Puncher 2
by W.A. Production · Compressor · Transient, multiband and parallel compressor
Not rated yet
Puncher 2 is a W.A. Production plugin that combines a transient shaper, a multiband compressor and a parallel compressor.
It comes with 48 genre presets and a waveform display, for $69.
Best for: Drums, Drum Bus, Bass, Mix Bus. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap, Pop.
Keywords: multi-band, parallel processing, drums, bass, bus processing, visual feedback, kick, samples & loops, CPU-light, drum bus, full mix, linear-phase, mix bus, mixing, punchy, resizable UI, simple, stereo-linked, wide.
What it does
Puncher 2 stacks three dynamics processors in one plugin, aiming to "add instant power and punch to your tracks". It is built around presets and a before-and-after dynamics display rather than deep editing.
- Transient shaper: shapes the attack and sustain of a sound, with controls for stereo linking, bandwidth, envelope length and the maximum boost and cut.
- Multiband compressor: splits the signal into four bands using subtractive IIR filters, which the developer describes as a real-time linear-phase split; each band has its own compressor with logarithmic attack and release.
- Parallel compressor: blends in a compressed signal, with a continuous RMS time control and a knee width control for a softer, analog-style or harder, digital-style response.
- Display: a waveform view of the dynamics before and after processing.
- Presets: 48 genre-based presets and a built-in preset manager.
- Workflow: smoothed bypass controls and a resizable interface.
The current version is 2.2.0 (17 April 2024), and a demo is available. A reduced Puncher 2 Lite is also offered.
Source: W.A. Production product page
When to use it
Puncher 2 is the better pick when you want transient shaping, multiband and parallel compression in one preset-led plugin for drums and loops. Compared with FabFilter Pro-C 3 it is far less precise as a compressor, but Pro-C 3 has no transient shaper or band split. Unlike Cytomic The Glue or TDR Kotelnikov, which aim for transparent or console-style bus control, Puncher 2 is built to make things hit harder quickly. It is more of an all-in-one than a dedicated transient designer such as the SPL Transient Designer Plus, which offers a more focused attack and sustain tool.
- Best for: kicks, drum buses, loops and bass that need more impact with little tweaking.
- Genres: EDM, hip-hop, trap and pop.
- Look elsewhere if: you want transparent, detailed compression (Pro-C 3 or Kotelnikov) or a dedicated transient shaper (SPL Transient Designer Plus).
- Tip: start from a preset; a KVR user found the presets gave good results quickly, while manual changes were harder to predict.
What producers say
There is very little user feedback on Puncher 2; the one KVR review of version 2 is enthusiastic.
- KVR user (December 2022, Puncher 2.0) gave it 5 out of 5, praising the impact on kicks and drum buses, the simple interface, low CPU use and good presets, and said "I would never even think of doing a mix without it".
- Criticisms: the same reviewer found manual adjustments could feel inconsistent without a deeper understanding of how it works. A 1-star KVR review (also 2022) was of the original Puncher, not version 2.
Where to buy
- W.A. Production: $69
- Plugin Boutique: $69
- AudioDeluxe: $69
Tutorials and reviews
Similar plugins
- DB-30 Drum Butter by XLN Audio · Drum enhancer · $121.36
- DynOne by Leapwing Audio · Parallel multiband compressor · $199
- IHNY-2 by Baby Audio · Parallel compressor · $99
- Evil Otto by Audio Damage · OTT-style multiband compressor · Free
- SPC2000 Serial/Parallel Compressor by McDSP · Serial/parallel compressor · $129
- Parallel Aggressor by Baby Audio · Parallel compression/saturation · $69
- MBC by ToneBoosters · Multiband compressor with saturation · $44.28
- PolyComp by Audiority · 3-band VCA multiband compressor · $45
- Alchemist by FLUX:: · 5-band multiband dynamics processor · $179
- TL MultiComp by ToneLib · Multiband compressor · $44.97
More from W.A. Production
- PsychoPan by W.A. Production · Imaging · $14.90
- Particle Pie by W.A. Production · Multi-FX · $39.90
- Supra by W.A. Production · Synth · $14.90
- Make Me Scream 2 by W.A. Production · Vocal Tool · $69
- Orchid by W.A. Production · Chorus · $39.90
- Asymo Reverb by W.A. Production · Reverb · $14.90
- ChopBeast 2 by W.A. Production · Multi-FX · $12.90
- Presser by Aiden Kenway by W.A. Production · Compressor · $29.90