Kickstart 2

Kickstart 2, built by Cableguys around Nicky Romero's signature sound, does one thing and does it exceptionally well. It ducks a track's volume on every kick so the bass and other elements breathe around the beat. Instead of coaxing that pump out of a compressor's threshold, ratio, attack, and release, you simply choose one of 16 hand-drawn curves or draw your own. The result is the tempo-locked, rhythmic "pumping" that defines modern EDM, house, and pop production, dialed in within seconds.

It excels at speed and repeatability. Because the effect is a fixed volume shape rather than a level-dependent compressor, the ducking is phase-accurate and identical on every hit, regardless of how loud the source is. The Kick View waveform display and audio-trigger mode make it easy to time the curve to the actual kick, and it even follows non-4/4 patterns. For anyone who has fought with sidechain compression routing, that simplicity is the whole appeal.

The trade-off is scope. Kickstart 2 only shapes volume. It offers no multiband control, no frequency-conscious ducking, and none of the tonal character a compressor imparts. When you want transparent, program-dependent glue rather than an obvious pump, a real sidechain compressor still wins. The retro-styled interface is functional but plain.

Against its listed alternatives, the comparison is really about ambition. Pro-R 2 and Volcano 3 are entirely different tools (a reverb and a filter), so overlap is minimal; if pumping space is your goal, Kickstart is the more direct answer. Halftime is the closer cousin in spirit as a one-trick creative effect, though it does time-stretching rather than ducking.

At around $16, with a $5 upgrade for Kickstart 1 owners, the value is excellent. Choose it if you want instant, foolproof sidechain pumping and are happy to reach for a compressor when you need finesse.