P455 MDN Sidecar
Overview
The P455 MDN Sidecar is a summing and 2-bus mixing and mastering audio plugin capturing the analog chain of Marc Daniel Nelson, a two-time Grammy and French Academy Award-nominated mixing engineer, music producer, creative director and educator.
The P455 delivers Marc’s analog workflow which includes analog summing, tube driven stereo imaging, 2-bus punchy stereo EQ, custom glue 2-bus compressor and the unique character of two high end analog to digital converters.
The P455 MDN Sidecar isn’t just a plugin; it’s a calibrated blend of Marc’s seasoned approach and Pulsar Modular progressive audio design with focus on musicality at each step of the signal path.
For years, Marc Daniel Nelson has been openly and graciously sharing his techniques and expertise. He is now taking this a step further and delivering his signature sound to you, without restrictions or compromise, through the P455 MDN Sidecar and P450 MDN EQ audio plugins.
Features
P455 MDN Sidecar
- Summing without need to insert a plugin on each channel.
- Different routings and options for a true analog workflow experience.
- Custom 2-bus compressor.
- 2-bus stereo proportional EQ.
- Two ADC emulations.
P450 MDN EQ
- 4 bands EQ with stepped frequency and gain.
- Low & High Shelf- stepped.
- Gain Multiplier to cover alternative gain and Q.
- Op-amp behavior and signature punch.
“No other plugin does this. The 455 sounds absolutely terrific. Just like the console in studio B at
Record Plant, Sausalito. Spending a year recording Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on that console,
the sound is burned in my head forever and this is IT. The Eq section behaves just like what I
remember. That soft saturation the more you push the eq. I have been waiting for years to have
my old friend back.“
KEN CAILLATMulti-Grammy Winning Record Producer (Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Colbie Caillat) 
“No other plugin does this. The 455 sounds absolutely terrific. Just like the console in studio B at
Record Plant, Sausalito. Spending a year recording Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on that console,
the sound is burned in my head forever and this is IT. The Eq section behaves just like what I
remember. That soft saturation the more you push the eq. I have been waiting for years to have
my old friend back.“
KEN CAILLATMulti-Grammy Winning Record Producer (Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Colbie Caillat)
"The P455 MDN Sidecar is the perfect complement to my orchestral mix stem buses. For the
times when we are forced to record sections separately, the performance can unfortunately
suffer as a result. The sidecar allowed me to breathe a level of unifying cohesion into the mix
that feels warm and enveloping. Almost impossible ITB, but not now!"
ADAM MICHALAKMULTI-AWARD WINNING SCORE RECORDIST/MIXER (Star Wars, Jurassic World, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Riot Games) 
"Holy fucking s#!t. The P450,455 is the most flexible api plug-in on the planet. It’s an amazing
plug-in and I’ll be so happy to be able to use it as a creative tool designed by a creative person.
I’m extremely impressed."
RYAN FREELANDMULTI-GRAMMY WINNER PRODUCER/MIXER (Ray LaMontagne, Aimee Mann, Bonnie Raitt, Morrissey) 
“EQ, Check. Compressor, Check. Harmonics, Check, Check, Check. 2 A to D convertors, Check. The
P455 and P450 have some of the best analog emulations I’ve heard. When I put the P455 on the
Stereo bus, the mix sounded done. Marc, you really did it on this one!”
DAVE PENSADOMULTI-GRAMMY WINNER PRODUCER/MIXER (Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Shakira) 
“These aren’t your granddaddy’s plugins, they are the secret weapons you’ve been searching for.
A quantum leap forward in the super-saturated world of digital audio. You did it Marc. Thank
you for making my life just a wee bit better.”
ANTON SANKOMULTI-AWARD WINNING FILM COMPOSER (Big Love, Masters of Horror, Amanda, Fractured) 
“These are pretty wonderful plugins!
