23DSP Dualite: Dual-Chain Multi-Effect Plugin with Mid/Side

23DSP has released Dualite, a new multi-effect plugin that processes stereo signals through two independent effect chains. The plugin is available now for Windows, macOS, and Linux at an introductory price of €15. It is built on the company’s Season 02 framework and represents a fresh approach to stereo processing.

Two Chains, Not One

Dualite gives you two separate racks, each holding up to eight effects. You can switch the lanes between left/right and mid/side operation. This choice defines how the plugin works. For instance, you can apply a high-pass filter to the side channel only, collapsing the low end to the center while keeping the top wide. Similarly, you can add reverb to the side and leave the mid untouched, making a lead open up without moving backward.

Behind each main lane sits a parallel lane with its own send, mix, and output controls. This setup enables techniques like New York compression or parallel saturation without affecting the dry path. The parallel lanes remain collapsed until you enable them, keeping the interface clean.

24 Effects and Flexible Routing

The plugin includes 24 effects across five categories: Tone, Character, Dynamics, Space, and Movement. You can place any effect anywhere in either chain, up to eight deep, and reorder them by dragging. Nonlinear effects like saturation, clipper, phase distortion, ring mod, and frequency shifter each have individual oversampling controls.

Moreover, Dualite offers four modulation slots, each configurable as an LFO, envelope follower, or ADSR. These can modulate any control in either chain with independent depth and polarity. Because the chains are independent, one modulator can drive the two sides in opposite directions. Additionally, eight macros are available, each assignable to multiple destinations and automatable from your host.

Presets and Workflow

Dualite ships with 90 presets across ten categories, including Tone Shaping, Character, Dynamics, Space, Movement, Stereo Field, Lo-Fi, Sound Design, Mix Bus, and Utility. Each preset is tagged by instrument and genre, so searching for terms like “snare” or “width” yields relevant results. Every preset includes a description of its intended use.

The plugin integrates deeply with your DAW. Every control is exposed to the host and named according to its slot position. Automation follows the slot when you reorder chains. Sixty-four steps of undo cover chain edits, preset loads, and assignments. A/B snapshots hold two complete states. Host bypass is crossfaded and delay-compensated, and the interface resizes freely with dark and light themes.

Features

• Two independent effect chains, switchable between left/right and mid/side
• Four lanes: a main pair plus a parallel lane for each side
• 24 effects including EQ, filters, saturation, dynamics, reverb, delay, and modulation
• Up to eight effects per chain, reorderable by drag and drop
• Four modulation slots (LFO, envelope follower, ADSR) and eight macros
• 90 presets in ten categories with descriptions and tags
• 64 steps of undo and A/B snapshots
• Per-effect oversampling on nonlinear effects
• Host automation bound to slot positions
• Dark and light themes, resizable interface

Price
Intro: €15 (incl. VAT)
Regular: €15 (incl. VAT)

Dualite runs on Windows 10 and later (VST3, LV2), macOS 11 and later (VST3, Audio Unit, LV2), and Linux (VST3, LV2). The current version is 1.0.0-rc4, a release candidate. It is sold via Gumroad, which handles licensing and updates.

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More info: 23DSP | Dualite