A Tour of ShaperBox 3

In which I demonstrate the various different components of the Shaperbox 3 plugin from Cableguys, and try to convey the enormous power on offer for sound design, or just general mixing duties.
00:00 Intro
01:20 Preset Browser
02:26 Liquid flanger / phaser and basic parameter modulation
04:25 Volume Shaper, trancegate, pumping, sidechaining.
08:40 Filter Shaper, Crush Shaper, Width shaper
10:03 Time Shaper
13:58 Noise Shaper
15:56 audio rate modulation
16:32 waveshaping
18:36 mixing techniques; drum gating
19:55 multiband compression
23:06 crossovers and phase
27:50 Drive Shaper; dynamic distortion
30:08 multiband distortion
31:15 Width Shaper and phase
32:22 multiband stereo width manipulation
Shaperbox 3: www.cableguys.com/shaperbox.html
If you like this type of content and you want to see it more often, consider signing up for Channel Membership: / @danworrall

[@Cableguys]

What a superb and inspiring overview, Dan! So great to see ShaperBox used for drum kit mixing, as we spent a loooong time ensuring the new audio triggering algorithms would "just work" on drums and other acoustic source. The guitar processing was awesome as well! And we loved the attention you paid to technical aspects like crossovers/phase - these are important details that often go unnoticed 🔍

[@lib747]

When you give the Swiss Army knife of audio manipulation to the Swiss Army guy of audio knowledge, creativity, and eloquence, greatness ensues. Truly inspiring - thank you!

[@jujunak]

@cableguys I have this plugin but I wished I used it more. My. main grips are: 1. the knobs / sliders are behaving weirdly when using a pen / tablet on mac os. For example, if you pull down below 0, the lowest point is now 0, which is very confusing as the reference keeps sliding. This is my only plugin that has is this issue. 2. I really wish we could modulate a shape live. For example, the first I want to when setting up a trans-gate is to modulate the length / amplitude of one or multiple notes. Same for the filter, otherwise it sounds very repetitive / too predictable. 3. There are lots of parameters that would like to modulate that cannot be modulated using the curve UI. You have to use your DAW for that, which IMHO defeats the purpose of using ShaperBox for modulation in the first place. On the positive side, I really like the new audio trigger features.

[@AnimusInvidious]

Dan is truly the best at noticing, pointing out, and explaining interesting technical aspects and capabilities of audio processors.

[@nutrino58]

I was so impressed by Dan's overview, I upgraded to Shaperbox 3. Well done Dan (as always)

[@DJeMo]

The audio oracle always mostly wins but definitely firm handshakes to you guys for making a very clever plugin toolbox for the frequency slaves out there, ten hut sir yes SIRs @CableGuys

[@verygood7804]

Everyday is a good day to watch Dan’s videos

[@TraxtasyMedia]

let's be honest: Dan is the best tutorial showcase person on the internet, to introduce and show people about plugins, engineering and mixing in general. I was thinking about purchasing Shaperbox, but removed from that, because it's too pretty expensive for me, but Dan manages to make me hungry for grabbing that.

[@ConfusioNIntrusioN]

i got it at black friday with a student discount on top, a lot cheaper that way 🙂

[@damnb9338]

i cannot describe the joy when i saw this video pop up in my recommendation cause i love shaperbox I know I'm about to learn some brand new production and mixing techniques

[@gius_taakstudio]

same here :)

[@everybodyhasoul5438]

Yes. Glad they spent the money to get the legend to do a video!

[@katabatica]

Dan's videos are engaging, great to geek out on, but also impeccably crafted. It's great to watch a master work.

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

Nobody gonna talk about how good Dan is at guitar? 💪

[@reverendcarter]

some very tasteful shredding to say the least.

[@zeuni866]

its absurd how fun your showcase tracks & bits have become over the years, pretty amazing

[@crow4277]

UNI SPOTTED

[@zeuni866]

@@crow4277 hey hey hi!!!

