Hardwave WettBoi is a focused effect chain for hardstyle, rawstyle and hardcore tracks. It gives you a single place to shape reverb, side-chain pumping, rhythmic delay and LFO modulation, then blend everything with the Global Mix.
Use it when you need a tight, punchy ambience that stays in sync with the kick, or when you want a moving delay that reacts to the track's rhythm without juggling multiple plugins.
Installing and opening it
Every Hardwave plug-in installs through the Hardwave Suite, the plug-in manager app (download it from hardwavestudios.com/downloads).
- Open the Hardwave Suite and sign in with your Hardwave account.
- Find Hardwave WettBoi and click Install. The Suite puts the VST3 and CLAP versions where your DAW looks for them and keeps them up to date.
- In your DAW, rescan your plug-ins if it does not pick up new ones on its own, then load WettBoi on a track like any other effect.
If the DAW does not list it after a rescan, see the guide "Plug-in won't load" in this section.
How the signal flows
The Routing control decides how the effects are chained:
- Parallel: the effects process the input side by side and their wet signals are added together.
- Rev→Dly: the reverb feeds into the delay.
- Dly→Rev: the delay feeds into the reverb.
Mix then blends that wet result with your dry signal: 0 % is dry only, 100 % is wet only.
Reverb
The Reverb section creates the spacious tail that hard dance tracks need for depth without washing out the attack. Turn Reverb On to enable the effect and pick a Reverb Type that matches the vibe - Room for short, tight spaces, Hall for larger ambience, Plate for a bright sheen, or Spring for a gritty texture.
Pre-Delay sets the gap between the source and the first reflection, useful for keeping the kick clean. Size controls the perceived room size, while Decay determines how long the tail lasts. Damp rolls off high frequencies in the tail, helping the reverb sit behind the mix. Width widens the stereo field, and Rev Wet balances the dry and wet signals.
Freeze locks the current reverb tail, turning it into a sustained pad - handy for building atmospheric breaks. The Rev EQ HP and Rev EQ LP let you shape the reverb's frequency range, cutting low rumble or trimming excess high end. Adjust these when the reverb muddies the low end or becomes too bright.
| Control | Range | Default |
|---|
| Reverb On | On / Off | On |
| Reverb Type | Room / Hall / Plate / Spring | Room |
| Pre-Delay | 0 to 200 ms | 18 ms |
| Size | 0 to 100 % | 65 % |
| Decay | 0.1 to 20 s | 2.4 s |
| Damp | 0 to 100 % | 40 % |
| Width | 0 to 200 % | 120 % |
| Rev Wet | 0 to 100 % | 70 % |
| Freeze | On / Off | Off |
| Rev EQ HP | 20 to 2000 Hz | 20 Hz |
| Rev EQ LP | 1000 to 20000 Hz | 18000 Hz |
Sidechain
Sidechain adds the classic pumping effect that keeps the low end clear for the kick. SC Threshold sets the level at which the effect triggers; lower values make the effect more aggressive. SC Attack determines how quickly the gain drops once the source exceeds the threshold, while SC Release controls how fast it returns.
SC Hold adds a fixed time before the release starts, useful for longer sustain sections. SC Source lets you choose between an internal trigger (the plugin's own detection) or an external sidechain input, allowing you to sync the pump to any element in your mix, such as a kick or bass line.
Typical use is to set a moderate threshold, a fast attack, and a release that matches the tempo's half-note length, then fine-tune Hold for smoother transitions.
| Control | Range | Default |
|---|
| SC Threshold | -60 to 0 dB | -18 dB |
| SC Attack | 0.1 to 50 ms | 2.5 ms |
| SC Hold | 0 to 500 ms | 60 ms |
| SC Release | 10 to 2000 ms | 280 ms |
| SC Source | Internal / Sidechain | Internal |
LFO
The LFO section provides rhythmic modulation that can be applied to several targets. Turn LFO On to enable modulation, then set LFO Rate to match the tempo or a musical subdivision. LFO Depth controls how much the target parameter moves, while Phase offsets the waveform start point.
