Free sidechain ducking plugin

Pulse Ducker

Tempo-synced ducking.
Your curves. Your sound.

FreeVersion 1.3.0

Download for macOS

Download for Windows

Download for Linux (Beta)

Installation & updates Version history

Version 1.3.0 adds Invert: reverse the volume envelope for rhythmic opening and gating. Free for new and existing users.

Pulse Ducker 1.3.0 with Invert, user presets, an editable envelope, lookahead and live sidechain waveforms. — Pulse Ducker 1.3.0 · LightDarkClick to enlarge

macOS: Universal · VST3 + AU
Windows: 64-bit · VST3
Linux (Beta): x86-64 · VST3
License: Free for any use

Shape your signal

Movement, under control.

Make room around a kick drum, add rhythmic pumping to pads, or reduce low-end overlap with a free sidechain ducking plugin. Choose a volume curve and sync it to your session, or trigger it from MIDI or audio.

Invert the envelope

Switch on Invert beside the sync label to reverse the volume envelope. Use it with audio, MIDI or Host triggering for rhythmic opening and gating, with Depth setting the closed level. Your existing presets and sessions keep Invert off.

Look ahead, when you need it

Add up to 20 ms of lookahead to catch the start of a transient. It defaults to 0 ms with no added latency. Drag the readout up or down, or double-click to type a value.

Shape it on the screen

Drag the left endpoint for Depth, the curve for Slope, or the return point for Length. The knobs follow your edits, with a temporary guide showing exactly where the curve returns.

Save your own presets

Save every processing setting with the floppy-disk button and recall it from User Presets in any project. Modified settings show an asterisk, so you know when something has changed.

Tempo-synced pumping

Lock ducking to the host grid without setting up a sidechain.

16 ducking curves

From smooth pumping to sharp gated shapes, with length and slope controls to make them yours.

MIDI retrigger

Restart the curve from any MIDI note for precisely placed movement.

Audio triggering

Trigger from the input or a sidechain feed using an adjustable threshold.

Full or low band

Shape the whole signal, or duck below the crossover while leaving the top end untouched.

Fine-tune the shape

Dial in depth, mix, length, slope, threshold, crossover and output gain.

Resize to fit

Drag the bottom-right corner to scale the interface from 80–160%, keeping every control in proportion.

Light, dark or system

Use the bottom-left appearance control to choose Light, Dark or System, which follows your computer’s appearance setting.

Pulse Ducker interface in its alternate appearance — Dark modeLight mode

Get started

Installation & updates

macOS Universal installer · VST3 + AU

Close your DAW and open the downloaded installer.
Follow the installer steps. It installs Pulse Ducker into the system VST3 and Audio Units folders.
Restart your DAW, or rescan plugins, and load Pulse Ducker on an audio track.

Windows 64-bit VST3

Close your DAW and unzip the download.
Copy the Pulse Ducker.vst3 folder into C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3.
Restart your DAW, or rescan plugins, and load Pulse Ducker on an audio track.

Linux (Beta) x86-64 VST3

Close your DAW and extract the download.
Copy the Pulse Ducker.vst3 folder into ~/.vst3/, creating the directory if needed.
Restart your DAW, or rescan plugins, and load Pulse Ducker on an audio track.

Updating an existing installation

Close your DAW first. On macOS, run the newer installer. On Windows and Linux, replace the existing Pulse Ducker.vst3 folder in the same location. Restart your DAW when installation is complete.

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