On Tap by Carbonated Audio is a $20 sidechain ducking plugin with 16 curves, three trigger modes and a band-split crossover, on macOS and Windows, with zero latency.
Plugin comparison
Carbonated Audio On Tap vs HoRNet SpectraDuck
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
HoRNet SpectraDuck is a spectral sidechain ducker that cuts only the frequencies the trigger occupies, with no bands or crossovers. €29.99, VST3, AU and AAX.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Carbonated Audio On Tap | HoRNet SpectraDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20 | €29.99 |
| Dubspot Score | — | — |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX, macOS, Windows | VST3, AU, AAX, macOS, Windows |
| Type | Sidechain ducking and volume-shaping plugin | Spectral sidechain ducker |
| Curves | 16 hand-crafted shapes, including sidechain pump, sub-bass duck and reverse chain | — |
| Trigger modes | Sync (DAW tempo), MIDI (any note), Audio (incoming signal) | — |
| Band split | Crossover from 20 Hz to 5.12 kHz, duck above or below | — |
| Controls | Mix, slope offset, shift amount, draggable end marker | — |
| Latency | Zero, no lookahead | About 5 ms, host-compensated |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX on macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon native); VST3 on Windows | VST3, AU, AAX 64-bit; macOS 10.15+ (Apple Silicon native), Windows 10+ |
| System | macOS 10.13 or later, Windows 10 or later (64-bit) | — |
| License | $20 one time, 3 activations, free updates | — |
| Detection | — | FFT-based, no bands or crossovers |
| Main controls | — | Amount, Range (default 24 dB), Sharpness |
| Detector | — | HP/LP filter, Auto Time attack and release |
| Modes | — | Lookahead, MS (Linked, Mid, Side), Listen (Sidechain, Delta) |
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