# Best Saturation plugin?



## JEPA

Hello everybody,

i am about to buy a plugin for Audio Saturation (harmonics -> to overdrive). What are the best options? I am aware of these:

U-he Satin
Waves Tape
Elevate Bundle Saturation plugin
Mixbus Bus channel strip
Beatzkills Goliath
PSP Vintage Warmer
Softube Saturation Knob
Softube Tape
Kush Omega
Fabfilter Saturn
Soundtoys Decapitator
iZotope Neutron, Ozone saturation function
ToneBoosters Reel and Ferox
Audio Assault HeadCrusher
what is the best saturator at the market?

_*(i will be editing the list)*_


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## R. Soul

I think it's a toss up between Saturn and Decapitator from Sound toys.


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## JEPA

will add Soundtoys Decapitator on the list..


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## angeruroth

I use Magneto II quite a lot as tape saturator. Not really sure if that's the same kind of effect tho...


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## Divico

I love the free version of this one: https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/SDRR/SDRR.php
klanghelms plugins are really good and cheap.
I use Headcrusher from audio assault. They do 5$ deals from time to time, thats how I got it.


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## JEPA

thanks guys, but what plugin is the most accurate of all? the best one? or at least the nearest to analog devices? or the most organic one? I mean i won't buy a gear for this...


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## Anders Bru

I actually use the Softube Saturation Knob (which is free) surprisingly often. Not sure which one on the list best represent an "analog" saturation, but my go-to's are Decapitator and Saturn. Fantastic plugins!


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## Divico

JEPA said:


> most accurate of all? the best one? or at least the nearest to analog devices?


There is none. This is mostly a matter of taste. Each saturation unit sounds different.
Nearest to analog, depents to which hardware you are comparing.
Are you opting for a certain sound or do you want a versatile workhorse?
Tube/ Tape/ A specific unit?

For the workhorse.
Take into consideration parameters you can adjust. Tone shaping, oversampling, multiband saturation -> fabfilter has this for example.

If you are not shure what you want. Maybe a freebie is enough for you?
Saturation Knob, The free version of Headcrusher, IVGI by Klanghelm, MSaturate by Melda, Ferric TDS by Variety of Sound (for gentle tape saturation.). I use all of them and like them.


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## storyteller

I think satin sounds the best when it is directly compared to other saturation plugs. But I’ve found waves j37 (usually) and Kramer tape (often) to sound the best in a mix. Wave Arts’ Tube Saturator Vintage is now a freebie and sounds great! Grab that one. IK’s SaturatorX is also a great one to add to the mix. *It really depends on what you are trying to go for in the use of the plug.* Never particularly liked Decapitator, though it gets great reviews. Oh - and I grabbed Hornet Tape earlier this year and think that one sounds phenomenal when dialed in properly. Neutron and Ozone’s saturation section is nice too for subtle touches, but it is probably not what you are looking for based on the plugins you originally listed.


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## aaronventure

Neutron and Ozone saturation is great. Saturn for certain situations, it's much more expansive than the rest because of all the modulators (did you know you can create a transient shaper from Saturn?) and options. 

Slate VTMis my favorite tape, though. It's subtle but nothing else sounds as juicy (30 IPS, FG9).


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## Living Fossil

Tape emulations do additional things outside of the aspect you're interested in.

For pure saturation, for me it's usually either Ozone's exciter, Soundtoys Decapitator and Softube's saturation knob, which btw is free. (You should grab it in any case).


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## Quasar

Divico said:


> I love the free version of this one: https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/SDRR/SDRR.php
> klanghelms plugins are really good and cheap.
> I use Headcrusher from audio assault. They do 5$ deals from time to time, thats how I got it.


I got Head Crusher on the same $5 deal, and think it's a really cool plugin, but IMHO it's better for more over-the-top sound mangling - as the name implies - than it is for subtle warmth. At any rate, a little goes a long way with it.

Has anyone shouted out ToneBoosters Ferox and ReelBus? They're both great, and TB's plugs are more than reasonably priced.


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## JEPA

great comments. Thank you all very much! Yes, there are to fields where i want to use saturation~drive:


by the Mix: Vocals (satin harmonics), Drums, Strings, Guitars, Bass-Guitars
Sound Design
Yes, there are different types and the field is wide. Tube, Tape, Solid-state Transistor...



storyteller said:


> Wave Arts’ Tube Saturator Vintage


i have this one. Very good but Hugh CPU depredator...



Divico said:


> klanghelms plugins are really good and cheap.


oh yeah, i've heard of these, good reviews! thank you!



Anders Bru said:


> Softube Saturation Knob


yeah, i have these one. Nice uses, but not so flexible.



Quasar said:


> Has anyone shouted out ToneBoosters Ferox and ReelBus?


not tested already...

in a scale, what are the 3 best?

Saturn
Decapitator
Ozone
????????


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## JEPA

Divico said:


> Ferric TDS by Variety of Sound


i am aware of this plugin, but i am on Mac. I have heard good comments about it...


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## R. Soul

As Aaronventure mentioned earlier, I don't think any other saturation plugin can beat Saturn in terms of depth.
I think this video explains well how flexible Saturn is.

Warning: watching videos by Dan Worrall makes you reach for your wallet.


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## JEPA

R. Soul said:


> videos by Dan Worrall


is he already millionaire? best videos on the net


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## R. Soul

JEPA said:


> is he already millionaire? best videos on the net


I don't think there's enough money in video tutorials, but he's certainly the reason why I keep buying Fabfilter plugins


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## will_m

I'm quite fond of the Slate Tube and also Virtual Tape series. More on the subtle side but I've found using multiple instances across a mix help glue it together.


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## Henu

As said, Slate is subtle, but cumulative. I want my saturation to be "felt" instead of being heard, so I like their sound and approach when mixing.

Kush Audio has also some wonderful analog- sounding saturating plugins (note, not "saturators" _per se_) like their preamps and the Novatron compressor.


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## Nao Gam

+1 for softube but you can check out kclip 3 by kazrog too. It's a mastering limiter and multiband saturator


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## rrichard63

I'm having trouble with the notion that there is a "best" saturation plugin -- or even three "best". Best on what source? Best to whose ears? Best for what genre of music? Best for emulating which famous recording engineer or producer?

Instead, there are a lot of very good ones. The small handful that are best for any one of us might turn out to be the ones we are already most familiar with and know how to adjust.


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## JEPA

@rrichard63 i want the best of the best of the best of the best of the best....  I am looking for something organic close to analog that doesn't sound like "digital" or harsh.


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## sostenuto

With their 'free' full function Demos ….. *Plugin Alliance _ bx_saturator V2* is one not mentioned and maybe worth a look/listen ? 
PA has frequent strong promos and this cost can get more attractive.

https://plugin-alliance.com/en/products/bx_saturator_v2.html


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## Quasar

R. Soul said:


> I don't think there's enough money in video tutorials, but he's certainly the reason why I keep buying Fabfilter plugins


I've watched demos of Fabfilter stuff and they seem most impressive, but remain skeptical that there aren't freeware, shareware or inexpensive commercial options that give you most of what the pricey boutique stuff does.

I'm not an audio engineer so maybe it's just ignorant prejudice, but I'm more inclined to spend premium $$$ on a higher-end virtual instrument than I am on a higher-end effects plug. It's much easier for me to appreciate the sonic differences between 1st-rate and 2nd-rate sample libraries than to grasp the "vast" difference between a $19 compressor and a $249 compressor.


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## Zoot_Rollo

https://blackroosteraudio.com/pluginstore
/plugin/vpre73.html






https://www.thehouseofkush.com/plugins/ubk-1






https://sonimus.com/products/satson/






https://sonimus.com/products/burnley73/






https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/vertigo_vsm-3.html


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## JEPA

Quasar said:


> I've watched demos of Fabfilter stuff and they seem most impressive, but remain skeptical that there aren't freeware, shareware or inexpensive commercial options that give you most of what the pricey boutique stuff does.
> 
> I'm not an audio engineer so maybe it's just ignorant prejudice, but I'm more inclined to spend premium $$$ on a higher-end virtual instrument than I am on a higher-end effects plug. It's much easier for me to appreciate the sonic differences between 1st-rate and 2nd-rate sample libraries than to grasp the "vast" difference between a $19 compressor and a $249 compressor.


interesting your point of view. I can both, maybe because i know how the real gear works.. A bad compressor plugin can i recognise in few time tweaking threshold & ratio, attack and release, the resulting sound says you everything...


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## MillsMixx

R. Soul said:


> As Aaronventure mentioned earlier, I don't think any other saturation plugin can beat Saturn in terms of depth.
> I think this video explains well how flexible Saturn is.
> 
> Warning: watching videos by Dan Worrall makes you reach for your wallet.




