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Description
Transform your tracks with the Nicky Romero Kickstart Sidechain Compression Plugin, a must-have tool for producers seeking that perfect pumping effect. Developed in collaboration with Cableguys, this plugin is designed to simplify the sidechaining process, ensuring your mixdowns have the polished, professional sound that electronic music demands. Whether you're crafting the next big house anthem or subtly enhancing an indie track, Kickstart delivers with precision and ease.
The plugin stands out for its intuitive interface, allowing you to achieve optimal sidechain compression without the need for complex routing or tedious parameter adjustments. Simply choose your desired curve from a selection of 16 kickstart curves, and adjust the mix knob to set the perfect balance between effect and transparency. This makes it an ideal choice for both beginners and advanced producers who want to streamline their workflow.
Kickstart is compatible with all major DAWs, and its lightweight design ensures it won't bog down your system, letting you focus on what matters most—your creativity. Its minimal CPU usage means you can seamlessly integrate it into your projects without compromising performance. Plus, the customizable curve shapes provide versatility, allowing you to tailor the sidechain effect to suit any genre or style.
Key Features:
- Developed in collaboration with Nicky Romero and Cableguys
- Simple drag-and-drop interface with 16 unique sidechain curves
- Mix knob for precise control over the sidechain effect
- Compatible with all major DAWs (VST/AU/AAX)
- Minimal CPU usage for efficient performance
- Customizable curve shapes for versatile sound shaping
Product specs
| Plugin Format | AU, VST |
Videos
Nicky Romero
Nicky Romero - Kickstart (Plug-in)
Nicky Romero - Kickstart (Plug-in)
Nicky Romero
Sidechaining with Nicky Romero - Kickstart (plug-in) showcase
Nicky Romero
Reviews
PROS
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Intuitive interface with easy-to-use wet/dry knob
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Offers 16 preset sidechain curves for quick setup
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Affordable pricing, often around $15
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Saves time on track mixing and sidechain setup
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Highly effective for 4/4 house music production
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Simple and visual design enhances workflow
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Works well across multiple genres, including dubstep
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Doesn't require a trigger, uses built-in timing options
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Suitable for beginner producers due to ease of use
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Provides a straightforward solution for achieving the classic pumping effect
CONS
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Limited to eighth, quarter, half, or whole note timings
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Not ideal for offbeat or syncopated drum patterns
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Cannot create custom volume patterns without additional tools
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Nicky Romero Kickstart Sidechain Compression Plugin.
Features and functionality
Comparisons
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VolumeShaper and LFOTool provide more customization options than Kickstart, such as adjustable shapes and additional functionalities.
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VolumeShaper and LFO Tool offer more features and variability than Kickstart, making them preferred by some users for more complex sidechain needs.
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Some users exclusively use Kickstart for its iconic sound reminiscent of big room tracks from its era, suggesting a unique tone quality tied to that style.
Source
Use cases and applications
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Kickstart is efficient for EDM production due to its ease of use with pre-designed curves and intuitive interface, ideal for consistent, quick sidechain effects.
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Kickstart is praised for its simplicity and speed, making it ideal for quick sidechain effects in EDM without complex setups.
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Kickstart is sometimes chosen for tracks aiming to replicate a classic big room sound, indicating its niche appeal for specific EDM styles.
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User experience
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Owners appreciate Kickstart for its speed and simplicity, especially under tight deadlines, eliminating the need for complex sidechain setups.
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Software and compatibility
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Kickstart simplifies the sidechain process, making it appealing for those new to audio engineering who seek an easy-to-use alternative to traditional sidechain compression.
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Logic users prefer Duck for MIDI one-shot sidechains due to Logic's MIDI Out limitations, indicating potential workflow benefits over Kickstart in specific DAWs.
Source
4.5 out of 5
Based on 95 Reviews and 453 Ratings
215
Great for Sidechain
Obviously as the name of this plugin suggests and I can literally just drop this in my mixer slot and I have some great sidechain effect on it! This is probably as good as LFOTool!
130
Fast & Easy
Not sure why theres so much hate around this plugin, why set up a compressor to sidechain if this can do it quicker for what I need?
114
Effortless sidechain compression made simple
The quickest and easiest way to sidechain. Highly recommend it as it is simply such an easy to use little tool that goes a long way.
72
Sidechain your life away
Talk about side chaining made easy this plugin breaks it down and simplifies side chain .Instead of spending long procedures trying to side chain while you could be making more melodies this plugin allows you to quickly side chain and control how much side chain you need in a few seconds. Time saver
206
Simple
Kickstart is really simple, but it has great presets that can be very versatile. With only one mix knob it makes so easy to sidechain without flaws.
Artist usage
Add artist
martin can be seen using kickstart in this photo
In this archived Instagram story, Skrillex shows his Ableton Live window with Kickstart version 2 as an insert on one if his channels.
Nicky Romero says that David Guetta is one of the artists that uses Kickstart in the about description of his video.
Nicky Romero's video says that Afrojack uses Kickstart at 1:48.
Nicky Romero collaborated with Cableguys to create a sidechain compression plugin. In a video he talks through the features:
"We have the wet button… then we have the different presets. I made custom presets to make sure that you can work easily, nice and fast, on different kinds of instruments and different kinds of frequencies in your mix. Whenever you make a kick-bass, it's always tricky to do the right sidechain. It's hard to get it right, to get the punch, to make sure that it keeps tight and that it sounds punchy in the club. The most important thing is that the kick has space to breathe."
Alesso is identified as a Kickstart user in this video at 1:47.
Madeon tweets about using Nicky Romero's Kickstart plugin to do sidechain compression. He is also listed on Kickstart's website as a supporting artist.
On www.kickstart-plugin.com, Knife Party is listed as a supporter of Nicky Romero's Kickstart Plugin.
Showtek is listed in the artists supporting Kickstart section on the Kickstart website.
Dyro is identified as a Kickstart user at 1:51 in this video.
In the behind the scenes video of Alone, Nicky Romero's Kickstart plugin and Lennar Digital's Sylenth1 are clearly visible in FL Studio 11 on the screen of Walker's laptop 47 seconds into the video.
Album Usage
The Nicky Romero Kickstart Sidechain Compression Plugin has been featured on the following albums:
Neon Medusa
The Midnight (2021)
Long Way Home (Club Mix)
Lucas & Steve & Deepend (2019)
Long Way Home
Lucas & Steve & Deepend (2019)
By Now
Jay Pryor (2019)
Wanderlust
Throttle (2018)
Out With The Old
Gammer (2018)
Sober
Cat Dealers (2017)
Lots to Say
Mark Villa & Keanu Silva (2017)
Breathe
Jonas Aden (2016)
Here Comes The Sun
Will K (2015)
Roses
The Chainsmokers (2015)
Flute
Thomas Newson & New World Sound (2013)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Nicky Romero Kickstart Sidechain Compression Plugin, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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