Cableguys DriveShaper - €39

Analogue-style distortion and creative wavefolding make this a pulsating box of gritty filth… which is far more pleasant than it sounds

DriveShaper is the latest effect to be added to Cableguys’ modulation-focussed multi-effect plugin ShaperBox 2. It arrived as a freebie for existing Cableguys users towards the end of last year, meaning all existing ShaperBox owners had it added to their collection without paying. For those that missed out, it’s now available for €39, which is still rather reasonable for such a feature-packed distortion.

DriveShaper’s core setup is broadly in line with the rest of its ShaperBox stablemates. It’s UI is focussed around the familiar LFO shaper, which allows users to define a custom curve that, in this case, controls drive level. These custom waves can either be drawn in manually, using an assortment of tools and an editor grid, or selected from an array of handy preset shapes. As is standard ShaperBox fare, DriveShaper is multiband, allowing three distinct frequency bands to be freely defined via the spectrum view in the top left of the UI. Each band has its own effect controls and shaper curve, meaning users can set different modulation patterns and distortion styles for the high, mid and low parts of the spectrum.