Liminal - Dynamic Threshold Processor

Overview

Liminal is a dynamic threshold processor. It splits audio by transient strength into three lanes, and each lane can be sent through up to three effect slots.

• Lane 1: Strong hits (above Threshold 1)
• Lane 2: Soft hits (above Threshold 2 but not Threshold 1)
• Lane 3: Everything else

Only one lane carries the signal at a time. The lane gains always add up to 1, so with everything at default and no FX sends, the output equals the input. That means you can process the hits that matter, such as only the snare crack, only the ghost notes or only the tails, and leave the rest of the performance untouched.

Key features

• Three transient lanes, split by two adjustable thresholds with a live visualizer
• Three detection modes: Percussive, Sustained and Adaptive
• Detector filters (low cut and high cut) on each threshold, with a Headphones monitor so you can hear what the detector hears
• An 8-band Output EQ on every lane
• Three effect slots (A, B and C) with nine effects: Bitcrush, Delay, Flanger, Grain, Overdrive, Pitch, Reverb, Repeater and Waveshaper
• Parallel or serial routing between slots (A>B, B>C or A>B>C), with tempo sync on time-based effects
• Sidechain: one lane can duck the other two
• GATE and LATCH modes, with MIDI notes that gate the FX sends
• Liminal Instrument (MultiOut): send each lane to its own track
• Preset browser with Factory, Artists, Favorites and User folders, tags and undo/redo
• VST3, AU and AAX on macOS and Windows

What’s new in Liminal 1.1

• Liminal Instrument, MultiOut (AU and VST3): takes its audio from a sidechain input and sends Lane 1, Lane 2, Lane 3 and the FX bus to separate outputs. See the Liminal Instrument (MultiOut) chapter.
• 8-band Output EQ on every lane: low cut or low shelf, six bell or notch bands, and a high cut or high shelf. See Output EQ.
• AAX support for Pro Tools on macOS and Windows.
• Further optimisations across the plugin.

How it works

Liminal listens to the level of the incoming audio and compares it with two thresholds. Hits that cross Threshold 1 go to Lane 1. Hits that cross Threshold 2 but not Threshold 1 go to Lane 2. Everything else goes to Lane 3. Each lane has its own gain, its own EQ and its own FX sends, so a lane can be sent to any combination of the three effect slots.

For example, you can add pitch shifting only to hard snare hits, send the sustain to a reverb, and leave the ghost notes dry.

The detector only decides which lane the audio goes to. It doesn’t change the audio itself, apart from the Lookahead delay and Headphones monitoring.

Getting started

Formats

• LIMINAL (effect): Mono or stereo in and out. Formats: VST3, AU, AAX (Pro Tools).
• LIMINAL Instrument - MultiOut: Takes its audio from a sidechain input and has five outputs. Not available as AAX. Presets sound the same in both plugins. Formats: AU, VST3.

VST3 and AAX are available on macOS and Windows. AU is available on macOS only.

System requirements

• macOS: Requirement: macOS 10.15 or later. Intel or Apple Silicon (Apple Silicon recommended). AU, VST3 and AAX..
• Windows: Requirement: Windows 10 or later, 64-bit. An i7-class processor or better is strongly recommended. VST3 and AAX..
• RAM: Requirement: 8 GB required, 16 GB recommended..
• Disk space: Requirement: At least 250 MB free..
• Internet: Requirement: Needed to download the installer and to start the trial or activate. After activation, Liminal checks its licence offline..

Liminal works in any DAW that supports VST3, AU or AAX, including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Nuendo, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig Studio and Pro Tools (AAX).

Installation

macOS

1. Download the FlickSwitch installer package.
2. Double-click the .pkg file and follow the installation wizard.
3. Restart your DAW and rescan plugins if necessary.

Windows

1. Download the FlickSwitch installer.
2. Run the .exe installer with administrator privileges.
3. Restart your DAW and rescan plugins if necessary.

Install locations

• macOS: Format: AU. Location: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components.
• macOS: Format: VST3. Location: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3.
• macOS: Format: AAX. Location: /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins.
• Windows: Format: VST3. Location: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3.
• Windows: Format: AAX. Location: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins.
• Both: Format: Presets. Location: ~/Music/FlickSwitch/LIMINAL/Presets (Windows: Music\FlickSwitch\LIMINAL\Presets).

To install manually, copy the plugin files into the folders above and restart your DAW.

