Steinbach Chain by Hauke Steinbach

Designed by Hamburg-based mix engineer Hauke Steinbach, Steinbach Chain is an all-in-one channel strip plugin built to address a fundamental mixing challenge: determining whether a processing decision truly improves a track or merely makes it louder. Combining a dynamic 8-band EQ, four bands of saturation, a multiband transient shaper, and a lookahead limiter into a single streamlined window, this versatile processor eliminates plugin clutter, latency stacking, and volume bias. By integrating automatic loudness-matched A/B comparison and a real-time null test display, Steinbach Chain allows music producers, mixing engineers, and sound designers to evaluate sonic choices with absolute objectivity.

Objective Level-Matched Auditioning and Real-Time Null Testing

The centerpiece of Steinbach Chain is its dedicated loudness-matched A/B comparison system, designed to eliminate psychoacoustic volume bias during critical mixing decisions. Holding the command shortcut matches output levels instantly, applying the inverse of any gain change to the bypassed signal so you audition pure tonal shifts rather than volume jumps. Complementing this feature is an integrated null test display that plots the exact difference between input and output across 80 individual bands, showing precisely what frequencies were added, carved away, or over-processed.

Integrated Dynamic Equalization and Multiband Saturation

Steinbach Chain features a dynamic 8-band EQ with seven distinct filter types, slopes ranging up to brickwall curves, and dedicated dynamic controls per band operated directly on the visual display. Paired alongside it is a 4-band saturation engine with selectable bell filters that inject warmth, character, and harmonic bite strictly into targeted frequency zones without muddying adjacent spectrum areas. Voiced at -18 dBFS, all saturation controls operate where production audio naturally sits, giving you precise control over analog-style warmth and harmonic density.

Multiband Transient Shaping and True-Peak Lookahead Limiting

To refine instrument impact, the plugin incorporates a multiband transient shaper with attack and sustain controls per band, visual lamellae indicators, and threshold-free operation for natural dynamic sculpting. Positioned at the end of the signal path, a true-peak lookahead limiter and clipper serve as a reliable safety roof or soft-saturation effect to ensure absolute sample-peak compliance. Supporting CLAP, VST3, and AU formats across macOS and Windows, Steinbach Chain streamlines complex processing setups while providing precise psychoacoustic metering tools like Sone, Acum, and Asper for total mix confidence.