Watch this video on YouTube
BPB Saturator, Free Tube & Tape Saturation Plugin For PC & Mac January 10, 2021 admin Effects, FREE, Plugins, Software PLUGIN.DEALS uses affiliation & partner programs (big red buttons) to finance a part of the activity. Download the Best Free Audio Plugins. Synths, Reverbs, Compressors.and much more. “The free plug-in Saturation Knob is a modeled output distortion that can be used anywhere you need some grit. “Helm – a free, cross-platform, polyphonic synthesizer that runs on GNU/Linux, Mac, and Windows as a standalone. AMBEO Orbit. The Best Free Audio Plugins for OS X with Video Demos. AudioUnit (AU), RTA, VSTSynths, Reverbs, Compressorsand much more. Just listen, watch and download! “The free plug-in Saturation Knob is a modeled output distortion that can be used anywhere you need some grit. Synth Wavetable.
PreBOX – Analog Obsession
TubeAmp – Voxengo
TUBA – Analog Obsession
IVGI – Klanghelm
TubeDriver – Nick Crow Lab
Tomato Preamp – Roxolder
Crush – Sleepycat Audio
STEQ – Analog Obsession
Tape Cassette – Caelum Audio
Saturation has become an increasingly popular form of processing – probably due to how clean digital processing sounds.
When coupled with the expense of purchasing quality hardware for saturation, it’s clear why more and more producers are turning to saturation and analog emulation to create some of the classic tones people love.
With that in mind, we sought out to find some of the best free saturation plugins for any engineer on a budget.What’s more, some free plugins are just as good if not better than their expensive counterparts, so it never hurts to try them out for yourself and see.
We’ll be listing our picks for the top 9 free saturation plugins, detailing the functionality of the plugins, talking a little bit about saturation in general, and discussing some of the technical aspects of what each plugin does.
We’ll also be observing the effect these plugins have on a signal by using 5 clean test tones at 200, 400 800, 1800, and 3200 hertz, and then using the saturation plugin on the master output.
Additionally, we’ll be checking out some real-time audio examples of the plugins in use – for these examples check out the video embedded above.
Lastly, it helps to know that these plugins are in no particular order, as each has its merits and uses.Additionally, each plugin shown here is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.
If you have a mix that you’ve been working on and you’d like to hear it mastered, send it to us here:
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9. PreBox by Analog Obsession
Analog Obsession is a great indie developer that we mention a lot on these free plugins lists.The reason being, they offer some great free plugins that model themselves off of famous analog equipment.
This is definitely the case with the PreBox preamp plugin.Whether you’re trying to add some character to a digitally recorded signal, or you want to crush a signal via a bus or auxiliary track, the PreBox is a straightforward yet versatile option.
With 11 different preamp settings, you can create various forms of harmonic generation to suit the style of your music or recording.
If we look at the frequency analyzer we can see that we have our original 5 test tones, but when we turn the plugin on we create various harmonics that change in amplitude and order with each different preamp model type.
The input rotary increasing the amplitude of the input, whereas the output does the same to the output.Increasing the input gain while decreasing the output can create even more harmonics and makes this plugin a true saturation plugin.
In other words, since saturation is really the combination of both harmonic distortion and soft knee compression, there needs to be an aspect of dynamic control or attenuation in order to be a real saturation plugin.
With that in mind, notice how the gain of the original signal decreases while the amplitude of the harmonics increases.This shows us that our dynamics are being controlled and that compression is occurring.
Lastly, this plugin has a high-pass filter up to 380Hz, and a low-pass filter with one setting of 3kHz.
A bypass switch allows you to quickly compare your original and your affected or processed signal.
8. Tube Amp – Voxengo
Voxengo is another developer that creates some great free plugins.Some of which are saturation plugins like the TubeAmp, while other free plugins from Voxengo range from metering, to delay and equalization.
When it comes to the Tube Amp, there’s definitely a lot to get excited about.
In the first panel to the left, there are 3 rotaries – drive, bias, and a low-pass filter.2 modes offer different tube distortion types, with mode 1 being quieter and mode 2 being more pronounced and noticeable.
Drive increases the amplitude of the harmonics, bias, alters the balance between the original signal and the harmonics, and the low pass filter attenuates the high-frequency range. Meldaproduction crack file.
Additionally, we have an output gain rotary and a meter showing the current status of the amplitude in dB.
