Kiive Audio’s Stellar Mixing Tools

Written by Bytemapper

If you know me from Soundbytes, BPB, or elsewhere, you’ll know I have a keen appreciation for the work the folks at Kiive Audio are doing. I linked up with the founder, Eddie, a couple of years ago shortly after the release of Distinct. At the time, the company was mostly known for its free Pultec emulation and the stellar Filkchannel. 

They’ve had a momentous few years since my first look, and as such we’re casting a look at a few notable releases they’ve had throughout 2024. Rather than just being a singular review, we’re doing a whole heaping helping of their noteworthy releases this year. 

NFuse 

From the very start, this is one of those that piqued my interest. Something about channel strips just scratches some sort of primordial itch deep inside my lizard brain. All the tools are right there for the using, after all. NFuse is based off of two fairly well regarded bus processors, both from British companies. 

The modules themselves are readily swapped out, allowing for a high degree of flexibility in how you approach a mix. I’ve leaned on NFuse quite heavily for the coloration, compression, and some broad stroke EQ action. This translates into a flexible mixes processor that excels at a variety of tasks. 

It’s semi-modular as well, meaning you can swap out colors on the fly. Of particular note is the width knob available in both modes. It works well for its intended purpose, but I don’t find myself reaching for it terribly often. 

I’m ingrained in my habits, and I generally will just create a mid/side matrix to get the task done. That said, NFuse sees a fair bit of use in my DAW. I love the action of both modeled compressors, and the saturation has a pleasing character to it that is great in subtle amounts. 

NFuse retails for $199.99, but you can catch it during major sales for around $79.99. 

Tubetizer 

Speaking of saturation, I can’t seem to get past doing any sort of mixing processor looks without a closer look at something meant to get hairy. Tubetizer is sort of a Swiss Army knife of sorts when it comes to modeling tube circuits. Like the venerable Decapitator and others like Shattered Glass Audio’s Phoenix, it gives you a selection of tubes to emulate. 

Controls are kept relatively simple, you’ve got a large red dial on the left side that reads Distortion, no guesses as to what it does. Where Tubetizer makes a bit of a change is in the addition of compression to the workflow. 

Tubes will compress audio, as will any form of saturation. As you’re hitting higher and higher levels, the audio compresses before clipping in a pleasing way. Seeing this with a gain reduction meter in a plugin is a major coup in my honest opinion. 

Tubetizer gets fat when pushed, making things like bass guitars, kick drums, and limp synth lines come alive. It’s a simple plugin at its heart, giving you a handful of controls and no hidden menus. If you’re going to pick a saturator up any time soon, I’d certainly give Tubetizer a look. 

The retail price of $69.99 is relatively affordable, but you can often find it on sale for $35. When you factor in the ability to gain link and oversample, it’s a no brainer. 

KC1 Tube Compressor

Most of the work I’ve done with audio tools has been in the box. Any experience I have with outboard hardware is limited to SSL and Mackie consoles. That said, I have a keen appreciation for older styles of compressors and equalizers. KC1 is all killer and no filler, with a handful of controls to get you rolling. 

Unlike most modeled vari-mu or opt compressors, you’ve got full control over the ratio, attack, and release of the compressor action. You can certainly choose to forego these elements, selecting fixed attack and release values that compress more as you raise the threshold. 

That said, this thing is just a sweetheart when it gets down to it. I love it on drums, it is wonderful on clean guitars. If I’m doing more sedate mixes where I need that gooey, gluey sort of compression, KC1 is a solid pick. 

One thing in particular I adore is the THD knob located away from the main controls. This imparts some additional saturation and an EQ curve that more closely models the characteristics of the output transformers of optical tube compressor. It doesn’t fit the situation every time. I always have to try it on a source before moving on, however. 

KC1 retails for $139, you can find it for around $70 on sale. 

AudioScape MK-609 

The Neve 33609 is one of those legendary compressors right alongside the SSL bus, 1176, and LA-2A. I’ve yet to find a plugin emulation of the unit that I jive with. Kiive’s collaboration with AudioScape has resulted in the MK-609 among other plugins. This thing has replaced my old stalwart SSL Native Bus Compressor on drums and groups. 

This is a stereo compressor through and through, with the option of running with linked or unliked left and right operation. Like KC1, it comes with a pleasing THD knob to give a little color and shape your signal. 

However, what really sets this apart is the inclusion of a limiter in the signal chain. You’ve got a compressor that hits first with a downright fast attack and release on quicker, transient-dense material. The limiter can suck the air out of the room, and I love it for it. 

Out of the compressors Kiive has developed over the last few years, this is a contender for my absolute favorite for general purpose use. XTComp is a good shout as well, but that one can be a bit heavy-handed, at least with the way I use compressors. 

If you’re going to try one Kiive mixing effect, this is the one. It retails ordinarily for $149, but you can find it for $89 on sale. 

M5133 

I always think of character EQs as something entirely different from the general uses. Sure, you can use them for fixing problems in the mix, but they’re almost always geared towards boosts for me. M5133 is a mastering equalizer first and foremost, and one that got me to stop paying quite so much attention to Tokyo Dawn’s equally stellar SlickEQ Mastering. At its core, you’ve got a pair of filters and five bands to manipulate the frequency spectrum. 

Since it’s a mastering EQ, you’ve got the option of mid/side, left/right, or whatever you’d like. Of note is the saturation section, which has a fair bit of control behind it. You’ve got three main saturation types: tube, tape, and transformer. 

From there, you can impart 2nd or 3rd order harmonics to mix, with a wet/dry knob that retains phase coherency the whole way through. I love saturating EQs, they have a character all their own. M5133 is a stellar pick if you’re on the hunt for a mastering equalizer that comes packed to the gills with features. 

Like the rest of the Kiive Audio effects mentioned today, there is oversampling present, which makes it a fine pick for most uses. Retail pricing starts at $139.99, but you can find it for $70 during most major sales throughout the year. 

Conclusion 

So, do I recommend any of the Kiive plugins looked at throughout this piece? Honestly, I found a place for every single one in my mixing and mastering workload. MK-609 sees near constant use on my drum bus, especially when used in parallel. 

That said, these are all worth a look, especially if you’re looking to make the jump to emulations with a bit more character while still retaining all the new-fangled controls that make plugins such a boon in the first place. 

I look forward to seeing what Kiive gets up to over the coming year, with any luck my wish for a comprehensive Lexicon clone might come true.