MH TransientControl

Name: MH TransientControl
Price: 99 USD
Author: Metric Halo

by Metric Halo · Transient Shaper · Transient shaper

Not rated yet

MH TransientControl changes the attack and sustain of a sound independently of level, to make tracks punchier or smoother.

It runs at zero latency with an auto sensitivity mode, and sells for $99 (regular $179).

Best for: Drums, Drum Bus, Bass, Guitars, Acoustic Instruments. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: low latency, punchy, bass, zero-latency, drums, enhancement, subtle, bus processing, drum bus, extreme, mixing, simple, single-band, smooth, tracking, visual feedback.

What it does

MH TransientControl is Metric Halo's transient designer. It analyses audio to tell the attack, the sustain and the release of each sound apart, and lets you change their balance in ways the developer says "just aren't possible" with a compressor.

Envelope controls: separate gain controls for attack, sustain and release, to boost or cut each part of the sound.
Detector settings: advanced attack and release detector controls for fine-tuning what counts as a transient.
Auto Sensitivity: a mode that keeps the detection working at any signal level, useful on parts that change level.
Zero latency: real-time processing, so it can be used while tracking and on live inputs.
Gain display: a real-time view of the gain changes over time.
Views: simple, detailed and advanced UI levels, an adjustable UI size and presets via the MH Preset Manager.

Metric Halo lists it as version 4.0. It is sold on its own, or for less as part of the Production Bundle, and a fully working 30-day trial is available.

Source: Metric Halo product page

When to use it

TransientControl suits engineers who want a zero-latency transient shaper with more detector control than usual. Compared with the SPL Transient Designer Plus it offers deeper detector settings and an auto sensitivity mode, but older reviews found the SPL plugin more effective. It is less visual than Smack Attack, which lets you draw the envelope shapes. Its subtle style means it rarely sounds overdone, but it can also leave you wanting more.

Best for: adding punch to or controlling the sustain of drums, bass and plucked instruments, including on live inputs.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you want strong, obvious results (SPL Transient Designer Plus) or drawable envelope shapes (Smack Attack).
Tip: use it to sharpen kick attack, extend snare sustain or reduce pick noise on bass (Tape Op).

What producers say

Reviewers of the 2013 Production Bundle found it capable but subtle, with mixed views on how much it does.

Tape Op (Eli Crews, issue 94, 2013) praised the detailed envelope detection and found it good for adding punch or sustain to single tracks.
Sound On Sound (Sam Inglis, 2013) found it "rather baffling", saying that often "it appears to do nothing at all" even at extreme settings.
Criticisms: Tape Op rated it less effective than UAD's SPL Transient Designer and noted a sustain range of -300%, narrower than Metric Halo's own hardware DSP version.

Where to buy

Metric Halo: $99 (regular $179)

Tutorials and reviews

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