Uninstalling

On macOS, delete the plugin files from the locations above. On Windows, use Add or Remove Programs in Windows Settings, or delete the plugin files from the folders above.

Licensing and trial

• On first launch, a licence screen covers the plugin and can’t be closed. Audio plays normally underneath it.
• The button reads Start Trial when the key field is empty and Activate once you type a key. Enter your key exactly as provided, because keys are case-sensitive.
• The 14-day trial shows a countdown. During the trial the screen can be closed.
• A licence key activates up to 3 computers. Licences are perpetual (no subscription).
• Starting the trial and activating both need an internet connection. After activation, the licence is checked offline.
• Deactivate (? > Manage License, with a confirmation) frees the activation for another machine, and mutes Liminal on the machine you deactivated.
• When the trial expires, audio fades to silence and the licence screen can’t be closed until you activate. Setting the computer clock back more than 5 minutes ends the trial.

Your key is shown at checkout and in the receipt emailed to you. If you saved your purchase details with our payment partner, FastSpring, your invoice history and licence key are also available from the “manage your orders” link in your original purchase email.

Licence troubleshooting

• “Unable to connect”: Check your firewall and antivirus settings. Outbound HTTPS must be allowed.
• “License limit reached”: Deactivate Liminal on a machine you no longer use (? > Manage License), or contact support.
• “Invalid license key”: Check for extra spaces. Keys are case-sensitive.
• Audio fades to silence: The trial has ended. Activate with a licence key.

The interface

Liminal’s window is a fixed 1000 x 750 and can’t be resized.

• 1 Top bar: What’s there: Logo (links to flickswitchaudio.com), ? (help), Undo, Redo, the preset bar and the GATE/LATCH mode toggle..
• 2 Visualizer: What’s there: Upper left. The gear menu holds the detection settings and the SC button opens the sidechain settings. The arrow bar at the bottom opens the Threshold panel..
• 3 Lanes: What’s there: Right side. For each lane: Solo, Mute, Gain and the FX A, B and C sends. The A>B and B>C LEDs above the rows mirror the ones in the FX row..
• 4 FX: What’s there: Bottom left. Slots A, B and C, with the A>B and B>C flow LEDs between them..
• 5 Global: What’s there: Bottom right. In, Out, Mix and BYPASS..
• 6 Meter: What’s there: Left and right output peak, with dB readouts that hold for 0.5 seconds..

Clicking outside the visualizer closes its popups and the Threshold panel.

Using the controls

• Knobs and text values: How it works: Drag up or right to increase. Hold Shift for fine control. Double-click or right-click to reset to the default. Clicking a text value cycles or toggles it..
• Buttons: How it works: Right-click resets FX sends, Mute, Solo, flow buttons and the effect selector..
• Dropdowns: How it works: Click to open, or use the mouse wheel to step through items. Right-click to reset..
• Undo and Redo: How it works: On-screen buttons only. There are no keyboard shortcuts..
• Tooltips: How it works: Hover over a control for about 1.5 seconds..

Automation

Every control can be automated from your DAW except:

• Sens, Hold, InputEQ, Headphones, Lookahead and the display options
• The OutputEQ
• GATE/LATCH mode and all SC settings
• The Pitch st/Hz switch

Help

The ? panel shows the version, a lane summary and the Manual and Manage License buttons. When an update is available, the ? button shows a green badge and the panel shows an “Update available” link.

Detection

The detector decides which lane the audio goes to. Everything about detection is set in the visualizer, the gear menu and the Threshold panel.

Visualizer

• The visualizer shows about 3 seconds of input. Bright green is Lane 1, dark green is Lane 2 and grey is Lane 3. A dimmed colour means the lane is muted or soloed out.
• Drag the “1” and “2” lines to set the thresholds. Hover over a line to see its exact value. Threshold 1 can’t go below Threshold 2.
• Click the dB scale on the left to set the display range: 6, 12, 18, 32, 48 or 64 dB (default 64).
• 6 dB: Heavily compressed or limited signals
• 12 dB: Moderately compressed mixes
• 18 dB: Typical master bus levels
• 32 dB: Individual tracks with moderate dynamics
• 48 dB: Wide dynamic range recordings
• 64 dB: Maximum range, full dynamic capture

Gear menu

• Mode: Percussive (default), Sustained or Adaptive. See Detection modes below.
• Lookahead: 0 to 20 ms (default 10). Detection looks ahead by this much and the audio is delayed by the same amount. That delay is the plugin’s latency.
• AutoZoom: Fits the display range to recent audio. This only changes the display.

