KVR Audio

modernrockstar · Post by **modernrockstar** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:06 pm

Hi

I invested in Radiator from Soundtoys a while ago on a sale and after tried it out on some different elements today I must say I'm not impressed

(I hate to admit it since I love the other stuff from them). I think it sounds very digital on must stuff, vocals was the only thing I made it work somehow with - but even there my other distortion plugins did a better job. I expected an obvious but a warm 60's distortion, but I couldn't here anything that reminds me of that when I used it.

How do you use it? If you could let me hear before and after examples I would love to hear that.

Thanks,

Jax Pok · Post by **Jax Pok** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:02 pm

I love it really hides that digital sound the trick with some plugs is what you use them for and how hard you hit them. Soundtoys are unbeatable on the analogue effect emulation.

modernrockstar · Post by **modernrockstar** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:37 pm

Jax Pok wrote:I love it really hides that digital sound the trick with some plugs is what you use them for and how hard you hit them. Soundtoys are unbeatable on the analogue effect emulation.

I guess you're right, I think I just need to play around with it more. Do do use it on synths or instruments or both?

Sahul · Post by **Sahul** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:39 pm

I must admit I'm not using Radiator so much as a distortion device, but as a kind of preamp+filtering stage. I am finding It great for that purpose, specially loving the low shelf filter, which for me has that kind of magic that makes everything I throw at it sounding better. When I want pure distortion, I use the Little Radiator.

cfanyc · Post by **cfanyc** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 3:39 pm

i am in awe of the radiator and i am not even a big fan of distortion!

you can use it to make the biggest/hetfiest drum/kick sounds, enhance bass and electric guitars, and ocasionally it will work well for vocals.

it is a spectacular tool.

cfanyc · Post by **cfanyc** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 3:43 pm

one comment on setup: typically i will drive the input hard
cut down on the output, to retain same levels but drive the
harmonics.

Mercado_Negro · Post by **Mercado_Negro** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 6:37 pm

Radiator plus Decapitator is one of the best approaches to analog sound IMHO.

kj.metissage · Post by **kj.metissage** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 7:10 pm

Sahul wrote:I am finding It great for that purpose, specially loving the high pass filter.

There isn't a high pass filter in this plugin.

Both filters are shelves for BASS and TREBLE. But it's not your "standard" shelves. The filters have unusual curves. Just check the graph in the manual.

PAGE 8
http://www.soundtoys.com/wp-content/upl ... Manual.pdf

cfanyc wrote:one comment on setup: typically i will drive the input hard
cut down on the output, to retain same levels but drive the
harmonics.

Beware that the INPUT knob controls the amount of drive of the first tube stage.
That tube stage goes into the tone stack, so the EQ.
And the EQ goes into the second tube stage.

This means that the OUTPUT knob isn't a clean gain trim, but some kind of second drive knob.

So think about the INPUT/OUTPUT knobs as DRIVE PRE-EQ and DRIVE POST-EQ.

That's why when I boost INPUT, I use another plugin to trim the gain.

Sahul · Post by **Sahul** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 8:06 pm

kj.metissage wrote:
Sahul wrote:I am finding It great for that purpose, specially loving the high pass filter.
There isn't a high pass filter in this plugin.

Both filters are shelves for BASS and TREBLE. But it's not your "standard" shelves. The filters have unusual curves. Just check the graph in the manual.

PAGE 8
http://www.soundtoys.com/wp-content/upl ... Manual.pdf

True

. Thanks for the correction

.

bmanic · Post by **bmanic** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:22 pm

kj.metissage wrote: This means that the OUTPUT knob isn't a clean gain trim, but some kind of second drive knob.

So think about the INPUT/OUTPUT knobs as DRIVE PRE-EQ and DRIVE POST-EQ.

That's why when I boost INPUT, I use another plugin to trim the gain.

.. which is why the damn plugin was always so damn annoying to work with. It's much easier to use within the Soundtoys 5 rack system but I really think they should have included a smarter clean digital input and output gain trim section.

kj.metissage · Post by **kj.metissage** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:29 pm

bmanic wrote:
kj.metissage wrote: This means that the OUTPUT knob isn't a clean gain trim, but some kind of second drive knob.

So think about the INPUT/OUTPUT knobs as DRIVE PRE-EQ and DRIVE POST-EQ.

That's why when I boost INPUT, I use another plugin to trim the gain.
.. which is why the damn plugin was always so damn annoying to work with. It's much easier to use within the Soundtoys 5 rack system but I really think they should have included a smarter clean digital input and output gain trim section.

Agreed !

modernrockstar · Post by **modernrockstar** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 10:18 pm

Thank you for your inputs! I have played around with it more since, and I think I'm starting to get it now (more at least).

I'm also kind of new to the whole distortion thing - when and where to use it, how obvious it should be and so on.

cfanyc · Post by **cfanyc** » Sun Dec 11, 2016 2:14 am

kj.metissage wrote:
cfanyc wrote:one comment on setup: typically i will drive the input hard
cut down on the output, to retain same levels but drive the
harmonics.
Beware that the INPUT knob controls the amount of drive of the first tube stage.
That tube stage goes into the tone stack, so the EQ.
And the EQ goes into the second tube stage.

This means that the OUTPUT knob isn't a clean gain trim, but some kind of second drive knob.

So think about the INPUT/OUTPUT knobs as DRIVE PRE-EQ and DRIVE POST-EQ.

That's why when I boost INPUT, I use another plugin to trim the gain.

hmmm, I am not sure 100%. here is the quote from the manual:

"OUTPUT
The Output control determines the audio level coming out of Radiator.
This control is useful not only for adjusting the level of the signal in
your mix but also to compensate for any increase in level from using
the Input control to increase the level going into the first stage of tube
saturation. Keep in mind that this control determines the level of post-tone stack
audio entering the second stage of saturation before being fed into
the wet/dry mix. This means that, true to the original unit, additional
saturation of the signal can be achieved through boosting the output.
However, as this control also determines output level, adjusting the
level of the track in your host application (or with a trim plug-in) may be
necessary at extreme output settings."

So it says that what I said is correct and also (as you say) that you can add extra harmonics
if you add boost with the output knob.

If you wish to get the extra harmonics from both drives (input and output) and wish to retain the
volume constant you then need to use an extra trim. If you wish the harmonics from the input drive
only you can gain correct with the output knob.

These aside, in general this plugin requires experimentation but it also has very wide sweet spots
and is quite forgiving.

samsam · Post by **samsam** » Sun Dec 11, 2016 2:55 am

WTFT

audiosabre · Post by **audiosabre** » Sun Dec 11, 2016 7:40 am

modernrockstar wrote:I'm also kind of new to the whole distortion thing

Yet you claimed:

modernrockstar wrote:I think it sounds very digital on must stuff

I just love logical inconsistencies

As for the plugin: it sounds great on anything really- drums, bass, guitar, vox, trumpet, kazoo, frog SFX. A little drive here, a little bump there. Having said that, I do think it benefits having prior experience with different types of distortion. Then you could probably tell analog-style from digital, and where to use either.

Soundtoys radiator, what are your thoughts?