Signal path

A drum bus that glues without flattening

The drum bus is where a kit stops being separate tracks and starts being one instrument. The order matters: transient shaping before compression lets the compressor react to the shape you chose, and saturation after compression adds density without changing the timing. Keep the parallel path available so you can compare.

  • Transient
  • The G
  • Berry Console
  • Capital Punishment
  • Summation
  • Ape Tape
  • BIG
The order

Step by step

Change the order if the material asks for it. The reasons are in each step.

  1. 1. Shape the attack and body

    Transient has Attack and Sustain controls with no threshold to set, so it works on the shape of each hit rather than on a level. Use it before the bus compressor if the compressor is reacting to transients you did not choose.

  2. 2. Glue the kit

    The G is a stereo VCA bus compressor with stepped attack and release, Auto release and three ratios. Start with the slowest attack that still controls the body and the fastest release that does not pump; then compare with the compressor bypassed at matched level.

  3. 3. Add density

    Capital Punishment is a five-circuit pressure and saturation processor with Auto Gain always on, so level changes do not disguise the colour change. Summation offers three circuit-inspired summing engines for the master bus; on a drum bus, use it sparingly and check the low end.

  4. 4. Decide the width

    BIG uses Range, Stage and BIGNESS to add a side-derived image. That added component cancels in mono before common gain compensation and the optional BASS shelf. Try it on stereo overheads or room tracks, then compare the kit in mono and at matched level.

Listening check

Compare the processed bus with the unprocessed kit at the same loudness, then check the whole mix in mono. If the kick and snare lose weight when the widener is engaged, the wrong part of the kit is being widened.

In this guide

The plug-ins named above

Open a product page for the full controls, formats and installers.

  • Transient, the plug-in's interface

    Transient

    Price: $14.99$29.99 from 9 Nov

    A transient shaper with just Attack and Sustain: change the shape of the hit.

    Transient Shaper

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

  • The G, the plug-in's interface

    The G

    Price: $19.99$39.99 from 9 Nov

    Console-style VCA bus compression with stepped timing and a parallel Mix.

    Compressor

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

  • Berry Console, the plug-in's interface

    Berry Console

    Price: $29.99$59.99 from 9 Nov

    Gate, EQ and compress a channel in one plug-in.

    Channel Strip

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

  • Capital Punishment, the plug-in's interface

    Capital Punishment

    Price: $19.99$39.99 from 9 Nov

    Five saturation circuits behind Style, Drive, Tone and Mix.

    Saturation

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

  • Summation, the plug-in's interface

    Summation

    Price: $24.99$49.99 from 9 Nov

    Console saturation: US Discrete, British Class-A and British Console engines.

    Saturation

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

  • Ape Tape, the plug-in's interface

    Ape Tape

    Price: $14.99$29.99 from 9 Nov

    Add tape colour, then blend it with your original signal.

    Tape

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

  • BIG, the plug-in's interface

    BIG

    Price: $14.99$29.99 from 9 Nov

    Shape stereo width in the frequency range you choose.

    Stereo Imaging

    Windows VST3 · Mac VST3 / AU

FAQ

Questions about this chain

Should transient shaping go before or after bus compression?
Before, if you want the compressor to react to the shape you chose. After, if you are restoring attack that the compressor removed. Both are valid; the difference is whether the transient shaper is an input decision or a correction.
How much gain reduction is normal on a drum bus?
There is no normal. A glue compressor might move 1–3 dB on the loudest hits, while a parallel or character compressor can move much more. Decide by ear at matched level, not by the meter.
Can I use the same chain on a sampled drum loop?
Yes, but a loop has already been compressed and saturated by someone else. Start with fewer moves: often only EQ, a gentle compressor and a width decision. Add saturation only if the loop needs density.
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