EzSqueeze

Inspiration Music creators especially students, indie artists, and small producers deserve access to professional‑grade tools without the price tag or complexity of big‑name plugins. Most compressors are either too clinical or too cryptic. I wanted something that felt musical, looked modern, and delivered real sonic character without requiring an audio engineering degree.

EzSqueeze was born from that gap: a citrus‑themed, liquid‑glass compressor that blends modern DSP with vintage‑inspired tone shaping approachable, fun, and genuinely powerful.

What it does EzSqueeze is a next‑generation dynamics processor designed to give creators polished, mix‑ready sound with minimal friction.

Core capabilities Peak & RMS detection with program‑dependent release

Dual‑stage compression (FET-fast + Opto-slow) for punch and smooth leveling

Cloud‑Gain preamp with Silicon / Tube / Transformer character

Transient sculptor (Snap, Body, De‑Snap)

Vibe Wheel to glide from clean transparency to vintage warmth

Lookahead, M/S processing, sidechain filters, oversampling, and eco mode

Modern UI with citrus liquid‑glass theme, scalable interface, and full accessibility

Preset browser, A/B snapshots, undo/redo, and comprehensive metering

It’s built to be the “one‑stop compressor” for vocals, drums, buses, and even mastering.

(Features sourced from the EzSqueeze README. )

How we built it EzSqueeze is built on a modern, modular audio‑plugin architecture:

DSP & Audio Engine Implemented using HISE as the primary development environment

C++17‑compatible DSP modules for compression, saturation, and transient shaping

Polyphase oversampling filters for clean high‑frequency processing

Sample‑accurate automation and click‑free bypassing

UI & UX Custom “citrus liquid‑glass” theme inspired by Apple’s design language

Scalable vector UI, keyboard navigation, and accessibility‑first layout

Real‑time meters with peak hold and history trails

Project Infrastructure Repository overhaul with professional tooling

Roadmap‑driven development (Phase 0 → Phase 8)

Future JUCE export pipeline planned via CMake

(Architecture and roadmap sourced from the GitHub repo. )

Challenges we ran into HISE project restructuring: Migrating to a clean, scalable project layout required rewriting assets, scripts, and presets.

Dual‑stage compressor design: Balancing FET punch with Opto smoothness without phase issues took significant iteration.

UI performance: Achieving a glassy, animated interface while keeping CPU usage low required careful optimization.

Cross‑platform considerations: Preparing for macOS + Windows builds meant planning for different compilers, paths, and plugin formats.

Oversampling efficiency: High‑quality oversampling can be expensive designing polyphase filters that stay light was a challenge.

Accomplishments that we're proud of A fully restructured, professional‑grade repository ready for long‑term development

A feature‑rich compressor design that rivals commercial plugins

A unique visual identity citrus‑glass UI that stands out in a sea of dark, metallic plugin skins

A clear, multi‑phase roadmap that makes EzSqueeze feel like a real product, not just a hackathon prototype

Building a tool that indie creators can actually use and enjoy

What we learned How to architect a scalable audio plugin project from the ground up

Deep DSP concepts: detector circuits, gain smoothing, oversampling, and transient shaping

UI/UX principles for audio tools clarity, feedback, and accessibility matter as much as sound

The importance of documentation, tooling, and roadmap planning

How to balance creative design with technical constraints

What’s next for EzSqueeze Complete DSP implementation of all compression and coloration modules

JUCE export pipeline for VST3/AU builds

Factory presets for vocals, drums, guitars, and mastering

AI‑assisted “Auto Sweet Spot” mode to help beginners find optimal settings

Public beta release for macOS and Windows

Community feedback loop via GitHub Issues and Discussions

EzSqueeze is just getting started the foundation is solid, and the next phases will bring it to life as a polished, creator‑friendly audio plugin.

Built With

• claude
• cursor
• hise