What's new

Your favorite Analog Saturation Plugin

SBK

Active Member
Hi guys and wishing a warm December (analog warmth like)

I always keep trying new plugins to find something really good in analog drive - harmonic exciter - warmth - or color..

I like many like
Waves NLS
SK Note's Disto
Native Instruments Supercharger GT
Izotope's stuff

But I never found something that is the "BOMB", like awesomeness at its peak.

What is your best close to analog like saturation, plugin? Or none of it is worth it against a good analog machine?

Cheers!
 
Fabfilter Saturn (handle with care to avoid distortion) and Klanghelm SDRR. If you are looking for coloration in compressors you also might want to check Klanghelm's MJUC. I also like Tonebooster's Reelbus (the japanese gives so crisp highs). Oh, and also check Tonebooster's Ferox.
 
Same here minus a few uad plugins , but recently I added sound toys Sie - q and Audified U-73 B and they really have that genuine warmth, depth, and 3d that Hardware has

Hi guys and wishing a warm December (analog warmth like)

I always keep trying new plugins to find something really good in analog drive - harmonic exciter - warmth - or color..

I like many like
Waves NLS
SK Note's Disto
Native Instruments Supercharger GT
Izotope's stuff

But I never found something that is the "BOMB", like awesomeness at its peak.

What is your best close to analog like saturation, plugin? Or none of it is worth it against a good analog machine?

Cheers!
 
IK multimedia Saturator X and Lindell Plugins 6X 500's preamp.
It's a clipper but Kazrog Kclip 2 pro's soft clipping modes are also good. :)
 
I do something very strange... I take the finished track, record it into my sony MINI disk player, then out again. Vast improvement in sound due to tape saturation effect. I have not found a plugin that can emulate it. It's awkward but it works.

Z
 
I do something very strange... I take the finished track, record it into my sony MINI disk player, then out again. Vast improvement in sound due to tape saturation effect. I have not found a plugin that can emulate it. It's awkward but it works.

Z
Mini disc use ATRAC lossy compression. If you want emulate it ITB you should probably try mp3 or other audio lossy compression ;) I guess that D/A converters are also not that great in minidisc so it's additional point to get distortion/saturation.

Coming back to topic: for last few sesssions I'm using Soundtoys Sie-Q which is really amazing (I can't believe that I got it for free) and TB Reelbus 3 on my mix bus. MJUC have sweet warm saturation to
 
A well-respected friend still runs his mixes out to a TC electronic finalizer he swears by it and swears at me when I suggest to try other things :)

Pixel I agree 100% Sie-q is amazing I can't believe they gave it away either I've heard they're going to have more things and that category coming out also try and demo Audified U-37B comp another amazing one. if I wasn't using U-he for tape simulation I would be using the TB stuff as well
 
Last edited:
I currently have an instance of Decapitator on the T setting (modelling the Culture Vulture) sitting on my master bus. Everything is at 0 but just passing the mix through the plugin warms everything up no end. It feels like a dirty trick, but it's working for me (just be careful of your gain staging because it's very easy to overdrive the plugin - since that's what it's really designed for).
 
Hey guys, anyone with experience on how a real analog hardware sounds against plugins?
 
I came up on the SSL boards.
They were everywhere at the time I was recording a lot, so I got really used to the sound- especially the guitar sound.
Decades later everything is done at home ITB.
Always thought I was getting a good guitar sound no matter the particulars of a given mix.
Then I got the waves SSL channel. Loaded it up-turned a few knobs- couldn't believe it!
There was "That Sound" again.

No I'm not A/Bing them, but it's really close to what I remember.
And I've not been able to get "that sound" w/ any other plugs.

I've watched a lot of tuts and reviews by people who have the hardware at the same desk as the emulation.
Most of the time they say it's "really close" like 95% there.
Yes the hardware is better, but there are advantages to emulations- multiple instances and recalling settings.

So it's all good enough for me.

k
 
Top Bottom