MDrumLeveler: Event-Based Drum Leveler Plugin by MeldaProduction Free Download

Traditional dynamics processors change gain on every sample based on a transfer curve. That works well for shaping a sound, but it makes precise leveling of single hits harder to keep transparent.

MDrumLeveler detects events such as drum hits and adjusts the level of each one. According to MeldaProduction, the approach evens out hit velocities and recording differences while leaving the color of the sound unchanged.

The event detector is adjustable. You can use two parallel resonant band-pass filters to target the dominant frequencies of a specific drum, which helps with noisy or bleed-heavy recordings.

Beyond leveling, MDrumLeveler gives direct control over the envelope of each hit. You can lengthen the body of a drum or shorten its release without tuning a compressor by ear.

The plugin can also attenuate audio between hits, which reduces room ambience and bleed from other instruments. This is the job gates usually handle, and the developer positions MDrumLeveler as a more precise alternative.

The default look-ahead is 20 ms. MeldaProduction says look-ahead below 5 ms still works well for most drums, which makes the plugin usable in live settings.