Do you have a Go-To Plugin for Warming Up, Saturation, +Character ?

[sokoleski]

This one is a real GEM... my go-to in all kinds of 'warming' situations.. (and many other things)
https://apulsoft.ch/apshaper/

But also - TRUE IRON - is a main stay

[djanthonyw]

I like Acustica Sand + Ash, the Deep Vintage plugins from TBTECH, PA Machine Head + Silver Bullet.

[kvotchin]

Funny how each thread asking for some "go to" plugin for "analog warmth" is always a list of hundred of different plugins.
Any saturator actually does the same, but in its own way. So there's no "go to". And at the same time, it's never necessary to have plenty.
I use the Ableton Live built in saturator, Tupe, Coldfire, Decapitator, Saturn, Wires (for very lofi vibe) and recently I get the Arturia's J-37. All are great, and doing something different, but I could live with only the built-in Live saturator. Only Saturn and Coldfire are truly specials with features...

/You don’t need many
/I have many
/I use them all
/I don’t need to
/…
/What?

[sokoleski]

This one is a real GEM... my go-to in all kinds of 'warming' situations.. (and many other things)
https://apulsoft.ch/apshaper/

But also - TRUE IRON - is a main stay

TWO more honorable mentionS..

THIS is way underrated.... and crazy versatile...can be really 'subtle' and elegant as well.. not only full on distortion!!
https://www.audiority.com/shop/pyros/


AND

But more for gentle polish and glue and GLOSS!
https://louderthanliftoff.com/products/ ... mk2-plugin


Many great options now days

[legendCNCD]

But more for gentle polish and glue and GLOSS!
https://louderthanliftoff.com/products/ ... mk2-plugin

Many great options now days

It really Glues when using the SSL Bus compressor mode. Hint: let it maximum show you a blip of the blue led when bus compressing. Perfect. Can also drive it more if want, but I usually drive it a bit less actually. A + SSL Bus = nnnnice

[kernaudioio]

a few that haven't come up yet:

Klanghelm SDRR2 (already mentioned, but worth seconding: the tube mode at low drive is probably the most transparent way to add odd-order harmonics without obviously coloring the tone).

Goodhertz Tupe for bus work: it sits closer to "polish" than "character" but the way it handles the high end is worth knowing about.

i built one myself (full disclosure) called WARM at kernaudio.io. the angle there is spectral awareness: the harmonic generation tracks the energy in each frequency region and backs off where the signal is already dense, so you get saturation on the parts that need it rather than uniform drive across the whole spectrum. tape/tube/transformer flavors, $29. not iLok, no subscription. it's a different approach to Saturn 2, not a replacement, Saturn has multiband routing and a lot more surgicality. WARM is more of a "set it and trust it" tool.

the honest answer to this thread is: most of these plugins work. the real variable is whether you're reaching for it on individual tracks (where you want something with a specific character) or on the 2-bus (where you want something that doesn't throw the tonality off). those are different use cases and not every plugin does both well.

[rockheyday]

You can try free versions of:

Shine 4 : https://rockheyday.gumroad.com/l/shine4

Ceilix-L: https://rockheyday.gumroad.com/l/ceilixl

Happy mixing!
Hakan

[Paul_Pulsonix]

Chow Tape Model : love how it adds weight and glues the drums.

[bmanic]

.. and everybody looking for very subtle "put it on every track" mojo should immediately download Stillwell's FE26 transformer plugin. It's amazing!

[zvenx]

Hmmm from you.. High praise.
You mentioned how ik mm does it in stillwell's thread..
I didn't want to ask there, but which ik mm plugin (s) were you referring to?
rsp

[simon.a.billington]

Ok, I have a very unpopular take: if it's not recorded by yourself, you don't need extra saturation or extra compression.
That doesn't mean you can't do it. I found that most libraries and fx (external and virtual) already give me a massive sound.
Especially NI instruments already have some compression and saturation either in their patch or in the sample.
I used to be obsessed with saturation until I treid to leave it out as much as possible (nowadays I only use it on the master, vocals, bass and sometimes guitar).

So right now I've decided to only use 5 plugins for it:
- Hornet Tape and UAD Oxide Tape (99,9% on my master bus)
- Waves NLS Channel (in combination with guitar I manaeged to get the Santana Sound with it)
- Omnisphere FX
- IK's Tascam Tape Casette (for getting the MKGee guitar sound)

The only thing with Omnisphere FX is that it creates some phase issues (I noticed it when I dialed some distortion, reverb and saturation).

Man many libraries and presets are way too overbaked with effects. Like everything has to be dialled to 11!! That's fine, I guess, when the sound is standing by itself, but in a mix, I find I have to dial back alot of things.

I guess part of the reason for that, though, is so I can also use effects from independent plugins, often in parallel. I find that this helps create cohesion between tracks in much the same way as recording onto the same tape machine using the same console would traditionally.

I actually find the NLS good for that, or the TMT you can find in Plugin Alliance channel strips. I guess in this instance it wouldn't be parallel, as I use the channel strips directly track stacks/groups.

[simon.a.billington]

Oops. Dodgy web connection

[hantodoma]

I know it's a surprising answer, but: FabFilter Pro Q4.
If you have it, try the 'warm' character mode, when it works, it works really well.

Cheers,
Doma

[VladK]

Saturn 2. Universal first choice for me.

[DiodeLadder]

I use Lindell 254E as a color device/compressor on mix bus, just brushing with small GR, not pushing the level. For me, it's what made mixing ITB easier. That and True Iron are pretty much on every project.