Airchain

Airchain is a desktop audio plugin for macOS (VST3, AU and a standalone app), not a browser tool. It models the rack of processing gear that sits between a radio studio and the antenna — every stage, in order — and points it at your mix. One big knob, SQUASH, drives the whole four-band section at once.

Who it is for

• Mastering and mix engineers who want to hear how a track survives real-world broadcast processing.
• Lo-fi, synthwave and vaporwave producers after era-correct radio character.
• Film and game sound needing diegetic radio with distance, hiss and flutter on tap.
• Anyone with a drum bus — Parallel Crush at 35 % mix.

What makes it different

• The whole airchain, in order. AGC, phase rotator, four-band compression (L / LM / HM / H), FM pre-emphasis at 50 µs (EU) or 75 µs (US), an oversampled soft clipper, and transmission artifacts.
• One macro. SQUASH sweeps the four-band thresholds from −20 to −45 dB, raises makeup to +6 dB and speeds up releases at the top of the range.
• 14 loudness-matched presets in three groups — Eras, Characters, Utility — so switching compares character, not volume.
• Built-in help mode. Press ? and any control under the cursor is spotlit and explained with its actual numbers.
• Honest latency. Six samples, correctly reported to the DAW.

Pages in this guide

• Getting started — buy, install, first preset, the big knob.
• FAQ — formats, latency, presets, help mode.
• Troubleshooting — when it does not show up or does not behave.