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
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.
FabFilter Pro-R 2 is a reverb plug-in for simulating natural acoustic spaces and classic reverb units with Decay Rate and Post EQ control.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, FabFilter Pro-R 2 comes out ahead (9.1). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Kickstart 2 | FabFilter Pro-R 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $16 | $199.00 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.2 | 9.1 |
| Formats | VST 2.4, VST 3, AU, AAX | VST, VST3, AU (Audio Units), CLAP, AAX Native, AudioSuite |
| 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) | — |
| Reverb modes | — | Room, Vintage, and Plate algorithms with dozens of tuned spaces from small rooms to concert halls and cathedrals |
| Main controls | — | Brightness, Character, Distance, Space, Predelay (0-500 ms with tempo sync), Stereo Width, Mix |
| EQ | — | Six-band Decay Rate EQ for frequency-dependent decay shaping plus a six-band Post EQ |
| Immersive support | — | Dolby Atmos surround up to 9.1.6 channel layouts |
| Operating systems | — | macOS 10.13 or higher (Apple Silicon or Intel); Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista (64-bit and 32-bit) |
| Extra features | — | Impulse Response import, real-time spectrum analyzer, MIDI Learn, A/B comparison |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.