5 · The Audio Processors

Every audio channel strip in AnalogDAW carries analog-modeled processors. This chapter explains each one in plain language — what it does, when to use it, and what every control means. The same processors appear (in slightly different combinations) on tracks, mix buses, aux returns, and the master; see Channel Strip Types for which strip has which.

Everything is musical by default. Each processor models the behavior of classic analog hardware, so even pushed hard it tends to sound pleasing rather than harsh. Most processors are off until you enable them, except the preamp, which is always shaping the sound.

Ordering & enabling processors

The processors on a strip form a chain — signal flows through them in order, top to bottom. That order is yours to change: right-click a channel strip and select Processing Order to rearrange the processors to new positions to reshape the signal path. For example, put the compressor before the EQ to even out a level before you sculpt tone, or drop an amp-sim insert ahead of the preamp. The order is saved with the session and restored exactly when you reopen it.

Track chains also contain a movable Record Point. Audio flows from top to bottom: every enabled processor above Record Point is committed to a new recording, while every processor below Record Point stays non-destructive and works during monitoring, playback, and export as before. Record Point cannot be deleted. New tracks—and sessions created before this feature—put it at the top, preserving dry recording by default.

Printing is irreversible for that take, so use it when you want to commit. Two common examples are putting an amp simulator before Record Point to record the finished guitar sound, or putting a network receiver there to record its remote audio. Move Record Point back above the processor for the next dry take.

Turning a built-in processor off doesn't just mute its effect — it is removed from the signal path entirely, so a disabled EQ, gate, compressor, de-esser, or filter costs zero processing power. (Plug-in inserts and the master limiter are the exception: when bypassed they stay in place and pass audio through untouched, so you can A/B them instantly.) Because a built-in toggle re-routes the audio graph, expect a brief moment of silence when you switch one on or off during playback — this is normal.

The preamp is always in the path (see below); you can switch off its coloring for a clean pass-through, but its pad and phase controls still apply.

Preamp & Color

The preamp is the front end of every channel — the analog gain stage your signal hits first. It's always in the path (you can switch its coloring off for a clean pass-through).

Use it for: setting healthy levels, and adding analog warmth or bite. A little Drive on a sterile digital recording can make it feel "recorded to a console."

Even at COLOR 0 and GAIN 0, an enabled preamp is not a clean wire. The COLOR knob adds an extra bloom on top (which is why 0 is described as a clean output stage), but the preamp still imparts a baseline console character — gentle voicing EQ plus transformer and Class-A harmonic warmth — whenever it's enabled. To get a truly unaltered track, switch the preamp off (its pad and phase still apply). See The Console Sound for the full picture of what's baked in where.

Filters (High-Pass / Low-Pass)

Simple but essential frequency filters to remove unwanted extremes.

Each filter has its own on/off switch. The ranges are deliberately asymmetric — these are corrective filters, so the low-cut stays in the low end and the high-cut stays up top rather than sweeping across the whole spectrum.

Use it for: cleaning tracks before they hit the EQ and compressor. A high-pass on everything that isn't bass or kick is a classic mix move.

Gate

A noise gate automatically quiets a track when the signal falls below a threshold — it "closes" during silence and "opens" when you play.

Use it for: tightening drums, removing bleed and hiss between phrases, killing amp hum during silences.

EQ (Equalizer)

A musical 4-band parametric equalizer modeled on a classic transformer console. Use it to shape tone — boost what's missing, cut what's in the way. (High- and low-pass filtering is handled by the separate Filters stage above.)

The four bands and their default homes:

Each band is confined to its own region of the spectrum, the way a console's fixed-band EQ is. Each has:

• Frequency (Hz) — where it works, within the band's range above. The very top of the HF band is limited by your session's sample rate: at 44.1 kHz the shelf stops near 20 kHz however far you turn it, so the last of that knob's travel does nothing. Work at 48 kHz or higher to reach the full 22 kHz.
• Gain (dB) — −18 to +18 dB of boost or cut.
• Q — 0.3 to 6: bandwidth, where low Q is broad and gentle and high Q is narrow and surgical. For the shelves, Q controls the gentle console "bump" at the corner (0.7 is a flat shelf; the default 1.1 gives the characteristic console lift).
• An enable switch, and a Bell (BELL) switch on the two shelves that turns a shelf into a fully parametric bell for precise surgery.

Two console-style voicing options shape the whole EQ:

• Proportional Q (PROP Q) — on by default. A bell automatically widens at low boost and tightens as you push it, giving forgiving, musical curves. Turn it off for literal, surgical control. It affects the two bell bands only.
• Harmonics (BLOOM) — 0 to 1, default 0.35. Even-dominant Class-A saturation added whenever the EQ is enabled, for that "expensive console" sheen. 0 is a mathematically clean EQ.

Use it for: everything — corrective cuts to fix problems, and creative boosts to flatter a source.