I have to agree. Saturn is definitely one of my top 5 plugins if ever there were a list. Very easy to use and can really do wonders to spruce up a sound. Best plugin purchase I ever made


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## Zoot_Rollo

R. Soul said:


> As Aaronventure mentioned earlier, I don't think any other saturation plugin can beat Saturn in terms of depth.
> I think this video explains well how flexible Saturn is.
> 
> Warning: watching videos by Dan Worrall makes you reach for your wallet.





I think i first heard him with the Tokyo Dawn demos.

Effective.

Not saturation, but

Whatever you do DON'T watch the FFPMB demo.

Don't.

Just

Don't.


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## R. Soul

Quasar said:


> I've watched demos of Fabfilter stuff and they seem most impressive, but remain skeptical that there aren't freeware, shareware or inexpensive commercial options that give you most of what the pricey boutique stuff does.
> 
> I'm not an audio engineer so maybe it's just ignorant prejudice, but I'm more inclined to spend premium $$$ on a higher-end virtual instrument than I am on a higher-end effects plug. It's much easier for me to appreciate the sonic differences between 1st-rate and 2nd-rate sample libraries than to grasp the "vast" difference between a $19 compressor and a $249 compressor.


I don't usually spend much on fx, unless I think they are special, which I do in regards to Fabfilter and a couple of other devs. 
While they are initially pricey once you have several plugins you get a good discount. I get 40% any of their plugins now.


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## jcrosby

R. Soul said:


> As Aaronventure mentioned earlier, I don't think any other saturation plugin can beat Saturn in terms of depth.
> I think this video explains well how flexible Saturn is.




I beg to differ, Trash 2 absolutely can, and does... Saturn doesn't do custom convolution, parametric EQs with digital and analog curve emulations... Let alone 100-ish discreet distortion flavors, with the ability to draw in new ones. The delays, and ability to dial in some haas effect are also a nice touch often overlooked... 

(But as we all know plugin opinions are *purely* subjective... A debate with no end for sure.... )


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## DynamicK

Trying out *D16's Devastor*. Another take on saturation and a reasonable price.
http://d16.pl/devastor2/overview


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## R. Soul

jcrosby said:


> I beg to differ, Trash 2 absolutely can, and does... Saturn doesn't do custom convolution, parametric EQs with digital and analog curve emulations... Let alone 100-ish discreet distortion flavors, with the ability to draw in new ones. The delays, and ability to dial in some haas effect are also a nice touch often overlooked...
> 
> (But as we all know plugin opinions are *purely* subjective... A debate with no end for sure.... )


Granted, I only really use Trash 2 for distortion so I don't know the ins and out of it. But I don't think it has same degree of modulation with LFO's, envelope followers etc. as displayed from around 9:00 min. in the video?


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## Francis Bourre

If I had to just pick one, I would go for Decapitator. It's often my 1st try for adding harmonics and cut through the mix. It's got 5 distincts nice colors. I saw many engineers using it (ie: Alan Meyerson). Trash2 is very efficient to resurrect dull sounds too: Use Distort->Blues Driver for the highs, and Saturation-> Tape Saturation for the low and mids, the both with parallel processing (play with the mix knob and the drive, solo your bands will help you to set them). Saturn is less beefy but can do subtle job. Definitely a great plugin. The Culture Vulture (it's UAD) got a nice color as well. Kush Omega 458A does the job sometimes (beef the sound), but has no control except parallel volume. As I mentioned in another post True Iron got great feedbacks; you should give it a try, but it's the one knob preamp approach, with 2 colors... Satin is doing some miracles with the low mids, it brings some warmness, I know it's on Tchad Blake mix bus. UAD ATR 102 is one of the sweetest tape saturator imho, amazing on busses.
Btw, you will have better results by using many subtle stages with different colors and processes vs extreme values with one plugin.


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## SBK

SDRR2 is best and cheap, Saturn for sure and Decapitator too,
but you will always hear in comparison with analog, the staticness of sterilized digital signal, 0 1

https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/SDRR/SDRR.php
has many controls and colors


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## pderbidge

I have tried most mentioned here and own a few of them. I really like the ones in alloy 2 similar to Ozone. I also really like the free saturator by soft tube. The waves tape machines I own are also really good especially j37. But one that hasn't been mentioned are the ones from air windows. They are free and if you like them he encourages you to donate. There is no fancy GUI but they work great and I have been especially impressed with buss colors 4 and iron oxide 5 for saturation purposes.
http://www.airwindows.com/vsts/


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## Pablocrespo

What about quadrafuzz 2 in cubase, any opinions?


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## Zoot_Rollo




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## Zoot_Rollo

pderbidge said:


> I have tried most mentioned here and own a few of them. I really like the ones in alloy 2 similar to Ozone. I also really like the free saturator by soft tube. The waves tape machines I own are also really good especially j37. But one that hasn't been mentioned are the ones from air windows. They are free and if you like them he encourages you to donate. There is no fancy GUI but they work great and I have been especially impressed with buss colors 4 and iron oxide 5 for saturation purposes.
> http://www.airwindows.com/vsts/




Alloy 2 is a discontinued diamond!!!


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## Zoot_Rollo

here's a list i made last April,

i agree with most here, if i were to pick one, FabFilter SATURN.



Kush Audio Omega 458a

http://www.thehouseofkush.com/plugins/omega-458a

$29

Elysia Karacter

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/elysia_karacter.html

$199

BlackBox HG-2

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/black_box_analog_design_hg-2.html

$249

Sound Toys Decapitator

http://www.soundtoys.com/product/decapitator/

$199

112dB Redline Preamp

https://www.112db.com/plugins/redline/preamp/

$129

Brainworx bx saturator V2

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/bx_saturator_v2.html

$199

D16 Devastor

https://www.pluginboutique.com/prod...na66sfmN1JG9kmujbRPHd8AGXAjAc7GxoCsgkQAvD_BwE

$49

D16 Group Redopter

https://www.pluginboutique.com/prod...wFM1IRFVPybj912SceS6r4-8z6cm896xoCvh4QAvD_BwE

$39

FXpansion Maul

https://www.pluginboutique.com/prod...xXs8ny7rJFJtslmEszHHpcdCZELHJd8RoCJ5EQAvD_BwE

$99

Izotope Alloy 2

OWN

iZotope Trash 2

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...Wvl7MUWKO9cvgHX7iqgA1AZFhWkRFx8hoCHwUQAvD_BwE

$29

Ohm Force Ohmicide Melohman

https://www.ohmforce.com/ViewProduct.do?p=Ohmicide

$122

PSP Audioware Vintage Warmer2

https://www.pspaudioware.net/register/store.php?

$149

PSP Audioware MixSaturator2

?

Sknote Roundtone

OWN

TDR VOS Slick EQ (Gentlemen’s Edition)

OWN

Variety Of Sound / Bootsy FerricTDS

FREE

Vertigo Sound VSM-3 Mix Satellite

OWN

XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color

https://www.pluginboutique.com/prod...AX-kibIVrVirfk98UuiDadv0Fi3onU0BoCZ4kQAvD_BwE

$79.95

Klanghelm SDRR

OWN

Softube Saturation Knob

OWN

u-he Satin

https://www.pluginboutique.com/prod...VKhlAKMrM1Pv824JBXMCxd9B8uC2F3wRoCFK8QAvD_BwE

$129

Blue Cat’s Destructor

OWN


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## JEPA

Zoot_Rollo said:


> OWN


what do you mean with "own"? thanks


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## S.M Hassani

Lots of good names mentioned here. Might chime in with a few more later.

Quick tip for saturation: Use a gain plugin to Expand the width of the Saturation point on the drive dial:

Too much gain -> Drive dial will take you from nothing to complete trash in one small area.
Conservative Gain (-24 to -20 dBfs) -> Drive dial will give you back all that lost gain while coloring your sound in wonderful ways.

I attached a screenshot showing one way I like to use the Kush 458 with something like Action Strikes. This will color the sound nicely and lower the output level slightly while actually sounding louder!


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## JEPA

Francis Bourre said:


> Btw, you will have better results by using many subtle stages with different colors and processes vs extreme values with one plugin.


this! ...obviously there is not "the best" (Cristiano Ronaldo's approach  ) plugin, like @rrichard63 pointed out. But a group of 3 plugins to make the mix shine could then be: Saturn, Decapitator, Satin, for example. I own already Neutron, Ozone & Trash, Kush Omega 458a, Softube Saturation Knob and many freebies, but was looking for 1 plugin more in the saturation department. Could be then Decapitator, Satin or Saturn to "close" the circle... I don't like Slate subscription, looking forward for brainworx, softube or TDR plugins.
Thanks for the huge points of view here. Really musicians helping musicians!
Huges,
Jorge


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## JEPA

S.M Hassani said:


> Lots of good names mentioned here. Might chime in with a few more later.
> 
> Quick tip for saturation: Use a gain plugin to Expand the width of the Saturation point on the drive dial:
> 
> Too much gain -> Drive dial will take you from nothing to complete trash in one small area.
> Conservative Gain (-24 to -20 dBfs) -> Drive dial will give you back all that lost gain while coloring your sound in wonderful ways.
> 
> I attached a screenshot showing one way I like to use the Kush 458 with something like Action Strikes. This will color the sound nicely and lower the output level slightly while actually sounding louder!


good hint! i am experimenting with Kush also..


