Plugin Comparison
On Tap vs Kickstart
Which Sidechain Ducker Wins in 2026?
An honest, feature-by-feature look at two MIDI-triggered ducking plugins built for producers who don't want to route a sidechain compressor.
- On Tap: $20
- Kickstart 2: $25
Quick Verdict
On Tap is the better pick if you're on macOS, want band-split ducking (duck only the lows or only the highs), and care about saving a few bucks. Kickstart 2 wins if you're already inside the Cableguys ecosystem or want the most established curve library on the market. Both skip traditional sidechain routing entirely - insert, trigger, done.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | On Tap | Kickstart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20 one-time | $25 one-time |
| Hand-Crafted Curves | 16 curves | Established preset library |
| Trigger Modes | Sync + MIDI + Audio | Sync + MIDI + Audio |
| Band-Split Crossover | Yes - 20Hz to 5.12kHz | No - full-band only |
| Adjustable Curve Length | Draggable end marker | Fixed per preset |
| Anti-Click Smoothing | Built-in | Built-in |
| Wet/Dry Mix | Yes - parallel ducking | Yes |
| macOS Support | Apple Silicon + Intel | Apple Silicon + Intel |
| Windows Support | Windows 10+, VST3 with installer | Full paid support |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX | VST3, AU, AAX |
| Subscription Required | No | No |
| iLok Required | No | No |
| Free Demo / Trial | Yes - full plugin | Yes |
When to Choose On Tap
- You're on macOS and want the cheapest no-routing ducker that still gives you serious control
- You need band-split ducking - pump the kick out of just your sub bass without losing the highs of your bassline
- You like dragging the end marker to dial in curve length per song instead of being stuck with a preset's fixed timing
- You want all three trigger modes (Sync, MIDI, Audio) so the plugin adapts to whatever sound you're trying to duck against
- You want a full, affordable plugin toolkit from one developer (all 9 Carbonated Audio plugins come as a single bundle)
- You care about saving the $5 difference and putting it toward a plugin you don't already own
When to Choose Kickstart 2
- You're already inside the Cableguys ecosystem (VolumeShaper, ShaperBox) and want consistent UI across your ducking tools
- You've been using Kickstart for years and don't want to relearn a new curve library
- You want the brand recognition - Kickstart is the name producers think of first when they hear "ducking plugin," and that has its own value
- You want a plugin that's been refined over multiple major versions with a long-established preset library
The Real Differentiator: Band-Split Ducking
Most sidechain ducking plugins - Kickstart included - apply the duck to the entire signal. That works fine for pads and pluck synths, but it falls apart on full-spectrum sources like layered basses, mixed busses, or wide stereo pads. You end up either ducking the whole thing too hard or not ducking the bass enough to make room for the kick.
On Tap's band-split crossover lets you set a frequency (20Hz to 5.12kHz) and only duck the low band, or only the high band, depending on how you flip it. That means you can hammer the sub-bass out of the way of the kick while leaving the top end of your bass guitar perfectly intact. It's the kind of control that normally requires multiband compression and a separate sidechain bus. On Tap puts it on a single knob.
If you've ever fought a bass sound that needed the kick to punch through but didn't want to lose the click and growl, this feature alone justifies the plugin.
The Bottom Line
Kickstart 2 earned its reputation. It's the de-facto standard for sidechain ducking in EDM, pop, and hip-hop production, and Cableguys has refined it across multiple versions. If you're on Windows or you already swear by it, there's no reason to switch.
But if you're on macOS, On Tap is the more interesting pick in 2026. It's $5 cheaper, it covers the same workflow (insert, pick a curve, trigger by MIDI or sync to tempo), and it adds a band-split crossover that genuinely changes what's possible in the bass-vs-kick fight. It is also part of the seven-plugin Carbonated Audio collection - a straightforward way to build a complete indie plugin chain.
Try the demo first. The full plugin is free to download with no time limit, and you'll know within 10 minutes whether the band-split workflow clicks for you.
Hear It On Your Own Bass
Download the free demo - full plugin, no credit card, no iLok. Just ducking.
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