Mix Tools
PULSEDUCK
An insert ducker, not a compressor — every hit ducks identically.
- Formats
- VST3 · AU · Standalone
- Operating system
- macOS · Universal
- Version
- v0.9.0
What it does
Drawn, not detected.
The depth of ducking is drawn as a curve rather than derived from the input's own level, so every hit ducks identically regardless of how loud the source is. That is what makes it a rhythmic tool rather than a dynamics one.
Place it on a bass, synth, pad, instrument or effects return, and it steps that signal out of the way of the kick — either the whole signal, or only the content below a crossover, so a bass can lose its sub around the kick while its harmonics and note definition stay put.
Sixteen original curves ship with it, from a near-invisible 3 dB dip to a hard gate. Or draw your own: drag the wave itself to move a control point, drag a segment to bend it, double-click to add a point, alt-click to remove one. The line follows the pointer, so the shape is drawn rather than dialled.
Key features
Three ways to decide when
Host mode runs a free-running envelope against the musical grid from host PPQ position. Sidechain mode fires one shot per detected transient from an audio onset detector. MIDI mode fires one shot per note-on, with sample-accurate offset.
Two ways to decide what
The whole signal, or only the content below a crossover.
Sixteen curves, plus your own
The handles only appear when the pointer is in the display or your own curve is in use, so the display stays clean while you are listening rather than editing.
Zero latency by default
Lookahead is off, and when engaged the plugin reports exactly the samples it uses — not a worst-case allowance held permanently. Lookahead is deliberately non-automatable: changing reported latency mid-transport is disruptive in every DAW and fatal in Pro Tools.
The crossover always runs
It costs nothing measurable, and skipping it when idle would leave stale filter state and a 25 ms settling dip on re-engage.
Session compatibility is a commitment
Parameter IDs, ranges and order are permanent, with session and preset state versioned independently of the product version and a migration path for old sessions.
The interface
Audio
Audio demos for PULSEDUCK are not published yet.
We would rather show you nothing than show you a demo that was not recorded through this plugin.
Measured
PulseDuckBenchmark · Apple Silicon · 48 kHz · 512 samples · one stereo instance
- CPU — host sync, full band
- 0.063 % of a core
- CPU — host sync, crossover split
- 0.063 %
- CPU — sidechain, everything on
- 0.078 %
- CPU — 192 kHz, everything on
- 0.328 %
- Latency by default
- 0 samples
- Allocation in processBlock
- none, in engine or plugin layer
- pluginval
- strictness 10, both formats
- auval
- passes
Figures are produced by this plugin’s own test suite and benchmark, on the hardware and sample rate named above. They are not estimates.
Controls
Trigger
- Mode
- Host, Sidechain or MIDI.
- Rate / Division
- The grid the envelope runs against in Host mode.
- Sensitivity
- Onset detection threshold in Sidechain mode.
Shape
- Curve
- Sixteen originals, or draw your own directly on the wave.
- Depth
- How far the ducking goes.
- Length
- How long the envelope takes.
Band
- Crossover
- On/off and frequency. Ducks only content below it.
- Mix
- Blend against the untouched signal.
- Lookahead
- Off by default. Non-automatable.
Technical details
- Formats
- VST3 · AU · Standalone
- Operating system
- macOS 10.13 or later
- Architecture
- Universal — Apple Silicon and Intel
- Plugin code
- Pdck
- Version
- 0.9.0
- Latency
- 0 samples by default
- CPU
- 0.063 % of one core, host sync
- Factory presets
- 17
Across five categories.
Also in these bundles
SIGNATURE TOOLS
Get PULSEDUCK as part of SIGNATURE TOOLS — 7 plugins worth £365 for £199.
£199
Save £166COMPLETE COLLECTION
Get PULSEDUCK as part of COMPLETE COLLECTION — 20 plugins worth £1,264 for £399.
£399
Save £865
