The Calm Before gives you precise control over the most common tools used by producers, audio engineers, and DJs to add tension to buildups and transitions and make their drops and choruses shine.
Cut the lows: The kick and bass represent the majority of the energy in most songs. Cutting out the low end as the drop or chorus approaches lowers the energy levels. When you give the full low end back at the drop, it will sound way more energetic by comparison.
Cut the highs: Similarly, removing and then giving back the high end of the song will make the drop or chorus sound brighter and crisper.
Reduce the volume: This one is simple. Lower the volume during the buildup or transition, and raise it back up when the drop or chorus comes.
Narrow the stereo image: Reduce the song’s width leading up to the drop, so that when the drop hits, it sounds like the song is expanding, making it sound extra wide and feel more spacious.
Add washout: Add some washout to reduce the clarity of the song. The more washout used, the more faded out the song will become. Then at the drop, remove the washout effect to make the song sound crisp and polished by comparison.
The Calm Before implements all the above automations with one simple control, allowing you to quickly create and apply complex custom automations to your song.
The plugin is packed with extra features and utilities so you can also use the Calm Before for many common mixing and mastering tasks, reducing the number of plugins you need in your chain.