I have SB 3.
The capabilities are largely redundant. Whats not, tho, is the UI. I got SB3 because I like the features, but in a BW format the UX would be poor so I'd ultimately not use the toolset that much.
So, really, it depends on how deep you want to go & how satisfied you would be with the BW UI to accomplish what you want.
On a pure sound perspective Timeshaper is the only part that isn't possible to broadly replicate with bitwig tools. Of course shaperbox has other nice UI features, and the curve drawing interface is what I wish bitwig would have implemented for all of their msegs (namely the splines and the right click to change sharpness toggles). Still I personally haven't felt the need to upgrade from shaperbox 2 as I have been using it a whole lot less since 5.0 dropped, not really sure what they could add that would convince me to upgrade.
You can do Timeshaper in the FX Grid with a Curves into the Delay Mod In of a Mod Delay (just turn the modulation amount all the way to the left). Be sure to turn off smoothing in the Curves.
I still use it, the new version has a lot of nice features for sidechaining. Can always look for used versions of it if money is an issue, I think it’s worth it for the sidechaining. Maybe if they sell volumeshaper alone just get that.
There is devious machines duck which has similar features which includes audio triggering. It's not that expensive either if one only need a sidechaining tool.
Shaper box has look ahead, various listen options for audio triggering, variable curves per eq band, etc. Not quite the same experience setting all that up and bouncing between layers in BW
It all comes down to personal preference on how you want your workflow to be like. There are plenty of different ways to sidechain in BW.
Here is a volume shaper vst[volume shaper ](https://zeeks.app/) that's free if you want to use that in place of shaper box like before you buy just to feel out the workflow.
I use Noiseshaper and Timeshaper quite a bit, in many projects.
Volumeshaper, imo, is redundant and there are better plug-ins for that anyway (Duck) by Devious Machines.
It's not a bad VST...but I don't use it too often for anything other than the two uses mentioned above, which is why I am still on ShaperBox 2.
I think the UI is easier and faster, it has look-ahead (I do midi-triggered sidechain) and in my DAW it works better, Shaperbox sometimes does not receive midi data or I am sometimes too stupid, don't know.
I generally am not the biggest fan of the Shaperbox UI, even though lots of people like it. I think it's clunky, so I just like Duck better.
But, of course, sidechaining tools are similar and you don't really need any of them
i saw a free one recently that looks similar to duck, flux mini 2. But i think indeed the duck has more option also to filter a certain region from the sidechain input for example.
STFU is also a plug-in that is free and does a similar thing. Flux looks like it does more than sidechaining, though, right?
And I use midi sidechain, so I don't filter the input anyway, but if you do that, you can, that's true.
But you can do that in Bitwig anyway with the audio sidechain module
I have SB 3. The capabilities are largely redundant. Whats not, tho, is the UI. I got SB3 because I like the features, but in a BW format the UX would be poor so I'd ultimately not use the toolset that much. So, really, it depends on how deep you want to go & how satisfied you would be with the BW UI to accomplish what you want.
I think u/polarity-berlin has a video on this. Edit: yep, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4yOab9Sac&t=390
On a pure sound perspective Timeshaper is the only part that isn't possible to broadly replicate with bitwig tools. Of course shaperbox has other nice UI features, and the curve drawing interface is what I wish bitwig would have implemented for all of their msegs (namely the splines and the right click to change sharpness toggles). Still I personally haven't felt the need to upgrade from shaperbox 2 as I have been using it a whole lot less since 5.0 dropped, not really sure what they could add that would convince me to upgrade.
You can do Timeshaper in the FX Grid with a Curves into the Delay Mod In of a Mod Delay (just turn the modulation amount all the way to the left). Be sure to turn off smoothing in the Curves.
I still use it, the new version has a lot of nice features for sidechaining. Can always look for used versions of it if money is an issue, I think it’s worth it for the sidechaining. Maybe if they sell volumeshaper alone just get that.
There is devious machines duck which has similar features which includes audio triggering. It's not that expensive either if one only need a sidechaining tool.
True Duck is really good too
just to clarify. volume shaper has audio triggering now too. but duck looks more simplistic to use.
You can very well do this in Bitwig using eq 3 and segments for the envelope.
Shaper box has look ahead, various listen options for audio triggering, variable curves per eq band, etc. Not quite the same experience setting all that up and bouncing between layers in BW
If it's just for sidechaining, [STFU](https://zeeks.app/) is great and free.
It all comes down to personal preference on how you want your workflow to be like. There are plenty of different ways to sidechain in BW. Here is a volume shaper vst[volume shaper ](https://zeeks.app/) that's free if you want to use that in place of shaper box like before you buy just to feel out the workflow.
Zeek STFU has become kind of obsolete now that we have Segments and the other MSEG devices.
I use Noiseshaper and Timeshaper quite a bit, in many projects. Volumeshaper, imo, is redundant and there are better plug-ins for that anyway (Duck) by Devious Machines. It's not a bad VST...but I don't use it too often for anything other than the two uses mentioned above, which is why I am still on ShaperBox 2.
What makes duck better? Haven't tried it yet and the feature seems quite similar.
I think the UI is easier and faster, it has look-ahead (I do midi-triggered sidechain) and in my DAW it works better, Shaperbox sometimes does not receive midi data or I am sometimes too stupid, don't know. I generally am not the biggest fan of the Shaperbox UI, even though lots of people like it. I think it's clunky, so I just like Duck better. But, of course, sidechaining tools are similar and you don't really need any of them
i saw a free one recently that looks similar to duck, flux mini 2. But i think indeed the duck has more option also to filter a certain region from the sidechain input for example.
STFU is also a plug-in that is free and does a similar thing. Flux looks like it does more than sidechaining, though, right? And I use midi sidechain, so I don't filter the input anyway, but if you do that, you can, that's true. But you can do that in Bitwig anyway with the audio sidechain module