Butterfly
by HoRNet · Channel Strip · EQ, compressor, clipper and limiter chain
Not rated yet
Butterfly combines an EQ, a compressor, a clipper and a limiter in one plugin, built on HoRNet's TotalEQ, SyncPressor and Magnus MK2 engines.
The modules can be reordered freely, and LUFS and true-peak metering is built in. It costs €37.99 (about $43.14).
Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus, Drum Bus. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: metering, bus processing, mix bus, mastering, true-peak, tempo-synced, full mix, mixing, simple, clean, drag-and-drop routing, drum bus, finishing touch, flat UI, oversampling, resizable UI, rhythmic.
What it does
Butterfly is HoRNet's all-in-one master processor: an EQ, compressor, clipper and limiter in one window, built from parts of earlier HoRNet plugins. It is aimed at the mix bus and mastering, but also works as a channel strip on single tracks.
- EQ: up to six bands, based on HoRNet's TotalEQ.
- Compressor: based on HoRNet SyncPressor, with attack and release times that can lock to the host tempo so the compression breathes with the groove.
- Clipper: taken from Magnus MK2 and meant for clean peak clipping without harsh digital distortion.
- Limiter: also from Magnus MK2, as the final stage for setting loudness; Production Expert notes its attack and release can sync to tempo too.
- Routing: the four modules sit on tabs you can drag into any order, each with its own bypass, plus a global bypass and input/output gain.
- Loudness metering: input and output LUFS meters with momentary, short-term and integrated readings and true peak, so no separate meter is needed.
- Quality and GUI: oversampling up to 4x, a resizable vector GUI with hardware acceleration, and built-in online help.
The current version is 1.0.7. A 15-day money-back guarantee applies; the demo silences periodically, doesn't save settings and doesn't respond to automation.
When to use it
Butterfly is the pick for a cheap, simple mastering chain where the core four processors and loudness metering sit in one window. Compared with Ozone 12, it has no multiband dynamics, stereo imaging or assistant, but it costs a small fraction of the price and is quicker to learn. Unlike Scheps Omni Channel or Neutron 5, which are built mainly as mixing channel strips, it puts a clipper, limiter and LUFS metering at the centre, so a track can be finished without extra plugins. Its tempo-synced compressor timing is unusual in this group and can help a bus pump in time. Its limiter has far fewer options than a dedicated limiter such as Pro-L 2, which offers eight limiting styles and more control for loud masters.
- Best for: quick home-studio masters, mix-bus processing, stem and demo masters, and a compact strip on single tracks.
- Genres: any; tempo sync suits beat-driven styles such as EDM, hip-hop and pop.
- Look elsewhere if: you need multiband compression, imaging or assisted mastering (Ozone 12), or a console-flavoured mixing strip (Scheps Omni Channel).
What producers say
Coverage is positive, treating it as an affordable, convenient master-bus tool.
- Production Expert called it a "cheap-as-chips channel strip" for the master bus that "sounds fantastic", with accurate, responsive dynamics.
- Bedroom Producers Blog found it "super convenient" for mastering, praising the simple workflow, flexible routing and built-in LUFS and true-peak metering, and noted it works well as a strip on mono tracks.
Where to buy
- HoRNet: $43.14 (Listed at €37.99; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))
Tutorials and reviews
- HORNet Butterfly overview
- Recensione Hornet Butterfly - Plugin da Master da acquistare subito!
- HoRNet updates Butterfly to v1.0.3
- HoRNet updates Butterfly to v1.0.1
- HoRNet releases Butterfly - Mastering Tool and Channel Strip
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