Detection modes

• Percussive (default): Drums, plucks, hits How it behaves: Reacts to sharp attacks..
• Sustained: Pads, strings, vocals, piano How it behaves: Tracks notes rather than hits. Holds for at least about 500 ms..
• Adaptive: Mixed material, full mixes How it behaves: Moves between the two modes automatically. Use it when you’re unsure which mode to pick..

Lookahead and latency

Lookahead is Liminal’s latency (default 10 ms). It is reported to your DAW, which compensates for it automatically. A longer lookahead gives the detector more time to catch the start of a hit. Set Lookahead to 0 for the lowest latency, but the detector may then react after the start of a hit.

The Threshold panel

Click the arrow bar at the bottom of the visualizer to open the Threshold panel. It has lane buttons 1, 2 and 3. Touching any lane control or threshold line also selects that lane. Lane 3 has no detector settings and shows only the OutputEQ.

• Threshold: The level a hit must reach to go to this lane. Set Threshold 1 high so only the hardest hits trigger Lane 1, and Threshold 2 lower to catch softer hits. Range: -70 to +6 dB. Default: 1: -6 dB / 2: -15 dB.
• Sens: Higher is stricter: a hit has to be louder to trigger, and the detection ends sooner. Lower is looser, with longer detections. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50.
• Hold: Keeps a detection open this much longer after it would have ended. Useful for dense material like drum rolls or strummed guitars. Range: 0 to 500 ms. Default: 0.

InputEQ

The InputEQ tab sets the detector’s sidechain filters. It only affects what the detector hears, not the audio.

• Each threshold has a LoCut and a HiCut filter, each with frequency, Q and slope (6 to 96 dB/oct, or Brickwall).
• Each filter has its own on/off toggle. Clicking the selected tab turns both off, or restores them. Grabbing a handle while both are off turns them on.
• Drag sideways for frequency and vertically for Q. Q is fixed at 6 dB/oct and at Brickwall.
• LoCut can’t cross above HiCut.

Tip: A low cut on Threshold 1 lets Lane 1 follow the kick while ignoring the bass. A high cut stops cymbals from triggering a lane.

Headphones

Headphones plays Liminal’s output through this threshold’s LoCut and HiCut, as a guide to what the detector is listening to. It does nothing unless a cut is on. A Mix below 100% blends the unfiltered dry signal back in.

Init EQ

Init EQ in the InputEQ tab resets frequency, Q and slope. The on/off states stay.

Lanes

Each lane has Solo, Mute, Gain and three FX sends, plus an Output EQ.

• Gain: ±15 dB.
• Mute: A lit button means the lane is muted. A muted lane is also removed from the FX sends. The automation parameter is inverted: 1 = playing, 0 = muted.
• Solo: In the interface, soloing a lane clears any other solo. Automation can solo several lanes at once. A muted lane stays silent even when soloed. Mute and solo fade over 25 ms.
• FX A / B / C: Sends the lane to that slot. See FX sends below.

FX sends

FX sends work like inserts. A lane with any send on is heard only through the FX, and the slot’s mix knob sets how much of its dry signal comes through. A lane with no sends goes straight to the output.

Routing examples:

• Parallel processing: Lane 1 to A only (pitch shift the hard hits), Lane 3 to B only (reverb on the sustain), Lane 2 with no sends (ghost notes stay dry).
• Layered effects: Lane 1 to A, B and C (hard hits through all three effects), Lane 2 to B and C, Lane 3 to C only.
• Everything everywhere: all lanes to A, B and C. Use each slot’s mix knob to control how much dry signal comes through.

Output EQ

Every lane has an 8-band EQ that changes the lane’s audio. It is applied before the gating and the FX sends. Lane 3’s tab in the Threshold panel shows only the OutputEQ, because Lane 3 has no detector settings.

• The EQ is off by default. Clicking the selected tab turns it on or off, and editing any band turns it on.
• Factory defaults: Band 1 is a 30 Hz low cut and Band 8 is a 16 kHz high cut.
• Band 1: Low Cut or Low Shelf
• Bands 2 to 7: Bell or Notch
• Band 8: High Cut or High Shelf

Gain is ±24 dB, Q is 0.025 to 40, and cut slopes are 6 to 96 dB/oct or Brickwall. Q is fixed on 6 dB/oct and Brickwall cuts.

