TB Pro Audio GainRider 2

€75

This one’s a complex beast, giving you not just basic parameters, but nerdy options like pre-delay and scope axis offsets too. Up to four levels can be displayed on the signal chart, although these can be overkill for basic functions, making the ability to switch each in and out at will very useful. With all this complexity, it’s funny to see a single ‘Sensitivity’ dial to adjust the timing of the gain’s movement, but it does work very well.

GainRider 2’s controls are fader-centric rather than signal-centric meaning you have to perform some mental gymnastics, depending how you usually think about audio signals in mixing or editing. Another point to bear in mind is the lack of a gate on this one.

Polished signals aren’t exactly two clicks away with GainRider 2, but this isn’t the intention behind it – this is one for the engineers.