BLEASS Sidekick

Name: BLEASS Sidekick
Price: 19.9 USD
Author: BLEASS

by BLEASS · Modulation · Sidechain ducker with kick synth and sequencer

Not rated yet

BLEASS Sidekick combines a kick drum synth, a step sequencer and a ducker for rhythmic sidechain-style pumping.

It runs as a VST3, AU or AAX plugin on Windows and macOS for $19.99, with a separate iOS version.

Best for: Mix Bus, Bass, Keys & Synths. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Pop, Hip-Hop & Trap.

Keywords: kick, ducking, sidechain input, synths, pumping, rhythmic, bass, drums, full mix, punchy, pads, AAX, AUv3/iOS, bus processing, inspired by, mix bus, mixing, simple, vintage.

What it does

BLEASS Sidekick is "a combination of a kick drum synth, a step sequencer, and a ducker", the last being a sidechain compressor. The internal kick triggers the ducking, so you get rhythmic pumping without routing a real sidechain, and you can hear the kick or keep it silent.

Kick synth: an analog-style engine inspired by vintage beatboxes, with Tune (20 to 100 Hz), a waveform that morphs from sine to triangle, and Hardness, Body and Impact for tone.
Punch and decay: Punch and Punch Decay sweep a resonant filter for the attack, Decay sets the overall length, and Gain sets the kick level.
Ghost mode: removes the kick from the output so it only drives the ducker, useful when you want pumping without an extra drum.
Step sequencer: 4 to 16 steps with adjustable resolution, swing and per-step velocity; the kick can also be triggered by external MIDI.
Ducker: a compressor with threshold, attack, release, ratio and makeup gain, triggered each time the kick fires.

The current version is 1.1.1. A demo is available.

Source: BLEASS product page

When to use it

BLEASS Sidekick creates sidechain-style pumping like Duck 2, Kickstart 2 and LFO Tool, but where they shape volume with curves or a single knob, it works more like a real sidechain setup: a compressor with threshold, ratio, attack and release, keyed by its own sequenced kick. That kick is a usable analog-style drum in its own right, so the plugin can both supply the four-on-the-floor and duck the bass or pads around it. Ghost mode turns it into a pure ducker when you already have a kick. It is cheap and quick, but you trade the drawn-curve precision of Duck 2 and LFO Tool for compressor-style control.

Best for: fast sidechain pumping on pads, bass and full mixes, plus layering or sketching a simple kick.
Genres: house, techno, EDM, pop and hip-hop.
Look elsewhere if: you want to draw exact ducking shapes or modulate more than volume; Duck 2 or LFO Tool go further, and Kickstart 2 is simpler still.

What producers say

Buyers rate it well for its versatility and value, with the plain interface the main reservation.

Plugin Boutique users rate it 4.6 out of 5 from 71 reviews, praising "impressive functionality", the MIDI control and the versatile ducking.
Criticisms: one reviewer called the interface "unflashy", and some felt it is best value when on sale.

Plugin Boutique user reviews

Where to buy

Best Service: $19.90
BLEASS: $19.99
Plugin Boutique: $19.99
PluginFox: $19.99
AudioDeluxe: $19.99

Tutorials and reviews

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