• Band tabs: Click to select a band and turn it on. Click it again to turn it off. Use the caret on a tab to change the filter type.
• Drag a handle: Changes frequency and gain (or Q, for cuts and notches).
• Mouse wheel on a handle: Changes Q.
• Double-click a handle: Resets its gain (or Q).
• Double-click empty space: Adds a band at that point (bands 2 to 7 first).
• Control strip below the display: Edits the selected band.
• Init EQ: Resets all 8 bands to the factory defaults. The EQ’s on/off state stays.

Tip: Roll the low end off a heavily distorted Lane 1 to keep the mix clean, or brighten the soft hits in Lane 2 without touching the kick.

FX slots

Each slot (A, B and C) runs one effect. To change it, click an effect name in the selector, drag it vertically, or use the mouse wheel. The defaults are A = Pitch, B = Bitcrush and C = Reverb.

• A slot runs while an audible lane sends to it, or while an active slot feeds it in series. Several lanes sending to the same slot are summed.
• mix is one dry/wet knob per slot, 0 to 100 (default 100). Repeater has no mix knob and is always fully wet.
• Sync appears on Delay, Flanger, Grain, Reverb and Repeater. It switches the time or rate control to note divisions locked to host BPM.

Routing between slots

Click the LED spot between two slots to link them. The LED lights when linked.

• A>B: A’s output feeds B, so A is heard only through B.
• B>C: B’s output feeds C, so B is heard only through C.
• Both: A to B to C.
• Off: The slots run in parallel. They are mixed so the total never gets louder: with all three in parallel, C gets 1/2 and A and B get 1/4 each. A silent slot drops out of the mix.

Tip: Serial chains can build up level quickly. Use each slot’s mix knob and the Out control to keep levels in check.

Effects reference

Knob labels as they appear on screen are shown in brackets.

Bitcrush

Sample rate and bit depth reduction for lo-fi, retro and degraded sounds.

• [rate]: Sample-rate reduction. Lower values add aliasing and stepped waveforms. Range: 20 to 20,000 Hz.
• [bits]: Bit depth. Lower is more degraded. Range: 1 to 16. Default: 16.
• [wander]: Slow drift of the rate, for a tape-like wobble. Range: 0 to 100%. Default: 0%.

Tip: Use low Bits with a high Rate for clean quantisation, and a low Rate with high Bits for aliased, metallic tones. Wander adds movement to static bitcrushing.

Delay

Stereo delay with tempo sync and width control. The feedback is dark (an 8 kHz low-pass) with soft clipping.

• [time]: Delay time. Range: 0 to 1000 ms, or 1/1 to 1/32 with Sync. Default: 200 ms (1/4 synced).
• [fdbk]: How much of the delayed signal feeds back. Higher gives more repeats. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50.
• [width]: 0 is plain stereo. 100 is ping-pong. Range: 0 to 100%. Default: 0%.

Tip: Tempo-synced 1/8 or 1/16 delays on Lane 1 create rhythmic hit patterns. Long delays on Lane 3 add depth without cluttering the hits.

Flanger

LFO-modulated delay line for jet, sweep and chorus-like sounds.

• [rate]: Speed of the sweep. Range: 0.05 to 5 Hz, or 4/1 to 1/32 with Sync. Default: 0.5 Hz (1/1 synced).
• [fdbk]: Resonance. High values give an intense, metallic sweep. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50.
• [depth]: Depth of the modulation. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50.

Grain

Granular delay that slices audio into short grains and plays them back with timing and pitch variation.

• [spray]: Timing jitter, feedback, chance of reversed grains and random pitch, all at once. Range: 0 to 100%. Default: 50%.
• [rate]: How often grains start. Grain size follows the rate. Range: 0.1 to 100 Hz, or 1/1 to 1/64 with Sync. Default: 10 Hz (1/16 synced).
• [pitch]: Transposes each grain. Range: ±24 st. Default: 0.

Tip: High spray with a slow rate makes an ambient pad generator. Sync to tempo for rhythmic granular patterns.

Overdrive

Saturation with a drive stage and tone shaping. Gain is auto-compensated.