A Saturation function increases the gain of the harmonics and causes the original signal’s gain to decrease when the drive rotary is increased.An oversampling function to the right of the saturation function increases the sampling rate to decrease any aliasing that might occur at lower sampling rates.
Like almost all of Voxengo’s plugins, the Tube Amp can be customized from the routing to the appearance of the interface and metering.
7. TUBA – Analog Obsession
The 2nd of 3 Analog Obsession plugins on this list, the TUBA is a channel strip plugin designed to evoke classic tube saturation.
Simply placing the plugin on the signal creates complex harmonic generation.The high and low gain setting increases the number of harmonics while decreasing the original signal.
Low and high-frequency shelves can be introduced from -6dB to 6dB.A mic and line switch is available as is a 20dB pad.This pad doesn’t decrease the amplitude of the original signal, just the added harmonics.
The phase inverter is also unique, as it doesn’t process the entirety of the signal, but instead inverts the phase of the processed will still allowing the incoming signal to be processed by the plugin, resulting is complete phase cancellation between the two separate signals – this might be changed in a later version of the plugin.
What’s great about this level rotary is that its gain compensated, meaning the decreases the gain of the output to account for the added amplitude of the harmonics, in turn maintaining an almost constant gain.
Lastly, there’s an output rotary to increase the level of your output.
6. IVGI – Klanghelm
IVGI by Klanghelm is a classic free saturation plugin that easily creates a lot of character on an individual instrument or mix.
If you’re looking for a quick way to alter the sound of your recording, and to add some fullness via saturation, the IVGI is a great option.
The Drive rotary introduces complex harmonics, and the output serves as a regular output.
The Asym Mix alters the amount of compression with 0 being the most and 10 being the least, and Response rotary introduces a shelf filter to the harmonics based on the setting chosen.
The trim dial at the top allows you to increase the input, with 0VU being the optimum level, whereas the X-talk is your crosstalk between the left and right channels.
The VU meter can be set to input, RMS or the average loudness of the signal, and the output.Additionally, you can click on the VU panel to bypass the plugin.
5. TubeDriver – Nick Crow Lab
The TubeDriver does as the name suggests, which is introduce harmonics and saturation that closely emulate the sonic characteristics of tube amplification.
The harmonics generated are complex and are pretty noticeable right when you insert the plugin on your track.
In the middle drive section, you have your bias which alters the amplitude between the original signal and the added harmonics, the drive function which increases the harmonics, and the volume section which increases the amplitude of the overall signal.
The boost button increases the overall gain by 10dB.Additionally and over indicator shows when clipping distortion is occurring.
On the right side of the plugin is a high-pass and low-pass filter with what seems to be a pretty relaxed slope.
An oversampling rotary decreases aliasing, with the option to use 16 times the sampling rate when rendering – which is probably unnecessary, but an option nonetheless.Bypass, mono monitoring, and phase inversion buttons are also available.
On the left side of the plugin is a pre-eq which equalizes the frequency spectrum prior to the saturation-based processing.
If you’re like me and you just dive into a plugin without reading the manual, you may be confused why nothing is happening when you’re altering the eq’s rotaries; however, each band needs to be enabled by clicking on the filter’s icon.
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4. Tomato Preamp – Roxolder
Although the look of this plugin may make it seem like it would generate pleasant-sounding harmonics that add some warmth to the signal, the Tomato preamp creates a harsh and lo-fi sound.
This makes it great for adding some unexpected character to a signal and evoking a sense of classic lo-fidelity recordings.
Trials in tainted space best ship. By looking at the frequency analyzer, you can already tell that this plugin does a lot to the signal, but let’s take a closer look to see what’s happening.
3 distinct tube models offer different lo-fi sounds.The aged being the harshest and most distorted, with the newest being slightly, but still maintaining a good deal of distortion.
It also sounds like each setting creates a high-pass filter that attenuates the lower frequencies to create a thinner sound.
Although seemingly equally chaotic in nature, the 3 tube types and 2 plate voltage options offer a great deal of difference in tonality.
The input, gain level, and output level does little to nothing to decrease the amount of distortion present, making this plugin pretty limited.
With that said, it still does offer something unique and deserves some attention.
Lastly, an oversampling function reduces the amount of aliasing.
Want to know more about analog distortion and emulation?Check out our blog post on the topic:
3.Crush – Sleepycat Audio
The Crush plugin by Sleepycat can be a little difficult to understand.Maybe its the lack of any values, or the functions that don’t correspond to common audio terms.
Despite the reason for ambiguity, Crush can still create some unique distortions.
