Ryan Schwabe's HiFAL plug-in kills harsh peaks without murder

Schwabe Digital has launched HiFAL, a high-frequency shaping plug-in that applies vinyl-era mastering techniques to modern audio production. The company, founded by Grammy-nominated engineer Ryan Schwabe, designed the tool to control high-frequency dynamics without dulling the overall mix. The plug-in uses adaptive attack and release times to preserve transient characteristics while managing harsh peaks. Its interface contains two sections: Main HiFAL handles threshold and channel linking, and Parallel Limiter adds brightness through blended high-frequency content inspired by the Motown vocal compression technique. Both sections operate independently with adjustable frequency ranges. The software supports Windows 10 and later, macOS 10.13 and higher, and works with VST3, AU, and AAX formats. Schwabe Digital offers the plug-in at $159 through on Oct. 14, after which the price rises to $199.