8.4Great
Portal is a granular synthesis FX plugin from Output that transforms any audio input into playable, musical granular effects.
Plugin comparison
Portal vs ShaperBox 3
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
Effect / Cableguys
ShaperBox 3
8.7Great
ShaperBox 3 by Cableguys is a multi-effect plugin combining 11 effect processors, each driven by drawable LFO waveforms with optional 3-band processing.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
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
Specs compared
| Signal | Portal | ShaperBox 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 | — |
| Dubspot Score | 8.4 | 8.7 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | VST 2, VST 3, AU (Mac only), AAX |
| Presets | 250+ presets for instant playability | — |
| Control | Circular XY control linked to granular parameters | — |
| Built-in FX | 7 built-in FX plus a master compressor and filter | — |
| Time manipulation | Powerful time manipulation engine with tempo-synced grain delay | — |
| Modulation | Scale-based pitch modulation, Time Stretch, Pitch Shift, and Humanize controls | Drawable LFO waveforms plus envelope follower per band |
| Apple Silicon | Native Apple Silicon compatibility (M1, M2 and beyond) as of v1.2.0 | — |
| 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 |
| 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 |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.