Shade is a next-gen Swiss Army knife filtering tool, designed to shatter the boundaries of conventional EQ, filtering, and modulation effects.
More than a filter, Shade is a creative environment, combining an unparalleled selection of 35 filter shapes with 10 types of modulators. Drag-and-drop modulation onto any parameter in a fully-configurable semi-modular system, complete with one-to-many and many-to-one routing, cross-modulation, envelope followers with sidechain and filter inputs, featured MSEGs, triggerable envelopes that can sync to host, audio, or MIDI, comprehensive multichannel support, and more. Shade delivers the EQ and filtering features you already know and love, while opening a whole new world of creative effects to explore.
Explore Shade
Trailer
Overview
In Action
Post-Production
Approach
With Shade, we've aimed to create something unique, that would both improve your process and simplify the toolset required to achieve it, something that helped open doors to new kinds of sounds and experimentation, but also really nailed the bread and butter tasks that you rely on to get the job done.
To do that, we started from the ground-up. From the filter engine, modeling shapes, and the modulation system, getting everything to sound right even at the extremes, while keeping the CPU cycles in check so you don't have to think twice about loading it, to usability, putting everything in reach, without it being in the way, allowing you to go as deep as your inspiration takes you without being visually overwhelming, or pulling your attention away from the sound.
To do that, we started from the ground-up. From the filter engine, modeling shapes, and the modulation system, getting everything to sound right even at the extremes, while keeping the CPU cycles in check so you don't have to think twice about loading it, to usability, putting everything in reach, without it being in the way, allowing you to go as deep as your inspiration takes you without being visually overwhelming, or pulling your attention away from the sound.
In-Depth
Filters
Digital, Analog and Beyond
With 35 unique filter types Shade excels at traditional and creative uses alike, easily completing tasks that would have required numerous plugins before (and many that were previously impossible.) Shade includes everything from digital to analog-modeled nonlinear filter shapes, and many mind-bending multi-resonant ones. With Shade you can make broadstroke adjustments transparently, surgically and dynamically balance and tame unwieldy resonances, and add hardware-modeled warmth, effortlessly, in a single plugin instance.
Radical Shades
Filters in Shade were designed to offer extreme versatility. Resonant filters have discrete Q-Up and Q-Down controls, and all shelf and peak shapes provide fully-continuous slopes up to 2000dB/octave. Transition smoothly from subtle to insane, create soft-knee brickwall filters, and with the dynamic modulation system, radically mangle and destroy signals like never before.
LOW PASS: Resonant, Multi Resonant, Xpander, Sallen Key
HIGH PASS: Resonant, Multi Resonant, Xpander
LOW SHELF: Resonant, Eq-ing
HIGH SHELF: Resonant, Eq-ing
NOTCH: Resonant, Multi Resonant
BAND PASS: Resonant, Multi Resonant
PEAK: Resonant, Eq-ing
GAIN | TILT | MULTI-MODE EXPANDER
PHASER: Classic, Extended, Notch Resonant, Notch Multi Resonant, Band Pass Resonant, Band Pass Multi Resonant, Peak Resonant, Peak Eq-ing, Tilt Resonant, Tilt Eq-ing
COMB: Classic, Notch Resonant, Notch Multi Resonant, Band Pass Resonant, Band Pass Multi Resonant, Tilt Resonant, Tilt Eq-ing
Modulators
Modulate all the Things
Shade's modulation system is a gateway to a world of new sound design possibilities. 9 modulators can be instanced, including: XY, Macro, Spread, Random, LFO, Envelope, Figure (an XY LFO), MSEG, and Follower. All filter and modulator parameters can be targeted, with one-to-many and many-to-one routing, cross-modulation, muting, and all are easy to keep track of thanks to double-click show/hide and click-drag rearrangement. It's difficult to overstate how powerful the modulation system is and how easy it is to use.
LFO
A feature-complete LFO, including variable shape, phase, symmetry and pulse width. The Multiplier control supports advanced metrics (5, 7, 11, 13, 15 etc.), and Swing provides up to 200% of the conventional range.
Follower
A featured envelope follower, allows the creation of any sort of dynamic effect in Shade, from classic Dynamic EQ, to multiband compression effects and beyond. Can be driven by input, sidechain, or the spectral band of individual filters within Shade.
Figure
A two-dimensional LFO, Figure allows you to create continuous morphing between simple circular forms and complex, spirograph-like shapes with up to 8 vertices, and support for rotation. Additional features include Direction, Sync/Free toggle, variable Speed and Phase, and Trigger/Retrigger modes.
Envelope
A classic DAHD envelope with variable curve shapes. Triggering is set through the global trigger mode menu, and can be made by host sync interval, audio threshold, or MIDI note.
Spread (Multichannel)
The Spread modulator allows you to create channel-specific variation for any parameter (on filters or modulators), in L/R, M/S, or Surround. Simply expand the panel and adjust relative values for each channel as desired. Use it to create ultra-wide fx, or any type of creative multichannel filtering effect you can think of.
MSEG
For absolute control, the MSEG (multi-step envelope generator) provides a DAW-like automation lane with both stepped and linear drawing modes with easing. A customizable grid with grid-snap allows for precise point placement. Click-drag multiselection with bounding box transform allows for easy editing. Additional features include Loop toggle, Trigger/Retrigger modes, Sync/Free toggle, variable Speed and Phase, and Smooth interpolation.
