mfkne Releases PULSEMELT Free VST3 Ducking Space Plugin

PULSEMELT is a new free effect plugin from mfkne. It does not follow the classic one function approach. Instead, it blends delay, reverb, saturation and bitcrush in one signal path. Musicians can use it as an insert effect on drums, vocals or full mixes. In addition, no routing or sidechain wiring is needed.

One Space That Ducks Itself

The core of PULSEMELT is a tempo-locked dual-tap delay. A reverb blends in behind it and shares the same processed path. Higher SPACE settings merge separate echoes into one continuous tail. Meanwhile, the wet signal ducks under the incoming audio. The detector runs 3 ms ahead of the audio path, and the host receives this lookahead for delay compensation. As a result, the tail is already out of the way before a transient lands.

GRIT Tutorial: Tape To Bitcrush

GRIT affects only the processed signal. It starts clean and moves into tape saturation, adding asymmetric soft saturation and high frequency loss. At 45 to 55 percent, bitcrush and sample rate reduction overlap with the tape stage. Therefore, the change feels organic rather than abrupt. Moreover, DRIFT adds three LFOs per channel for asynchronous pitch modulation. The left and right channels run at unrelated rates, which keeps the instability interesting and non-repeating.

MELT Macro And Dry Path Integrity

MELT is the macro control for wet/dry ratio and ducking depth. At full travel, it sends 85 percent wet and applies 28 dB of internal gain reduction. The dry path, however, remains unprocessed up to 60 percent and drops only 3 dB at the top value. The dry path normally combines no filter, no saturation and no compression. Therefore, the attack shape of each hit remains intact.

Format And Limitations

PULSEMELT comes as a VST3 plugin for macOS and Windows. It is free to download. A fixed 150 Hz high-pass filter on the wet path prevents low end buildup. That fixed cutoff is a limitation for users who want more control. However, the package is easy to mix with and works inside any major DAW.

Features