB, Release Peak between 25 and 100 ms and Release RMS above 150 ms, with Low Freq Relax on so the kick doesn't drive it, then lower Threshold to 1 to 2 dB of gain reduction. The free version runs as VST2, VST3, AU and AAX on Windows and macOS, so it loads in Pro Tools too. The paid Gentleman's Edition (GE) adds an external sidechain, a loudness-matched bypass, a frequency dependent ratio and extra quality modes; the compressor you get for free is the same design.

Compression is on every vocal, drum bus, and master on my releases (Sony, Universal, Ultra, Dim Mak, 50M+ streams), usually in small stages across two or three compressors rather than one working hard. The settings below are the starting points I'd give anyone opening Kotelnikov for the first time, then you adjust by ear. Kotelnikov is free and there are no affiliate links on this page. I sell mastering chains, disclosed at the end; none of them uses Kotelnikov.

What Kotelnikov is

Tokyo Dawn Labs (TDR) makes most of its plugins in two versions, which its FAQ describes as "a completely free standard edition, and an enhanced 'Gentleman's Edition.'" Kotelnikov is the compressor in that lineup, next to TDR Nova, the free dynamic EQ. The free version's product page lists version 1.6.7 at the time of writing; GE is numbered separately.

It's built to stay out of the way. TDR describes it as "perfectly suited to stereo bus compression as well as other critical applications," and the manual explains why it stays clean: only the compressed part of the signal is oversampled, the gain cell runs at 88.2 kHz or higher, and when there's no gain reduction the plugin is bit transparent. It isn't a color compressor. If you want the sound of a console or a tube, that's a different tool, compared in the best compressor plugins.

Get it from tokyodawn.net, where the free download links sit on the product page, or through TDR's own Collector app. Nowhere else.

The two detectors (why it sounds clean)

Most compressors use one detector with one attack and one release. Kotelnikov runs two, per the manual:

• The RMS path reacts to the sustained level. Threshold sets the RMS level where compression starts. Release RMS sets how fast gain recovers after sustained gain reduction, and it slows itself down automatically, freezing during pauses so the compressor doesn't pump back up in a gap. The RMS path's attack is much slower than the peak path's, and TDR's knowledge base calls it the truly clean path.
• The peak path reacts to transients. Peak Crest sets its threshold relative to the main Threshold, Attack sets how fast it grabs, and Release Peak sets how quickly gain recovers after short overloads.

"The section generating the highest reduction at a specific point in time takes control of the whole compression action," in the manual's words. That's how a single drum peak can recover quickly while a sustained bassline or pad recovers slowly, which is the job one release knob can't do.

Peak Crest is the control that decides the character. Full left disables the RMS path, full right disables the peak path. TDR's knowledge base gives the map: below about 2 dB is an aggressive style, 2 to 8 dB is the sweet spot for fast, tight compression, and above 8 dB is very smooth. The manual adds that Peak Crest above 3 dB keeps tonal content virtually free of distortion.

Every control in the free version

TDR doesn't publish ranges or defaults for most knobs, so where the table gives a number, it's from TDR's manual or product page.

Two practical notes. TDR's 2020 manual lists the latency as 184 samples at 48 kHz or below (8 samples at higher rates), and the current build shows it under Settings > Processing; your DAW's delay compensation handles it, but it matters if you blend Kotelnikov against a dry copy on a send. And treat the plugin window as the authority: TDR's manuals for the two editions share some text, so the product pages are the clearer source on what each edition includes.

Kotelnikov vs Kotelnikov GE

GE is paid, with a demo in which, per TDR, automatic recall is blocked; check tokyodawn.net for the current price, since TDR runs sales. For bus glue and mastering, the free version is enough: the features GE adds are about workflow (the loudness-matched bypass), routing (the external sidechain) and fine control, not a better-sounding compressor. The best mastering plugins lists Kotelnikov GE as a paid glue pick for that reason.

Kotelnikov settings chart, by job

Starting points. The first two rows lean on TDR's own recommendations for full mixes; the rest are general starting points for those jobs. Set the final amount by ear, at matched level.

TDR's manual says faster release settings suit particularly dynamic material like solo drums, percussion and acapellas, which is why the last rows run quicker than the first two. TDR's knowledge base also suggests a parallel route that never touches the dry signal's level: set Dry Mix to 0 dB and bring in subtle amounts of compression with Makeup.