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## storyteller

I'd also second @jcrosby's comments on Trash 2. I use the heck out of it, but never think of it as purely a "saturation" plugin though that is certainly possible with it. When I hear the term _saturation_, I generally think of tape and subtle harmonics... which Trash 2 can do, but I've always thought of it more in terms of a pure distortion effect (I know, semantics... but I digress) even though that is just a piece of what all it does. Anyway, it is an incredible tool (especially considering its price vs. competing product prices). Plus it allows you to step into iZotope's "own a product and upgrade to any other product" sales they periodically run in the fall/winter.

Just thought I'd add that here as a follow-up to my earlier post...


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## Per Lichtman

If you’re willing to deal with the latency and workflow changes, the options in Nebula libraries are on a different level than the others mentioned here that I’ve tried, at least in regards to changing color based on saturation path.

If you’re mainly saturating to make things “sound louder” or more up-front, Slate VCC and VTM are great. Every once in a while I still fire up URS Saturation, but not as often these days.


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## JEPA

anybody tested this?


*Black Box HG-2 from Plugin Alliance ($249)*



The Black Box is one great option for all-purpose authentic, organic sounding tube saturation.

I am going to start this off with a true beast of a plugin: The Black Box HG-2.

Some of you may know of its analog father, which goes by the same name and has found its way into the work of some major mixers like Dave Pensado, Bob Horn and Jack Douglas.

I have not had the chance to use the analog version myself, but I have several colleagues that have. Some have absolutely loved it. Others have found it less suited to their approach. The two camps seem to be separated roughly across genre lines: The uber-loud EDM-style engineers who aren’t necessarily looking for “warmth” or “grit” tend to be the ones who have told me they haven’t found as much use for it. But those working within rock, electronic, pop and the like have found some great uses for it again and again. I found the same to hold true with this plugin.

For me, the Black Box has turned out to be a real workhorse. It works wonders on single instruments, but it also works great on groups, and it _also_ works equally well on a mix bus or in the mastering chain.

This is a flexible tube processing box and it does what it is meant to do: It sounds like a tube and gives you control over the extent of saturation. With it, you can add some very nice glow and edginess to otherwise bland or lifeless synths, basses, vocals, mixes, you name it! Throw it on and give it a tweak.

When it comes to the mix bus, be aware that a little bit can go long way. Used modestly, it can add some nice silkiness to the signal you are putting through it, but it is sensitive to just how hard you hit it. As fun as it is to drive on instruments, when you’re using it on mix bus, note that it can quickly start to break up and fall apart depending on how you set it to react and how much input you feed it. So for me, it takes a little bit of care and experimentation to get the most out of it on a sensitive application like mix bus.

_Best used for: All-around organic tube saturation for instruments, groups, mixing and mastering.

https://sonicscoop.com/2018/03/21/t...est-dedicated-tube-saturators/3/?singlepage=1_


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## Francis Bourre

I forgot to mention SansAmp plugin, if you use ProTools for mixing, this little guy is your friend to get some grit on individual channels. Another idea, for subtle harmonics coloration, use transformer sound of a plugin without its designed primary features (ie: Fairchild on pianos, love it so much).
About HG2 emulation, I got it, it's a great plugin with 2 powerful saturation stages, but I don't know why, I don't use it so much, maybe because each time I set it, later I found something else that A/B betters to my taste. If I had to use it, I would like it more for real drive. To give dirty gritty power, It's where I like it the most.


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## bryla

Just a recommendation from Holger Lagerfeldt from Gear Grotto.

In reviewing the Black Box HG-2 he also tested a lot of harmonic enhancer plug-ins. Ploytec Aroma was by far the best in his ears. http://www.ploytec.com/aroma/

Here's what he wrote in recommending it:

For 'tube' sound with high even order and less odd order try the following:

Turn off everything except Salt Flavour which is set to 100% and adjust Salt Intensity to taste (pun intended). It gives the nicest even order saturation - perfect for making subbass audible without eating headroom.

There is a bit of odd order as well but it is akin to what you hear in tube-saturation.

Try taking a 40, 50 or 60 Hz sine wave at -6 dBFS and do the above. Turn down Aroma output untill the peak level is -6 dBFS again. Now you can bypass the plug-in and hear the intensity/audibility of the sub without affecting headroom.

Here’s his review of the Black Box:


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## JEPA

bryla said:


> Just a recommendation from Holger Lagerfeldt from Gear Grotto.
> 
> In reviewing the Black Box HG-2 he also tested a lot of harmonic enhancer plug-ins. Ploytec Aroma was by far the best in his ears. http://www.ploytec.com/aroma/
> 
> Here's what he wrote in recommending it:
> 
> For 'tube' sound with high even order and less odd order try the following:
> 
> Turn off everything except Salt Flavour which is set to 100% and adjust Salt Intensity to taste (pun intended). It gives the nicest even order saturation - perfect for making subbass audible without eating headroom.
> 
> There is a bit of odd order as well but it is akin to what you hear in tube-saturation.
> 
> Try taking a 40, 50 or 60 Hz sine wave at -6 dBFS and do the above. Turn down Aroma output untill the peak level is -6 dBFS again. Now you can bypass the plug-in and hear the intensity/audibility of the sub without affecting headroom.
> 
> Here’s his review of the Black Box:



oh i have almost forgotten this plugin. Thanks. I read a review a while ago ant the comments were +++


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## JEPA

Francis Bourre said:


> I forgot to mention SansAmp plugin, if you use ProTools for mixing,


atm we use Logic Pro X and Reaper, but at our Video Editing Studio we have Avid. Pro Tools will be next step soon or later. Thanks for recommendation!


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## jcrosby

R. Soul said:


> Granted, I only really use Trash 2 for distortion so I don't know the ins and out of it. But I don't think it has same degree of modulation with LFO's, envelope followers etc. as displayed from around 9:00 min. in the video?




Touche!! Trash does let you do some pretty cool filter modulation though... You can modulate all of the filter bands independently… between both filters I think it’s 12 different mod setups… Different LFO or envelop shapes on each…

I actually love Saturn too. Just like Trash's range of distortion types, plus it has a few standbys that work on basically anything…




Zoot_Rollo said:


> Alloy 2 is a discontinued diamond!!!




Yes indeed. Alloy had its own sound, it did aggressive especially well and that soft limiter was golden. I hoped Neutron would be capable of Alloy 2’s aggressiveness, but it’s just too cleaned up sounding… (Neutron does have its advantages, but it doesn’t have the attitude Alloy does and find myself reaching for Alloy far more often than Neutron... Also not nuts about Track Assitant. Wanted to like it, but you can't define what parameters you want it to set... Would be much more useful if you could.)




storyteller said:


> When I hear the term _saturation_, I generally think of tape and subtle harmonics... which Trash 2 can do, but I've always thought of it more in terms of a pure distortion effect (I know, semantics... but I digress)




Fair point.. I was jumping off of Saturn…


If it comes down to ‘traditional’ hardware inspired saturation than Acustica's my all around favorite.. They’ve disrupted all of my equivalent UAD plugins. Something I never anticipated happening… As someone else mentioned though, pretty unforgiving as far as CPU use goes… This should change though once N4 server’s available.

.....

Forgot to mention... Ozone's exciter is amazing. Totally agree it deserves its own vote... The detail it can bring out is insane. It's pretty much guaranteed that it winds up somewhere in a mix.


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## JEPA

what about this? it seems i can get 40% off from the standard retail price (59.00€ / $69.00) if i am already customer..

https://fluxhome.com/evo-in-trial-request/






AVAILABLE NOW!


*EVO IN* - The second plug-in in the Yves Jaget designed EVO series, provides two of the most important factors for taking control of the input signal, both for studio and live sound, Phase and Drive.

*Phase* - A Unique, Precise, Arbitrary and Linear Phase Rotation of the signal, to accomplish the very same phenomena as when physically moving the microphone, without adding any latency.

*Drive - A soft saturation to attain roundness and warmth, restoring and maintaining the vitality of the sound, by generating harmonics important for the constancy of the sound without any audible distortion, on all types of sounds and instruments.*


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## Will Blackburn

Blue Cat Destructor and Axiom are very good.


