SHARK APEX

APEX is a lookahead limiter for controlling peaks and shaping the recovery of gain reduction. Use it on a master, mix bus or individual track, with Input setting how hard the material reaches the ceiling.

Load Utility / Neutral Start. Keep Ceiling at -1 dB and Output at 0 dB, then raise Input while watching GR. Start with light reduction and compare at a similar listening level.

Presets store settings, not a target loudness. The source level and dynamics determine the result. Adjust Input for each recording.

No. The screen provides short-term LUFS, not a whole-program integrated target or automatic delivery normalization. Check the finished export with a dedicated meter.

Adaptive includes a slower memory envelope in its recovery behavior. Classic uses a simpler release law. Both share the visible controls; compare them by ear on the same passage.

Open, Balanced and Dense progressively lengthen the recovery scaling. Response, Recovery and Detector refine that movement further.

Unity may be compensating the drive, Gain Match may be attenuating the output, or the limiter may be absorbing the extra level. Check those switches and the GR meter.

No. Unity offsets positive Input gain. Gain Match estimates relative signal energy and attenuates the louder wet signal; it does not boost a quieter result. Unity takes priority if both are on.

With True Peak off, positive Output can raise the signal above Ceiling. With True Peak on, Output feeds the final guard and can cause additional reduction. Check the actual exported level.

Choose by listening and CPU capacity. Start at 4x and compare higher factors before rendering. The separate guard and peak meter continue to use 4x detection regardless of the main setting.

APEX fades, resets and warms up the selected processing path, then fades back in. Choose the factor between takes or before export.

Delta is the difference between aligned dry and compensated wet signals. It can include level and character changes. Switch it off to hear the normal processed output.

150: 80 original mastering recipes, 15 mix-bus recipes, 5 utility recipes and 50 fictional guest-bank presets. Each of the five guest banks has four mastering, two mix-bus, two drum and two vocal recipes.

No. Evan Calder, Maya Voss, Theo Marlow, Nina Solen and Leon Arden are fictional collection names for Shark-authored presets.

Enter a new name and click Save new. To import a preset from elsewhere, click Load and choose a complete APEX XML file. A copy is added to User Presets and applied; duplicate names receive a suffix.

No. Load accepts APEX parameter XML files, not other plugins' preset formats or DAW session files.

In Finder, use Go to Folder: ~/Library/Shark Plugs/Apex/Presets. Copy the user XML files for sharing, or back up the folder for presets and favorites. The recipient can use Load.

Factory recipes are protected. Save a new user version if you want your own variation. Rename and Delete work on selected user presets, and deletion requires confirmation.

No. Pressing the logo switches black and silver appearance. The DAW session recalls finish and zoom; audio presets do not change them.

A/B/C holds three independent settings. Switching slots saves the one you leave and recalls the next; it clears Undo history. User preset loading also clears Undo history.

Clear search, then choose User or All. Category and favorites filters may hide it. Make sure the save used an unused name and the preset folder is writable.

Yes. APEX uses lookahead and reports delay to the host. Latency stays fixed across oversampling factors at a given sample rate; the Linux check recorded 204 samples at 48 kHz.

This review set describes the development build. Mac AU/VST3 are build targets; Linux VST3 compilation has passed. Final platform support, installer instructions and release requirements must be confirmed before the public launch.

Include the APEX build, DAW, OS, sample rate, oversampling factor and exact steps. Add a screenshot or short audio example when relevant. The final public support contact will be added before publication.