Cableguys HalfTime half-speed effect plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Cableguys’ HalfTime is a plug-in from Cableguys that specializes in the half-speed effect. It can turn a beat into something slow and dark.

A creative effect plug-in moves a sound in time with the rhythm, or turns it into a completely different sound.

In this article we compare HalfTime with 9 creative effect plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Summary

Among the 9 creative effect plug-ins, HalfTime is rank C. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and C is the lowest. Averaging the scores for the three criteria (out of 5) gives 1.0.

Things to keep in mind

• Number of effects (1 points): the number of effects is small.
• Ways to create movement (1 points): there are few ways to create movement.
• Reacting to sound (1 points): it has no feature for moving to match another sound.

Who it suits: people who want to quickly add a slow, heavy mood to beats and loops.

Main features of HalfTime

A half-speed effect just by adding it

Just by adding HalfTime, you get an effect as if the sound had been slowed to half speed. The manufacturer explains that it can be used on loops, virtual instruments and live audio input. It makes the sound heavy and dark, so it seems suited to adding variation to a beat.

Three speed modes

You can choose among 2x (the classic half speed), 1.5x (harmonies that match chords and triplet rhythms) and 4x (a quarter of the speed). The length of the loop can also be changed from 1/16 to 8 bars.

Power button and fade

The Power button switches the effect on and off instantly. It also supports DAW automation. You can also bring the effect in slowly over up to 16 bars.

Band Split slows only the lows, mids or highs

You can slow just one of the low, mid or high bands. You can slow only the lows to make them heavy, or slow only the highs for a strange effect. There is also a Solo that lets you hear only the slowed band, and the mix with the dry (original) sound decides how strongly it acts.

Where it is useful

• Dropping into half time for just a moment before the chorus of a beat to build excitement
• Slowing only the lows of a bass to add weight
• Slowing part of a loop to create a new groove

Rating by criterion

Number of effects: 1 / 5

We look at the number of kinds of effects included.

It is a plug-in specialized in one half-speed effect.

If “number of effects” matters most to you, Effectrix 2 and Turnado (5 points) are a better fit.

Ways to create movement: 1 / 5

We look at how many ways there are to move a sound over time (movement you draw yourself, randomization and so on).

There are few mechanisms for creating movement.

If “ways to create movement” matters most to you, Effectrix 2 (4 points) is a better fit.

Reacting to sound: 1 / 5

We look at whether the effect can be moved by the incoming sound or the sound of another track.

It has no feature that moves the effect to match another sound.

If “reacting to sound” matters most to you, ShaperBox 3 (5 points) is a better fit.

How we score (Creative effect plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Number of effects	Number of kinds of effects included	12 or more	8 or more	5 or more	2 or more	1
Ways to create movement	Which of drawable LFOs, a step sequencer, randomization and MIDI triggering it has	All four	Three	Two	One, or the kinds are not stated	None
Reacting to sound	Whether the effect can be moved by the incoming sound or another track (sidechain and so on)	Both an external sidechain and retriggering on the attack of the sound	Many parameters can be moved by the incoming sound	One feature that reacts to sound, such as an envelope follower	—	Not mentioned

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: adding movement and change to loops, synths and vocals. Scores follow the conditions in the table above. "Reacting to sound" is a criterion that answers the common search for "sidechain". The basis is the manufacturer's product description on the Plugin Boutique product page. Sound quality has not been compared by ear, so it is not scored. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

HalfTime system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11 (64-bit) / Mac (macOS 10.15 or later, Apple silicon and Intel)
Plug-in formats	Windows: VST2, VST3, AAX / Mac: AU, VST2, VST3, AAX
Trial	Free trial available (the official page says “Free Trial”)
OBS (streaming)	Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on October 17, 2026. How to use plug-ins in the OBS streaming software is explained in How to use VST3 plug-ins in OBS.

Compared with other creative effect plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Read next

• Portal: features and rating (rank C)
• Crystallizer: features and rating (rank C)
• Movement: features and rating (rank B)
• ShaperBox 3: features and rating (rank A)