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## sostenuto

FYI _ Just notified this morning …….. Plugin Alliance _ *Black Box Analog Design HG-2* @ $89. ( from $249. ).
"Add saturation and harmonics with multiple tube stages"

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/black_box_analog_design_hg-2.html


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## JEPA

sostenuto said:


> FYI _ Just notified this morning …….. Plugin Alliance _ *Black Box Analog Design HG-2* @ $89. ( from $249. ).
> "Add saturation and harmonics with multiple tube stages"
> 
> https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/black_box_analog_design_hg-2.html



that's the deal!


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## Øivind

Three Body Tech (the people behind Heavier7Strings) just came out with one last week or so, still on intro price.

http://www.threebodytech.com/products/ownthd

Looks pretty good.


----------



## Jack Weaver

Lots of good ones in this thread.

Logic owners now have a good built-in distortion plug: Phat FX, formerly CamelPhat.

.

PS,
Thanks Sostenuto for the heads-up on HG-2 for $89.


----------



## kgdrum

Kazrog's plugin True Iron is a real gem!

https://kazrogplugins.com/amember/product/trueiron (https://kazrogplugins.com/product/trueiron)


----------



## JEPA

ok i have downloaded an tested the black box.. is a good plugin, but nothing that I can't do with the software I have... I had expected more & more & more..  but, ok. I'll better spend my money in a good reverb.


----------



## ThomasL

For free: Softube Saturation Knob
Paid: Fabfilter Saturn
For fun: go outside the box into an old AKAI (or whatever brand) tape deck put in record mode and back into the computer! My fave when I need something "more"...

EDIT: Or by all means, add a re-amp box and go into a real guitar valve head, that will give mojo to any vocal ever recorded


----------



## vewilya

Audified Saturator

Soundtoys Decapitator

Softube Console 1


----------



## kgdrum

JEPA said:


> ok i have downloaded an tested the black box.. is a good plugin, but nothing that I can't do with the software I have... I had expected more & more & more..  but, ok. I'll better spend my money in a good reverb.




have you checked out True Iron?


https://kazrogplugins.com/amember/product/trueiron (https://kazrogplugins.com/product/trueiron)

you can try it, there's a 14 day demo


https://kazrog.com/plugin-downloads/


fwiw here's a thread @ Gearslutz about it.


https://www.gearslutz.com/board/new...-true-iron-transformer-saturation-plugin.html


----------



## chibop

How hard is Softube Harmonics on CPU?
It's on sale for $49.


----------



## mholloway

Klanghelm SDRR2 is cheap, sounds amazing, and has a simple set of easy to understand controls. Stuff like Saturn is overkill to me -- saturation should be a quick and easy process to dial in, allowing you to go by 'feel' and response to what you're hearing, not some technical formula you input into the device.

Ok, ok, that's not fair to Saturn, as it can be quite simple -- but something about the workflow just never clicks with me. It has too many options, choice paralysis sets in. With saturation I rarely *need* a complex multi-band split setup.

SDRR I get instant mojo. And it's super affordable too.

Runner-up for me would be decapitator. Sounds great and even 'easier' than SDRR, but far more expensive and requires ilok.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Like many people here, I have tons of plugins for this. Keep in mind that quality analog-style compressors and even EQs can often be used as saturators if you keep their other functions off and just run signal through. Fuse Audio and Black Rooster (ie the same person's work) excel at these, as do Kush plugins.

But I only use a couple on a regular basis.

Of those I've tried, I definitely do NOT like using Decapitator and happily recommend any of the following as alternatives, and I don't like True Iron (too much work/I don't need per-channel saturation because I mix in Mixbus32C). I also am finding Saturn 2 overly complex and may end up selling it as I hardly use it. But, like reverb, saturation is very subjective - and also depends on the sounds being run through it.

As of April 25, 2021, my must have's / use-the-mosts are

* Kush TWK - easiest tool in the box and works great for most things, simple, no m/s, no volume compensations (the AR-1 compressor is also often used as a saturator) - I sometimes use this as a stand-in for ALL saturation if I'm in a hurry or am feeling lazy and then go back later to swap it out... sometimes.

* Black Box HG2 M/S - hits the sweet spot for control and simplicity, sounds great, was worth the $50 or so by far, I liked the sound of the first version but ended up never using it over TWK, but the new one raised the bar

* D16 Decimort2 - used subtly can add some nice lo-fi saturation, D16 is always underrated and overperforms

* Bluecats Destructor - for when I want a large range from very subtle to massive distortion, lacks m/s processing built-in. In theory, Saturn 2 would replace this. In practice, I haven't found that to be the case, though S2 certainly has a lot more features.

I could probably sell the other 40 plugins (though many are free), but.... why??? 

* Up and coming, esp. if he adds a wet/dry function so it can be applied very gently: Fuse Audio Dozer-Drive as an easy alternative to Destructor - it just sounds and works very "analog"


----------



## Muddles

Decapitator for me. I’m borderline obsessed with it. It’s weird though because it took me a while to warm to it, but now I use it on practically everything I record to varying degrees. The soft saturation in the izotope stuff is ok too, but much subtler and less controllable than decap.


----------



## Jamaha

I'm interested in the comparison between the Kush Omega plugins and Decapitator... looking to pick up one or the other.

Do they cover similar ground or are they totally different beasts? I know a lot of people like Decapitator for extreme sound design/mangling, which is appealing, but seems like the Kush selection might be better for all-round saturation needs. Anyone know/tried both?


----------



## brett

Phil's Cascade is on sale for $40 at the moment from plugin alliance.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Jamaha said:


> I'm interested in the comparison between the Kush Omega plugins and Decapitator... looking to pick up one or the other.
> 
> Do they cover similar ground or are they totally different beasts? I know a lot of people like Decapitator for extreme sound design/mangling, which is appealing, but seems like the Kush selection might be better for all-round saturation needs. Anyone know/tried both?


They’re very different. Decapitator is better at noticeable saturation, though it can be more subtle. Kush Omegas are better at subtle, though they can be noticeable.

I didn’t find Decapitator worth $29, and of the Omegas, the only one I regularly use is TWK, and I have them all.


----------



## davidson

I really don't like decapitator at all which says more about me than it, as everyone loves it. I find myself reaching for logics overdrive plugin more often than any other. I quite like spectre too when I need to get a little more in-depth.


----------



## jcrosby

davidson said:


> I really don't like decapitator at all which says more about me than it, as everyone loves it. I find myself reaching for logics overdrive plugin more often than any other. I quite like spectre too when I need to get a little more in-depth.


While I do love Decapitator it's awesome to see someone else who uses Logic's Overdrive. Incredibly underrated.


----------



## sostenuto

brett said:


> Phil's Cascade is on sale for $40 at the moment from plugin alliance.


..... or $15. with PA _ May Loyalty Code ! Finally giving in ....


----------



## Dirtgrain

I've been liking Reamp since I got it. It has some range on what it can sound like.


----------



## Jamaha

vitocorleone123 said:


> They’re very different. Decapitator is better at noticeable saturation, though it can be more subtle. Kush Omegas are better at subtle, though they can be noticeable.
> 
> I didn’t find Decapitator worth $29, and of the Omegas, the only one I regularly use is TWK, and I have them all.


Cool, thankyou - seems to confirm what I thought. I'll look into some of the others you mentioned!


----------



## jcrosby

I love this filthy little Kazrog gem that's on sale right now for $15. It's their take on a Moog filter and drive stage... (FYI it isn't subtle when you push the drive).









Synth Warmer


Classic Analog Filter / Saturator Synth Warmer is an analog synth filter emulation based on the iconic 1970s monosynth ladder filter design, complete with overload distortion and self oscillation. Use to warm up your rude supersaws, add interest to drum loops, or create total sonic havoc as a...




kazrog.com


----------



## davidson

jcrosby said:


> I love this filthy little Kazrog gem that's on sale right now for $15. It's their take on a Moog filter and drive stage... (FYI it isn't subtle when you push the drive).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Synth Warmer
> 
> 
> Classic Analog Filter / Saturator Synth Warmer is an analog synth filter emulation based on the iconic 1970s monosynth ladder filter design, complete with overload distortion and self oscillation. Use to warm up your rude supersaws, add interest to drum loops, or create total sonic havoc as a...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kazrog.com


I've had the whole kazrog bundle in my basket for a week now! I don't _need_ them, but god do I *want* them. Talk me into it.


----------



## SquirrelMan

Neold big Al is great and vertigo just dropped their new VSM-4 plug which in getting great results with.


----------



## Living Fossil

jcrosby said:


> I love this filthy little Kazrog gem that's on sale right now for $15. It's their take on a Moog filter and drive stage... (FYI it isn't subtle when you push the drive).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Synth Warmer
> 
> 
> Classic Analog Filter / Saturator Synth Warmer is an analog synth filter emulation based on the iconic 1970s monosynth ladder filter design, complete with overload distortion and self oscillation. Use to warm up your rude supersaws, add interest to drum loops, or create total sonic havoc as a...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kazrog.com



Great to see that one mentioned. I wonder if they will release a version with some more functions (like Logic's autofilter has).