The sidecar in particular! The A-to-D/Line Amp section alone adds a magical glue, weight, and
dimension to any source. I will definitely be using this for Atmos. The EQ section is one of the
closest to the real thing i’ve heard adding all the transient op-amp goodness from the hardware!
The compressor is great at adding life to flat sources or gluing dynamic tracks together. The only
thing missing(wink wink) is a final limiter and this thing will be the only thing on the end of every
mix!”
J. CLARKATMOS/360 PRODUCER/MIXER (Jennifer Lopez, MK, Rauw Alejandro, The Hold Steady, Mickey Guyton, Nelly) 
“This thing sounds incredible. Turn up the input on the P455 and just enjoy the instant vibe. The
bias knob is the secret sauce and Atticus or Wille will be on every mix I do.”
SAMARTH DHAWANMIX ENGINEER (The-Dream, Breez Kennedy, Nile Rodgers, Joelle James) 
"The P450/455 absolutely gives you full access to Marc’s unique and beautiful sound on the mix
bus. Marc has mixed my music for over a decade and I immediately hear his signature
fingerprint. High headroom, dimension, and a solid low end. Somehow, I’m now one of those
guys who reviews a plugin by saying ‘It’s on everything I do’. Seriously. It is."
BRIAN S. CARRAWARD WINNING COMPOSER (Family Guy, American Dad, Superpower, The Landing) 
"I've known Marcus for a very very long time and have always respected his ears and meticulous
approach to audio. So when he called to say he had some new plug-ins, I immediately had to
hear them. I'm mid mix on an album and quickly added the MDN Sidecar to a percussion bus
and was immediately impressed with the flexibility and sound. So yeah, that's staying. The MDN
EQ was next and offered that familiar clarity and presence I'm accustomed to hearing from API.
Kinda fat... kinda clear... guess that's staying, too. Obsessively summing through extensive
analog chains, any plug-ins I use must compete with my racks of outboard gear or they never get
used. Well, these new MDN "units" are definitely getting used. Great job!"
THAI LONG LY, CASAWARD WINNING ENGINEER/PRODUCER (Robbie Williams, Postmodern Jukebox, Dionne Warwick, Hadrien Feraud, Stanley Clarke) 
“No other plugin does this. The 455 sounds absolutely terrific. Just like the console in studio B at
Record Plant, Sausalito. Spending a year recording Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on that console,
the sound is burned in my head forever and this is IT. The Eq section behaves just like what I
remember. That soft saturation the more you push the eq. I have been waiting for years to have
my old friend back.“
KEN CAILLATMULTI-GRAMMY WINNING RECORD PRODUCER (Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Colbie Caillat)
“I'm not sure we need just another EQ/Compressor channel strip. That is... unless it's bringing
something new and different to the table. The P455's compressor in combination with the "Dog
Pound" and "Line Amp" parameters is doing just that and not like a dozen plugins I already own.
IT SOUNDS BRILLIANT!! ”
CRAIG BAUERMULTI-GRAMMY WINNING ENGINEER/PRODUCER (Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Wu-Tang Clan) 
"The P455 MDN Sidecar is the perfect complement to my orchestral mix stem buses. For the
times when we are forced to record sections separately, the performance can unfortunately
suffer as a result. The sidecar allowed me to breathe a level of unifying cohesion into the mix
that feels warm and enveloping. Almost impossible ITB, but not now!"
ADAM MICHALAKMULTI-AWARD WINNING SCORE RECORDIST/MIXER (Star Wars, Jurassic World, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Riot Games)
"Holy fucking s#!t. The P450,455 is the most flexible api plug-in on the planet. It’s an amazing
plug-in and I’ll be so happy to be able to use it as a creative tool designed by a creative person.
I’m extremely impressed."
RYAN FREELANDMULTI-GRAMMY WINNER PRODUCER/MIXER (Ray LaMontagne, Aimee Mann, Bonnie Raitt, Morrissey)
“EQ, Check. Compressor, Check. Harmonics, Check, Check, Check. 2 A to D convertors, Check. The
P455 and P450 have some of the best analog emulations I’ve heard. When I put the P455 on the
Stereo bus, the mix sounded done. Marc, you really did it on this one!”