[@rogercabo5545]

I hope Dan earned a lot of money for reviewing this great plug. He done so well no other can do!

[@lennartrauhe7194]

21:39 how has noone ever thought about this before? 🤯 the audio trigger is so crazy usefull in this thing!!

[@cornoc]

you can do the same with a multiband compressor if it supports downward expansion (like fabfilter pro-mb) and i'm guessing people have made use of it before. it is a very cool trick though and one i never thought of

[@briancase6180]

OMG, "if this isn't easier than automating within your DAW, please tell me which DAW you're using." That's so excellent, and so true. This is an amazing, useful video. I have SB3, but I'm ashamed how much I'm leaving unused! Thanks!

[@yasutakeuchi]

WOW. This was not only enough to convince me to spend the $100 on the upgrade to shaper box 3, but also makes me want to take an audio course by you. You explained so much technical stuff beyond just features of the plugin, while not making it overly jargonistic (if that's a word). Subbed!

[@1337murk]

Loving the music 30 mins in! That bassline made me saturate my underwear

[@TraxtasyMedia]

as long as you don't clutter your low-end, you should be fine :D

[@v1e2ridisQ3u4o]

That was a sick guitar solo on the drive shaper demo!

[@DoubleDoubleU]

When I woke up this morning I remembered watching older videos of Dan thinking "when is he uploading a new video? I want a new video." Seems my wishes were heard :D Great review of a really interesting plugin. Never heard of it but it seems to offer many new possibilities.

[@PrincipalAudio]

I've been using this plugin on a couple of Rock/Blues albums this week. Enveloped distortion and whitenoise subtly affecting the snare hits to help with the sound. So glad I picked it up when they had the sale recently. Definitely not 'just' for EDM production. Can also be used for mixing work, and for many different genres. Going to be one of my staple plugins. Very unique, but so useful. Just what I want, instead of "yet another console emulation" plugin from many other companies jumping on that bandwagon before it rolls out of town.

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

ShaperBox is actually way more powerful and usable than I first imagined. Bravo Dan and CableGuys.

[@sccrash420]

This plugin is truly a potential game-changer. Every moment in this video was ground breaking for me. Never has there been THIS much flexibility on so many levels/sub-levels. This could mark the beginning of a paradigm-shift in mixing tools....

[@BojanBojovic]

Those peak meters dancing with the music, brilliant! :)

[@slash196]

The amount you can do with this one plugin is astonishing. It's like its own mini-DAW. So the big library of presets is a godsend. But if you REALLY know what you're doing, it seems like there's almost nothing you can't do. A whole multi-mic drumkit mix that absolutely THUMPS? No problem! Great video.

[@hendricksam]

WORALL IS BACK!!!! I have a feeling Cable Guys will get a surge in sales after this video. I won't be surprised if more companies reach out to Dan for him to make tuts for them.

[@GizzyDillespee]

This isn't really a "pros and cons review" as Dan mentions in the beginning... this is just the positives (i.e. a sponsored tutorial rather than a review). Both are helpful in different ways, so it's good to remember the distinction.

[@birdwave]

Easy to tell why a company would want you to demo their product. This video production is absolutely sublime. It's like a 35-minute musical journey where you accidentally learn advanced concepts and it makes the product look red-hot. I need Shaperbox yesterday.

[@chillingFriend]

After watching this video I had to buy the plugin immediately. Amazing! Thank you Dan.

[@renudae]

This was the BEST overview / video manual I've ever seen on this product. I've had a license since v2 but never reached for it much. I anticipate that changing after this. Dan, you are a treasure to the community. May you "live long and prosper". Cable Guys, give this man a bonus! ~~~~

[@sonidojamon]

Just got this as a freebie when buying other plugins in Plugin Boutique! I guess now it's time for a deep dive with no other than Dan Worrall himself!! 😊😊

[@NiElsir]

This is great, I like Shaperbox but don't reach for it enough. This video should be good motivation to continue using it and getting more comfortable with it. Great stuff Dan :)

[@kadiummusic]

Just got the basic Shaperbox 3/Time Shaper for FREE! At Plugin Boutique. Fantastic piece of kit and can't wait to start using it to get really expressive. 😎

[@Pheekofc]

Ever since this plugin came out years back, it has been my swiss army knife in mixing, sound design and more...