----------



## jcrosby

Living Fossil said:


> Great to see that one mentioned. I wonder if they will release a version with some more functions (like Logic's autofilter has).


I've also hoped this was a smaller version of something bigger to come in the future. Like something along the lines of UAD's Moog Multimode Filter.


----------



## jcrosby

davidson said:


> I don't _need_ them.


Don't you though ????


----------



## el-bo

davidson said:


> Talk me into it.


No!


----------



## davidson

el-bo said:


> No!


Hahaha, I was meant to type talk me _out_ of it. Got to be some kind of Freudian slip


----------



## GNP

Empirical Labs COMPSAT.


----------



## el-bo

davidson said:


> Hahaha, I was meant to type talk me _out_ of it. Got to be some kind of Freudian slip




Either way...Don't buy it.


----------



## davidson

@el-bo You're not the boss of me...


----------



## el-bo

davidson said:


> @el-bo You're not the boss of me...


Hmmm...You've bought it, haven't you


----------



## sostenuto

Out in 'left'field' here _ Have HG-2 and adding Phil's Cascade @ net $15.
Black Box HG-2MS (was just $45. sale + Loyalty Code), so waiting for next sale). Seems early adopters feel HG-2MS is clear improvement over HG-2 ..... but hoping there are still reasonable applications for HG-2 .... 

Have: Klanghelm - SDRR2, Kazrog - True Iron, iZotope - Trash 2, Soundspot - Ravage. 
Should be covered ..... right ??


----------



## vitocorleone123

davidson said:


> I've had the whole kazrog bundle in my basket for a week now! I don't _need_ them, but god do I *want* them. Talk me into it.


I have Synth warmer (think it was $9). I've never really used it because I have other filters and saturators/distorters that are better. True Iron? Never liked it.

Basically, buy Kush, not Kazrog.

How's that?


----------



## vitocorleone123

sostenuto said:


> Out in 'left'field' here _ Have HG-2 and adding Phil's Cascade @ net $15.
> Black Box HG-2MS (was just $45. sale + Loyalty Code), so waiting for next sale). Seems early adopters feel HG-2MS is clear improvement over HG-2 ..... but hoping there are still reasonable applications for HG-2 ....
> 
> Have: Klanghelm - SDRR2, Kazrog - True Iron, iZotope - Trash 2, Soundspot - Ravage.
> Should be covered ..... right ??


I like HG2, but I ended up never really using it vs. alternatives. Despite it being the same engine, the new features really make HG2MS worthwhile. You can probably do a workaround in your DAW (e.g., Studio One) to get M/S functionality for HG2. But the PA controls along the bottom and the targeting EQ function/curves really do let you hone things in - without getting overly complex.

HG2 - things are serial, and meant to be manipulated rather than measured. Input level has a LOT of impact. Use those extra little knobs/dials at the very top (i think they're at the top... I've since deleted this plugin).

I do see you're missing Kush plugins from that list...... *dr evil* (Fuse Audio are a great, often less expensive, alternative/addition, as well).


----------



## sostenuto

THX for HG-2 /2MS comments ! ✌️
Dnld'g Demo Kush - Omega 4-PK right now. Also Fuse - Big-Sur. Cool to have new comparisons to check out. 

Regards


----------



## vitocorleone123

I don't know if it's the best, but it's new and free: https://www.tbproaudio.de/products/gsatplus

It's made by TBProAudio, and is derived from their excellent analog-style channel strip, so it's going to be good. Certainly worth more than free!


----------



## doctoremmet

Just chiming in here to say that in a recent thread about mixing his new album Charlie Clouser mentioned Waves Abbey Road Saturator explicitly a few times. It definitely reminded me I want to again spend some time with that one


----------



## synergy543

Softube Harmonic Analog Saturation is on sale for $59








Harmonics Analog Saturation Processor


VST plug-in effects for adding distortion with total control over their application in the output signal.




www.softube.com


----------



## Will Blackburn

For orch instruments SketchCasette used subtly. Adds amazing colour. For drums still can't find anything better than Decap for extreme results or the Kush Omegas for transparent.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Will Blackburn said:


> For orch instruments SketchCasette used subtly. Adds amazing colour. For drums still can't find anything better than Decap for extreme results or the Kush Omegas for transparent.


Destructor >>> Decapitator for extreme results. Plus it has oversampling 
(to me)


----------



## Will Blackburn

vitocorleone123 said:


> Destructor >>> Decapitator for extreme results. Plus it has oversampling
> (to me)


Yeah Bluecat's is nice, totally forgot about it, will have to revist.


----------



## Tralen

I don't know if it was mentioned here: Wavesfactory Spectre.


----------



## Begfred

UAD Culture Vulture and decapitator here


----------



## sostenuto

doctoremmet said:


> Just chiming in here to say that in a recent thread about mixing his new album Charlie Clouser mentioned Waves Abbey Road Saturator explicitly a few times. It definitely reminded me I want to again spend some time with that one


.... and $29. right now, w/ 'spark40' code.


----------



## Dirtgrain

I'm the only one who recommended Klevgrand Reamp in this thread. Do others have it and not like it? It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.


----------



## jcrosby

synergy543 said:


> Softube Harmonic Analog Saturation is on sale for $59
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Harmonics Analog Saturation Processor
> 
> 
> VST plug-in effects for adding distortion with total control over their application in the output signal.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.softube.com


This is another gem. I use this on my mix bus all the time, but plenty capable of adding some teeth as well... Each mode of distinctly different and the tone knob changes pretty dramatically from model to model.


----------



## Consona

doctoremmet said:


> Just chiming in here to say that in a recent thread about mixing his new album Charlie Clouser mentioned Waves Abbey Road Saturator explicitly a few times. It definitely reminded me I want to again spend some time with that one


Was demoing this yesterday. It has a sweet spot around 80% in where it snaps from saturation to buzzy distortion. I checked the frequency spectrum and sound and the REDD saturation is very nice, the TG one is rather specific.
The most interesting thing is the compander, which compresses and expands various frequency ranges.

But in the end, I'm still not sure whether I need it. I can use Puigchild with 0 compression to add nice retro harmonic distortion, or NLS, and I don't know whether I really need the compander as an effect. I'm kinda starting to like unprocessed natural sounds, and while compander is not a crazy effect, it alerts the sound slightly, it's not something the mix couldn't live without.

Overall I feel like the compander + saturation make everything high frequencies heavy (or like, the sound feels lighter unless you start tweaking the frequencies to put some lower frequencies body back).



synergy543 said:


> Softube Harmonic Analog Saturation is on sale for $59
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Harmonics Analog Saturation Processor
> 
> 
> VST plug-in effects for adding distortion with total control over their application in the output signal.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.softube.com


Does this plugin saturate equally no matter the volume?
Because that's one thing I don't like about all those emulations. In the process of trying to be so much faithful to the originals, they model the dependency of the incoming signal level to the level of saturation. Like everyone does that, but it drives me crazy. I'd love a tape/transistor/tube plugin that would distort the same no matter how strong signal you send into it.


----------



## AkashicBird

What do you think about GMH Wavedestroyer?






GMH Audio Wave Destroyer | Free VST and AU Plugin


Wave Destroyer is an audio distortion plugin capable of a massive range of tones.




www.gmhaudio.com





(site seems a bit buggy atm for some reason, had to refresh a few times)

I don't see it discussed very often and it might be because I'm quite a beginner but I find it pretty versatile and it's one of the best free saturation/distortion plugins I'm using currently.
I'm curious to hear more experimented people's opinion on it.

I'm also testing Heacrusher right now and...not sure why I'm hesitating, it's pretty good especially at the current price of 7 bucks...

EDIT : Klanghelm SDRR also looks cool, too bad there's no demo.


----------



## Pappaus

Unlike Sound Libraries, Most of these products will have a free trial (time limited or the sound drops out at intervals) You can try a bundle of these out and see what works the best. PSP Vintage Warmer is outstanding but it is not really a distortion so much as a subtle mastering type thing. It is also older than many of our picks but I always liked it.


----------



## AkashicBird

Comparing saturations lately, and I just revisited the free Sga1566 and Code red free by Shattered glass audio. I like those a lot, I might invest in the paid version of code red, or the evolved version of Sga, Phoenix.


----------



## Jackal_King

FabFilter Saturn 2 is one that I would like to try but haven't seen any videos examples of people using it for orchestra/cinematic music.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Jackal_King said:


> FabFilter Saturn 2 is one that I would like to try but haven't seen any videos examples of people using it for orchestra/cinematic music.


Well. There’s a fully functional demo available. It’s multiband distortion so you can go to town with it however you want on whatever frequencies you want. It can be subtle to annoying (I don’t like it for heavy distortion, but you prob won’t be using that for orchestral!). Lots of modulation available, just like Timeless3.

bmanic posted some good free presets on gearspace awhile back


----------



## Alchemedia

AkashicBird said:


> Klanghelm SDRR also looks cool, too bad there's no demo.


