Decapitator: Is it really the bees knees?

[Mind Riot]

So Soundtoys Decapitator is on sale and I'm wondering if I should spring for it.

Like most of us, I have a ton of plugs for saturation and distortion, from freeware to bought, and despite that I only really dig the sound of a few of them.

I like Klanghelm's SDRR 2 which is usually where I go first. I've got Softubes' Saturation Knob. I have four channel strip plugs, and a couple modeled EQs that'll saturate.

So I have other options like all of us do, thus it might seem to be a stupid question to ask, but does the Decapitator live up to its hype? Does it really sound so superlative that it's worth buying even when you have so many alternatives?

I've been hearing people rave about it for years and years, and I assume that a lot of those people also had access to many saturation alternatives, but they used Decapitator instead.

This isn't a question of what you need to get by and get the job done. I've got tons of tools that I can use to get by and get the job done. This is a question of whether a very popular tool has the goods to justify its reputation and whether I should seriously consider buying it if it really is a cut above.

So what's the story, my groovy FX X-perts? Is the Decapitator the outta sight cat's pajamas, or is it harshing our mellow like a jive turkey?

[Leo1999]

Decapitator is said to have been used on a bunch of hit records.
It has a very popular aliasing in addition to saturation
and people just love it, opposed to a lot of other plugins
its aliasing is not an annoying side effect, but an integral part
of its character.
I heard people even try eq out the aliasing of Decapitator to
add it to a sound.

But if you have tons of plugins as you wrote,
you probably won't need it,
but always keep in mind
that Decapitator could have been
or generally could be
to some extent the reason
for a Grammy award!!!
it's a different era now,
Decapitator was released long ago,
now plugindoctor rules.
Plugins and mixes are analysed before
the ear gets in action.
Music is mainly a visual matter now and
a very important question has also become
whether two plugins null or not,
"to null or not to null, that is the question"
as Shakespeare would say.
In future music will probably be listened to
with sound bypassed,
people just watching moving eq curve
spectrums changing the colour from
time to time....?!
And when telepathy will get the main way
to communicate,
the ear will get more and more useless
anyway.
So final conclusion is,
that two plugins who null are less attractive,
that could make decapitator more attractive again,
it depends on what plugindoctor will say....
Maybe I should add my experience with Decapitator,
it either works very well on a signal,
or doesn't work at all,
kind of best choice - worst choice.
And if the question whether you urgently need
decapitator causes you quite a headache or
sick feeling you more likely might urgently need to
go to a doctor or shrink, well,
plugins and purchase addiction is a big topic

[darkinners]

I personally don't find it anything special at all, Saturn 2 and True Iron (if I just want subtle saturation) are the ones I use the most.
In fact, for the whole SoundToys 5 bundle I have, I only use the Devil Loc and MicroShift.
Decapitator is a great saturation/distortion plugin but so are another 300 or so similar plugins.
If it's on sale and you can afford it, I think it's good to have the option, of another flavor but don't expect it's something magical.

[Mind Riot]

Decapitator is a great saturation/distortion plugin but so are another 300 or so similar plugins.

Any recommendations?

I have True Iron, haven't used it in a while, I think there was an update for it a ways back but I never went and got it.

Saturn looks like a great plugin, but FabFilter's stuff is expensive.

Oh! Waves NLS, I also have that.

And two of IK's tape sim plugs. I got a LOT of IK stuff during that buy in/giveaway they had some months ago. I was already buying something straight up and just got pulled into it.

I'm using channel strips a lot more these days so I'll be exploring what they can do as far as saturation and distortion, but honestly I sometimes like a purpose built plug that does one thing and does it really well.

[briefcasemanx]

I have a ton of saturation plugins.

Acustica stuff probably has the best saturation if you can get past the glaring issues.

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

[Leo1999]

I have a ton of saturation plugins.

Acustica stuff probably has the best saturation if you can get past the glaring issues.

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

Acustica??? Saturation???
One of the most mentioned downsides of
Acustica afaik

[briefcasemanx]

I have a ton of saturation plugins.

Acustica stuff probably has the best saturation if you can get past the glaring issues.

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

Acustica??? Saturation???
One of the most mentioned downsides of
Acustica afaik

lolwut. The entire point, from what I read, of Volterra kernel IRs is that they record system distortion. Im only just getting into Acustica stuff but so far the plugins I have (like Taipei and Cream2) sound as good or better than my best algorithmic saturation plugs.

Are you talking about how people say that the saturation is too subtle on some of the models? I don't think that's a limitation of the technology itself, as some models can do strong saturation.

[jens]

What makes Decapitator imo special is its ease of use - the Soundtoys blokes really know how to make "muscial" plugins, i.e. plugins that are easy to dial and with which you can hit a sweet-spot or three in a second or five.

In the case of Decapitator they did that not least with the help of a set of cleverly designed filters
that imo beats most everything else in regards to adaption to both the source-material and the desired result. (e.g. that "THUMP" is doing wonders on bass-guitar, kick-drums and other stuff).

So yes, the Soundtoys guys really know how to get good sounding results - compare that to Saturn which you can easily tweak for hours and everything you get out of it still sounds weak&kinda shitty...

