Fletcher Audio · Sidechain shaping

PISTON

Make room for the rhythm.

Get Piston ↗Explore the details ↓

Overview01 / 05

3D product renders · Audio plugin for macOS and Windows

16 shapesFind your movement

3 triggersSync · MIDI · Audio

Low onlyKeep the top intact

See the movement.

Watch the gain curve over your audio. Shape the space around each hit with a clear view of what comes next.

Dial in the depth.

From a gentle lift to deep pumping. Use Amount to find the balance between the original signal and the full envelope.

A shape for every groove.

Choose from 16 envelopes, then make each one your own with Slope, Shift and Stretch.

Documentation

User guideInstallation, controls and getting started

Download PDF

Licence termsUsage rights and licence agreement

Download PDF

Licence agreement 1.0.0 (text)Third-party notices

Your personal activation key is available separately in My plugins.

Movement, down to the detail.

Give a kick room to land, move a bassline around the beat, or turn a sustained sound into a rhythm. Piston puts the envelope in front of you, with a large waveform display and direct controls for depth, curve and timing.

16 envelopes: Move from a gentle lift to deep pumping, sharp cuts, reverse swells and double pulses. Choose a shape and see its gain curve over your audio.
Amount: Set the depth of the movement, from the original signal to the full envelope.
Slope / Shift: Bend the response and place it in time. Each shape remembers its own slope and shift settings.
Stretch: Extend the envelope horizontally by up to 50%. The visible cycle defines what you hear, even when the curve’s peak moves beyond the screen.
Low Only / Listen: Duck the low band while preserving the top. Set the crossover from 20 Hz to 5.12 kHz, then listen to the low band as you tune it.
Output: Set the final level from −24 to +12 dB. Automate controls and save your settings with your DAW project.

Three ways to set it in motion

Sync: Follow your DAW’s tempo and transport. Choose eighth-note, quarter-note, half-note or whole-note cycles, with triplet and dotted options.
MIDI: Retrigger the envelope with MIDI notes for a pattern that follows your arrangement. Each note starts one visible cycle.
Audio: Route your kick or another track to Piston’s external sidechain input. Its transients trigger the envelope, so the movement follows the performance.

In MIDI and Audio modes, the envelope holds its right-edge level until the next trigger. Sidechain and MIDI routing depend on your DAW.

Your curve, in view

Piston interface showing the Tide envelope, waveform, Sync mode, Amount, Slope, Shift, Stretch and low-band controls — Piston’s plugin interface

Compatibility

System requirements

macOS: macOS 11 or later · Apple Silicon & Intel buildAudio Unit + VST3
Windows: Windows 10 / 11 · x64VST3 · 64-bit

AAX / Pro Tools, VST2, 32-bit and Linux builds are not included.

Choose your DAW format

Piston formats by DAW
DAW	macOS	Windows
Logic Pro	AU	Not available
Ableton Live	AU / VST3	VST3
FL Studio	AU / VST3	VST3

Use VST3 and the same plugin version when moving projects between Mac and Windows. Your DAW may require a newer operating system.

Build and validation notes

Mac packages are Developer ID signed and Apple notarized. The universal build contains Apple Silicon and Intel code; Intel hardware testing is pending. Windows x64 VST3 and installer validation run on Windows. The Windows installer is unsigned and may show a Windows reputation prompt. Validation includes Audio Unit and VST3 checks; not every DAW version has been tested.

Installation & updates

Install on macOS

Save your project and close your DAW.
Open the downloaded DMG, launch Piston Setup and choose Audio Unit and/or VST3. Logic Pro needs Audio Unit.
Install, then reopen your DAW. If needed, rescan through Logic’s Plug-in Manager, Live’s Plug-ins settings, or FL Studio’s Manage plugins window.

Manual ZIP: copy Piston.component into ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ and Piston.vst3 into ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/. Copy each complete bundle.

Install on Windows

Save your project and close your DAW.
Run Piston Setup and approve the administrator prompt.
Reopen your DAW, enable its VST3 system folder and rescan, then insert Piston on an audio track.

Manual ZIP: copy the complete Piston.vst3 bundle into C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\. Use the Windows build; Mac bundles cannot run on Windows.

Update or uninstall

Piston checks for updates when its interface opens, at most once a day. Click the Fletcher Audio logo below the envelopes to check manually or disable automatic checks. A green dot appears when an update is available. Downloads remain in your AudioNode account.

Close your DAW before running a newer installer. It replaces the existing Piston version; the Mac installer backs up the previous plugin. To uninstall on Mac, run Uninstall Piston in your Applications/Fletcher Audio folder. On Windows, use Settings → Apps → Piston → Uninstall. Your DAW projects are preserved, but projects using a removed plugin will report it missing.

Activate Piston

Open My plugins in the account you used to buy or claim the plugin. Copy your personal activation key or download its licence file.

Open Piston in your DAW, paste the key or choose Import licence file, then activate online. Each licence allows three computers and up to 30 days offline after a successful activation or renewal. Reconnect before the offline period ends.

If you installed an earlier 1.0.0 download, download this licensed edition from your account and run its installer. It also reports version 1.0.0, so the automatic update check will not announce this replacement.

You can download your key file again and deactivate an old computer from your account. Your installer includes the user guide and licence terms; your personal key is provided separately.

What is included?

Piston 1.1.0, 16 envelope shapes, tempo sync, MIDI and audio sidechain triggering, low-band shaping, macOS AU/VST3 and Windows x64 VST3 installers, and manual ZIP downloads. This is an effect plugin for a compatible DAW.