Can't beat it for the price. IVGI is the free cut-down ver of Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n Roll (SDRR). Demo it!





Klanghelm


Klanghelm audio plugins (VST, VST3, AU, AAX)




klanghelm.com


----------



## Jackal_King

vitocorleone123 said:


> Well. There’s a fully functional demo available. It’s multiband distortion so you can go to town with it however you want on whatever frequencies you want. It can be subtle to annoying (I don’t like it for heavy distortion, but you prob won’t be using that for orchestral!). Lots of modulation available, just like Timeless3.
> 
> bmanic posted some good free presets on gearspace awhile back


Yeah, it's the demo that I'm going to try. Just been a bit intimidated of trying it since I've been using Klanghelm for the past few weeks as a starter for saturation. I'll see if I can find those presets on Gearspace.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Jackal_King said:


> Yeah, it's the demo that I'm going to try. Just been a bit intimidated of trying it since I've been using Klanghelm for the past few weeks as a starter for saturation. I'll see if I can find those presets on Gearspace.


It IS more complex for certain. I only use the basics - and often turn elsewhere, especially for moderate to dramatic distortion.


----------



## AkashicBird

@Alchemedia
Thanks! Will do.

*Squashman* is multiband distortion/saturation plugin that's a Reaper exclusive afaik (JSFX format) :






Squashman [JSFX] - GUI-based automateable multi-band saturator / distortion unit - Cockos Incorporated Forums


Squashman [JSFX] - GUI-based automateable multi-band saturator / distortion unit ReaScript, JSFX, REAPER Plug-in Extensions, Developer Forum



forums.cockos.com





Couldn't test it very deeply yet but it's easy to use and has a ton of possibilities on paper. Don't miss it, it's basically never discussed or demoed anywhere but I think it's really interesting and something so cool for free is such a gift I really feel guilty it's not a paid plugin (I'll give the guy some money as soon as I can, tho. Some of his other plugins are also looking good)

For those who don't know to use JSFX plugins, you need to install Reapack and then add Saike's directory
But it's easy.


----------



## TheSteven

Don't forget to checkout out Thermal by Output.com
Been using it more & more & everything else less.












THERMAL by Output | Interactive Distortion Plugin | A Sound Designer's Best Friend


THERMAL's user friendly interface makes it easy to enhance harmonics by tapping into its layered engines, encouraging creativity and inspiring unique sound design.



output.com


----------



## AkashicBird

Might as well ask my stupid question in this thread rather than creating a new one : how would you actually go about comparing saturation plugins? What criterias would make some better than others? Can there be some sort of consensus on which saturation sounds the best and how do you explain it?

Excluding the GUI, and the fact of having more settings or options, so, purely based on the sound, there's probably not objectively one best kind of saturation I suppose... and from what I understand (even if sometimes I'm having trouble hearing big differences by ear... what I mean is, unless I push the saturation to the max, I can usually kind of match saturation plugins when comparing them, I think) each way to saturate is different and theres probably some sort of specific "EQ" applied to each saturation plugin.

But then, if it's all a matter of taste, why are some plugins worth hundred of dollars when there are so many, in my eyes, free, or cheap, good sounding ones?


----------



## Dirtgrain

AkashicBird said:


> Can there be some sort of consensus on which saturation sounds the best . . . ?


No. There is variety in all the sounds that one might saturate, and the different algorithms of saturation plugins lead to different outcomes. To test the plugins out, one might have some set sounds that one runs through each saturator to hear what can be done to the sounds, tweaking this and that. Still, so many variables--e.g., for vocal, low end bass, mid-range baritone, high-end tenor, alto, soprano, voice that is raspy, voice that is breathy, articulations, did the singer have too big of a burrito for lunch, etc.


----------



## vitocorleone123

AkashicBird said:


> Might as well ask my stupid question in this thread rather than creating a new one : how would you actually go about comparing saturation plugins? What criterias would make some better than others? Can there be some sort of consensus on which saturation sounds the best and how do you explain it?
> 
> Excluding the GUI, and the fact of having more settings or options, so, purely based on the sound, there's probably not objectively one best kind of saturation I suppose... and from what I understand (even if sometimes I'm having trouble hearing big differences by ear... what I mean is, unless I push the saturation to the max, I can usually kind of match saturation plugins when comparing them, I think) each way to saturate is different and theres probably some sort of specific "EQ" applied to each saturation plugin.
> 
> But then, if it's all a matter of taste, why are some plugins worth hundred of dollars when there are so many, in my eyes, free, or cheap, good sounding ones?


You can't exclude the user experience of a plugin. It's how you access and use the features impacting the saturation (in this case) - the UX is integral, not superfluous. And also a major reason for some price differences, along with configurability, brand, etc.

You compare the plugins by listening to them on a variety of sources you often use and see if you like what they do. Same as every other plugin. It's very subjective overall. The best you could do is come up with a personal, weighted checklist of things that matter to you and score them. But it'd be different for everyone.

Price should either be the first (ie I'm pretty sure I'll never personally buy the VSM-4 plugin) or the last thing to be concerned about. If you love it, you'll pay for it, and maybe you'll be lucky and it's < $30.

EDIT: I should add that it's not just what you love to hear, but if the saturation/distortion can solve certain problems: reduce transients, de-harsh sounds, extra-harsh sounds, highlight certain frequency bands, etc.


----------



## AkashicBird

vitocorleone123 said:


> You can't exclude the user experience of a plugin. It's how you access and use the features impacting the saturation (in this case) - the UX is integral, not superfluous. And also a major reason for some price differences, along with configurability, brand, etc.
> 
> You compare the plugins by listening to them on a variety of sources you often use and see if you like what they do. Same as every other plugin. It's very subjective overall. The best you could do is come up with a personal, weighted checklist of things that matter to you and score them. But it'd be different for everyone.
> 
> Price should either be the first (ie I'm pretty sure I'll never personally buy the VSM-4 plugin) or the last thing to be concerned about. If you love it, you'll pay for it, and maybe you'll be lucky and it's < $30.
> 
> EDIT: I should add that it's not just what you love to hear, but if the saturation/distortion can solve certain problems: reduce transients, de-harsh sounds, extra-harsh sounds, highlight certain frequency bands, etc.




Well said... Basically, the best one is the one I like in the end. Pretty much what I deduced with hours of comparison (but mostly on drums and a bit of bass, I should probably test on different sources too)... But besides the free or affordable ones, I didn't actually try more expensive ones, I'll look for demos and see if there's actually a huge difference.

Edit : I've actually never thought of saturation this way 😅


----------



## Russell Anderson

AkashicBird said:


> Might as well ask my stupid question in this thread rather than creating a new one : how would you actually go about comparing saturation plugins? What criterias would make some better than others? Can there be some sort of consensus on which saturation sounds the best and how do you explain it?
> 
> Excluding the GUI, and the fact of having more settings or options, so, purely based on the sound, there's probably not objectively one best kind of saturation I suppose... and from what I understand (even if sometimes I'm having trouble hearing big differences by ear... what I mean is, unless I push the saturation to the max, I can usually kind of match saturation plugins when comparing them, I think) each way to saturate is different and theres probably some sort of specific "EQ" applied to each saturation plugin.
> 
> But then, if it's all a matter of taste, why are some plugins worth hundred of dollars when there are so many, in my eyes, free, or cheap, good sounding ones?


Some are expensive because they go deep. Deep doesn’t always mean better. Better doesn’t always mean anything...

I actually made that stupid thread you’re talking about, and indeed, the only reason a saturation plugin is good is because you found a use for it that you like. That’s it. That’s part of why people get so many... At the same time, few actually “need” many. Find a few flavors of whatever plugin, learn them well, learn how to use that entire category of effect well (like what can it do, bring things forward or backward in a mix? Make them wider in organic or interesting ways? Be super silky? Break up the sound in interesting ways like some Kush Omega saturators reportedly do?), and focus on what you want to focus on. 

I’d recommend SDRR, I don’t even own it. I just know a bunch of crazy elitist and/or interesting people of varying expertise from hobbyist to professional mixing engineer who swear it’s one of the best, and it’s like $25. If you want mid/side, you can either route it up in your DAW or get HG-2MS or Saturn, there are probably others but most DAWs afaik will let you route a mid and a side signal how you want. And I also recommend demoing what you like. Plenty of great recommendations, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with having a number of flavors to choose from.

If you’re looking for something really flexible but clearer and less deep for modulation than something like Saturn, try Spectre. That will, like SDRR, give you a lot of choices for type of saturation and sound great; also gives you excellent control over which parts of the signal (a freq range of side-only for instance) you’re saturating, how, and with what kind, and it almost couldn’t be easier to use. Free infinite demo, by the way.


