Created by EDM icon Nicky Romero and Cableguys (makers of ShaperBox and HalfTime), Kickstart is probably the most popular yet easy-to-use sidechain plugin for modern producers.
It wasn’t easy to improve a modern classic such as Kickstart, but it looks like the developers did it again.
Like the original version, Kickstart 2 instantly solves the problem of clashing, muddled kick and bass. No more fiddling about with compressors – just drop it on any track to automatically duck the volume with each kick hit. All with rock-solid timing and ultra-clean response.
Version 2 allows you to go beyond 4×4 beats with the new Cableguys audio triggering that follows any kick pattern. You can use the new kick view and movable slope to lock kick and bass together like never before, and create space for your bass with the new multiband split!
Let’s now go over the features of Kickstart 2…
● Instant setup: Add Kickstart – get instant sidechain ducking with no setup,
synced to your beat, in 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or 1/1 timings.
● Big Mix knob: Quickly adjust the strength of the sidechain effect to fit your mix.
● 16 hand-crafted curves: Designed by Nicky Romero, Kickstart’s now-classic
sidechain shapes are the exact ones he uses to get tracks sounding massive in
the club.
● NEW! Movable slope: Just drag on the curve to fit your sidechain to any kick
drum, of any length. No complex editing tools required.
● NEW! Audio trigger: Kickstart can follow any kick drum pattern automatically,
using world-class audio triggering from Cableguys. No longer just for 4×4 kicks,
now you can use Kickstart for hip-hop, DnB, trap, pop and more.
● MIDI trigger: Need custom rhythms? Program any sidechain pattern in MIDI.
● NEW! Band split: Sometimes you want your sidechain loud, proud and pumping.
But what if you need that solid, locked-in bass with no audible ducking? Pro mix
engineers achieve this through “invisible” sidechaining – a secret weapon
technique where only the lowest frequencies are ducked. Now it’s built right into
Kickstart 2: just hit the Band button and your mids and treble will pass through
untouched by the sidechain.
● NEW! Kick view: See the kick and bass waveforms at the same time, on the
same display. Get your low end locked tight like never before.
● PLUS: Kickstart 2 is enhanced with a resizable interface (75-200%); VST3, AAX and
M1 Native support; and Anti-click Trigger Smoothing. And it’s even lighter on your
CPU and RAM than Kickstart 1.
Pricing:
Price: Kickstart 2, €14 / $16 |Upgrade from Kickstart 1, €5 / $5
Formats: PC VST2/VST3/AAX | Mac VST2/VST3/AU/AAX Intel & M1 Native
Check out the official website to learn more and get the plugin.
