atkDucker

Download

1.1.0

Key Features

  • Audio ducker plugin (VST3 & AU)
  • Adjustable lookahead time for pre-ducking (0-5000 ms)
  • Mid/side (center) ducking mode
  • High-shelf filter ducking mode with adjustable frequency
  • Mix sidechain source to output

atkDucker is a audio ducker plugin designed for reducing background audio materials when a priority source such as speech is present in the sidechain input. It is useful for ducking audio content like music or game audio under commentary & dialogue, voice-over and announcements in live and post-production workflows. Mid/side mode allows attenuation to focus on the center image while preserving stereo width, and filter mode enables high-frequency ducking with adjustable frequency.

Parameters

Main

  • Threshold: Level at which sidechain signal triggers ducking.
  • Amount: Controls how much main signal is reduced when ducking is active.
  • Attack: Time for ducker to reach full attenuation after sidechain exceeds threshold.
  • Hold: Time to maintain ducking after sidechain drops below threshold.
  • Release: Time for ducker to return to unity gain after hold period.

Mid/Side Mode

  • Mid/Side (Center) Mode: Ducks only center (mono) content.
  • M/S (Center) Link: Controls how much side channels follow center ducking.

Options

  • Lookahead: Pre-ducking delay time in milliseconds (0-5000 ms, default 0). Value 0 disables lookahead. Causes matching latency.
  • Filter Mode: Enables high-frequency ducking.
  • Filter Frequency: Sets the high-shelf frequency for ducking.
  • Linear Time Constants: Uses linear attack and release curves instead of exponential.
  • Release Time 10x: Multiplies release time by 10 for longer release times.

Levels

  • Main Input Level: Adjusts level of main input signal.
  • Mix Sidechain to Output: Option to blend sidechain signal into main output.

Usage

  1. Insert atkDucker audio plugin to ducking target track (e.g. music, game audio)
  2. Route key source (e.g. voice, dialogue) to sidechain input
  3. Adjust Threshold so ducking triggers when voice is present
  4. Set Amount to control how much background is reduced
  5. Adjust Attack for smooth or fast ducking response
  6. Set Hold and Release to match pacing of content
  7. Use Mid/Side mode to duck only center while keeping stereo ambience

Notes/Tips

  • When blending sidechain to main output, usually desirable to mute original sidechain source to avoid doubling.
  • Too much ducking can sound distracting, so adjust Amount carefully.