----------



## Dietz

I have a new first-call for my mix-bus:






VSM-4 Plugin







www.vertigosound.com





Hard to believe how good this sounds, and how flexible it is. Note: This is NOT Plug-In Alliance!


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## chrisr

AkashicBird said:


> *Squashman* is multiband distortion/saturation plugin that's a Reaper exclusive afaik (JSFX format) :


Hey thanks for mentioning this - I've just installed and tried it and it's awesome!


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## muziksculp

Dietz said:


> I have a new first-call for my mix-bus:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> VSM-4 Plugin
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.vertigosound.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hard to believe how good this sounds, and how flexible it is. Note: This is NOT Plug-In Alliance!


Yes, I have both VSM-4, and VSM-3 Both are fantastic saturation plugins.


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## Junolab

Kelvin from Tone Projects (the developer of Unisum) is pretty amazing. Highly recommended


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## Alchemedia

Boom's new Enrage modular multi-FX plugin offers some nice saturation options however the price is ridiculous IMO ($349).


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## jcrosby

I recently rediscovered a gem I've criminally overlooked in the past couple years... INTENSITY.

I'm kicking myself for letting it collect dust over the past year or two. I've been using like a fiend in the past couple weeks... It's also is not just saturation. There's some other stuff going on under the hood that make it unique... It either saturates only the transients, (leaving the body intact); or vice versa; saturating the body without clipping the peaks the way a typical saturator would... It's using an ML algorithm so don't expect it to be light on CPU.

(I did a reverse engineering of sorts by running a null test with clean and processed versions of the same file. It's difficult to figure out which of the two it is, but it's definitely doing one of them... Zynaptiq also hint at this by referring to the transient section as being _'similar to facial recognition'_... and separating _'the broad strokes and detail elements that make up a sound. Allowing the details to be boosted, leaving the body unchanged'..._)

Anyway if you're looking for a saturator with a unique twist give that demo a spin!


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## kgdrum

jcrosby said:


> I recently rediscovered a gem I've criminally overlooked in the past couple years... INTENSITY.
> 
> I'm kicking myself for letting it collect dust over the past year or two. I've been using like a fiend in the past couple weeks... It's also is not just saturation. There's some other stuff going on under the hood that make it unique... It either saturates only the transients, (leaving the body intact); or vice versa; saturating the body without clipping the peaks the way a typical saturator would...
> 
> (I did a reverse engineering of sorts by running a null test with clean and processed versions of the same file. It's difficult to figure out which of the two it is, but it's definitely doing one of them... Zynaptiq also hint at this by referring to the transient section as being _'similar to facial recognition'_...)
> 
> Anyway if you're looking for a saturator with a unique twist give that demo a spin!


@jcrosby 
I really like Zynaptiq ,they are great developers when it comes to thinking outside the box and coming up with something truly original and innovative but the price of admission is always……..😱
So I will have to keep my eyes open and wait for some sort of a flash sale for this.
Thanks for mentioning this plugin,this is one that I haven’t really noticed so I will definitely check it out.


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## Casiquire

AkashicBird said:


> But then, if it's all a matter of taste, why are some plugins worth hundred of dollars when there are so many, in my eyes, free, or cheap, good sounding ones?



I'm not saying that they're all the same quality or complexity because that would be absurd. There are definitely differences. But to answer this question...i remember a story i was once told in the retail world. You have a product on the shelf that just won't sell. You've put it on sale, 20% off. Nothing. 40% clearance. Nothing. If you go much cheaper you will lose money. Now what do you do?

Mark it up 25% higher than its original price. Suddenly the product moves.

The point of the story is that price is a marketing factor like anything else. Higher prices can make us perceive higher value. Sometimes this is justified because of higher quality. Sometimes the point is simply the appearance of higher quality.


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## jcrosby

kgdrum said:


> @jcrosby
> I really like Zynaptiq ,they are great developers when it comes to thinking outside the box and coming up with something truly original and innovative but the price of admission is always……..😱
> So I will have to keep my eyes open and wait for some sort of a flash sale for this.
> Thanks for mentioning this plugin,this is one that I haven’t really noticed so I will definitely check it out.


True. They're not cheap! that said though Zynaptiq really are in a league of their own.

Unfilter is just ridiculous. It's everything Neutron wishes it could ever be but never-ever will be. Unlike Neutron Unfilter actually corrects acoustic and spectral issues. (And not in a way that's anything remotely like Gulfoss/Sculptor/etc. This is completely different, no dynamic smashing applied...)

Unveil's on my hit list as well. Again, my goodness! If you need to remove reverb nothing else does what this thing can. In the context of sound design at some point this is a tool I need in my toolbox... I'm hoping scoop it up in their next sale because indeed... The entry price is a little too rich for my blood compared to how often I need to actually remove reverb...

Kind of kicking myself for missing the Morph sale recently...

Anyway... sorry to ramble  Give it a spin of you see it on a flash sale. It really does have it's own sound. It also doubles as an exciter, but without the harshness most exciter plugins tend to come with...


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## muziksculp

AkashicBird said:


> EDIT : Klanghelm SDRR also looks cool, too bad there's no demo.


I have it, it's a great sounding saturation plugin, and very reasonably priced as well. I highly recommend it.


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## ceemusic

Kelvin from Tone Projects is excellent, especially for mastering or mix bus.


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## Sambaji

Currently, my favorite free saturator is the newly released GSatPlus by TBProAudio.


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## Zoot_Rollo

Variety of Sound just released 64bit versions of their original plugins.

The SAT section the Nasty VSC channel strip is great with my fretless bass.

From an analysis, it looks to be a simple odd harmonic generator.

But wow.

It sounds better than any Acustica or PA strip - for me.

And free!


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## AkashicBird

Anyone knows any eq where you can boost saturation individually on each band? Kinda like Audio assault's FreaQ 305. Bonus for free and affordable one but any suggestions welcome.


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## gsilbers

They are a little out the loop but omhicide is very good for hard distortion. 

for saturation Softube has their harmonic saturator. very nice. 

im using elekton analog heat. Very neat. great for mastering and also hardcore distortion. 
plus the integration is amazing.


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## darcvision

AkashicBird said:


> Anyone knows any eq where you can boost saturation individually on each band? Kinda like Audio assault's FreaQ 305. Bonus for free and affordable one but any suggestions welcome.


wavesfactory spectre (not cheap but very good plugin)
hornet total eq (similiar like pro q 3, but you could saturate the each band)


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## vitocorleone123

stefandy31 said:


> wavesfactory spectre (not cheap but very good plugin)
> hornet total eq (similiar like pro q 3, but you could saturate the each band)


Maybe the Black Rooster EQ - prob on sale for $29.


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## Monkberry

+ 1 for Tone Projects Kelvin. They are two for two with Unisum. Great products!!


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## Alchemedia

Here's a few more...
Waves Abbey Road Saturator
Decapitator
iZotope Exciter
Newfangled Audio's Saturate (best saturator for clipping)
Airwindows Compresaturator + Purest Drive


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## Ciochi

Alchemedia said:


> Newfangled Audio's Saturate (best saturator for clipping)


+1. I bought this some time ago @25$ and it's amazing how far you can push it leaving it clean but limiting the peaks.


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## dylanmixer

I've recently become a huge fan of Spectre from WavesFactory. So easy to use and appealing to look at.


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## jcrosby

Apparently I've been living under a rock  Analog Obsession smokes pretty much everything else I've bought... UAD, Softube, even the (albeit often pretentious) Acustica... Crazy thing is they're free with no obligation to subscribe (And unlike Acustica they don't beat up your CPU).

The EQs are surreal. I've owned a lot of hardware over the years and these actually sound like real desk EQs. The transient response is tighter and boosts more colorful than similar models I have by other developers.

The developer has a patreon but kept basically all plugin links public and free. You can download their stuff free of charge simply by scrolling down past the patreon sub box... I'm honestly questioning the fortune I've dumped into UAD, ST, et al over the years and will happily support this chap! (But no obligation for newbs or hobbyists with a limited budget)...









Analog Obsession | Creating VST, VST3, AU (WIN / OSX) | Patreon


Become a patron of Analog Obsession today: Get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.




www.patreon.com





All Downloads:


https://www.patreon.com/posts/all-download-34851999


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## Living Fossil

Alchemedia said:


> Newfangled Audio's Saturate (best saturator for clipping)


Just a small reminder that there's a Saturate update with some amazing new features.