Compressor

The compressor controls dynamics — it makes loud parts quieter so the overall level is steadier and more powerful. AnalogDAW's compressor is special: you choose a mode that models a different classic circuit, and the mode changes both the sound and the controls to match the real hardware.

The same five modes are available on tracks, buses, aux returns, and the master — so a "FET" picked on a bus genuinely sounds like a FET.

The five compressor modes

Common controls

Underneath, every mode drives the same set of parameters — but each mode only shows the controls its hardware actually had, and interprets them its own way:

• Threshold (THR) — the level above which compression begins. The FET calls its equivalent Input (IN), and the OPTO folds it into Peak Reduction.
• Ratio (RAT) — how hard it compresses (e.g. 4:1 means 4 dB in → 1 dB out). Continuous on the VCA, a discrete selector on the FET and BUS, and absent on the OPTO and TUBE, which have fixed curves.
• Attack (ATK) — how fast it grabs the signal. Fast tames transients; slow lets punch through.
• Release (REL) — how fast it lets go. Set it to "breathe" with the music.
• Makeup / Output (MKUP / OUT / GAIN) — brings the level back up after compression.
• Knee — how gradually compression engages around the threshold. Only the VCA exposes it, as its KNEE switch; the other modes use the knee baked into the circuit they model.

Mode-specific controls

Each mode also exposes the real front-panel controls of its inspiration:

• FET — a Ratio (RAT) selector with the classic 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 20:1 positions, plus an All-Buttons-In ("British mode") position that pins the ratio to 20:1, softens the input drive, and slows the release for the famous aggressive, distorted smash. Its Input (IN) and Output (OUT) knobs are the level controls; Attack (ATK) and Release (REL) run on the FET's own 1–7 scale, where 7 is the fastest.
• OPTO — a single Peak Reduction (PK RED) knob plus a Gain (GAIN) makeup knob, and a Mode (MODE) switch with COMP and LIM positions. Attack and release are program-dependent (they react to the music) by design, so the opto exposes no attack or release control.
• TUBE — Input (IN), Threshold (THR), and Output (OUT) knobs, plus a Time Constant (TC) selector (positions 1–6, each a different attack/release pairing; 5 and 6 are program-dependent).
• VCA — continuous Threshold (THR), Ratio (RAT), and Output (OUT) knobs, a true-RMS detector, and a Knee (KNEE) switch: HARD grabs sharply at the threshold for punch, EASY eases in gradually for transparent control.
• BUS — discrete Ratio (RAT), Attack (ATK), and Release (REL) switches, including an Auto release position (program-dependent), plus Threshold (THR) and Makeup (MKUP) knobs. The AUTO pill under the Makeup knob engages auto make-up, which tracks the average gain reduction so the output stays near unity however hard the compressor works; while it is on, the Makeup knob is dimmed and ignores input. Auto make-up is available wherever BUS mode is selected — tracks, buses, aux returns, and the master.

Sidechain

The compressor can be triggered from another track, group bus, or aux return instead of its own signal — the classic example is ducking a music bed under a voice, or pumping a bass against the kick. Track, bus, and aux strips can use different sources for their gate and compressor; pick each processor's sidechain source independently.

Worked example — ducking a bass against the kick

1. Select the Bass track and open its Compressor.
2. Set Sidechain (SC) to the Kick track. The compressor now listens to the kick while still compressing the bass.
3. Set Ratio around 4:1 and lower Threshold until the gain-reduction meter moves only when the kick hits — a few dB is usually plenty.
4. Set Attack fast (1–5 ms) so the duck starts on the transient, and Release to roughly the gap between kicks (80–150 ms at most tempos) so the bass is back up before the next one.

Two things worth knowing about how sidechains behave here:

• The key is the source's pre-fader signal. Pulling the kick's fader down — or muting it — does not change how hard it ducks the bass. That is deliberate: it lets you use a track purely as a trigger. To silence a trigger track in the mix while still using it as a key, turn its output down rather than removing it.
• Sidechain loops are ignored. If A is keyed from B and B from A, AnalogDAW drops the edge that would close the loop rather than producing an undefined result. Chains (A ← B ← C) work normally, in order.

Use it for: evening out performances, adding punch, controlling peaks, and gluing groups of instruments together.

De-Esser

A de-esser is a specialized compressor that reacts only to sibilance — the harsh "sss" and "shh" sounds in vocals — and tames them without dulling the whole track.

Use it for: vocals and voice-overs with piercing "S" sounds; also cymbals or acoustic guitars that are too bright in the highs.

Plug-in Inserts

Beyond the built-in processors, every track, mix bus, aux return, and the master has six insert slots for hosting Audio Unit (AU) plug-ins — the third-party effects you've installed.

