In the landscape of modern electronic music production, few techniques are as fundamental—and potentially frustrating—as sidechain compression. For years, producers wrestled with complex internal routing and the fickle nature of compressor attack and release times just to make room for a kick drum. Enter Nicky Romero Kickstart 2, a significant evolution of the industry-standard “one-knob” solution developed in collaboration with Cableguys. It transforms a tedious mixing chore into a fast, creative, and visually intuitive process.
Beyond the Four-to-the-Floor
The original Kickstart was beloved for its simplicity, but it was primarily designed for the steady “four-to-the-floor” rhythms of house and techno. Kickstart 2 breaks these chains with the introduction of Audio Triggering. By routing any audio source—be it a complex breakbeat, a syncopated trap kick, or even a vocal—into the plugin’s sidechain input, the volume ducking curve is triggered precisely when the source hits. This allows the iconic “pumping” effect to follow any rhythmic pattern with surgical accuracy, making it an essential tool for genres like drum and bass, hip-hop, and experimental pop.
Visual Precision with Kick View
One of the most powerful additions to the sequel is the visualizer. No longer are producers “flying blind” or relying solely on their ears to detect phase issues. Kickstart 2 features a dual-waveform display where the sidechain trigger (the kick) is overlaid against the audio being ducked (the bass).
This Kick View allows for immediate visual confirmation of how the two elements interact. If the tail of the kick is still clashing with the onset of the bass, you can simply grab the moveable slope and drag the curve until they lock together perfectly. This visual feedback ensures a cleaner low end and more headroom for a louder, more professional-sounding master.
The Invisible Edge: Multiband Sidechaining
Perhaps the most sophisticated feature for modern engineers is the Band Split mode. Traditionally, sidechaining ducks the entire volume of a track. While effective for a dramatic “pump,” it can sometimes suck the life out of the mid and high frequencies of a synth or vocal.
Kickstart 2 solves this by allowing you to duck only the low frequencies (the sub-bass) while leaving the rest of the signal untouched. This “invisible” sidechaining provides the best of both worlds: a kick that punches through the mix with maximum impact and a bassline that feels constant and powerful without an audible dip in the upper harmonics.
A Workflow Powerhouse
Despite these professional-grade additions, Kickstart 2 remains remarkably lightweight and user-friendly. It retains the 16 hand-crafted curves designed by Nicky Romero himself—presets that have been used on countless global hits. With its resizable interface and low CPU overhead, it functions as a “set and forget” utility that saves hours of technical setup, allowing producers to stay in the creative flow.
Whether you are looking for a subtle mix fix or a heavy, rhythmic pump that defines a track’s groove, Kickstart 2 proves that a simple tool, when refined with precision, can become a cornerstone of the modern studio.
