8.4Great
HalfTime is a half-speed audio effect plugin that drops incoming audio to half (or other) speeds for slowed-down beats and breakdowns.
Plugin comparison
Cableguys HalfTime vs Kickstart 2
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
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.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, Cableguys HalfTime comes out ahead (8.4). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Cableguys HalfTime | Kickstart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €12 | $16 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Formats | VST 2, VST 3, AU (Mac only), AAX | VST 2.4, VST 3, AU, AAX |
| Speed modes | Half-speed plus 2x, 1.5x and 4x speed modes | — |
| Band Split | Isolate and process bass, mids, or highs | — |
| Loop length | Adjustable from 1/16 to 8 bars | — |
| Fade in/out | Up to 16 bars | — |
| Smooth modes | Percussive, Sustain, FX, Swell | — |
| Mac system requirements | OS X 10.15 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon | — |
| Windows system requirements | Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11; 64-bit | — |
| UI scaling | Resizable 75%-200% | — |
| 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) |
| macOS | — | macOS 10.15 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon (Native/Rosetta) |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.