KVR Audio

sampleho · Post by **sampleho** » Sat May 29, 2021 5:05 pm

I like to hear from all of you, your favorite saturation plugins. I'm only wondering if it always has to be commercial software to do the job. Below is a video with some free alternatives. Okay, these aren't as complicated as Fabfilter Saturn. But I use IVGI for instance and it does a pretty good job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8NAVFUg6dE

Halonmusic · Post by **Halonmusic** » Sat May 29, 2021 5:45 pm

SDRR/IVGI is what i mostly use.

ralfrobert · Post by **ralfrobert** » Sat May 29, 2021 5:51 pm

I still use Vintage Warmer 2 although it is old. There are great free alternatives like Tape Model or Airwindows stuff. I mainly use D16 Devastor 2 and Hornet Tape nowadays. These are very affordable solutions.

Halonmusic · Post by **Halonmusic** » Sat May 29, 2021 5:55 pm

this is also good
http://www.shatteredglassaudio.com/product/104

ralfrobert · Post by **ralfrobert** » Sat May 29, 2021 6:00 pm

General remark: I have about a dozen saturation tools. Having choice is important, I think. I also love to try them out on the same source and choose by ear.

Ah_Dziz · Post by **Ah_Dziz** » Sat May 29, 2021 6:00 pm

I find using a waveshaper with some modulation to change the transfer function according to the input can do wonderful things. If you have a host that allows for modulation of parameters with an envelope follower (Bitwig, ableton, FL) take a clipper with variable softness and have the softness increase fast with the input signal and then set a slower release time ( usually ten-a hundred times the attack) and start fiddling with that setup. Gclip is a good testing ground. Once you see how this works and how you can filter the sidechain to make it frequency dependent and discover how neat it can be, then you can go to a freely drawable curve waveshaper.

sampleho · Post by **sampleho** » Sat May 29, 2021 7:44 pm

ralfrobert wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 6:00 pm General remark: I have about a dozen saturation tools. Having choice is important, I think. I also love to try them out on the same source and choose by ear.

True that. But I need some direction for making a choice for what to test

ralfrobert · Post by **ralfrobert** » Sat May 29, 2021 8:02 pm

sampleho wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 7:44 pm True that. But I need some direction for making a choice for what to test

Well ...

If you are on a tight budget, you should look into: Chow Tape Model, Hornet Tape, Tal DAC (or get their excellent sampler which includes a free DAC sim license), D16 Devastor 2, D16 Decimort, Klanghelm stuff. Also look into the distortion / saturation / waveshaping stuff in the free Melda FX bundle. These are very deep. 25 bucks on sale for the whole pizza mista.

For a bigger budget:

Tape: IKM Tapes, Softube Tape, U-he Satin
Valve: Audiority stuff, still D16. Certainly, there are more traditional / bigger contenders. But especially Audiority is quite underrated.
DAC: Inphonik DAC simulation, TAL-DAC. There are others around, but TAL is top edge.
Bitcrusher / Lofi : D16 Decimort. Melda stuff.
Audio Cassette: Several, although I prefer the cassette player from Fuse Audio Labs.
Waveshaping: MWaveshaper ... and while you are at it, just test out all the possibilities and watch some videos. To get to the bottom, plan a week.

If I had to pick one vendor for the lonely island: Voxengo. Just go to their website and and check everything under "saturation". They are second to none. Make one experiment: Try to enhance a synth bassline with Critiv Shumovick. Use the Varisaturator on nearly everything. Play around with the free amp sim. Gorgeous! Problem is they are no simulations of past gear, but rather abstract.

I hope this is enough to test. As a plugin lover, I hope other people drop their posts here so I can test something new ... that I will buy in the end ... ugh.

SiliconDeath · Post by **SiliconDeath** » Sat May 29, 2021 11:22 pm

Vertigo Sound VSM-4

Ploki · Post by **Ploki** » Sat May 29, 2021 11:27 pm

+1 voxengo.
You can get so many (useful) flavours out of Powershaper alone.
Warmifier, powershaper, harmonieq new (old) lampthruster algos.
Then crtiv tape, varisaturator, shinechilla.

Also use others like wavesfactory spectre, softube harmonics, fab saturn, kush omegas, feisty compressors.
Tone Projects is coming up with one.

Alchemedia · Post by **Alchemedia** » Sat May 29, 2021 11:59 pm

Bitwig's saturation device is brilliant and perhaps the most versatile--if you have Bitwig. Fabfilter Saturn 2, Waves Abbey Road Saturator, Ozone Exciter, Softube Tape & Harmonics, BlackBox, SDRR (Sex, Drugs & R&R).

MogwaiBoy · Post by **MogwaiBoy** » Sun May 30, 2021 12:01 am

My favs...

Acustica pre-amps (various)
Fuse Audio (various, ie: VPRE-2C)
Warmifier
SDRR
Spectre
IKM Tape Collection
Softube Tape

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Sun May 30, 2021 1:17 am

Free:
E-Phonic XPressor
Klevgrand FreeAMP
Szeuchuan Saturator (which is honestly heavy enough to be more of a waveshaper)

Commercial:
Wavesfactory Spectre
Wavesfactory Cassette
Noveltech Character
NI Supercharger GT
FXPansion Maul (discontinued, sadly)
u-he Runciter

lunardigs · Post by **lunardigs** » Sun May 30, 2021 1:27 am

Audio Assault has some good ones. These are two I use and really like:

XCTR - Multi band saturator https://audioassault.mx/xctr.php
FreakQ 305 - Analog saturator EQ https://audioassault.mx/freakq.php

simmo75 · Post by **simmo75** » Sun May 30, 2021 2:32 am

Spectre is my fave or VSM-4.

Saturation Tools for 2021