Punchcard

Punchcard shapes the start and the tail of every sound: Attack and Sustain both go up or down, and Speed sets how quickly it follows. More snap on a snare, less room on a kick, without a compressor's side effects.

The controls

Attack

-100 to +100%: more or less of the start of each hit.

Sustain

-100 to +100%: more or less of the tail and room.

Speed

How quickly it follows the music: faster for drums, slower for instruments.

Output

Level after shaping.

Best for

• Snare and kick: more snap or less
• Drum overheads and rooms: control the ring
• Acoustic guitar: more pick attack
• Bring back the punch after heavy compression

Starting points

Load Punchcard, set these, then adjust by ear. In the plugin, Level match helps you judge the sound, not the loudness.

Hints and tips

• After heavy compression, add Attack back with Punchcard instead of easing the compressor off.
• Reduce Sustain to dry up roomy drums.
• Small moves: 20 to 40% is usually enough.

Chains it works best in

Every Original works in a chain with the others and with members' hardware. These are good places to start.

• Fettle then Punchcard: squash the drums, then bring the attack back
• Punchcard then Spoolhaus: punchy drums with tape glue
• Punchcard then Parlour: tight drums in a nice room

Watch out for

• Lots of Attack on a full mix: it gets harsh. Use it on drums and instruments.