• Load a plug-in into a slot from the Inserts (INS) section. The slot menu groups your Audio Units into submenus by manufacturer so a long list stays navigable; when you know the name, choose Search Plug-ins… to open a searchable browser and type any part of the plug-in or manufacturer name to filter (matching is case- and accent-insensitive, and multiple words all have to match — e.g. acme comp).
• Open its editor to access the plug-in's own interface. The editor has two tabs: Plugin UI (the plug-in vendor's own interface) and Controls (a generic list of every parameter, handy when a plug-in has no custom UI). You can also open a plug-in's editor from a control surface.
• Close and reopen an editor freely — closing the window only hides it; the plug-in keeps running and its UI comes right back when you reopen it.
• Watch its meters. The editor you open is the same plug-in instance that processes your audio, so a plug-in's own gain-reduction meters, analysers, and level displays move during playback and while input monitoring — not just the channel strip's meters.
• Bypass a slot to compare with/without. The plug-in stays loaded and keeps its settings, so switching back and forth is an A/B of the same instance rather than a reload.
• Inserts live in the reorderable chain, so you can place them before or after the built-in EQ, compressor, etc. — and even ahead of the preamp, so an amp-sim or channel-strip plug-in can feed into the built-in preamp color.

Plug-in settings are saved with the session, so your projects reopen exactly as you left them (where the plug-in is still installed). State is stored with the project the way the plug-in expects, so instances that carry their own presets or licensing (e.g. amp modelers, UAD effects) restore cleanly. Inserts are restored as part of session open — you do not need to open the plug-in editor before the plug-in processes audio, reports latency, or becomes available to control surfaces. When you do open a third-party editor, AnalogDAW brings the idle render host online before requesting the vendor Plugin UI, then refreshes that UI against the already-restored AU parameters so it matches the generic Controls tab immediately.

If a plug-in fails to load, the slot is held in a safe failed state so it does not add stale latency or process silence. Reopening the session treats that failure as runtime-only and retries the plug-in automatically; use Retry Current Audio Unit from the slot menu when you want to retry immediately without reopening the project.

Where plug-ins come from

• On macOS, AnalogDAW hosts both AUv2 and AUv3 effects — the Audio Units you've installed under Library › Audio › Plug-Ins › Components.
• On iPhone and iPad, plug-ins are AUv3 effects that ship inside apps you install from the App Store. After installing one, open its app once so the system registers it — then it becomes available to AnalogDAW (and every other host).

If you just installed a plug-in and don't see it yet, open the slot menu and choose Refresh Audio Units; relaunching AnalogDAW also rescans. AnalogDAW lists both standard effects and MIDI-controllable music effect plug-ins, so tempo-synced delays, filters, and the like all show up. Active inserts continue to receive silent render buffers while Core Audio is enabled and the transport is stopped. This lets network receivers and generator-style effects deliver audio without requiring empty timeline playback.

SonoBus on iPhone and iPad

Load SonoBus in a normal insert slot. SonoBus publishes its iOS AUv3 as a music effect, not as an AU instrument, so it does not appear in AnalogDAW's Instrument picker. That picker contains only plug-ins that publish an instrument component.

To record received SonoBus audio:

1. Leave the track at No Input—this avoids activating the built-in mic.
2. Load SonoBus in an insert, then open Processing Order and drag that insert above Record Point.
3. Arm the track, join the remote group in SonoBus, and press Record.

Arming a No Input track is allowed only when it has an active insert before Record Point. AnalogDAW feeds that insert silence, keeps it rendering while the transport is stopped, and records whatever the plug-in produces. A conventional effect that requires input will simply produce silence in this setup.

After joining the remote group in SonoBus, open its Plugin UI and use SonoBus's own Unmute control if it shows the yellow feedback-protection warning. Use headphones when receiving and sending through the same device; that warning and mute state belong to SonoBus rather than the host insert's bypass button. Keep Core Audio enabled so the network insert keeps rendering while the transport is stopped; this output-only workflow does not open the microphone.

The insert keeps streaming when you leave AnalogDAW for another app, and Core Audio comes back on its own after a phone call, an alarm, or a trip to the Home Screen — you should never have to switch it back on by hand. If Core Audio is off, nothing renders and SonoBus stays silent no matter what its own UI says, so that is the first thing to check when a network insert goes quiet.

Use it for: reverbs, delays, specialty effects, metering, and any favorite third-party processors.

Sends (Aux & Cue)

Sends tap a copy of the track's signal and route it somewhere else, while the track keeps playing through its own output.

• Aux sends feed aux return buses — used for shared effects like reverb and delay, so several tracks share one reverb. Each send has a level, an on/off, and a pre/post-fader switch (pre-fader is independent of the track fader; post-fader follows it).
• Cue sends feed cue buses — independent headphone mixes for performers, so the singer can hear more of themselves without changing the main mix. Like aux sends, each cue send has its own level and a pre/post-fader switch.

Sends are covered further in Mixing and Channel Strip Types.

Next: Recording Audio →