DAVE PENSADOMULTI-GRAMMY WINNER PRODUCER/MIXER (Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Shakira)
“These aren’t your granddaddy’s plugins, they are the secret weapons you’ve been searching for.
A quantum leap forward in the super-saturated world of digital audio. You did it Marc. Thank
you for making my life just a wee bit better.”
ANTON SANKOMULTI-AWARD WINNING FILM COMPOSER (Big Love, Masters of Horror, Amanda, Fractured)
“These are pretty wonderful plugins!
The sidecar in particular! The A-to-D/Line Amp section alone adds a magical glue, weight, and
dimension to any source. I will definitely be using this for Atmos. The EQ section is one of the
closest to the real thing i’ve heard adding all the transient op-amp goodness from the hardware!
The compressor is great at adding life to flat sources or gluing dynamic tracks together. The only
thing missing(wink wink) is a final limiter and this thing will be the only thing on the end of every
mix!”
J. CLARKATMOS/360 PRODUCER/MIXER (Jennifer Lopez, MK, Rauw Alejandro, The Hold Steady, Mickey Guyton, Nelly)
“This thing sounds incredible. Turn up the input on the P455 and just enjoy the instant vibe. The
bias knob is the secret sauce and Atticus or Wille will be on every mix I do.”
SAMARTH DHAWANMIX ENGINEER (The-Dream, Breez Kennedy, Nile Rodgers, Joelle James)
The P450/455 absolutely gives you full access to Marc’s unique and beautiful sound on the mix
bus. Marc has mixed my music for over a decade and I immediately hear his signature
fingerprint. High headroom, dimension, and a solid low end. Somehow, I’m now one of those
guys who reviews a plugin by saying ‘It’s on everything I do’. Seriously. It is."
BRIAN S. CARRAWARD WINNING COMPOSER (Family Guy, American Dad, Superpower, The Landing)
"I've known Marcus for a very very long time and have always respected his ears and meticulous
approach to audio. So when he called to say he had some new plug-ins, I immediately had to
hear them. I'm mid mix on an album and quickly added the MDN Sidecar to a percussion bus
and was immediately impressed with the flexibility and sound. So yeah, that's staying. The MDN
EQ was next and offered that familiar clarity and presence I'm accustomed to hearing from API.
Kinda fat... kinda clear... guess that's staying, too. Obsessively summing through extensive
analog chains, any plug-ins I use must compete with my racks of outboard gear or they never get
used. Well, these new MDN "units" are definitely getting used. Great job!"
THAI LONG LY, CASAWARD WINNING ENGINEER/PRODUCER (Robbie Williams, Postmodern Jukebox, Dionne Warwick, Hadrien Feraud, Stanley Clarke)
“No other plugin does this. The 455 sounds absolutely terrific. Just like the console in studio B at
Record Plant, Sausalito. Spending a year recording Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on that console,
the sound is burned in my head forever and this is IT. The Eq section behaves just like what I
remember. That soft saturation the more you push the eq. I have been waiting for years to have
my old friend back.“
KEN CAILLATMULTI-GRAMMY WINNING RECORD PRODUCER (Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Colbie Caillat)
“I'm not sure we need just another EQ/Compressor channel strip. That is... unless it's bringing
something new and different to the table. The P455's compressor in combination with the "Dog
Pound" and "Line Amp" parameters is doing just that and not like a dozen plugins I already own.
IT SOUNDS BRILLIANT!! ”
CRAIG BAUERMULTI-GRAMMY WINNING ENGINEER/PRODUCER (Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Wu-Tang Clan)
Videos
Audio Examples
Specification
Supported Plugin Formats
AU, VST3, AAX (Apple Silicon ready).
