Sidechain low-end processor · Pre-release

PUNCH

Low-End Control Engine

PUNCH is a sidechain low-end processor for producers. It listens to your kick and bass, carves out the frequencies they fight over, and shows you exactly what it is doing on a live screen.

One-time purchase

$39 USD

VST3 and Audio Unit for macOS
Listen, live screen, Bus Mode and Sub Listen
10 factory presets and 7 themes
Licence for up to 3 computers
Free updates throughout version 1
14-day refund
Windows: planned

PUNCH on its Simple page in the Paper theme: kick and bass waveforms on a live screen, the dips PUNCH makes between them, genre buttons, a large LISTEN button and three knobs.

button to set it up

factory presets

themes

samples of latency by default

≈0.5%

of one M2 core by default

What is inside

From one button to every detail.

PUNCH opens on a Simple page that does the work for you. The Advanced page holds every control underneath it, and both pages always agree.

Live screen

See the dips, not just a meter.

Your real kick and bass waveforms, one above the other on the same clock, the way they look in a playlist. A line between them falls every time PUNCH cuts.

Listen

Press once. PUNCH does the setup.

LISTEN hears both tracks for about 6 seconds of audio, works out which one is the kick, finds where they clash, aims the ducking there and sets the sub balance.

Genre

Compare genres without listening again.

Each genre sets a ducking feel and a sub target. After a LISTEN you can click through them, and the balance changes at once.

One track or bus

Put it where it suits your session.

Run PUNCH on the bass with the kick on its sidechain, or use Bus Mode so one PUNCH carries both signals and plays them together.

Sub Listen

Check the sub on its own.

One button lets you hear only what is below 120 Hz, so you can judge whether the sub is clean, in tune and balanced.

Advanced

Everything underneath, when you want it.

A low-end analyser sits above Low-End Match, a Transient shaper, Dynamic EQ, Phase Control and Saturation, with Kick First, Bass First, Adaptive and Manual modes.

Genres

Start from the feel of your track.

Leave it on Auto and LISTEN decides from what it hears, or pick a genre and the ducking takes that feel straight away. These are starting points, and everything stays editable.

Auto

LISTEN decides from what it hears in your track.

Hip-Hop

A starting point for sampled drums and bass lines.

Trap

For long 808s under a hard kick.

EDM

For a kick that leads the whole mix.

House

For a steady four-on-the-floor pump.

Drum & Bass

For fast breaks over a heavy sub.

Pop

For a controlled, balanced low end.

Customize

Make it yours.

PUNCH comes with 7 themes that change the look of the whole interface, never the sound.

Theme

Compatibility

What has been tested.

Host	Format	Status
FL StudiomacOS	macOS	TestedSidechain on one track worked in hands-on testing. Bus routing and Sub Listen have not been tried there yet.
Logic ProAudio Unit	Audio Unit	Format validatedPasses Apple's AU validator. Not yet tested inside Logic Pro.
Ableton LiveVST3 or AU	VST3 or AU	Testing plannedHands-on testing still to do.
CubaseVST3	VST3	Testing plannedHands-on testing still to do.
Studio OneVST3	VST3	Testing plannedHands-on testing still to do.
ReaperVST3 or AU	VST3 or AU	Testing plannedHands-on testing still to do.

Supported formats

macOS: VST3 and Audio Unit (AU)
Windows: PlannedWindows is not available yet.

System requirements

macOS version: macOS 11 or laterBuild target. To be confirmed on the signed release.
Mac processor: Apple SiliconMeasured on Apple M2. A real Intel Mac has not been tested.
Windows: Planned
Disk space: Under 100 MB

Technical

Inputs: Main input plus a sidechain input
Sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 and 192 kHz tested
Latency: 0 samples by default. 49 samples at 2x and 61 at 4x oversampling, reported to the host
CPU: About 0.5% of one Apple M2 core by default, and 1.7% with every module on at 4x
Window size: Resizable

Licensing

License details.

Activation method: Serial number, to be added before release
Licence type: Perpetual licence for one person
Computers per customer: Up to 3
Updates policy: Free updates throughout version 1

Read the EULA

Releases

Versions.

v1.0.0To be announced

First public release, in preparation.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

What is PUNCH?

A sidechain low-end processor. It helps your kick and bass share the low end by ducking one for the other at the frequencies where they clash, and it shows you each dip on a live screen.

Do I need to set up a sidechain?

Yes for the main job, because PUNCH needs to hear both the kick and the bass. Four factory presets for drums need no sidechain.

Does it work on one track or on a bus?

Both. On one track, PUNCH sits on the bass or the kick and hears the other through the sidechain. In Bus Mode, one PUNCH carries both signals. Bus Mode still needs them on two separate inputs, because a kick and bass already mixed into one signal can't be pulled apart cleanly.

What DAWs does it support?

PUNCH is built as VST3 and Audio Unit plugins. So far, sidechain use on one track has been tried by hand in FL Studio on a Mac, and the compatibility table on this page shows exactly what has been checked.

Is it available for Windows and macOS?

PUNCH is being prepared for macOS. Windows is planned and is not available yet.

Is the purchase a one-time payment?

Yes. PUNCH is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.

All questions

Make your kick and bass work together.

PUNCH, Low-End Control Engine.

See pricing