Designed to emulate cross over distortion that resulted from slight input to output latencies in class-b amplifiers, the Crush plugin starts off with a unique premise.
The Pre Gain function allows for amplification prior to any distortion.Lowering the bias function can trigger distortion, whereas decreasing the slope function seems to decrease the amplitude of the original signal.
The Alias function turns off oversampling, resulting in some intermodulation distortion, and the phase cancellation of some high frequencies.
As for the Edge function, I still don’t completely understand what this does exactly.Even after reading the manual and testing the plugin, the only noticeable thing this function does is turn off distortion created from lowering the bias slider.
The filter section creates a low-pass filter and a resonance filter at the edge of that cutoff.
At the bottom of the plugin is a wet/dry slider.
2. STEQ – Analog Obsession
The final plugin on this list designed by Analog Obsession, the STEQ is a combination of a few different forms of processing.
First and foremost, it is an analog emulation plugin that introduces harmonics – but whereas other saturation plugins may hide the compression behind the scenes, the STEQ allows you to introduce smooth optical compression separate of the harmonics.
Additionally, an equalizer up top allows for some quick altering of your signals frequency response.The bands have been separated into a mid, low, and high, with a range of 24dB for the mid-band, and 30dB of range for the low and high bands respectively.
An input meter at the top shows the amplitude changes caused by the plugin, whereas a gain reduction meter above the compressor shows how much attenuation is occurring.
An input and output rotary at the bottom allows for even more saturation, and the ability to increase the tonality of the plugin by lowering the input while increasing the output.
One more thing to note is this red button next to both the EQ and the compressor, which I initially mistook for a clipping indicator.Instead, this button is a bypass switch for the EQ and the Compressor.When the indicator is red the processing is on, and when it’s off the function is bypassed.
Interested in learning more about saturation?Check out our blog post and video on the topic:
1. Tape Cassette – Caelum Audio
Although I said this list was in no particular order, I have to admit that this is my favorite free saturation plugin that I came across.
Whereas tape machine emulation is pretty common, tape cassette emulation isn’t, making this plugin useful for anyone looking to create a distinctive lo-fi sound indicative of old cassette tape recorders like the Tascam Portastudios of the 1980s and 90s.
The interface of the plugin is pretty simple, with just five functions to consider.
The first, saturation, introduces harmonic distortion and alters the amplitude of the signal as a whole.These harmonics sound really similar to that of a tape cassette, making for an instantly impressive sound.
A low-pass filter attenuates the high-frequency range, making the tape sound more indicative or Tape Type 1 cassettes, which are known for their truncated high-frequency range.
A noise function emulates the self-noise of a cassette recorder and the tape itself.This can be turned down though to nearly imperceivable levels.
Lastly, wow quickly alters the pitch of the signal, whereas flutter does the same to the higher frequencies, in turn causing phase cancellation and distortion.
Some presets are available to get you started.
If you want to learn more about cassettes and mastering for cassette check out our blog post and video on that very topic:
Conclusion
Audio engineering can be an expensive hobby and profession.
Fortunately, free plugins like the ones mentioned here give engineers the opportunity to create and explore audio engineering without needing to spend an absurd amount of money.
As digital processing becomes more available, and the tools for creating plugins are simplified and become more user friendly, new and great free plugins will become available.
Keep an eye out for these free plugins, as they may soon outperform some of the ones you have been paying for.
If you’re looking to download these plugins for yourself, a website known as VST4Free is a great source.Additionally, some of these plugins can be found on the developer’s websites.
Lastly, all of these plugins are compatible with both PC and Mac, so be sure to check them out – you won’t be disappointed by a missing AU component or Windows VST.
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Last Updated on September 7, 2021.
Here I will list some of my all-time favorite distortion, saturation, and even fuzz VSTs that can help you add some warmth to your mixes, or even full blown distortion.
These plugins won’t be in any particular order.
However, here’s a table with the ones I find the best!
Let’s get straight into it…
FuzzPlus 3 by Audio Damage (Windows, Mac)
FuzzPlus 3 is an updated version of the original FuzzPluspedal emulation which is a straight up fuzz-sounding effect and not so much ofa distortion- or saturation one.
The interface is super intuitive and it offers five simple control parameters, such as Frequency, Res (Resonant Low pass filter), Distort. Feedback and Output Level.
It also features a spectrum analyzer that shows you theamount of clipping going on.
FuzzPlus 3 isn’t really a saturation plugin capable of warming up your mixes, but rather a full blown fuzz plugin, and its uses are quite niche.