Supported Operating Systems
macOS 10.13+ Apple RISC M chip and Intel CPU (Universal 2 Binary)
Windows 10+ x64-compatible CPU
Copy Protection
A one-time challenge & response over the internet. License works on up two separate machines.
Downloads
Use the slider to load the appropriate download section.
P455 MDN Sidecar
P450 MDN EQ
Latest User Guides
For previously authorized computers
- Smoothing on the saturation to avoid clicks while changing parameters.
- Full 64-bit engine for DAWs that are 64 bit.
- VST3 plugin is now located in the Pulsar Modular Folder within the VST3 folder.
- Installer does not require Rosetta on new Mac OSX.
- Bypass parameter synchronizes with the Bypass of the DAW (those that support this feature).
- Hammer circuit- intensity boost.
- Stage Focus- affects soundstage positioning.
- Updated user guides.
- CPU efficient.
- Smooth movement of BIAS and Volume Fader/Knob.
- Step/Smooth parameter icon (Step for 1:1 of the analog chain or SMOOTH to allow a little more clear/open focus enhancement).
- Smoothing for randomization routines: Lower digital distortion & increase headroom.
- This version uses more CPU.
- Optimized code solves issues with Steinberg Wavelab.
- Color coding for the compressor’s GR meter reading.
- Signal flow updated in the user guide.
- Click Gain knob- displays the value of the gain.
- On start play for certain audio material, there is a soft click sound.
- Show 80 Hz momentary when turning on S/C.
- “Audio Dimming Transition” Fixed the implementation. Default is ON.
- P455 compressor communicates the GR values to the Pro Tools. Accurate up to 5 dB.
- Official Release.
15-Day Free Demo
To start your 15-day fully functional demo for 2 computers, Press the "DEMO" button and complete the checkout. Follow the instructions you will get by email. No dongle required.
Bundled with P450 MDN EQ, a dedicated mono/stereo stepped frequency & gain 2-bus punchy equalizer.
Customer reviews
DISCLAIMER: The intellectual property rights, including names, logos, and trademarks associated with studio equipment and accessory brands, including API, belong to their respective owners and are not affiliated with Pulsar Modular or Marc Daniel Nelson. This plugin is designed to replicate the unique audio equalization, compression, and summing envisioned by Pulsar Modular and Marc Daniel Nelson. Any use of names, logos, or trademarks is solely for identification purposes to illustrate the hardware chain and audio workflow that inspired this product.
56 reviews for P455 MDN Sidecar
I like to use it on individual tracks and busses
Let’s start with the EQ.
Having owned the analog version of this EQ, I was genuinely surprised at how good this emulation sounds. I often use just the EQ because of the way it effortlessly pushes certain elements forward in a mix—it has that unmistakable character.
But that’s only part of the story. The rest of this plugin is an absolute vibe machine. I’m usually not a preset person—they rarely fit the way I work—but these presets are among the best I’ve ever used. Drag, drop, and you’re in business.
This lives on my bass guitar chain—always. On drums, it’s disgustingly good as an insert to add punch or vibe, and it shines on parallel tracks when you really smash it. I’ve even used it subtly on a couple of masters that just needed a little extra character.
And to top it off, the CPU load is impressively light, so I can throw it on as many tracks as I want without worry.
素晴らしいプラグインです。
EQは多少アグレッシブにブーストしても音が痩せて硬くならないし、コンプはうっすらグルー感が得られて質感が良い。
ステージフォーカスが気に入ってます。ストリングスのバストラックやPadに適用してステレオ感の調整に使ってます。
P450はトラックEQとして秀逸ですし、
Sidecarの方はこれ以上にないバスプロセッサーではないでしょうか。
ジャンルも選ばず素晴らしい働きをしてくれます。
I’m really enjoying the sidecar. It is a great colour box. Nice bus compressor, and the EQ has a great character too. The summing emulations are fairly subtle, but also nice.
The Sidecar EQ is also rather unusual. It particularly impresses with a finely drawn soundstage, which also has a spatial (3D) effect. It’s always on my master bus now.