[Leo1999]

I have a ton of saturation plugins.

Acustica stuff probably has the best saturation if you can get past the glaring issues.

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

Acustica??? Saturation???
One of the most mentioned downsides of
Acustica afaik

lolwut. The entire point, from what I read, of Volterra kernel IRs is that they record system distortion. Im only just getting into Acustica stuff but so far the plugins I have (like Taipei and Cream2) sound as good or better than my best algorithmic saturation plugs.

Are you talking about how people say that the saturation is too subtle on some of the models? I don't think that's a limitation of the technology itself, as some models can do strong saturation.

No, I refer to the crackles you get when you drive the input of AA plugins hard,
wheras other plugins give you saturation, over-driven sound

[whassup]

To me the deciding factors are:
- Fun to use! Because I am using the super beenies that is hip, so I am cool. Yeah, I am human.
- Ease of use. One knob and I am not in snob mode? Cool, turn one knob until good: DONE.
- I WANT something new. Well, GAS is real.
- Money, not the factor anymore, mostly. Was for years. Was an avid defender of the latest and greast freeware. Ironically some of the freeware options are among the bestest solutions out there. For saturators that is.
- What I truely hear. Yes, the boring and time consuming ABX tests. Sometimes mind blowing what my ears told me that all the coolness, GUI and hype did not tell me.

[_leras]

Decapitator is said to have been used on a bunch of hit records.
It has a very popular aliasing in addition to saturation
and people just love it, opposed to a lot of other plugins
its aliasing is not an annoying side effect, but an integral part
of its character.
I heard people even try eq out the aliasing of Decapitator to
add it to a sound.

1. your poems don't rhyme and are hard to read - turn it off

2. aliasing, are you sure? what setting is that?

Personally I think it has great saturation and can be great in parallel, especially on drums to grunge them up.

Apparently it was rinsed on the Black Keys album El Camino - especially drums - and, to me, that albums sounds great sonically.

[Mind Riot]

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

Toneprojects Kelvin looks absolutely amazing. So amazing that my brain is now running on it's own thinking that I may choose to wait and save up a tad to get Kelvin instead of Decapitator. I already set up a demo with Soundtoys so I could try out Decapitator, and Toneprojects offers demos on all their stuff, so I guess I'll just try them both out and see if I prefer one over the other.

I wanted to buy Toneproject's wonderful compressor when it came out but didn't have the money at the time. The amount of control on it was astounding and no matter what I did it sounded fantastic. It was that rare plugin that you could see yourself learning everything about and getting to know so well that it became your Number One compressor that you used on everything; like literally thirty instances of the thing in a project and no other compressors loaded up anywhere.

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and recommendations, otherwise I have no idea when I would have heard about Kelvin. Maybe never.

[briefcasemanx]

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

Toneprojects Kelvin looks absolutely amazing. So amazing that my brain is now running on it's own thinking that I may choose to wait and save up a tad to get Kelvin instead of Decapitator. I already set up a demo with Soundtoys so I could try out Decapitator, and Toneprojects offers demos on all their stuff, so I guess I'll just try them both out and see if I prefer one over the other.

I wanted to buy Toneproject's wonderful compressor when it came out but didn't have the money at the time. The amount of control on it was astounding and no matter what I did it sounded fantastic. It was that rare plugin that you could see yourself learning everything about and getting to know so well that it became your Number One compressor that you used on everything; like literally thirty instances of the thing in a project and no other compressors loaded up anywhere.

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and recommendations, otherwise I have no idea when I would have heard about Kelvin. Maybe never.

Yeah, the Tone Projects compressor, Unisum, is my favorite mastering compressor I own. It's basically perfect sounding for what I want in a master buss compressor. I just got an email from them today saying a new plugin was soon on the horizon so I'm super excited, seems like they can't miss. I'd just wait til Black Friday and hope they do a sale if their prices are too steep at full cost.

Thanks for selling me some PA plugins a little bit ago, btw.

[briefcasemanx]

I have a ton of saturation plugins.

Acustica stuff probably has the best saturation if you can get past the glaring issues.

I think Decapitator is a little underwhelming compared to some newer plugs that have been coming out. ToneProjects Kelvin, and Goodhertz Tupe are very very good, probably my favorites.

Acustica??? Saturation???
One of the most mentioned downsides of
Acustica afaik

lolwut. The entire point, from what I read, of Volterra kernel IRs is that they record system distortion. Im only just getting into Acustica stuff but so far the plugins I have (like Taipei and Cream2) sound as good or better than my best algorithmic saturation plugs.

Are you talking about how people say that the saturation is too subtle on some of the models? I don't think that's a limitation of the technology itself, as some models can do strong saturation.

No, I refer to the crackles you get when you drive the input of AA plugins hard,
wheras other plugins give you saturation, over-driven sound

Lol, you need to understand analog gain staging to properly use Acustica plugins, specifically because because Volterra kernels sample non-linear distortion. You cannot compare their gain staging to normal, algorithmic plugins.

[standalone]

Plugin Alliance will soon release a plugin based in this unit, just in case you have too much money in your pockets: