Secco

You like the rhythm of a loop, but the hits ring on too long. Or the attack sounds good and the bright tail gets tiring. Secco listens for each new hit and starts two envelopes: one for its volume, one for its filter. You decide how long the hit lasts and how quickly it gets darker.

I love what happens when you turn down the transient envelope in Ableton Live's Beats mode. It's such a small feature, but it's one of my favorite parts of Live. The way it shortens audio around the hits has a feel I've never quite got from a regular gate. I missed it in other DAWs, so I built Secco.

Then I added the other thing I wanted: a filter that behaves like a synth's envelope, opening on each hit and closing at its own pace. A washy sound can have a bright beginning and a darker tail. And because the timing matters as much as the shape, Secco can swing the audio too.

Where Secco Fits

Secco is for shaping the duration, brightness and groove of rhythmic audio: drum loops, percussion and recordings with distinct attacks. The two envelopes act on the whole incoming signal. Secco doesn't separate a kick from a snare inside a mixed loop or let you edit individual hits.

If you already use Live and only want its Beats-mode shortening, that clip setting may cover what you need. Secco earns its place when you want the filter envelope and audio swing alongside it, or want this way of working in another DAW. Try it on your own audio before deciding.