Florian Mrugalla has released Absorbiere, a free sidechain ring modulation plugin available in VST3 format for Windows and macOS.
Absorbiere takes an intelligent approach to solving one of the most persistent problems in mixing: uncontrolled peak levels that result from stacking multiple tracks.
Rather than using traditional compression or volume ducking, Absorbiere uses sidechain-based ring modulation to tame transients and peaks.
It’s an unusual approach, but it’s also the most transparent one, often with no audible change to the sound. It reminds me of the recently released MASSIMIZER plugin, which we covered a few weeks ago.
Here’s how it works.
You load Absorbiere on a track and set a sidechain input, typically something like a snare or kick that’s spiking your master levels. By using the Capture button, the plugin automatically analyzes the sidechain input and adjusts gain staging for optimal headroom.
In the developer’s demo below, you can see and hear how this process helped tame a snare that was pushing the master into clipping, without altering its character at all.
It’s pretty impressive, especially if you’re chasing that extra loudness in your mix without sacrificing sound quality.
What makes Absorbiere stand out is its clever use of track identifiers. If you assign the same identifier (e.g., “drums”) across multiple instances, any parameter changes or sidechain recaptures made in one instance automatically apply to all others.
This means you can tweak your drum bus processing and have Absorbiere re-calibrate all linked tracks instantly, without the hassle of redoing every sidechain setup manually. It’s a game-changer for speeding up your mixing workflow.
There’s another neat trick for extra transparency. If the effect feels too invasive, you can simply dial back the Mix knob to reduce the modulation depth. This lets you keep the sonic benefits of peak control while maintaining transparency in your mix.
Absorbiere’s interface is colorful and slightly chaotic at first glance, but it all clicks together pretty fast once you get going. I loved the custom pixel-art mouse pointer, which adds a bit of retro charm to the overall design, and I’m always a sucker for such details.
Absorbiere is entirely free and open-source, and you can grab it directly from Mrugalla’s GitHub page. No sign-ups or installers are required.
It’s available in VST3 format for Windows and macOS, making it accessible to most modern DAWs.
Download: Absorbiere
Deal of the day 🔥: Get 8O% OFF IK Multimedia MixBox (70 effects for $29!)
More:
Last Updated on August 23, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
