Duck by frequency
The sidechain reduces overlap on the processed track while leaving other regions alone.
Spectral sidechain carving
Carve
Clear a space only where the parts collide.
Make room where two tracks overlap. Feed Carve the priority track and set how far the other can yield.
- 30-day refund
- Permanent licence
- Free updates
Windows & Mac · VST3 / AU / standalone
Made forKick against bassBass under synthsCrowded arrangements
What you can do
Inside Carve.
Amount and Range
Set the strength of the interaction and cap the deepest cut.
Choose the region
Confine the carving with low and high frequency limits.
Match the timing
Tune Attack and Release to the rhythm.
Keep the attack
Narrow the action with Focus and preserve transients with Protect.
Hear what is removed
View both spectra and the cuts, or audition them with Hear Removed.
Before / after
Hear what changes.
Compare Carve with the original. Listening levels are matched.
About the recordings
Hear Carve · before and after
Keys under a vocal
16.6 sec · Level matchedThe keys make room around the vocal only while it sings.
How this example was made
Only Carve is processing: Carve, running as its own plug-in, with its factory preset "Lead Vocal Pocket", on a Splice sample. The vocal part plays unchanged in both versions; only the part it keys is processed. Both versions are loudness matched with a constant gain, so the change cannot win by being louder. No other processing is added.
A first pass
Start with what you hear.
Route the track that should win
Put Carve on the track that should give way and feed its sidechain from the one that should come through.
Fence in the conflict
Set the low and high limits around the clash, then raise Amount and choose a Range.
Match the timing
Tune Attack and Release to the rhythm with both tracks playing, and check the yielding part still belongs.
Questions
About Carve.
Which track gets Carve?
The one that should make room. For kick and bass that usually means Carve on the bass, with the kick feeding its sidechain.
What drives the key in the example?
The melodic chop. You hear the DX7 bass alone, dry and then with Carve enabled; the key signal itself is unchanged.
Which formats are available?
Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), and macOS 10.15 or later on Apple silicon and Intel. Both have VST3 for your DAW and a standalone application, and the Mac installer adds Audio Units. One purchase covers both platforms: download whichever installer you need from your account.
How do updates work?
Updates are free for as long as we make them. Sign in at your account with the email address you bought with and download the current version. Installing it replaces the plug-in in place, so your presets and existing projects are untouched.
Can I hear it before I buy?
Yes. Every module has a before-and-after example on its page. If you buy and it isn't for you, email us within thirty days for a full refund, no questions asked. See terms and refunds.
One tool, or all twelve
Carve for US$10 introductory.
Regular US$20. Or get it with Master Rack and the other eleven modules for an introductory US$50 (regular US$79).