Make Believe Studios CGII

When Chris Gehringer — Senior Mastering Engineer and Partner at Sterling Sound, with a credit list most engineers only dream of — puts his name on a plugin, it deserves attention. CGII is his signature mastering processor, developed with Make Believe Studios and Metric Halo, and it embodies everything he learned about loudness across decades of hit records: loudness should come from density and clarity, not from crushing.

The plugin’s architecture reflects a mastering philosophy, not just an algorithm. The Density processor is the more subtle of the two: it identifies low-level detail masked by louder material and raises it, increasing the perceived fullness and program level while leaving peak dynamics completely untouched. This is the “bloom” control — the thing that makes a master sound expensive. The Loudness processor handles the more obvious job of RMS increase, but does it transparently, keeping peaks below full-scale while its soft-saturation stage adds the harmonic excitement that gives masters their finished character.

Oversampling up to 16x (user-selectable) means the internal processing runs at the highest precision, with no digital aliasing artifacts — the kind of detail that separates professional mastering tools from loudness toys. The metering is equally serious: nixie tube displays show LUFS Integrated, Short Term (or Hold), Momentary (or Hold), True Peak, and True Peak Hold, giving you the complete loudness picture streaming platforms demand.

The true-peak limiter is the final guardian. It’s a lookahead design — transparent even when working hard — and it guarantees the output never exceeds your selected ceiling: 0dB, -0.1dB, or -1dB. In an era where every streaming service normalizes and penalizes inter-sample overs, this isn’t a luxury; it’s a requirement. The DC-block filter cleans up residual offset, and the dither section (16 through 24-bit) handles your final word-length reduction properly.

CGII’s simplicity is deliberate. Two knobs and a handful of switches belie the sophistication inside — Gehringer wanted a tool that helps engineers master in today’s environment without a learning curve. But don’t mistake simple for limited: the Density processor alone is worth the price for mix engineers who want to raise low-level clarity on dull mixes, and the transparent limiter earns its place on any bus that needs bulletproof level control.

Compatibility is broad: AU, VST2, VST3, and AAX (64-bit) on macOS 10.10 or newer (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Windows 7 or newer, working in Pro Tools, Logic, Studio One, Nuendo, and every other major DAW, plus Metric Halo’s MIO Console. iLok licensing (free account, dongle optional) includes two activations.

Mastering-grade loudness with the clarity intact — that’s the Gehringer way, and now it’s a plugin.

Every customer receives their own individual license key. Instant download delivery via email.

Few plugins carry this kind of authority: designed by Make Believe Studios, DSP by Metric Halo, and the mastering mind of Chris Gehringer — the Sterling Sound partner whose records defined what commercial loudness should sound like. Authorization needs only a free iLok account (dongle optional), and the license includes two activations for your studio and mobile rig.

Start with the presets and adjust to taste — even small Density settings reveal low-level detail you didn’t know your mixes contained.

Your individual license key arrives by email instantly after purchase and activates in iLok License Manager — on your computer, in the cloud, or on a dongle.