Shape lets you pick the waveform - Sine for smooth sweeps, Tri for a softer edge, Saw for a rising ramp, Square for abrupt jumps, and S&H for random stepped changes. LFO Target determines what the LFO will affect: the reverb wet level, delay wet level, delay feedback, or a filter (if you have a filter in the chain). Use LFO on Rev Wet to create a wobbling ambience, or on Dly FB to make the delay swell and recede over time.
| Control | Range | Default |
|---|
| LFO On | On / Off | On |
| LFO Rate | 0.01 to 20 Hz | 2 Hz |
| LFO Depth | 0 to 100 % | 50 % |
| LFO Phase | 0 to 360 ° | 0° |
| LFO Shape | Sine / Tri / Saw / Square / S&H | Sine |
| LFO Target | Rev Wet / Dly Wet / Dly FB / Filter | Rev Wet |
Delay
Delay adds rhythmic repeats that can be synced to the track's tempo. Delay On enables the effect, and Delay Sync ties the delay times to the host's tempo. Delay L and Delay R let you set independent left and right delay times for stereo movement.
Note L and Note R provide musical note values for the left and right delays, allowing classic ping-pong patterns. Feedback determines how many repeats you get; higher values create longer tails. The built-in HP and LP filters shape the tonal character of the repeats, cutting low rumble or high hiss.
Ping Pong toggles true stereo bouncing. Dly Wet balances the delayed signal against the dry input. Mod Rate and Mod Depth add subtle pitch or time modulation to the repeats, useful for a wobble effect. Saturation adds harmonic warmth; turn it up for a gritty, distorted echo typical in hard dance breakdowns.
| Control | Range | Default |
|---|
| Delay On | On / Off | On |
| Delay Sync | On / Off | On |
| Delay L | 1 to 2000 ms | 400 ms |
| Delay R | 1 to 2000 ms | 600 ms |
| Note L | 1/16 / 1/8 / d1/8 / 1/4 / d1/4 / 1/2 / d1/2 / 1/1 | 1/8 |
| Note R | 1/16 / 1/8 / d1/8 / 1/4 / d1/4 / 1/2 / d1/2 / 1/1 | d1/8 |
| Feedback | 0 to 95 % | 35 % |
| Delay HP | 20 to 2000 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Delay LP | 1000 to 20000 Hz | 8000 Hz |
| Ping Pong | On / Off | On |
| Dly Wet | 0 to 100 % | 55 % |
| Mod Rate | 0.01 to 10 Hz | 0.5 Hz |
| Mod Depth | 0 to 100 % | 0 % |
| Saturation | 0 to 100 % | 0 % |
Global
Global controls the final output of the plugin. Mix sets the overall balance between the processed and dry signal, letting you blend the combined reverb, sidechain, LFO, and delay effects with the original track.
Bypass lets you compare the processed sound with the untouched signal instantly. Routing defines how the internal effects interact: Parallel runs them side-by-side, Rev→Dly sends the reverb output into the delay, and Dly→Rev does the opposite. Choose a routing that fits the creative goal - for example, Rev→Dly for a trailing echo that inherits the reverb's tail.
| Control | Range | Default |
|---|
| Mix | 0 to 100 % | 75 % |
| Bypass | On / Off | Off |
| Routing | Parallel / Rev→Dly / Dly→Rev | Parallel |
Starting points
- Start a hardstyle lead with Reverb On, Reverb Type Hall, Size around 70%, Decay 3 s, Damp 30%, Rev Wet 60%. Enable Sidechain, set SC Threshold to -20 dB, Attack 5 ms, Release 300 ms, Source Internal. Turn Delay On, Sync On, Note L 1/8, Note R d1/8, Feedback 45%, Dly Wet 50%, Ping Pong On. Set Global Mix to 80% and Routing to Rev→Dly.
- For a rawstyle bass build, keep Reverb Off, enable Delay On with Delay Sync Off, set Delay L 250 ms, Delay R 500 ms, Feedback 70%, Dly Wet 70%, Saturation 20%. Activate LFO, Rate 1.5 Hz, Depth 40%, Target Dly FB, Shape Sine. Use Sidechain with SC Threshold -15 dB, Attack 2 ms, Release 250 ms, Source Sidechain (feed the kick). Global Mix 70%, Routing Parallel.
If something sounds wrong
- Problem: The reverb muddies the low end and the kick loses punch. Fix: Lower Rev Wet, raise Rev EQ HP to cut below 100 Hz, and increase SC Threshold (make it less negative) so the sidechain reduces the reverb more aggressively.
- Problem: Delay repeats sound too metallic and clash with the synth. Fix: Reduce Delay Saturation, raise Delay LP to around 12 kHz, and lower Feedback a few percent. If the repeats are still harsh, switch LFO Target from Dly FB to Rev Wet and lower LFO Depth.
This manual covers version 0.4.1. Controls, ranges and defaults are taken from the plug-in's code.