Overview
A sidechain for rhythmic volume shaping — pumping and movement locked to your session.
Sidechain
StarChain
A sidechain plugin for rhythmic volume shaping — draw the curve, lock it to the grid and let it pump in time.
Sidechain
StarChain
A sidechain plugin for rhythmic volume shaping — draw the curve, lock it to the grid and let it pump in time.
Mode
Trigger the sidechain in Sync, Audio or MIDI mode — the grid follows the clock you choose.
Length
Set the pattern length from 1/8 to 1/1 for movement that locks to the session.
Mix & Floor
Balance the pumped signal with Mix and keep a floor under the effect — curves included.
Comet Sound
Get StarChain
A sidechain plugin for rhythmic volume shaping — draw the curve, lock it to the grid and let it pump in time.
Overview
A sidechain for rhythmic volume shaping — pumping and movement locked to your session.
Mode
Trigger the sidechain in Sync, Audio or MIDI mode — the grid follows the clock you choose.
Length
Set the pattern length from 1/8 to 1/1 for movement that locks to the session.
Mix & Floor
Balance the pumped signal with Mix and keep a floor under the effect — curves included.
Sidechain plugin
A Sidechain Plugin For Movement That Locks To The Grid
StarChain is a sidechain plugin for rhythmic volume shaping — the pumping that makes a dance track breathe, the duck that clears space for a kick, the subtle movement that keeps a pad alive. Draw the curve you want and it locks to your session.
Classic sidechain compression makes you build a fake kick and hope. StarChain skips the workaround: you shape the movement directly, sync it to the clock, and get the same result every time you open the project.
Trigger it your way
Sync, audio or MIDI: choose whether the pattern follows the tempo grid, a real signal or a note you play. The movement follows the clock you decide.
Rhythm you can draw
Pattern lengths from 1/8 to 1/1 and custom curves turn a pumping effect into an arrangement tool — eighths in the verse, whole bars under the drop.
Keep the mix intact — and ask the AI
Mix balances the pumped signal against the original and the floor keeps a level under the effect. StarChain is also connected to Comet Sound AI: describe the groove you want and confirm the move it proposes.
In Your Studio
StarChain installs in seconds and behaves itself: a signed installer on Windows, a signed and Apple-notarised package on macOS, VST3 and Audio Unit where your host expects them. No account to keep open while you work, no phoning home in the middle of a session.
Buy StarChain once with a permanent licence and it stays in your studio, on up to three machines, with two updates included. If you would rather have the whole ecosystem, the Base and Pro plans unlock all six Comet Sound plugins — and Pro adds Comet Sound AI, the desktop app that turns what you describe into parameter moves you confirm.
Questions
Does StarChain work in my DAW?
Yes. VST3 on Windows, VST3 and Audio Unit on macOS: Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper and any other host you use.
Do I still need a compressor for sidechain?
No. StarChain shapes the volume directly, so you do not have to route a ghost kick into a compressor to get the pump — and the result is identical on every playback.
Is there a free trial?
Seven days free with the Base and Pro plans. A permanent licence asks for your key the first time you open the plugin and then never expires.
Do I need Comet Sound AI to use StarChain?
No. StarChain works entirely by hand. Comet Sound AI comes with the Pro plan and simply gives you another way in: ask for the movement you want, preview it, apply it when you agree.
Comet Sound