Random
Add jitter to any parameter to impart variability, movement, and added interest. Can operate in Mono or Stereo, for added width.
Macro
The Macro modulator lets you easily control many things from one place. Map it to as many parameters as you like, and assign each their own depth as needed.
X / Y
A classic two-dimensional modulator. Perfect for morphing between parameter settings on filters or other modulators. Control it with an external joystick via Macros.
Pitch Tracking
A pitch tracker that can be used to control any parameter (typically used to drive filter frequency). Monitor pitch from the main or sidechain audio inputs, or from the MIDI input.
Extreme Phaser / Flanger
Shade is an extremely capable phaser and flanger. Combine any of the classic or more exotic phaser and flanger filter shapes with Shade's modulation system, LFO, MSEG, Figure, Spread, and animate to taste. Roll your own or check out the fantastic collection of phaser and flanger presets for instant gratification.
Limitless Dynamic Effects
Right-click the gain of any shelf or peak filter in Shade to add a Follower, and you've got instant dynamic EQ. Unlike most dynamic EQs, however, any parameter in Shade can be dynamic. Pair that with a capable cross-modulation system and ability to drive envelope followers based on individual filters' spectral content, and you’ve got massive creative potential.
High Quality, Zero Latency
Most of the filters within Shade have been digitized using advanced techniques to achieve extremely accurate analog magnitude matching across the high-frequency spectrum. This is done without any additional processing cost, and with zero latency, making Shade both extremely accurate and CPU efficient.
Multiselection
Do more with less. Shade supports editing of multiselections in the graph area, allowing you to easily modify or add modulations to shared parameters of multiple filters with one click. Don't forget, multiselection works just as well in MSEG and Envelope modulators.
Presets
Shade's preset system, both globally and per module, are all written in plain-text. This allows you to store and share configurations with ease using copy/paste/load/save commands available in both main, and module menus.
Refined Workflow
Being a semi-modular system with nearly unlimited possible configurations it was important for us to make Shade as immediate and as easy to use as possible. To that end we made a concerted effort to mitigate complexity in the UI, displaying only what's pertinent to the task at hand so that you can stay focused and in the zone no matter how deep you dive.
A Modern Take On A Classic
A go-to mix tool, versatile creative effect, and a no reservations audio mangler, Shade is a modern, efficient, and highly-capable processor limited only by your imagination. Throw Shade on your track and don't look back!
The ultimate frequency modulator, incredibly creative effect that brings new life to any sound you run through it. I have been using it constantly in every session since I installed it.
"
F. Reid Shippen
Multiple Grammy award-winning Mixer, Engineer & Producer
Neil Young, Gloria Gaynor, The Jonas Brothers, Cage The Elephant, Death Cab For Cutie, Dierks Bentley
"
Shade is black magic. It's incredibly deep and powerful, and it can make sound warp and change in both subtle and radical ways. It’s completely unique and a secret weapon for me on drums, beats, synths and vocals.
"
Darrell Thorp
Multi Grammy award winning Record Producer, Mixer & Engineer
Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Ray Charles, Jay-Z
"
Shade sounds really good. So many versatile sound scape options in one plugin.
"
David Kahne
Record Producer, Musician & Composer
Paul McCartney, Lana Del Rey, Fishbone, Sublime, The Strokes, Tony Bennett, Sugar Ray, New Order
"
Using Shade, I immediately started creating complex, morphing, interlocked grooves out of simple patterns. Really effective, really musical, really fun!
"
Maor “Megatone” Levi
Producer & DJ
Steve Aoki, Major Lazer, Armin van Buuren, Davig Guetta, Above and Beyond
"
Just when you thought there's another EQ on the market, you get Shade, an extremely innovative tool from a sound design aspect especially, it's slick, quick and so much fun, most importantly inspiring.
The ultimate frequency modulator, incredibly creative effect that brings new life to any sound you run through it. I have been using it constantly in every session since I installed it.
"
F. Reid Shippen
Multiple Grammy award-winning Mixer, Engineer & Producer
Neil Young, Gloria Gaynor, The Jonas Brothers, Cage The Elephant, Death Cab For Cutie, Dierks Bentley
"
Shade is black magic. It's incredibly deep and powerful, and it can make sound warp and change in both subtle and radical ways. It’s completely unique and a secret weapon for me on drums, beats, synths and vocals.
"
Darrell Thorp
Multi Grammy award winning Record Producer, Mixer & Engineer
Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Ray Charles, Jay-Z
"
Shade sounds really good. So many versatile sound scape options in one plugin.
"
David Kahne
Record Producer, Musician & Composer
Paul McCartney, Lana Del Rey, Fishbone, Sublime, The Strokes, Tony Bennett, Sugar Ray, New Order
"
Using Shade, I immediately started creating complex, morphing, interlocked grooves out of simple patterns. Really effective, really musical, really fun!
"
Maor “Megatone” Levi
Producer & DJ
Steve Aoki, Major Lazer, Armin van Buuren, Davig Guetta, Above and Beyond
"
Just when you thought there's another EQ on the market, you get Shade, an extremely innovative tool from a sound design aspect especially, it's slick, quick and so much fun, most importantly inspiring.
