KickShaper kick designer plugin interface by W. A. Production

W. A. Production·Multi-EffectsFree trial

KickShaper: Kick Drum Designer Plugin by W. A. Production Free Download

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (534 ratings)

KickShaper is a kick drum processing plugin by W. A. Production that shapes kick tails, transients, low-end boom and tone. It is available in AAX format for Windows and macOS.

AAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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Free trial available from the developer

01Overview

KickShaper is aimed at producers who need kick drums that hold up in a mix. Its modules target common problems: kicks that lack fundamental low end, sound weak or lifeless, or fill up the low-frequency range and clash with bass and 808s. The developer describes it as suitable for EDM, hip-hop, rock and other genres. Its processing is split into shape sculpting, tone and enhancement controls, with a frequency finder to align the tail with the kick's dominant pitch.

Best for

EDM kick design
Hip-hop kick processing
Tightening kicks against 808s
Adding sub tails to kick samples
Punchy kicks for small speakers

Developer: W. A. Production
Category: Multi-Effects
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Kick designer plugin with advanced processing modules
Frequency Finder to detect the kick's dominant frequency
Deboom control that shortens low-frequency wavelengths
Tail, Thump and Click shaping modules
Tone section with Cut, Low, Mid and High controls
Depth, Heat, Punch and Clip enhancement features
AB comparison with undo and redo
Resizable interface with live signal display
Genre-spanning factory presets
Full PDF manual and tutorial video

03In depth

Kick Shaping Controls: Tail, Deboom, Thump and Click

The Frequency Finder button analyzes the kick and identifies its dominant frequency, which the plugin uses to set the tail enhancement. The value can be adjusted manually.

Deboom is the main control for kicks with heavy low end that distort or overpower a mix. Rather than acting as a low cut or compressor, the developer says it shortens the wavelength of low frequencies so the kick sits more concisely alongside bass and 808s.

The Tail module generates sub frequencies from the original kick and blends them back in. Thump adjusts low-frequency sustain, and Click handles transient shaping for rapid or varying kick patterns.

Tone, Enhancement and Workflow

The Tone section offers Cut for low-frequency trimming, Low for punch, Mid for muddiness and High for click control.

The enhancement controls are Depth, which applies convolution to add size while taming highs; Heat, for subtle saturation; Punch, which emulates console compression tuned for kicks; and Clip, which squashes peaks for impact on small speakers.

The interface is resizable and built on vector graphics, with a live signal display, AB comparison and undo/redo. A set of factory presets covering multiple genres is included, and a PDF manual and tutorial video are provided.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	W. A. Production
Type	Plugin
Category	Multi Effect
Formats	AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit
Free trial	Yes

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does KickShaper support?

KickShaper is available in AAX format. It supports Windows 8 or higher and macOS 10.10 or higher, both 64-bit.

What do I need to run KickShaper?

KickShaper runs as an AAX plugin in Pro Tools 11 or higher on Windows 8 or higher (64-bit) or macOS 10.10 or higher (64-bit). The developer notes Apple Silicon compatibility should be checked before purchase.

What does the Deboom control do?

The developer says Deboom shortens the wavelength of low frequencies, so kicks with excess low end become punchy and concise and blend better with basslines and 808s, rather than acting as a low cut or compressor.