How to set up Kotelnikov on a mix bus

1. Download it from tokyodawn.net or TDR Collector and install the format your DAW uses. Free-plugin mirrors are how adware gets installed; the Camel Crusher story is the cautionary tale.
2. Insert it on the mix bus, or before the limiter on a master. On a master it's the glue stage in a mastering chain, after the cleanup EQ.
3. Set Quality to Precise and check that Process target is on Stereo.
4. Set the shape first: Ratio 1.5:1 to 2:1, Peak Crest around 6 dB, Release Peak around 50 ms, Release RMS around 200 ms.
5. Turn on Low Freq Relax at the 3 dB/octave slope, so the kick and sub don't trigger all the compression.
6. Lower Threshold while the loudest section plays until the Gain Control meter shows 1 to 2 dB.
7. Set Attack by ear. Slow it until the kick and snare punch through again, then stop.
8. Press Delta for a few seconds. You should hear mostly transient edges and loud moments. If you hear the whole song, it's working too hard.
9. Match the level with Makeup and compare against Bypass. The free version doesn't match loudness for you, and louder always sounds better at first; how to use reference tracks shows the loudness-matching step.
10. Adjust Stereo Sensitivity if the image shifts when one side gets loud: lower Diff toward a sum link for a steadier image.

Mixing into a light bus compressor from early on, then mastering as a separate step, is the workflow in the Ableton mix bus chain and the Pro Tools mix bus chain; Kotelnikov can take the stock compressor's slot in either.

Kotelnikov vs other bus compressors

The difference between Kotelnikov and the console-style picks is the sound of the compression itself: the VCA designs add a familiar punch and a little color, and Kotelnikov tries to add nothing. If the mix already has the color you want, that's the one to reach for. Every other free pick, from Klanghelm DC1A to MJUC jr, is in the best compressor plugins, and the rest of the free kit, Nova and Kotelnikov included, in the best free plugins for music production.

Mistakes that make Kotelnikov pump

• A ratio and a threshold doing mastering's whole job. On a master, 1 dB of glue is plenty. The limiter makes it loud; the best limiter plugins covers that stage.
• Peak Crest at zero on a full mix. Low Peak Crest is the aggressive end, and the manual recommends staying above 3 dB for tonal content.
• Low Freq Relax off on a bass-heavy mix. The kick ducks the whole song. Turn it on at 3 dB/octave.
• Release RMS too short on a full mix. Short sustained releases on bass and pads read as pumping or distortion. TDR recommends above 150 ms for full mixes.
• Judging it louder. Match Makeup to the bypassed level every time; the free version has no equal loudness bypass to do it for you.
• Expecting a sidechain input. The external sidechain is GE only. To duck a bass under the kick, use your DAW's compressor; the best sidechain plugins has the stock routes.
• Using it to fix the mix. If Kotelnikov is cutting 4 dB on the master, the problem belongs on a channel, and what dynamic range is explains what you're giving away.

Where I land (and the disclosure)

Kotelnikov earns its place on the short list of free plugins worth installing: it's clean at small amounts, the dual release solves a real problem, and the free version does the bus and master job without the upgrade. Use it at 1 to 2 dB, with Low Freq Relax on, and spend your time on the balance before it.

My own chains don't use it. Every one of my Ultimate Master Chains has its glue stage already set: Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor in the Plugin Alliance chain, the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor in the Waves chain, Vintage Compressor in the Ozone chain, Glue Compressor in the Ableton chain and Compressor in the Logic chain, each gain-staged into the stages after it. I'm biased; Kotelnikov in the glue slot of a well-built chain does the same job.

Quick answers

Is TDR Kotelnikov free? Yes. The standard edition is free from tokyodawn.net or TDR Collector, in VST2, VST3, AU and AAX for Windows and macOS, Apple Silicon included. Kotelnikov GE is the paid Gentleman's Edition.

What is the difference between Kotelnikov and Kotelnikov GE? The compressor is the same design. GE adds an external sidechain, equal loudness bypass and output trimming, a frequency dependent ratio, a gain reduction limit, Yin and Yang harmonics, an Inertia timing mode, an advanced stereo link, a continuously variable Low Freq Relax slope, and Insane and Live quality modes.

What are the best TDR Kotelnikov settings for mastering? Ratio around 1.5:1, Peak Crest 6 dB or more, Release Peak 25 to 100 ms, Release RMS above 150 ms, Low Freq Relax on at 3 dB/octave, and Threshold set for about 1 dB of gain reduction on the loudest section, with Makeup matched to bypass.

Does TDR Kotelnikov have a sidechain? Only an internal one in the free version: Low Freq Relax filters the low end out of the detector so the kick triggers less compression. The external sidechain input, for ducking one track from another, is a GE feature.