macOS + Windows + Linux · VST3 + AU
The sidechain plugin that I wished existed... so I made it.
The ultimate sidechain. Volume, Ringmod and Spectral, on every band, lined up to your kick at the press of a button.
Free for the first 100 account claims, then £19. Mac, Windows and Linux.
Try it! Interactive visual demo of the actual UI.
Make space &
Keep the crunchNormal sidechain turns the whole thing down. Fine on the sub, but on the tops you hear the pump and lose the energy.
SIDELINE splits the sound into bands and gives each one its own kind of sidechain. Duck the sub, let the harmonics ride through, and pocket a vocal without touching the level.
Josh, Unglued
01 · Auto Fit
Press Auto Fit & It matches the kick
That long envelope is leaving too much space. Press Auto Fit in the demo: it reads the kick, finds its tail and brings the bass back just after it. Drag Length out and fit it again.
02 · Stay on the transient
Change the length & Keep the start position
Keep scrolling and watch Length move. The viewport follows the duration, just like the plugin, while the opening fade stays locked to the kick in time. Grab the slider to take over, or drag a point to shape the recovery.
03 · Ring
Duck with the waveform, not around it
Ring follows the kick sample by sample, so the gain moves with the waveform itself instead of a slow envelope. Room for the kick without the obvious pump.
04 · Spectral
Carve the space like an EQ
The yellow sidechain comes down from the top; the grey output rises from the bottom. Keep scrolling to increase Amount and see deeper pockets appear where they overlap. Sharpness narrows or broadens the cut, and Release sets how quickly it recovers.
05 · Multiband
A different sidechain per band
First the lows: Volume makes room for the kick. Keep scrolling and SIDELINE switches to Ring on the highs, then moves the adjustable crossover. Drag the divider to put the split exactly where your sound needs it. One, two or three bands, each with its own mode.
The details
- Formats
- VST3 and AU on macOS, VST3 on Windows and Linux. Standalone too.
- macOS
- macOS 12 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Windows
- Windows 10 (1809 or later) and 11, 64-bit.
- Linux
- Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04, x86-64. Installer and manual VST3 archive.
- Modes
- Volume, Ring, Spectral or Off, per band.
- Bands
- One, two or three. Linear phase crossovers.
- Latency
- 37 ms at 48 kHz, reported to your DAW.
Good to know
How do I route the sidechain?
Put SIDELINE on the track you want to make space in, then send the kick, snare or vocal to its sidechain input from your DAW. Any DAW that can route a sidechain into a plugin will do.
Does it add latency?
Yes, 37 ms at 48 kHz, so the crossovers stay phase clean and the envelope can see the kick coming. SIDELINE reports it to your DAW, which compensates automatically. Fine for mixing, not one for live monitoring.
Is it heavy on CPU?
No. One band uses around 5 to 7% of a single core in our tests, three bands around 8 to 9%. Run it on every bus that needs it.
Which mode should I use?
Volume for classic ducking and the sub. Ring when you want room for the kick without hearing a pump. Spectral when something needs a pocket in the frequencies rather than the level, like a vocal over a busy bus.
How does the free launch work?
The first 100 verified account emails can claim a permanent SIDELINE licence for free. Downloads and your second computer do not use more places. After that it costs £19 once. Email marketing is optional and does not affect your licence.
How do updates work?
SIDELINE checks when you open it. Click the Unglued logo to install an available update or check manually. Finish the installer, then restart your DAW. Updates need internet; your activated permanent licence works offline.
Do I need an account or internet?
An Unglued account and internet are needed to activate. Free claims and £19 purchases both get a permanent licence for two computers. Activated permanent licences work offline.