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## Pier

jcrosby said:


> Apparently I've been living under a rock  Analog Obsession smokes pretty much everything else I've bought... UAD, Softube, even the (albeit often pretentious) Acustica... Crazy thing is they're free with no obligation to subscribe (And unlike Acustica they don't beat up your CPU).
> 
> The EQs are surreal. I've owned a lot of hardware over the years and these actually sound like real desk EQs. The transient response is tighter and boosts more colorful than similar models I have by other developers.
> 
> The developer has a patreon but kept basically all plugin links public and free. You can download their stuff free of charge simply by scrolling down past the patreon sub box... I'm honestly questioning the fortune I've dumped into UAD, ST, et al over the years and will happily support this chap! (But no obligation for newbs or hobbyists with a limited budget)...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Analog Obsession | Creating VST, VST3, AU (WIN / OSX) | Patreon
> 
> 
> Become a patron of Analog Obsession today: Get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.patreon.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> All Downloads:
> 
> 
> https://www.patreon.com/posts/all-download-34851999


JFC they have a ton of plugins!

Which ones do you recommend for saturation?


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## KEM

Gainstation 2

One of my all time favorites, it’s been used on basically everything I’ve made


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## mscp

software saturation still stinks if anything is dialed in more than 15%/20%. I'd start with this brand: http://www.thermionicculture.com/in...wcategory=1&showproducts=1&productsublayout=0
Culture Vulture is great.

You can get the culture vulture plugin with UAD but meh. It's ok. https://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/special-processing/thermionic-culture-vulture.html


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## MartinH.

jcrosby said:


> I'm honestly questioning the fortune I've dumped into UAD, ST, et al over the years and will happily support this chap! (But no obligation for newbs or hobbyists with a limited budget)...


I was quite surprised to see such high praise of these. Seems like I should finally try some of them out too. But they have so many, I'm not sure where to start. Any recommendations?


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## MartinH.

Pier said:


> JFC they have a ton of plugins!
> 
> Which ones do you recommend for saturation?



In the meantime I found this: 



Not saturation specific, but some pointers on where to start with Analog Obsession Plugins.


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## vitocorleone123

I'm sure I've responded in this thread already at some point, but... as of today, for stand-alone saturation plugins not plugins that also saturate, I still have only 3 or so I use on a regular basis. I try many out, but none have yet replaced (in reverse order of complexity):

* Fabfilter Saturn 2
* Neold Big Al
* Kush Omega TWK

There's no right or wrong answer. No absolute best (at this time) for everyone.


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## Maxime Luft

MartinH. said:


> In the meantime I found this:
> 
> 
> 
> Not saturation specific, but some pointers on where to start with Analog Obsession Plugins.




Reminds me of the creator of Airwindows

I did many blind comparaisons between his "Density" saturation plug-in and Kush's TWK... And honestly, I preferred the free, original Density 1 (not Density 2!) most times, even though they are very similarly and just because of tiny little details in terms of sound. 

If you wanna have a nice looking graphical interface though, then sure Kush has you covered 

By the way, I really like (or should I say love) both. Soundtoy's decapitator is cool, super bold and does subtle things well too, but I don't find myself using it anymore. I should also mention Camel Crusher that just sounds super fat and is great to bring weight to low mids, and as an overall solution Ozone's exciter just works super well and offers plenty of very nice sounding options.


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## MarkY

FabFilter Saturn 2, using it in small amounts on a bus channel (clean tube or tape). Very interesting plugin, great multiband option (clear cut system) and modulation options etc. More than just a "typical" saturation or distortion plugin.


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## MartinH.

MarkY said:


> FabFilter Saturn 2, using it in small amounts on a bus channel (clean tube or tape). Very interesting plugin, great multiband option (clear cut system) and modulation options etc. More than just a "typical" saturation or distortion plugin.


Would you pick Saturn 2 in tape saturation mode over ozone 8's vintage tape emulation?


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## vitocorleone123

MartinH. said:


> Would you pick Saturn 2 in tape saturation mode over ozone 8's vintage tape emulation?


I know I would, because I can pick and choose what saturation to apply to what band, and shape each band.


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## fakemaxwell

vitocorleone123 said:


> I know I would, because I can pick and choose what saturation to apply to what band, and shape each band.


This is the biggest reason why I reach for Saturn first. I rarely want full band saturation. It also has a ton of modulation options for sound design.

U-he Satin and Klanghelm SDRR fill in the gaps. If you're looking for the best tape emulation, it's Satin 1000%. Group and place an instance on every one of your tracks and dial it in, even on the cleanest settings it really opens up mixes.


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## Trash Panda

MartinH. said:


> Would you pick Saturn 2 in tape saturation mode over ozone 8's vintage tape emulation?


Apples and hand grenades. Ozone’s exciter would be a more accurate comparison to Saturn.


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## MartinH.

Trash Panda said:


> Apples and hand grenades. Ozone’s exciter would be a more accurate comparison to Saturn.


So which do you like better, apples or handgrenades? I don't care whether the comparison is fair, I already own both plugins. I'm asking because I have trouble making sense of tape saturation in general. I've seen tons of videos on the topic, including those by Dan Worrall of course, but so often when I try to use tape saturation myself either I don't hear a difference, or I've waaay overdone it. And I was starting to wonder if Saturn 2 is even intended to be used as a tape emulation on the master channel, or if an actual tape emulation would be the better tool for that.


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## Denkii

Trash Panda said:


> Apples and hand grenades.


Pretty sure you can keep the doctor away with both.


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## VanSou

For me it is mainly Saturn by FF. But Decapitator is great as well. I usually select one of them and I don't even know how I decide..


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## cedricm

Trash 2 is quite amazing, one of the best iZotope products despite its age and old-fashioned UI.

An easy-to-use one that should not be underestimated and that many of us go with the IKM 20th anniversary group buy is Saturator X.


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## Learningtomix

I use Black Box HG-MS, Big Al, and Kelvin for saturation. I may trial Saturn, hearing of it's multiband capabilities from the people here.


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## vitocorleone123

MartinH. said:


> So which do you like better, apples or handgrenades? I don't care whether the comparison is fair, I already own both plugins. I'm asking because I have trouble making sense of tape saturation in general. I've seen tons of videos on the topic, including those by Dan Worrall of course, but so often when I try to use tape saturation myself either I don't hear a difference, or I've waaay overdone it. And I was starting to wonder if Saturn 2 is even intended to be used as a tape emulation on the master channel, or if an actual tape emulation would be the better tool for that.


Tape saturation would generally be applied to at least each bus and the output. It would be virtually inaudible on each, and the combined result should be slightly noticeable. Warmer, thicker, rounder, and a little sweeter. Totally subjective.

Otherwise, it’s an effect if you’re overdoing it to be heard on any given track. Like reverb on a send vs track.

I generally don’t bother with tape saturation across the board, only as an effect (sketch cassette 2). I do use something similar as a mix fx in studio one, though - one of the console emulations.


----------



## MartinH.

vitocorleone123 said:


> Tape saturation would generally be applied to at least each bus and the output. It would be virtually inaudible on each, and the combined result should be slightly noticeable. Warmer, thicker, rounder, and a little sweeter. Totally subjective.
> 
> Otherwise, it’s an effect if you’re overdoing it to be heard on any given track. Like reverb on a send vs track.
> 
> I generally don’t bother with tape saturation across the board, only as an effect (sketch cassette 2). I do use something similar as a mix fx in studio one, though - one of the console emulations.


Thanks a lot, that was actually super helpful! I just tried adding Saturn 2 on "warm tape" setting with 10% drive to every track plus the master. Individually I can barely hear a difference, but when I toggled them on and off all at once it was a clear difference. Suddenly it felt like something was missing when I turned them off.
And after doing that, in a blind A/B test I actually preferred to turn the ozone 8 vintage tape off again.


----------



## Pier

cedricm said:


> Trash 2 is quite amazing, one of the best iZotope products despite its age and old-fashioned UI.


I used it for years and it's really amazing.

Shame it's abandonware at this point. Izotope will not update it for the M1 like most of the Exponential Audio reverbs.


----------



## MarcMahler89

Noone mentioned Slate Digitals Virtual Tape Machines yet?
Its my personal go-to saturation plugin next to Saturn2 - which is reserved for less subtle effects in my workflow. It works wonders in giving everything a subtle glue and making it sound less digital if used on the master bus or subbuses, while being less obvious than a lot of other saturation plugins, even if dialed in really hard. Didnt ever feel the need to even try out another one for this usecase


----------



## Pier

MarcMahler89 said:


> Noone mentioned Slate Digitals Virtual Tape Machines yet?
> Its my personal go-to saturation plugin next to Saturn2 - which is reserved for less subtle effects in my workflow. It works wonders in giving everything a subtle glue and making it sound less digital if used on the master bus or subbuses, while being less obvious than a lot of other saturation plugins, even if dialed in really hard. Didnt ever feel the need to even try out another one for this usecase


Saturn 2 can be useful for subtle stuff. Check the transformers they added on v2.


----------



## Faruh Al-Baghdadi

Pier said:


> I used it for years and it's really amazing.
> 
> Shame it's abandonware at this point. Izotope will not update it for the M1 like most of the Exponential Audio reverbs.


Afaik they also don't want to update Excalibur which is a shame, it's an amazing plugin.


----------

