API 2500

Versatile vintage compressor with switchable topologies

Excellent on Everything.
Glorious on Drums, Bass, and Your Stereo Bus.

In studios around the world, the API 2500 has earned a reputation for always being able to deliver the right solution for virtually any compression need. Based on precise, accurate VCA-type technology, the API 2500 is all about choice—including compressor topologies, punch, and tone.

A modern classic, the API 2500 has now been discovered by a new generation of modern producers in hip hop, pop/R&B, dance, and rock, who treasure the punchy vibe that brings drums and grooves to life.

Modeled in close collaboration with API
Official emulation of the famed API bus compressor
Shape gut-punching bass with API’s proprietary Thrust option
Glue your groups, especially drum buses, or your entire stereo mix
Added Mix control for easy parallel compression
Choose vintage feedback or modern feedforward design
Fixed or variable release time, up to 3 seconds
3 optimized knee curves—clamp down hard, or compress gently
Shape energy with variable L/R linking, from 50% to 100%
7 attack options, from super-fast 0.03 ms up to 30 ms
Additional infinity:1 ratio provides limiting as well as compression
Tie the stereo linkage to frequency ranges

Watch It in Action

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What Top Pros Are Saying

[{"itemID":1947,"itemGUID":"7dca9a21-2fd4-4f44-8351-374273cf5f6e","artistName":"Mark Ronson","artistTitle":"Producer, DJ, Recording Artist","credits":"Amy Winehouse, Jay-Z, Adele, Bruno Mars","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/mark-ronson.png","quote":"The API plugins are great for getting an analog sensibility. And the CLA-3A makes everything a little tougher and the mix a little more centered \u2013 that\u2019s what I used on \u2018Uptown Funk.\u2019","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":1},{"itemID":268,"itemGUID":"52d18e6d-f6ed-46ba-a2da-7b3ecf4c57b5","artistName":"Howard \u0022Howie\u0022 Lindeman","artistTitle":"Live and Studio Engineer","credits":"Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole, Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/howard-lindeman.png","quote":"The Waves API 2500 tightens up the kick drum and makes it punch like no other plugin on the market. It is my 100% go-to plugin for kick drum.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":2},{"itemID":2041,"itemGUID":"dab4e6a0-0add-4085-9b88-fe7e71b9f13f","artistName":"Mike Patton","artistTitle":"Singer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Film Composer, Producer","credits":"Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantomas","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/mike-patton.png","quote":"I use this plugin to excite a droopy vocal in the mids/highs, or remove unwanted girth on low-end bass and drums. It has the \u2018teeth\u2019 you would expect from API.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":3},{"itemID":2414,"itemGUID":"3b188958-b658-47b6-8208-afad44c42d28","artistName":"Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL)","artistTitle":"Composer, Musician, Producer","credits":"Mortal Engines, Tomb Raider, Deadpool, Mad Max: Fury Road","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/tom-holkenborg.png","quote":"This is my compressor of choice. The attack and release work so musically that I use it on everything. I love the color. I love the crunch when you really beef it up. It\u0027s on all my drums, basses, strings, brass, vocals. You can\u2019t go wrong with this one.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":4},{"itemID":40,"itemGUID":"13924f14-102f-4f53-a4a1-3fa9aee23ae7","artistName":"Gil Norton","artistTitle":"Producer","credits":"Foo Fighters, Pixies, Stornoway","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/gil-norton.png","quote":"I\u2019m amazed at how accurate the API Collection plugins are.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":5},{"itemID":2086,"itemGUID":"4e52650d-2e36-425b-b5a6-bafda95716a0","artistName":"Carlos de la Garza","artistTitle":"Producer, Mixing \u0026 Recording Engineer","credits":"Paramore, Young the Giant, Wolf Alice, Ziggy Marley","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/avatar-male.png","quote":"The API 2500 typically makes an important appearance on my drum buss.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":6},{"itemID":247,"itemGUID":"ccecd379-85d8-49b6-8596-f5f7677f49e8","artistName":"Todd Parker","artistTitle":"Recording \u0026 Mixing Engineer","credits":"Norah Jones, Weezer, AFI","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/avatar-male.png","quote":"There\u2019s a reason the original hardware is a classic, and Waves got it spot-on with their API plugins.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":7},{"itemID":250,"itemGUID":"fab15a40-4f20-4bcf-a1e8-5093dd5889e7","artistName":"Guy Sigsworth","artistTitle":"Producer","credits":"Bj\u00F6rk, Madonna, Seal","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/guy-sigsworth.png","quote":"The key reason I reach for my API plugins is because they\u2019re \u2018vibey.\u2019 This is largely down to the way Waves have modeled the coloration of the original circuitry.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":8},{"itemID":2421,"itemGUID":"73d709aa-82fa-4348-932f-e0298d551fa9","artistName":"Amanda Davis","artistTitle":"FOH Engineer, Production Manager","credits":"Janelle Mon\u00E1e, Tegan \u0026 Sara, Nipsey Hussle, Olivia Newton-John","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/amanda-davis.png","quote":"I use the API 2500 on my L/R buss and it just brings my mixes to life. It also really helps when I have a dB limit.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":9},{"itemID":259,"itemGUID":"4acbcfba-74ed-4517-a59d-b60d6c986396","artistName":"Chris \u0022BRX\u0022 Apfalter","artistTitle":"FOH Engineer","credits":"Kruder \u0026amp; Dorfmeister, Tosca","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/chris-brx-apfalter.png","quote":"I use the API plugins as master plugins on the entire mix in order to make it crispier and get more punch.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":10},{"itemID":2472,"itemGUID":"0248aa90-820b-487e-ab9d-e0dc22145ae7","artistName":"Titus Woodham","artistTitle":"FOH Engineer, Audio Systems Engineer","credits":"Future, Snoop Dogg, Nas","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/titus-woodham.png","quote":"The API 2500 is perfect \u2018mix glue\u201D for parallel compression on drum groups. Such a versatile buss compressor.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":11},{"itemID":2715,"itemGUID":"5634e459-3e77-440f-a1dc-0b26ce254fe8","artistName":"David Choi","artistTitle":"Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Vocal Director","credits":"Stanley Clarke, BoA, Taemin, YB","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/david-choi.png","quote":"API 2500 Compressor is one of my favorite plugins to use on the mix bus, it glues everything like magic!","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":12},{"itemID":2891,"itemGUID":"79579e38-82be-4413-b71d-e5fefc20e6ec","artistName":"SUR","artistTitle":"Artist, Producer, Engineer","credits":"SUR, Billy Porter, Fire in the Hamptons","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/sur.png","quote":"I love using a combination of the API 2500, Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter and the CLA Unplugged to get a crisp acoustic guitar tone to cut through the mix.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":13},{"itemID":2928,"itemGUID":"10facc0f-1840-4ee4-930b-1efbcb81d670","artistName":"Nathan Navarro","artistTitle":"Bassist, Artist, Producer, Content Creator","credits":"Nathan Navarro, Devin Townsend, Mike Clink, Sylvia Massey","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/nathan-navarro.png","quote":"The Waves API 2500 Compressor has found its way onto every one of my bass tracks since the day I discovered it. It has rich hi-mid harmonic texture, keeps the lo-mids warm and the bass present and clear.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":14},{"itemID":3167,"itemGUID":"d16a58a7-0620-43a9-a9bf-767ebdab08ff","artistName":"Anthony Jones","artistTitle":"Tracking/Mixing Engineer, Producer, Turntablist DJ","credits":"Queen Latifah, George Clinton, Foogiano, Pooh Shiesty","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/anthony-jones.png","quote":"My tip for super-punchy drums: Put API 2500 on a kick or snare, Attack set to 1, 4:1 Ratio, .05 Release, Tone = Hard Knee, Type = Old, threshold set to taste.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":16},{"itemID":3521,"itemGUID":"59c08d52-911d-4d01-a896-eec13a8eaf6e","artistName":"Kolton Lee","artistTitle":"Mixer, Producer, Recording Engineer","credits":"You Me At Six, Daughtry, Moon Taxi, Kaleo","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/kolton_lee.jpg","quote":"The API 2500 has been a vital component on my mix bus for years. It\u2019s an elegant way to add height and harmonics to any mix.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":9999}]

