These days, modelling technology has become really good at simulating the effects of analog circuitry. In fact, are even a handful of free saturation plugins out there that do a great job of bringing it to your DAW.
Saturation Knob has been around for quite a while now. The plugin was first released back in 2011 as a free add-on for few select digital audio workstations (Pro Tools, Cakewalk Sonar, PreSonus Studio One, and Propellerhead Reason).
Softube Free Plugin
Giving away a free plugin like this is a great way for Softube to market the rest of their products. They make you download them all by luring you in with the promise of something free (and pretty awesome), and then you get tempted and pay for the ones you want to activate.
Saturation plugins are the secret weapon of tons of world class mixers, partly because they recreate many of the desirables sonic characteristics of analogue tape recording. Adding harmonics and distortion is pretty obvious to most of us, but another way to describe this is that saturation increases the perceived loudness of a signal. It can actually clamp down on and control peak levels on a loud instrument with a lot of transients.
The plugin is available for macOS 10.13 up to 12 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit only). It comes in VST, VST 3, AAX, and AU plugin formats.
This plugin has up to three echo taps with a tap tempo option if you cannot manage to get exactly what you want with the tempo slider. With replicating the tape effect, this plugin goes as far as having an option to add the tape glitch to the effect. We also have a drive dial that is used to adjust the tape distortion.
It is available on Windows and macOS in 64-bit VST, VST3, AU, or AAX. The price of this plugin is $99 but keep in mind that Softube often has bundles sale where you can get this plugin for much less.
This plugin is 100% based on the hardware, offering the same saturation and peak-bending capabilities present on the equipment. You may find this plugin very suitable for adding energy to your tracks, as well as gluing buses and enhancing the quality of your mixes.
This plugin is available for macOS 10.13 to 12 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 or higher (64-bit only). It runs in VST, VST3, and AU plugin formats.
Softube always brings exciting software that will certainly improve or add character to your tracks. And besides being a recreation of studio equipment, Empirical Labs Mike-E Comp is a nice plugin to have constantly around.
This miniaturized version of the original makes for a speedier workflow. The simplified interface tackles the most important parameters of a compressor/limiter in a multi-band approach. The plugin offers Mid-Side and independent channel processing, as well as auto-release and three filter options.
The Weiss Compressor/Limiter is an industry-standard in transparency with utmost transient precision. The filter options will give focus to the compression, while the M/S mode ensures its mastering capabilities. Overall the plugin adds no coloration to your tracks, which lets you add several units while mixing without having to worry about added character.
It is comfortable to use, but frankly, it can be annoying not to have most controls in plain sight but kept in the displayable sleeve on the right. Nonetheless, this is an absolute killer plugin that can improve the sound of your mixes quite drastically, so make sure to try it out.
This plugin brings authentic vocoder sounds and can be used on a variety of sources, including drums. With a futuristic instrument that has become a nostalgic classic, you can play outside the box live or in the studio.
Softube is well recognized for its great hardware and software, including its iconic audio interfaces and preamps. This plugin is an excellent alternative for a vocoder effect, and the amount of fidelity when trying to mimic a vintage, analog unit is enormous.
This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.
This plugin is available for macOS 10.13 or higher and Windows 10 or higher and runs on 64-bit only. It runs in VST, AAX, and AU plugin formats.
The freedom it gives you to tweak and enhance your tracks without being too extreme in mastering is remarkable. Its price is $500, a big difference from its parallel hardware unit, though, pretty expensive for a plugin.
This plugin is available for macOS 10.10 or higher (64-bit only) and Windows 7 or higher (64-bit only). It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.
The reason this tube equalizer has been so coveted for years is its sound. Beyond sounding great at any setting, anything you do makes the processed signal sound round, warm, and full. No other equalizer does that. The fact that this plugin has both the PE1C and ME1B in the same unit emphasizes that feeling and delivers greater tonal control than if it was only one of the two EQs.
When it comes to modern mixing, Console 1 is the best of both worlds. Get all the tremendous sound and feel of analog hardware mixing with the freedom of digital. Run the Console 1 plug-in in your DAW of choice and control the sound of the legendary Solid State Logic SL 4000 E desk with the dedicated hardware. Console 1 is compatible with all major DAWs. Work faster and get better results with all of the benefits and convenience of in-the-box mixing. As an added bonus, new Console 1 registrations come with three additional products that include five Console 1 ready plug-ins at no extra cost for a limited time.
Reason is arguably one of the best platforms in which to run this, as you can freely route input and output and toss some saturation in a custom chain. The tutorial accordingly lives inside Reason, though the tips here are applicable to other hosts, too.
The Softube Monoment Bass NKS Library for Komplete Kontrol / Maschine contains presets in NKS compatible format for all factory presets for this instrument allowing full browsing and control of hte plugin from the Komplete Kontrol / Maschine hardware and software.
The Free Download Version contains a handful of presets to test how the NKS installation and compatibility will work. You can download and install this for free to test things out before purchasing the full NKS browser pack.
Audacity is a free, open source, cross-platform audio software, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. It is developed by a group of volunteers. I use Audacity a lot and really appreciate the time and effort that the developers put into it.
In order to take advantage of this free Softube Plugin Pack you will need to register/have registered your product. After which, your free download will become available to you. Remember this offer has an expiry date, so make sure you register before the end of the year or you will miss out on this fantastic limited offer.
An award to the graphic designer, the GUI of the new Softube plugin looks deceptively real. The Swedes have again unpacked their excellent modeling technology and teleported another iconic instrument from earlier into modern times. The Model 72 is no different than an emulation of the legendary Moog Minimoog with all its beloved quirks from 1972.
Firstly, it comes from the modeling specialists Softube, who is known for extremely authentically hardware modeling technology. On the other hand, the Swedes go a step further, they gut the Minimoog into individual modules and makes it available as a classic plugin as well as in their two modular systems: Softube Modular & Amp Room.
Anyone who does not have either of the other two software titles is given a nice bonus. Besides the instrument plugin, the Model 72 can be used as an FX plugin. With this, you can replicate the external input feature and use the distortions and filter on your sound source. Route a MIDI channel to your effect and play a note in order to gate the sound processed through the effect. Great idea.
You'll find three saturation algorithms within the plugin, including neutral, low, and high, depending on what frequencies you want to impact. Then, you can simply use the large knob to dial in the amount of saturation.
Tape Cassette 2 is an update to the original beloved Tape Cassette plugin, which delivers all of the noise, warmth, and character found in the original. The difference is that Tape Cassette 2 has a much sleeker interface and some under-the-hood changes.
Tape Cassette 2 is best used on individual tracks to add vibe, warmth, texture, and movement. Of course, there's nothing quite like pushing the material limitations of the plugin to use it as a sound design tool for experimental landscapes.
Whenever we want to add some new free plugins to our arsenal, one of the developers we look to is Voxengo. The developer's Tube Amp plugin is absolutely incredible, giving you the drive, warmth, and character of a real tube amplifier.
Another great plugin for tube saturation is TUBA from Analog Obsession. You can simply place TUBA at some point in your signal chain to create complex harmonic generation. To increase the complexity of your harmonics while reducing the level of the original signal, you can use the high and low gain settings. 2ff7e9595c