Every CTZ role mapped to its iOS AUv3 alternative. What to buy on iPad to replicate the desktop chain: clippers, saturators, limiters, spectral duckers, meters, scope, depth, width. Real names, real prices, real reasons.
CTZ was built in a desktop DAW with desktop plugins. Moving it to Loopy Pro on iPad means swapping each desktop processor for an AUv3 that does the same job. Most slots have a direct match. A few require a small DIY rack instead of a single plugin. Two slots have no equivalent and need a workaround.
The map below is grouped by CTZ role. Each row pairs the desktop reference with the iOS pick and explains why.
The single most important plugin in CTZ. The clipper sits at every group end and at the premaster, ceiling pinned at 0 dBFS. CPU has to be light because there will be many instances. Knoc is the workhorse.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| Knoc Clipper primary Sound Lab |
Already in the project. Simple hard clipper, ceiling at 0 dBFS. CPU-light, drop one on every group end. |
| FAC Clipper alt | Alternative hard clipper. Slightly different character. Useful when Knoc starts sounding identical across every group. |
| BLEASS Saturator multi-mode | Multi-algorithm. Set to hard-clip mode for CTZ use. Otherwise it doubles as a saturator (see section 3). |
| FabFilter Saturn 2 heavy | AUv3 with a hard-clip algorithm and per-band processing. Heavy on CPU. Use sparingly, not on every group. |
Some sources crack when you clip them - sharp transients, tonal material, anything that breaks badly. Swap the clipper for a punchy true-peak limiter on that bus. The CTZ shape stays intact, just with a soft ceiling instead of a hard one.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| ToneBoosters Barricade primary | Already in the project. True-peak limiter and clipper. Live settings: release ~50-60 ms, style punchy. Sits on premaster and on any bus that cracks. |
| FabFilter Pro-L 2 heavy | Available AUv3 but expensive in CPU. Use on premaster or master only, never per-group. |
| Loopy Pro built-in limiter free | Zero-cost option for the final master safety net. Always-on, lowest CPU possible. |
CTZ saturates before it clips. The saturator pulls the body of the sound up so the clipper has something to crunch. Multiband and parallel-mix saturators are the sweet spot.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| FabFilter Saturn 2 closest match | Closest match to Spectre and a direct port of desktop Saturn. Multiband, parallel mix, multiple algorithms. Heavy - reserve for premaster or hero channels. |
| BLEASS Saturator light | Cheaper, much lighter on CPU. Good for per-track warmth where Saturn 2 would be overkill. |
| Goodhertz Tupe tape | Tape saturation AUv3. Lightweight. The iOS alternative to Slate VTM. |
| Combustor in project | Already in the project. Distortion and saturation plugin, handy for character drive on individual sources. |
No direct AUv3 equivalent to Eventide Saturate exists on iOS. The workaround is multiband saturation in gentle mode, or just sitting Barricade on the master.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| FabFilter Saturn 2 (multiband, gentle) no equivalent | Approximate Saturate with multiband Saturn 2 in a gentle saturation mode. Closest you will get. |
| ToneBoosters Barricade on master fallback | If you do not need the spectral character, just put Barricade on the master and call it done. |
Loudness on one screen, waveform on another. iOS does not have a single plugin that combines both, so split the roles.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| Youlean Loudness Meter primary | AUv3, free or cheap. LUFS integrated and momentary. No auto gain-match, so you read and adjust manually. |
| Youlean + iceWorks Oscilloscope split roles | Two plugins to cover what DMG TrackMeter does in one: Youlean for loudness, iceWorks for waveform shape. |
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| iceWorks Oscilloscope primary | AUv3. No beat-sync or multi-channel display, but shows waveforms cleanly. Sufficient for visual sanity-checks during a set. |
| Oszillos-Mega-Scope (on Mac) host-only | If you run Loopy Pro on iPad but route monitoring through a Mac, use the Mac scope. Otherwise irrelevant. |
No single AUv3 ports the Revealed Space Control idea directly. Either build the rack by hand inside Loopy Pro, or approximate with FAC Envolver / BLEASS Filter.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| DIY in Loopy Pro build it | Build the rack: multiband split, then M/S split, then a limiter on the side channel only. Loopy Pro's bus routing handles this. |
| FAC Envolver alt | Stereo width and dynamics per-band. Closest single-plugin approximation. |
| BLEASS Filter in project | Already in the project. Can do stereo width shaping. Use for lighter creative width moves. |
| Eventide UltraTap creative | Creative stereo spread, not true M/S limiting, but useful for the same emotional result. |
CTZ uses a depth send to push elements back in the mix without losing them. A converging EQ feeds a short room reverb. Simple to build in Loopy Pro.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| Apple Reverb + any EQ AUv3 DIY stack | Stack: EQ (HPF and LPF converging around 1 kHz) -> Apple Reverb (room, short tail, pre-delay, low mix). Cheap, light, simple to build. |
| Eventide Blackhole extreme | For more extreme depth pushes when "Far Away" needs to become "Other Galaxy". |
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| Wavesfactory Trackspacer direct match | Available as AUv3. Same plugin as desktop. Drop it in, route the sidechain, done. |
| Sonible Smart:Comp (spectral) not on iOS | No iOS port exists. Use Trackspacer instead for spectral ducking. |
Pumping volume moves driven by another loop. Loopy Pro itself does most of this with actions and widgets - no plugin needed.
| iOS pick | Notes |
|---|---|
| Loopy Pro actions / widgets primary | Loopy Pro can trigger volume dips from loops directly. No plugin needed. Cheapest path. |
| FAC Envolver alt | Sidechain-capable dynamics processor when you need a plugin instead of a widget. |
| Goodhertz Lossy creative | Can create pumping effects as a side-product. Useful when the pump has to sound broken on purpose. |
A stripped-down version of the chain for one channel:
[Sound / Loop] | v [Saturator: BLEASS or Saturn 2] | v [Clipper: Knoc or FAC, ceiling 0 dBFS] | v [Bus send]
Knoc Clipper on every group end. Swap to Barricade on any bus that cracks under clipping.
Barricade + Loopy Pro built-in limiter. Two stages of safety net at the end of the chain.
Youlean on the master. LUFS integrated and momentary, read and adjust manually.
~10-12 AUv3 plugins for a 4-group + premaster template: 4 group clippers + premaster clipper + master limiter + 1 meter + 4 channel saturators + 1 FX send reverb. Manageable on modern iPad.
If you are building the CTZ template from scratch on iPad, here is the minimum spend that gets the whole shape running.
Premium upgrade tier: FabFilter Saturn 2 for premaster saturation, Wavesfactory Trackspacer for spectral ducking, FAC Envolver for stereo width.
"Most CTZ roles have a direct AUv3 match. Two slots (spectral clipper, M/S width) need a DIY rack. Everything else is one shopping cart away from running on the iPad." CTZ iOS plugin map summary