Mastino 60 FAQ

Mastino 60 is a hard-knee VCA-style compressor for fast, assertive gain reduction. It is built for material that needs grip: drums, bass, guitars, synths, and buses where control should be felt, not hidden.

Mastino 60 is designed for fast, assertive VCA-style gain reduction rather than invisible levelling. It can clamp peaks, add punch, and create audible movement when pushed. Use it when you want compression that shapes the sound instead of disappearing completely.

Start with drum buses, individual drums, bass, guitars, synth buses, percussion rooms, and parallel returns. It also works on a mix bus when used gently, but its natural strength is decisive control rather than invisible smoothing.

Yes. Mastino 60 is especially useful on drums when you want fast gain reduction, more urgency, and a harder clamp on peaks. Start with 3-6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest hits, then match Output before judging the result.

Yes. Use it to hold bass notes in place and keep low-end movement controlled. If the compressor reacts too much to deep fundamentals, raise SC Filter so the detector is less dominated by the lowest frequencies.

Yes, but it is not a soft vocal leveller. Use lower Compress settings and aim for moderate gain reduction. If plosives or breath pops trigger too much compression, raise SC Filter and level-match with Output.

Yes, carefully. Start with low Compress settings and only 1-2 dB of gain reduction. Raise SC Filter if kick or bass causes pumping. If the effect is too obvious, reduce Mix or move Mastino 60 to a drum or parallel bus instead.

Threshold sets where compression begins. Lower it until the gain reduction meter moves with the loudest parts of the signal. If you lower it too far, the performance can become flattened or over-controlled.

Compress controls how firmly the signal is held once compression starts. Lower settings are better for control. Higher settings create stronger clamp, harder transient control, and more obvious movement.

SC Filter shapes what the detector listens to. Raise it when kick drums, bass notes, plosives, or low-frequency energy make the compressor overreact. Lower it when you want the full signal to drive gain reduction.

Stereo Link controls how much the left and right channels share gain reduction. Higher values keep the stereo image more stable. Lower values allow more independent movement between channels, which can feel wider or more animated but may also move the image.

Mix blends the compressed signal with the dry signal. Keep it at 100% for direct compression. Lower it when the compressed sound has the right energy but the attack feels too controlled. For parallel crush, push Threshold and Compress harder than normal, then pull Mix back.

Output is the final post-compression level trim. Use it to match the active level to the bypassed level before deciding whether the compression is helping. Level matching makes bypass comparisons more reliable.

Quality selects the processing quality / CPU point. Live (1x) is the lowest CPU mode, useful while tracking or writing. Design (2x) is good for sound design and normal drafting. Mix (4x) is recommended for everyday mixing. Master (8x) is the highest quality mode, best for final renders. Use Live when you need responsiveness, Mix for most sessions, and Master when printing final audio.

Yes. Mastino 60 reports fixed low latency to the host so your DAW can compensate automatically. If timing seems wrong, check that plugin delay compensation is enabled in your DAW.

Compression often changes perceived loudness. Always level-match with Output before bypass comparison. If the compressed version is louder, it can seem better simply because of the level difference.

Raise SC Filter if kick, bass, or low-frequency energy is pulling the whole signal down. Use less Compress, raise Threshold, or reduce Mix if the pumping is still too obvious.

Raise Threshold, reduce Compress, or lower Mix. If you still want the body and density from heavy compression, use Mastino 60 in parallel and blend the compressed path under the dry signal.

Increase Stereo Link. A higher Stereo Link setting keeps left and right gain reduction moving together, which helps preserve image stability.

Mastino 60 is available as CLAP and VST3.

Mastino 60 supports Windows 10+ 64-bit and Linux 64-bit.

Not currently. Mastino 60 is built for Windows and Linux.

Mastino 60 supports 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz.

Mastino 60 requires a 64-bit x86 CPU.

No. Mastino 60 does not use iLok and does not require a dongle.

Yes. Mastino 60 processes audio locally and does not require an internet connection after activation.

No. The plugin does not collect telemetry and does not phone home during use.

After purchase, activate Mastino 60 using the license method provided by MousePlugins. After activation, the plugin can be used offline.

Install the VST3 or CLAP file into the plugin folder used by your DAW, then rescan plugins inside the DAW. Use VST3 if your host supports VST3, or CLAP if your host supports CLAP.

Check that you installed the correct format for your DAW, that the plugin file is in the folder your DAW scans, and that the DAW has rescanned plugins. Also check whether your DAW supports CLAP, VST3, or both.

The demo is fully functional, with every control active and no time limit. The demo adds a periodic noise burst that will also be printed in renders.

Yes, but the demo noise burst will be included in rendered/exported audio. Use the licensed version for clean final renders.

Yes. Push Threshold and Compress harder than you normally would, then lower Mix until the dry attack feels natural again. This is one of Mastino 60's main uses.

This style of compression often sounds best when the obvious compressed version is blended under the clean signal. Built-in Mix lets you do that directly without setting up a separate parallel bus.

Both can work. Put Mastino 60 before EQ when you want stable dynamics before tone shaping. Put it after EQ when you want the EQd signal to drive the detector. If low-end EQ makes the compressor overreact, raise SC Filter.

On drums and buses, Mastino 60 often works well before a clipper or limiter. Use Mastino 60 to shape movement and density, then use the next stage to catch peaks.

Not primarily. It can be used gently, but it is designed for fast, assertive VCA-style control. If you need completely invisible levelling, use conservative settings or choose a compressor designed specifically for transparent gain control.

Play the loudest section, lower Threshold until the gain reduction meter moves, set Compress for the amount of clamp you want, then match Output. After that, adjust SC Filter, Stereo Link, Mix, and Quality.

Use Mix (4x) for normal mixing. Use Live (1x) while tracking or writing, and Master (8x) when rendering final audio.

Visit the MousePlugins support page or contact support through the email listed on the website.