Description
Features:
- Upward / Downward compression controlled with a common Ratio
- Transients section with Ratio and Threshold controls, allowing for separate control of downward compression
- Upward compression Floor control for taming room sound or unwanted noise
- Flexible envelope shaping through Attack and Release time controls
- Tone adjustment for broad shifts in color and character
- A wide-ranging Drive control with two models: A (gentle) and B (hard)
- Asymmetry control for attaining harsher, grittier drive textures by way of even-order harmonics
- Dry / Wet mixer for easy parallel processing
- Custom preset system with 64 factory presets, showcasing ShapeShifter’s versatility
Technical Info:
To access your files after ordering: Go to My Account > Downloads
ShapeShifter supports the following formats and operating systems:
Windows 7 or later – VST3 and AAX at 64-bit
macOS 10.10 Yosemite through macOS 13 Ventura – Intel or Apple Silicon – AU, VST3, and AAX at 64-bit
To install ShapeShifter onto your computer, simply run the installer package for your OS.
Restart your digital audio workstation before loading in the plugin to a project. On macOS, you may need to restart your computer for new plugins to appear in some hosts.
Lucca Carver (verified owner) –
I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to use this plugin that much, but in the past month of owning it, I’ve used it in so many situations that specifically called for this style of compression. Amazing on vocals to help even out dynamics, especially with stuff that has a lot of dynamic range. Excellent to put on a room mic to get you a more consistent sound. Also great on clean bass tracks to level out dynamics to sit in a mix more consistently. Can’t wait to find more uses for it. It’s like that Christmas present your aunt gives you that you think you don’t need, but it turns out to be super useful in the long run. Excellent job!! Maybe consider adding a GUI like the one in the manual so we can see visually what’s going on, but it’s def not a dealbreaker.
Josh Weaver (verified owner) –
Please make all of the plugins. You guys get it.
Alex Volmer (verified owner) –
first things first: it looks and sounds lovely! It’s really cool for these times when you need an over the top compression or something you would expect a cheap toy compressor to sound like. But this thing can do so much more. It’s one of the few compressors that can do upward and downward compression.
Never really got upward compression until I got this plug-in. But once you get your head around it it is pretty cool. It’s like a different way of achieving things you can achieve with a transient designer. And then again… so much more.
it’s a tone shaper (you can get from mellow and fat to bright and snappy), it’s a saturator (which can go from subtle to wild), it’s an upward AND a “standard” downward compressor, plus a mixture of all of the above.
You can disable the stereo linkage as well as the compression part of the plug-in.
It might not be the easiest compressor to use, but its not THAT complicated either and there are loads of cool presets to start from. For me it’s a really nice way to shape the sometimes sterile tracks on a modern digital DAW.
It’s easy on the eyes and pleasingly wonderful to my ears.
If there’d be one thing that could be added (and this might be hard to incorporate due to the stunning looks) would be a simple (handdrawn) compression graph function (like a dynamics analyser), so it’d be easier to see what’s going on. This would need to be tastefully integrated and maybe with an option to disable it, since looking at audio can be misleading. So… maybe….. forget I ever said something. Leave it like it is, it’s perfect.
Aden LeQuire (verified owner) –
brilliant
Charles Hua (verified owner) –
So, I bought the Color & Character bundle on a whim thinking, “I’m probably only gonna use Sketch Cassette II, but hey! Only $25 for both.”
Holy mother of god, was I wrong. And I’m so glad to admit it.
Again, like the description says – this so much more than a compressor. It’s like a comp, transient designer, saturator, and oxford inflator – all in one.
Want drums that smack? Done.
Want a searing lead guitar? Easy.
Want the thickest bass tone from your stock DAW’s instrument collection? ShapeShifter can do it in literally one preset click.
I cannot recommend this plug-in enough. Throw it on your master bus to breathe a new life into your song. Literally, throw it on everything and it WILL. Sound. Good. I mean – for god’s sake, just don’t get take-out this week and throw your $20 at Ben and Dan (and Jon ofc). I will support this company for life.
Samuel Phelps (verified owner) –
I never bother with these, but considering the price point and what it does, I really do recommend it to professionals and ‘play-around’ audio people alike.
It’s so hard to describe but it just does what I want it to do quickly – it replaces a long winded chain, I can just get that cut through sound quickly. I don’t use it more than once per track or bus, it’s too hot to put it on many things in your session, but when you need something to poke through, it’s great.
dalle (verified owner) –
Great plugin. Good for totally transforming dynamics, very fun and addictive to use. Can make things punchy, bring out hidden dirt in sounds, totally squash and distort everything, and all kinds of weird stuff! No brainer at this price.
jeremias monnerat (verified owner) –
It’s a bit specific but really awesome, really do recommend reading the manual so you can actually control what it does.
Villyvian van Tiel (verified owner) –
I just had to get back to do another review. The first time I only tried some presets. That was already great. Now I am using ShapeShifter on all my busses. Like drums, bass an leads. I don’t use much plugins because I have a hybrid setting with hardware from SSL and Neve etc. But I can’t live without this plugin anymore. It just sparkles life in everything it touches.
I used to have almost every UAD plugin before I wend Hybrid (sold them now). But I never saw a UAD plugin that was better then ShapeShifter. Not even close. It’s a must buy. It really is!
SimonH (verified owner) –
This is the version of OTT I’ve been dying for Soundtoys to make. Luckily, now they can focus on something else, cos this thing is spot on.
Warning: On first try, it can easily come off as “too much”. Use it in parallel, with the extreme signal mixed in. It doesn’t work on everything, but the things it works on…. Oh boy. 🙂 This is sure to be a standard go-to, as compared to many of the “classic emulations” for me (and I have most of them). It’s compressions and colouring in one.
Another talking point is of course the price: Instead of a few wealthier professional customers, you can get many people on board. Love the thinking.
Thank you guys, look forward to more from you in the future!!
AudioWMC (verified owner) –
I wonder if these guys will ever make a plugin that I don’t want to put on every track!
PRISONERS (verified owner) –
Love this plugin, sounds so nice !!! …….. this will definitely be getting used in probably every tune I make from now on <3
Villyvian van Tiel (verified owner) –
Wauw guys!
You did a great job. Finally there is a plugin that totally defeats the OTT compressor. I think this is the best plugin with upwards compression on board.
I only tried some presets yet, but they really, really sounds great. And that for only 20 dollars. I hope you will sell thousands. You have earned it.
Simon Eddy (verified owner) –
Pretty versatile little dynamics processor. It can sound very bright, but can produce some great parallel comp-like sounds on drum loops/buses. Love the aesthetics of these plugins too. Highly recommended, especially for only $20USD.