[@raycochrane3971]

It's been a while. Thanks for returning.

[@AutPen38]

I came for the overview of Shaperbox features, but stayed for the tips about stereo widening. Very illuminating. Thanks!

[@mageprometheus]

Those of us who love ShaperBox are already sold. I hope this tempts others. Thanks Dan.

[@oliverquach8116]

One of my all time favourite plugins.

[@FlipHybrid]

Thanks Dad y mean Dan... Love how you slipped in that last one at the end

[@artysanmobile]

I was one of 2? 3? buyers and users of Spectron and was so disappointed it was dropped. So this is for me. What a demo!

[@AlessandroRorato]

I'd love a tutorial on "How Dan makes tutorials". I mean technically. The sync between speech and images is always perfect. Great content presented at its best

[@DanWorrall]

Short version: I plan the examples first, then write a detailed script. Then record the voice over. Then I capture the video and create the examples, with my voice cueing my moves so I don't have to look away at a script. And I can tweak the timings of my voice over at that stage if needed.

[@youlemur]

@@DanWorrall 🧐*my face while being disappointed that the answer was not in 3-5 words, revealing a magical shortcut formula or a piece of genius software, which would do the hard work instead of us* Well, back to ChatGPT. 👽🤖👻

[@LesDeuxLoveOrchestra]

@@DanWorrall you're forgetting the part where you make your great music, one of the main reasons your vids have such class.

[@itinerantghost]

What a wonderful overview, Dan! I’m massively under utilising this plug-in!!! Top job, as always!

[@reacherstudio]

I learned so much from this video. Thank you!! I can't wait to try all your ideas. The midside stuff was a huge game changer

[@bartektrame8801]

this consolidates so many parts of my sounddesign workflow, especailly for background sfx. insane! thanks for featuring it

[@rene.rodriguez]

This is the best overview of Shaperbox 3 I’ve seen. That was amazing. Liked and sub’d. Thanks for sharing!

[@easyvelvet77]

Wow, simply an amazing precision in the way you work and the way you teach. Thx for that!

[@forestcochran4196]

This was so wild! I've never heard of this plugin before and it seems totally insane.

[@AndyHoladay]

Thank you Dan! I love that you teach so much about the craft, even as you teach about the tooling.

[@ianmac9161]

Thank you for the incredible demonstration! This is one of my favourite channels! 😎

[@zeepster]

I remember buying the first Shaperbox after seeing Dan's video on it. This new video has made me equally excited.

[@tobiasphilippen7883]

Thanks, Dan. I think, apart from all the different praises you get - very deservedly -, your videos are also a great inspiration to really use the tools and go deep with all the creative possibilities. Very often, we are ill advised to just hopp on the next funky plugin train instead of learning and discovering the tools we already have. And you coming up with more and more ideas of how to use a plugin, is not only fascinating and inspiring to watch, it also does justice to excellent tools like ShaperBox or the Fabfilter stuff which have obviously been crafted with great care and attention to detail. Very valuable.

[@Mtaalas]

This was really something... thank you Dan once again! :) You're a true Engineer and an artist! :D

[@spatulawithcurd5051]

literally just bought shaperbox last week. perfect timing

[@kirkegodfrey414]

As always killer information presented seamlessly, I always learn at least a few engineering tips regardless of the gear. That said, this thing looks REALLY interesting. Thanks as always.

[@PaulEubanks]

Fantastic job as always! Thanks so much for making this

[@mradamcshaw]

I bought the original Shaperbox and have expanded and upgraded to V3. It has steadily improved in time and the audio sidechain trigger is extremely useful. I look forward to see what else they include in the future. I would like to see MID/SIDE options if possible, unless I am missing something. For the money I have paid I think I have had great value and I use it in every track I make. It's just that useful. It's good for chopping and remixing too.