• [drive]: Gentle until about 75, then extreme. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50.
• [freq]: A high-pass filter before the drive. Range: 20 to 20,000 Hz. Default: 1000 Hz.
• [tone]: A low-pass filter after the drive. Range: 500 Hz to 8 kHz.

Tip: Light drive on Lane 1 adds punch to hits. Heavy drive on Lane 3 gives fuzzy, sustained distortion.

Pitch

Pitch is a frequency shifter, not a pitch shifter. Every partial moves by the same number of Hz, so results turn inharmonic or metallic away from 440 Hz.

• [pitch]: The amount of shift. Range: ±24 st, or ±500 Hz with [st/hz] set to Hz. Default: 0.
• [detune]: Left channel down, right channel up, for width. Range: 0 to 100 ct (or Hz). Default: 0.
• [rand]: Each transient picks a new random offset within ± this range. Range: 0 to 24 st. Default: 0.
• [st/hz]: Switches between semitone and Hz mode. Range: Switch.

Tip: Small shifts (5 to 20 Hz) give subtle frequency-shifting effects. Large shifts give robotic, inharmonic textures. Use [rand] at 2 to 4 st for varied pitches on every hit.

Reverb

A 16-line feedback delay network (FDN) reverb.

• [pre]: Predelay before the reverb starts. Range: 0 to 500 ms, or synced. Default: 20 ms (1/64 synced).
• [size]: Room size. Default: 50%.
• [decay]: Length of the tail. The millisecond readout is approximate. Range: Roughly 0.1 to 20 s. Default: 4 s.

Tip: Apply to Lane 3 only to reverb the sustain without washing out the hits.

Repeater

Beat repeat triggered by transients. When idle, a transient grabs a slice and loops it. Transients during a run are ignored. Repeater has no mix knob and is always fully wet.

• [rate]: How fast the slice repeats. Range: 0.5 to 50 Hz, or 1/1 to 1/32 with Sync. Default: 8 Hz (1/16 synced).
• [reps]: Number of repeats. 0 is off. Range: 0 to 16. Default: 4.
• [jitter]: Randomises the repeat length. Default: 0%.
• [decay]: Each repeat is up to 3 dB quieter. Default: 0%.

Tip: Try 1/16 with 4 repeats for a classic beat repeat. Add jitter for a more organic feel.

Waveshaper

Wavefolding distortion. Unlike clipping, which flattens peaks, folding reflects the waveform back on itself, creating complex harmonics.

• [drive]: Input gain from 1x to 20x, level-compensated. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50.
• [fold]: Wavefolding amount. Adds up to about +8 dB. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 1.
• [asym]: Adds even harmonics. Range: 0 to 1. Default: 1.

Sidechain

Open the sidechain settings with the SC button on the visualizer. One lane can duck the other two.

• SC Master: The chosen lane’s signal, after its FX, ducks all the other lanes (both their dry signal and their FX). The master lane itself plays unchanged. Range: Off, Lane 1, 2, 3. Default: Off.
• Ratio: How hard the other lanes are ducked. Range: 1 to 64:1. Default: 64 (infinite).
• Atk: How quickly ducking starts. Range: 0.1 to 100 ms. Default: 10 ms.
• Rel: How quickly ducking releases. Range: 10 to 1000 ms. Default: 150 ms.
• The master lane runs through its own separate copy of the FX slots, so it doesn’t chain or mix with the other lanes’ FX.
• The threshold is fixed at -24 dBFS. There is no gain-reduction meter.
• When SC is active, the SC label takes the master lane’s colour and turns gold while ducking.

Tip: Set Lane 1 as the SC Master so reverb and delay on the other lanes duck when hard hits land, then bloom back in the gaps.

Global controls

• In: Applied before detection, so it changes what triggers. Range: ±15 dB.
• Out: Applied to the processed signal only. Range: ±15 dB.
• Mix: Blends the dry and processed signals. The dry signal is the input after In gain and is not affected by Out. Range: 0 to 100% (default 100).
• BYPASS: Clean pass-through. It keeps the lookahead delay, so timing doesn’t shift. Blinks red when engaged. Range: On / off.

The meter shows left and right output peak, with dB readouts that hold for 0.5 seconds.

Tip: Increase In if hits aren’t being detected because the signal is too quiet. Decrease it if you get false triggers.

GATE and LATCH modes

The mode toggle is at the top right of the window.

• LATCH (default): FX send buttons toggle on and off.
• GATE: FX send buttons are only on while held. Double-click a send to latch it. A single click on a latched send unlatches it.

