Transient Shapers Explained | Level Up

00:00 Transient vs Sustain
00:29 Transient Shaper in Action
01:24 FREE Transient Shaper by Kilohearts
01:43 Transient Shaper by Softube
02:09 SplitEQ by Eventide
02:35 Quantum by Wavesfactory

Transient vs Sustain

Transient is the initial hit or peak of a sound, like the crack of a snare. Also, sometimes called “attack”.

Sustain, in this context, is anything after that initial Transient. This can also be referred to as “Body”.

The process of sculpting or manipulating these aspects of an audio source is called Transient Shaping.

Transient Shaper – A tool that controls the attack and sustain of a sound.

There are all sorts of Transient Shapers on Plugin Boutique. Ranging from Simple to Complex. What most will have in common is the ability to Gain Adjust, EQ and, in some cases, even apply Effects to the Transient and Sustain elements of your sound separately.

A good plugin to start with is the Transient Shaper from Kilohearts as it’s part of a free bundle of great effects. It is super simple to use and still incredibly powerful.

Transient Shaper from Softube is a step up in terms of functionality. Here you have control over the frequency bands, ability to add extra punch, frequency crossover positioning and a softclip option.

SplitEQ from Eventide gives you a full EQ for both the Transient and Sustained portions. This plugin is for the mixing and mastering engineers that are detail oriented and surgical.

Quantum by Wavesfactory gives you 16 FX which you can use on your separated Transients and Sustained elements. Add a bit of reverb to your transient and a lo-fi effect to the sustain. This is where things can get creative.

Category: Software & Hardware