The Trick FAQ

Set LF Boost and LF Atten to non-zero values at the same LF Frequency. On paper it looks like they should cancel. They do not: the boost and attenuation paths use two separate LC networks. The result is a resonant low-end lift followed by a scoop above it. Bigger bottom, tighter low-mids. That is the trick.

The passive network has about 24 dB of insertion loss. The tube makeup stage restores that level and adds even-order harmonic colour. The transformer voicing adds low-end weight. Both stages are always in the signal path as part of the circuit-style topology.

Both LF networks sit behind a single four-position frequency selector. The Trick follows that shared-selector topology. This coupling is what makes the trick work: two independent filters running through a linked control structure.

HF Boost is a resonant RLC peak: the energy sits around the centre frequency, not simply above it. High Cut is a shelving cut. They have independent frequency selectors, so you can boost at 10 kHz while rolling off at 20 kHz for high-end lift without excessive top-end bite.

A WDF represents circuit components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors inside a scattering-junction tree. The circuit topology is kept in the structure, so the frequency response, phase behaviour, and interaction between components come from that structure rather than from curve-fitting alone.

No. The HF Boost has 7 frequency positions, and the LF section has 4. These are broad tone-shaping bands, not narrow parametric cuts. If you need to notch a specific resonance, use a parametric EQ. The Trick is for tonal shaping and harmonic colour.

The tube stage runs at fixed 2× oversampling, which introduces a small latency from the oversampling filters. The plugin reports that latency to the host for plugin-delay compensation.

On a bus or master, place it after dynamics and before the final limiter. The tube stage adds harmonics, so placing it after a brickwall limiter can change the final level and limiting behaviour. For mastering colour, try it early in the chain with a bus compressor after it.

Yes. The Trick is free, with no demo limitations, no noise bursts, and no time limit. Every control is active. No account is required to download it.

Yes. In v1.1.0, the plugin window supports free resizing: drag the window edges or corners to make the interface larger or smaller. The plugin remembers the window size and restores it the next time it opens.

The Trick supports VST3 and CLAP on Windows and Linux. On Linux, that includes hosts such as Reaper and Bitwig. On Windows, use a VST3-compatible or CLAP-compatible DAW.