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Add API Punch and Energy to
Your Subgroups and Stereo Bus

Dual Compressor Topologies: Modern vs. Vintage
Choose the precision and snappy response of modern feedforward compressors, or the smooth, leveling-amp sound of vintage feedback compressors. With the API 2500, you—not the compressor—makes the choice.
Thrust the Bass
The proprietary Thrust option is the secret to the 2500’s killer kicks and booming basses. Choose one of two ways to decrease low-frequency pumping, while boosting high-frequency compression.
Shape Energy with Variable L/R Linking
A simple stereo link switch isn’t good enough for the 2500. Choose the amount of inter-channel linking, from 50 to 100%—and use highpass, lowpass, or bandpass filtering to exclude certain frequencies from linking.
Analog Character—and More
Even when bypassed, switch on Analog for true analog sound. Hit the 2500 hard for clipping effects that increase punch without compression—or when compressing, turn up makeup gain for clipping and saturation.
Play Nice… or Play Nasty
Use the soft knee and feedback mode for bus-style compression that glues a mix together, or speed up the attack, use feedforward compression, kick in Thrust, and set a hard knee to fire up a track with drums or bass.
Declare Your Independence
The left and right channels have independent RMS detectors. This not only supports the API 2500’s innovative linkage feature, but allows unlinking them so compression in one channel isn’t affected by the other’s input.
The API Stamp of Approval
API’s reputation for quality is one reason why the API 2500 has become such an iconic compressor. To ensure modeling accuracy down to the finest nuance, Waves worked in close collaboration with API.
Premium Presets
39 presets cover mastering and a wide variety of instruments, with contributions from famed mixers like Steve Lillywhite, Tony Maserati, and Ross Hogarth.