In GATE mode, MIDI notes routed to the plugin also gate the sends, on top of the on-screen buttons.

• Lane 1: FX A: 24. FX B: 26. FX C: 28.
• Lane 2: FX A: 29. FX B: 31. FX C: 33.
• Lane 3: FX A: 35. FX B: 36. FX C: 38.

Note names vary by DAW. Note 24 is C0 in Ableton Live and Logic Pro, and C1 elsewhere. Use the note numbers to be sure.

• Live effect throws: hold an FX send to add reverb or delay during a breakdown, release to return to dry.
• Momentary chaos: quick bursts of extreme effects such as Bitcrush or Repeater.

Liminal Instrument (MultiOut)

Liminal Instrument - MultiOut is a second plugin in the same install. It is available as AU and VST3 only. It takes its audio from a sidechain input, so you load it as an instrument and route a source track into it.

Outputs

• Output: The full mix, identical to the effect plugin.
• Lane 1, Lane 2, Lane 3 (Pre-FX): Each lane after its gain, EQ, gating and mute, but before FX.
• FX Bus: The wet output of the FX chain.

Note: The lane outputs always carry the lane before FX, even when that lane sends to FX. Its processed sound is on the FX Bus. To rebuild the main mix, use the FX Bus plus only the lanes that don’t send to FX.

Setup

1. Load Liminal Instrument - MultiOut as an instrument.
2. Route the source track into its sidechain input.
3. Enable the aux outputs in your DAW. They are off by default.
4. Route the aux outputs to separate tracks.

For example, in Ableton Live, create audio tracks, set each track’s Audio From to the Liminal instrument track, and choose Lane 1 Pre-FX, Lane 2 Pre-FX, Lane 3 Pre-FX or FX Bus as the source.

Latency works the same as the effect: it is the Lookahead time (default 10 ms), reported to the host. Presets sound the same in both plugins.

Tip: Send each lane to its own track to mix them separately, process them in parallel with your own plugins, or print stems.

Presets

Preset files use the .liminal extension and are saved to Presets/User. Reinstalling overwrites the Factory and Artists folders, so keep your own presets in User.

What a preset stores

• A preset stores the FX slots, lane sends and flow settings.
• It does not store thresholds, detector settings, lane gain, mute and solo, or global settings.
• Output EQ is saved and loaded only while Include Output EQ is ticked. The tick is a global setting.

Preset bar

• < and >: Step through presets, continuing into the next or previous folder.
• *: After the name, means the preset has been modified.
• INIT: Resets the preset settings to defaults.
• Dice: Randomises sends, flow, and each slot’s effect, mix and knobs. Renames the preset “RANDOM”. Thresholds, EQ, Sync, st/Hz and global settings are not touched.
• Undo / Redo: Covers knob and button edits, INIT and Dice. Loading a preset clears the undo history.

Preset browser

Click the preset name to open the browser.

• Folder order: Factory, Artists, Favorites (every hearted preset), User. Click a folder to expand it.
• One click loads a preset. Up and Down step through presets and wrap around.
• Enter, Esc or X closes the browser.
• The heart marks a favourite.
• Filter By Tag shows presets that have any of the selected tags.
• Hover over a preset to see its creator, description and tags in the INFO pane.
• The folder button opens the Presets folder in Finder or Explorer.
• Files added directly to the User folder (not to its subfolders) appear automatically.

Saving a preset

• Click Save. The fields are Name, Creator (remembered between saves), Description, Tags and Include Output EQ. Press Enter to save.
• Illegal filename characters are removed. Using an existing name overwrites that preset, with a warning first.
• Overwriting a preset doesn’t keep its old description or tags, so enter them again.
• There is no rename or delete in the plugin. Use Finder or Explorer.

Troubleshooting

No sound

• A licence screen is covering the plugin: Start the trial or activate. After the trial ends, audio fades to silence until you activate.
• Lanes muted: A lit Mute button means the lane is muted.
• Lane sends to an FX slot: A lane with any send on is heard only through the FX. Check the slot’s effect and mix, or turn the sends off.
• Mix at 0%: Raise Mix.
• BYPASS engaged: BYPASS blinks red when engaged. Turn it off.
• MultiOut: no sound on the lane tracks: The aux outputs are off by default. Enable them in your DAW, and make sure the source is routed to the sidechain input.

