Processor · Audio effect
Spliff
Transient processing in the Spiff manner — dynamic cuts or boosts that apply only where transient energy lives, steered by a 3-band detector, with Drift CC control.
Opinion
Spliff earns its place on two jobs nothing else in the set does: de-clicking vocal takes without touching the tone (Cut, high Sensitivity, short Decay) and waking up flat drum overheads (Boost before the compressor). The Delta monitor is the way in — if you cannot hear what it removes, you have the wrong Sensitivity.
Functionality
Spliff detects transients per frequency band and applies dynamic gain only where transient energy exists. Mode selects Cut or Boost; Depth sets the amount; Sensitivity the detection threshold; Sharpness the per-band independence; Decay the recovery time with an LF/HF tilt; Split Low/High steer the detector (sidechain weighting, not EQ). Mix, Trim, Delta and Bypass follow the Spiff manual’s workflow. The detector is mono (fixed full link), so transients never shift the stereo image.
Parameters
| Parameter | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Cut, Boost | Cut | Cut tames, Boost lifts |
| Depth | 0–100 % | 50 % | Amount of cut/boost; CC 1 |
| Sensitivity | 0–100 % | 50 % | Higher catches more transients; CC 2 |
| Sharpness | 0–100 % | 30 % | Per-band independence; low = natural |
| Decay | 0–100 % | 25 % | Recovery; 0 = onset only; CC 3 |
| Decay LF/HF | LF … HF | equal | Which end of the spectrum decays longer |
| Split Low | 20–2000 Hz | 250 Hz | Detector low/mid crossover |
| Split High | 500–12000 Hz | 4 kHz | Detector mid/high crossover |
| Mix | 0–100 % | 100 % | Dry/wet blend; CC 4 |
| Trim | −12 to +12 dB | 0 dB | Wet-only makeup gain |
| Bypass | active/bypass | active | DSP keeps running |
| Delta | off/on | off | Monitor wet−dry |
| CC Channel | 1–16 | 1 | MIDI channel for all four CC overrides |
Drift routing
Route Drift’s MIDI output to Spliff’s MIDI input. With default settings, all four Drift lanes map directly: CC 1 → Depth, CC 2 → Sensitivity, CC 3 → Decay, CC 4 → Mix. CC 0 disables the override for that parameter.
Status
Core DSP, deterministic tests, the VST3 target, the panel and the catalogue screenshot are complete. Host validation in REAPER is pending. M/S operation, parametric sensitivity bands, and a live reduction display are deferred.