Wrestling the kick and bass in your mix so they sit right together can be really frustrating. You can reach for a traditional compressor or try manual automation, but they lack the features and capabilities that new tools offer.

Enter Duck 2 by Devious Machines.

The original Duck was already a success, and favoured for its simplicity, but this second iteration has taken a step up. This isn’t just a sidechain plugin; it’s a precision volume shaper that can solve some pretty complex mixing headaches in just a few clicks.

In music production, the act of “ducking” is to momentarily lower the volume of one sound to make way for another (think of a voiceover over a backing track). Traditional compressors do this by dialling in the compressor’s settings to get the desired effect; Duck 2 does this using graphical envelope shapes. This gives you the power to draw the shape of the volume dip you need, giving you 100% control over the volume without the clicking or artefacts introduced using a standard compressor.

Key features

  • Multiband mode: Split your audio into low, mid and high bands and apply different volume curves to each. Want to duck the lows in one of your synths so it doesn’t interfere with your kick? You can now do this whilst keeping your high-end intact.
  • Linear Phase mode: Duck 2 now comes with proper pro-grade linear phase filters on the multiband split. This mode ensures you aren’t introducing any phase-shifting issues at the expense of a little more CPU usage.
  • Groups: Synchronise your shapes across different Duck instances. If you change the curve of one, every other track in the “Group” will update instantly.
  • Advanced envelope tools: The new editor includes a paintbrush tool, randomisation (great for glitchy effects), and the ability to import a waveform to use as your trigger shape.
  • Rhythmic Gating: Use the MIDI trigger mode to turn a static pad into a rhythmic masterpiece.
  • The “Spray” Effect: Use Duck 2 to create rapid-fire tremolo or “shutter” effects.
  • Clean Up Tails: Use it as a precision gate to cut the messy tails off live-recorded drums or noisy synth patches.

Requirements, pricing & availability

Requirements:
OSX 10.13 or later; Windows 10 or later
VST 2, VST 3, AudioUnit and Protools 64-bit AAX
Native Apple Silicon support

Pricing & availability:
$39.99 USD directly from the Devious Machines website.

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