Hits aren’t being detected, or the wrong lane is triggering

• Thresholds too high: Lower Threshold 1 and 2 on the visualizer.
• Input too quiet: Increase In. It is applied before detection.
• Wrong detection mode: Try Percussive for drums, Sustained for pads and vocals, or Adaptive for mixed material.
• Sens too strict: Sens is stricter when higher. Lower it for looser detection with longer detections.
• Detector filters: Check the InputEQ. A low cut or high cut changes what the detector hears. Use Headphones to listen.

False triggers

• Thresholds too low: Raise the thresholds.
• Sens too loose: Raise Sens so a hit has to be louder to trigger.
• Noisy source: Clean the source with a noise gate before Liminal.

Effects sound wrong

• Sync not matching tempo: Turn Sync on and make sure the DAW tempo is set.
• Routing unexpected: Check the A>B and B>C LEDs. When linked, the first slot is heard only through the next.
• Multiple lanes to one slot: Intentional. Signals sum together.
• Pitch sounds inharmonic: Pitch is a frequency shifter, so results turn inharmonic away from 440 Hz.

Plugin not appearing in the DAW

• macOS: Check the files are in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/ (or the Avid folder for AAX), then rescan plugins.
• Windows: Check the files are in the VST3 or Avid folder, then rescan plugins.
• All: Check your DAW supports VST3, AU or AAX. The MultiOut instrument is AU and VST3 only.

Timing and latency

Liminal reports its Lookahead time to the host. If a track seems late, check that your DAW’s plugin delay compensation is on. BYPASS keeps the lookahead delay, so timing doesn’t shift when you bypass.

Parameter reference

Detection

• Threshold 1: Range: -70 to +6 dB. Default: -6 dB. Automatable: Yes.
• Threshold 2: Range: -70 to +6 dB. Default: -15 dB. Automatable: Yes.
• Sens: Range: 0 to 100. Default: 50. Automatable: No.
• Hold: Range: 0 to 500 ms. Default: 0. Automatable: No.
• InputEQ (LoCut, HiCut): Range: Frequency, Q, slope. Default: -. Automatable: No.
• Headphones: Range: On / off. Default: -. Automatable: No.
• Lookahead: Range: 0 to 20 ms. Default: 10 ms. Automatable: No.
• Mode: Range: Percussive, Sustained, Adaptive. Default: Percussive. Automatable: Yes.

Lanes (x3)

• Gain: Range: ±15 dB. Default: 0 dB. Automatable: Yes.
• Mute: Range: Lit = muted (automation: 1 = playing, 0 = muted). Default: Off. Automatable: Yes.
• Solo: Range: On / off. Default: Off. Automatable: Yes.
• FX A, B, C sends: Range: On / off. Default: Off. Automatable: Yes.
• Output EQ (8 bands): Range: Gain ±24 dB, Q 0.025 to 40. Default: Off. Automatable: No.

FX slots (x3)

• Effect: Range: Nine effects. Default: A: Pitch, B: Bitcrush, C: Reverb. Automatable: Yes.
• mix: Range: 0 to 100. Default: 100. Automatable: Yes.
• Effect knobs: Range: See the effects reference. Automatable: Yes.
• Sync: Range: On / off. Default: -. Automatable: Yes.
• Pitch st/Hz: Range: Switch. Default: -. Automatable: No.
• A>B, B>C: Range: On / off. Default: -. Automatable: Yes.

Global and sidechain

• In: Range: ±15 dB. Default: 0 dB. Automatable: Yes.
• Out: Range: ±15 dB. Default: 0 dB. Automatable: Yes.
• Mix: Range: 0 to 100%. Default: 100%. Automatable: Yes.
• BYPASS: Range: On / off. Default: Off. Automatable: Yes.
• GATE / LATCH: Range: Mode. Default: LATCH. Automatable: No.
• SC Master: Range: Off, Lane 1, 2, 3. Default: Off. Automatable: No.
• SC Ratio: Range: 1 to 64:1. Default: 64:1. Automatable: No.
• SC Atk: Range: 0.1 to 100 ms. Default: 10 ms. Automatable: No.
• SC Rel: Range: 10 to 1000 ms. Default: 150 ms. Automatable: No.

Support

• Manual: https://www.flickswitchaudio.com/manuals
• Buy: https://www.flickswitchaudio.com/product/liminal
• Email: support@flickswitchaudio.com