Effect / Mastering The Mix
Mastering The Mix REFERENCE
8.3Great
REFERENCE 3 is a plugin that lets you A/B your mix against professional reference tracks and shows what adjustments are needed to match them.
Plugin comparison
Mastering The Mix REFERENCE vs Cableguys VolumeShaper 6
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
Cableguys VolumeShaper 6
8.4Great
VolumeShaper is a Cableguys effect plugin that shapes audio with a drawable volume LFO triggered by beats, MIDI or transients across three frequency bands.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, Cableguys VolumeShaper 6 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 | Mastering The Mix REFERENCE | Cableguys VolumeShaper 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — |
| Dubspot Score | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| Formats | AU (Mac), VST3, AAX | VST 2, VST 3, AU (Mac), AAX |
| Price (official) | £59.00 GBP (no fixed USD price shown; site offers a currency selector) | — |
| Formats (Mac) | 64-bit AU, VST3, or AAX host; Apple Silicon native | — |
| Formats (Windows) | 64-bit VST3 or 64-bit AAX host | — |
| Key tools | Mix Descriptors, Masterscope, Mix Balance, Mix Instructor, and Match % | — |
| Mac requirements | OS X 10.15 or higher | — |
| Windows requirements | Windows 10 or higher | — |
| Current version on official page | — | VolumeShaper 7 (version 6 no longer listed/sold by Cableguys) |
| Multiband shaping | — | Separate volume LFOs for lows, mids and highs |
| Triggering | — | Beat-locked sync, MIDI, or audio-transient triggering with external sidechain input |
| Smoothing | — | Click-free lookahead smoothing with transient pre-smoothing |
| Mac formats | — | VST 2, VST 3, AU or AAX |
| Windows formats | — | VST 2, VST 3 or AAX |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.