[@bassplayingchris]

Another amazing video! I've seen this plugin around and didn't realize how insanely powerful it is, thanks for the review and inspiration!

[@bassplayingchris]

gosh dang at $100 on sale rn this is an absolute steal! very fun creative tool with care and attention to detail. I woke up today and have been sitting in my station absolutely having a ball!

[@owlmuso]

I love shaperbox! The amazing functionality and sound quality of this modular plugin has made me a big fan of the cableguys

[@mireille.bouquet]

Outstanding timing, bought ShaperBox this week and love it already!

[@kadiummusic]

Me too! 😎

[@callum.dokkodo]

Okay thanks I didn't know I needed this but now I'm going to be broke. Please Cableguys next time wait until the end of the month! Amazing plugin and the perfect man to put it on display.

[@carlodemichelis]

Absolutely fantastic video, as usual.

[@Big_Stewdio]

I've only just started watching this video but I wanted to say that I am very, very excited to see my favourite youtuber (Dan) intersecting with my one of my favourite plugins (Shaperbox). As Dan says at the beginning, this plugin is absolutely not just for glitchy EDM type tracks. I don't mix glitchy EDM type tracks but this often finds its way on to my mixes because it is powerful beyond measure. I see this video is 35 minutes long. Which means that it just scratches the surface. ...time passes ... Okay, watched it all now and it was all I hoped it would be (and more). Learnt something about how to use the plugin and also some general tips about mixing too. Well done, Dan and well done Cableguys for getting the perfect person to explain your plugin.

[@alessandrogarofalo8699]

long time no see!!! happy to hear from you again! ciaociao from italy!

[@CarstenGoeke]

What a "thing". Thanks for the fantastic tour. ✌🏼

[@EdSoloUK]

Thanks Dan, i've had Shaper Box for a few years now, good to find a few tips i don't already know

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

what a banger of a video Dan! love my shaperbox!

[@lorenzowoodmusic]

Dan, I absolutely love how in depth you go with everything and communicate with us in an intellectual way, unlike most music/audio KZbin videos out there. Always a pleasure watching these and actually expanding my brain instead of just getting annoyed

[@vooveks]

I just bought this and as soon as I opened it and had a small fiddle with it, I realised it was so powerful I didn’t even know where to start…In a good way 🙂. Brilliant plugin.

[@theoriginaltommysteward]

A video from Dan Worrall is always the best notification of the day.

[@andreifilip]

Very powerful plugin! Thanks Dan!

[@BigMTBrain]

I'm back for a third round, because... Dan... not only a master, but also very soothing and enjoyable. I come back for the pleasure and to reabsorb and solidify the many golden nuggets and nuances Dan has generously shared. Thanks again, Dan. Crazy good! Oh, yes, for sure, I'll return to this one many times to come.

[@barchel]

A bit ago after first seeing this video I took up plugin boutique on their time shaper box deal and I have 0 regrets about it. I love just time shaper already. Such a complex module in an expansive ecosystem.

[@connyolovsson]

Absolutely fantastic tutorial!

[@huntergalloway3944]

Thanks Dan, this is my “flavor” plugin of choice. I use it mostly for Industrial and it rules! I really dig the transient envelope triggering for adding noise and flange hits.

[@Elixirmusiques]

Great plugin! Amazing insight on multiband width manipulation!

[@MIHAO]

one of my favorite plugins for sure

[@dekeyzaudioproductions712]

Glad you're back!!!!

[@gesslr]

What a great video and an amazing piece of software.

[@osvaldodomingos9041]

Love to see my favourite YT Music Producer nailing Promotions. Well diserved. ❤❤ More will definetly come.

[@BeHeardStudio]

Yes Dan, you're back!!! I've been complaining to my wife for the past months that I felt like I've lost someone, can't say a friend because we never ate a sandwich together but, damn I missed you presence! This is a good day! Welcome back!

