Transient Master: Dynamics Effect Plugin by Native Instruments

Raising the Attack control emphasizes the transient, which suits kicks, snares and other percussion that need more definition. Lowering Attack calms harsh material such as a hissing hi-hat so it sits further back in the mix. Sustain controls the body and room sound of a sound: raise it to make snares ring or add depth to a drum group, and lower it to tighten a part or cut long reverb tails.

On guitars, reducing Attack can soften excessive pick noise, while a slight increase adds bite and presence to each note. Lowering Sustain can help choke muddy reverb captured in a recording. Because the plugin reshapes the envelope rather than changing overall level, these adjustments do not simply turn the track up or down.

Transient Master gives you a depth axis in addition to panning. More Attack and less Sustain tends to bring a sound forward, while less Attack and more Sustain moves it toward the background. Native Instruments says this lets you stack sounds by priority before you reach for EQ, without juggling volume levels.

The plugin uses three knobs, so it is quick to set up on individual tracks or on a drum bus.