8.2Great
Nicky Romero Kickstart 2 by Cableguys is a sidechain ducking plugin that ducks a track's volume on each kick to clear space for bass.
Plugin comparison
Kickstart 2 vs Orra Pump Pro
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
Orra Pump Pro is a four-layer drawable modulator with 14 targets, ALL/SEQ playback, and AUTO level match. Intro $19, list $29.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Kickstart 2 | Orra Pump Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $16 | $19 intro / $29 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.2 | — |
| Formats | VST 2.4, VST 3, AU, AAX | VST3, AU, AAX |
| Curves / presets | 16 hand-crafted curves | — |
| Triggering modes | MIDI trigger and audio trigger (Cableguys audio triggering) | — |
| Curve editing | Draggable curve to fit any kick duration | — |
| Mix control | Mix knob to adjust sidechain ducking strength | — |
| Visual feedback | Kick View shows kick and bass waveform display; follows non-4/4 patterns | — |
| Windows | Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 (64-bit) | 10 or later, 64-bit. VST3 and AAX |
| macOS | macOS 10.15 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon (Native/Rosetta) | 10.13 or later. Apple Silicon needs 11 or later. Universal 2. VST3, AU, AAX |
| Type | — | Four-layer drawable modulation |
| Price | — | $19 intro / $29 list, direct via Lemon Squeezy |
| Trial | — | 14-day demo from the plugin, no key |
| Destinations | — | 14 per layer, including filters, volume, pan, and eight effects |
| Modes | — | ALL (series) and SEQ (one at a time), crossfade 0–2000 ms |
| Latency | — | Zero. None reported to the host |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.