[@citadelo5ricks]

Dan loves to show off noise as synth. He's so expert! I have been so inspired, I now do all my work in sines "with processing". This gives you skill to modify any sound to any other sound. Quite a reusable skill, but takes loads of time to learn. ha....listened on and Dan's on sine waves!

[@larsthomasdenstad9082]

I love Shaperbox. In my latest project I am using it to push the bass up on 3-4 beats. Sure there are other ways to do it, but it is just so simple.

[@mycosys]

I really appreciate you 'overdoing' the effects, a lot of people try to demo plugins with 'tasteful', 'subtle' amounts, which makes it kinda hear what its doing. I know how to add dry XD. I was pretty much sold before watching this, just for the reverb like an eventide on with modular control. Now i'm asking myself how i didnt know about this monster, it does so many things i literally built hardware for (My Eventide Euro-DDL + my complex mod hardware, basically = TimeShaper).

[@PASHKULI]

Every time Dan's presentation\tutorial demo music starts, it's got the association in my mind making me think of a 'Keygen.exe'. It just sounds like a keygen music.

[@gius_taakstudio]

😂yeppp now that you said it 🤣

[@ghfjfghjasdfasdf]

I look forward to getting all the new toys everyone plays with these days. I’ve been stuck in ‘05 for a while now. It must be nice not having to do everything by hand when it comes to edit work.

[@markoburrows]

Welcome back Dan! You have been missed. By the way, this is an excellent video...

[@johannkorn1780]

Late to the party guys, amazing showcase, I was so intimidated by the sheer complexity of this plug in but you did a real good job of guiding me through it, will definitely grab a copy of this. P.S. I wish this was a guitar pedal

[@YlowX7]

This inspires me to use the Shaper Box 2 plugin I haven't used in months. It should be my go-to for multiband compression at least.

[@ZOgrameMusic]

Fantastic tutorial. Dan's the man

[@WangleLine]

You make some of the best plugin videos ever

[@TheDoomerBlox]

holy shit this thing looks incredibly useful for any sound-wrangling endeavours

[@odotstef]

That soft clip Drive trick was so awesome

[@FKupstateB]

great video! and am a little astonished; shaperbox 3 is SO much more incredible than i know it to be (and am now going to have to explore it more), thanx for making me work 🤣

[@coolguythematrix5]

I was really missing new Dan's videos, started rewatching the older ones

[@samprock]

I wanted it. Now I need it.

[@razhmazh]

Once again, Dan has knocked it out of the park.

[@woodsdenis]

Amazing stuff Dan, I have been using Shaper Box since day one and haven't really considered all the amazing possibilities you have shown. I do however like to use the percussive sounds in the noise to accent synth apps etc.

[@227]

Shaperbox 3 is fantastic, a real "something's missing and I don't know exactly what yet, so I'm going to play around until I find it" kind of plugin. And noiseshaper is even better since they updated it with drum sounds, making it possible to turn basically anything into kicks, snares, and all that stuff.

[@DarraghRedmond]

Bloody brilliant. I have sb3 and this has given me some incredibly valuable insight. . Raring to go. :) thank you 🙏 asymmetric

[@sandbugg2977]

Been using shaperbox 2 for some time and this makes me wanna upgrade

[@kaboozle]

Expected an overview of a new plugin I just bought. Got a phase shift lecture as a bonus… 😮

[@naldosrecords]

Mr Worrall you've done it again

[@thevi_olin]

Welcome back! 😃

[@BeeThorough]

I’m almost to the point where I only buy plugins that Dan Worrall has done tutorials for. I love everything about this. Can’t wait to start putting some of it to work.

[@curtis_chip]

great video ! bit the best is … Dan is back !

[@hleet]

very nice tutorial. I learned something new

[@Bonbon1948]

Welcome back to you!

[@youlemur]

What up Dan, honestly - I found myself repeatedly manually checking your YT profile if the notifications arent broken and if theres any update from you.. past month I was almost getting worried about your health and life. So sincerely good to see hear from you again! =) Thank you for the video too.