Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Effect / Cableguys
ShaperBox 3 by Cableguys is a multi-effect plugin combining 11 effect processors, each driven by drawable LFO waveforms with optional 3-band processing.
Effect / Output
Thermal is an interactive distortion plugin (effect) from Output for multi-stage distortion, filtering, and effects processing.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, ShaperBox 3 comes out ahead (8.7). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | ShaperBox 3 | Thermal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — |
| Dubspot Score | 8.7 | 8.3 |
| Formats | VST 2, VST 3, AU (Mac only), AAX | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Included effects | 11 Shapers: Pitch, Reverb, Time, Drive, Noise, Liquid, Filter, Crush, Volume, Pan, Width | — |
| Multiband | Every Shaper can be split into 3 bands, each with independent LFO and envelope follower controls | — |
| Modulation | Drawable LFO waveforms plus envelope follower per band | — |
| Mac formats | VST 2, VST 3, AU, AAX (Intel and Apple Silicon) | — |
| Windows formats | VST 2, VST 3, AAX (64-bit) | — |
| System requirements | macOS 10.15 or later; Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11 | — |
| Plugin formats | — | 32 and 64 bit VST, VST3, AU, and AAX |
| macOS | — | OS X 10.9 or higher |
| Windows | — | Windows 7 or higher |
| Memory | — | 8GB minimum, 16GB+ recommended |
| Disk space | — | At least 300 MB free |
| Activations | — | Up to 4 computers simultaneously per license |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.