Level Box
Measure, target, commit
Hit your target level in one click. Level Box measures your signal, calculates the gain offset needed to hit your target, and commits it. No guesswork, no riding faders.
Free · Available · AU / VST3 · v0.1.1 · macOS (Universal, Apple Silicon & Intel)
Why gain staging?
Plugins sound best when they receive signal at the level they were designed for. Too hot and you get distortion you didn't ask for. Too quiet and you lose detail in the noise floor. Level Box gets every track to the right level before you start mixing, so your compressors, EQs, and saturators all work the way they should.
Three steps
- 01
Choose RMS or Peak mode
- 02
Pick your target level
- 03
Play audio, wait for stable, click SET
Features
- 01RMS and Peak measurement modes
- 02Preset targets: -18 / -20 (RMS), -10 / -6 (Peak)
- 03Confidence indicator: Measuring, Settling, Stable, Committed
- 04One-click gain commit with clip warning
- 05Mono and stereo
- 06Full state recall (DAW session save/restore)
- 07Hardened runtime, notarized, sandbox-safe
Install
- 01Download the .pkg installer below.
- 02Run it. AU and VST3 land in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins automatically.
- 03Restart your DAW, or rescan your plugins.
- 04Insert Level Box on a track, usually first in the chain.
You'll need
- macOS 11 or later, Apple Silicon or Intel (universal binary)
- A DAW that hosts AU or VST3 (Logic, Live, Cubase, Reaper, and friends)
- Notarized by Apple, no Gatekeeper workarounds needed
FAQ
- Is it really free?
- Yes. Your email gets you the download and release notes, nothing else. No account, no license file.
- Does it touch my audio?
- Only when you click SET. Level Box applies a single static gain offset. No EQ, no compression, no coloration.
- What about Intel Macs or Windows?
- Intel and Apple Silicon are both covered; the binary is universal. Windows isn't here yet; write to hello@andrestia.com. Demand decides the roadmap.
- Where should it sit in the chain?
- First. Gain staging works best before your compressors and saturators, so they see the level they were designed for.
Versions
v0.1.1
- Renamed from AAGS (Gain Staging) to Level Box. Existing sessions keep loading; only the name changed.
- Fixes a bug where the plugin would not load on macOS versions before 26. Now runs on macOS 11 and later.
- Now runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
- Footer version label now reflects the installed build.
v0.1.0
- First public release.
- RMS and Peak measurement with preset targets.
- One-click gain commit with clip warning.
- AU, VST3, and Standalone for macOS (Apple Silicon).
Ready when you are.
Level Box is free. The installer places AU and VST3 into /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins.
Enter your email to download.
We'll send you updates when new versions ship. That's it.