PUNCHER CM

Learn more about this month’s free plugin: a mixing multieffect to enhance your drums, busses and more

This month’s free PC/Mac plugin explained

A cut-down version of W.A. Production’s Puncher, Puncher CM is a dynamics multieffects plugin for Mac and PC that makes it easy to add power, punch and consistency to instruments and busses. Its Transient Shaper, Multiband Compressor and Parallel Compressor modules offer three styles of dynamics processing, and can be used individually or in combination, depending on your source material and desired sound. And with each module brought to bear via just a single amount knob, it really is about as foolproof as plugins get. In this tutorial and its accompanying video, we’ll take you on a quick tour of Puncher CM and its three modules, and show you some of the things that can be done with it.

If you like what you hear from Puncher CM, you’ll definitely want to check out the more powerful Puncher. This lets you tweak the specifics of the three modules via their Advanced controls, and includes 46 instrument- specific presets to get you up and running. You can buy Puncher for $69, but it’s also available through W.A. Production’s subscription service, which lets you choose one plugin a month to keep forever, as well as three sample/preset packs and ten DAW templates, and grants unlimited access to all of the company’s audio production courses. Membership costs $29/ month, but cm readers can get their first month for $1 by entering the discount code WACM19 at the checkout. More info at waproduction.com

BYPASS Click the Puncher logo to bypass the plugin WAVEFORM DISPLAY View the input signal in grey and the output in blue POWER ON/OFF Each module is switched in and out with these buttons TRANSIENT SHAPER Boost attack transients for added punch PRESETS Seven presets are included, loaded using the arrows or ‘three dots’ button MULTIBAND COMPRESSOR Discrete bands of compression for frequency-rich signals SAVE PRESET Click to save your own setup into the preset library PEAK METERS Complete with clipping indicators at the top GAIN Lower or raise the output level to compensate for the processing PARALLEL COMPRESSOR Apply smooth parallel compression, mixing dry and wet with the amount knob