Still, if you ever need a Fuzz VST, Fuzz Plus 3 is simple enough to use and does what it’s supposed to. However, if you want something equally simple but that’s got a little more oomph behind it, check out the EFEKTOR FZ3603 Fuzz by Eventide.
You can download it here.
Related: Here’s a huge list of the Best Free VST Plugins ever.
Krush by Tritik (Windows, Mac)
Krush combines the crispy taste of the digital realm withthe warmth of its drive stage and analog modeled resonant filters.
A modulation section allows you to quickly add extra life to the sound by modulating any parameter and the range of sounds you can achieve with this plugin go all the way from extremely dirty signals to crunchy and warm ones.
It features free- or tempo-synched modulation speed as well as 4 modulation waveforms, Analog modeled resonant filters (low-pass and high-pass), and more.
Krush is quite versatile since it can be used to add warmth, full blown distortion, fuzz, and even a bit-crushing effect, and best of all is that it allows for A/B testing which lets you compare two different settings without having to go back and forth between presets.
There’s this other plugin available, Distortion Snapin by Kilohearts, that does all of what this plugin can do while at the same time being even easier to use.
You can download it here.
Interested in free Synth vst plugins? Here’s an entire post on that topic.
Temper Distortion by Creative Intent (Windows, Mac)
Temper is a modern digital distortion plugin featuring a rich saturation stage and a unique phase distortion, and one of the cleanest and best-looking interfaces I’ve seen on any free VST plugin out there.
You can use the variable saturation curve to add warmth and edge to your sound, and let the phase distortion bring character and clarity through your mix. By playing around with the Curve, Drive and Saturation knobs, I was able to achieve a multitude of saturation and distortion sounds that can all be used in a full mix.
Temper also features a simple resonant lowpass filter and a feedback path to drive the intensity of the tone.
Sadly, it doesn’t feature A/B testing like Krush does, nor does it offer as many controls and sound shaping options in general, but with just 7 knobs it’s very easy to use and I absolutely recommend it to beginners.
You can download it here.
Related: Here’s a list of the best free Arpeggiator Plugins.
SGA1566 by Shattered Glass Audio (Windows, Mac)
SGA1566 brings the authentic tone of a single channel vintage all tube mic preamplifier, but only in a simpler and free plugin format.
The whole circuit is simulated in real time using the highperformance circuit simulator to recreate every nuance of the preamp circuit,from subtle coloration to overdrive and distortion.
You can use SGA1566 to add warmth to a track, as a saturation compressor, or to add “dirt” with tube overdrive by simply adjusting some of its few controls, and if you’re running low on CPU resources because you’re already using too many plugins and virtual instruments, SGA1566 lets you lower the oversampling as well as the CPU usage with just the flick of a switch.
While not my favorite saturation VST on this list since I think that there are newer and improved plugins out there which do the same only better, I think that you should still download it and try it out.
An better alternative to this one would be the U78 Saturator by Audified, even though it will set you back a couple bucks, but in the long run it may be well worth it.
You can download it here.
Interested in free compression VST plugins? Here’s a post about the 12 best ones.
Tube Saturator Vintage by Wave Arts (Windows, Mac)
Tube Saturator Vintage uses circuit simulation technology tofaithfully reproduce the sound of a dual triode preamp.
While it sounds great, the circuit simulation technology is very CPU intensive, that’s why they released the Tube Saturator 2, which sadly isn’t free but it goes much easier on the CPU.
The reason it uses so much of your CPU’s power is becauseTube Saturator uses state of the art circuit simulation technology to captureevery nuance of an analog circuit.
Basically, it sounds fantastic, at the expense of using more of your CPU’s resources than other Saturators.
As far as the built-in features go, it offers a 3-band EQ and a “Fat” switch, which essentially fattens up the sound very slightly.
Now, after playing around with the Tube Saturator Vintage, I have to say that it’s clearly meant to be used to very slightly warm up your tracks/mix and not intended to be used as a distortion effect. So, use it sparingly and don’t crank it up too much.
Note: Once to try and open it in your DAW you’ll be asked to register, which is quite simple since you only need to enter your name and an Email address and you’re done.
You can download it here.
Related: Here’s a list of the best free Delay VST Plugins.
Saturation Knob by Softube (Windows, Mac)
The saturation knob is literally one knob that allows you to add some warmth and shimmer to the vocals, guitar, and any other track you’d like.
Just don’t go overboard with the saturation, if it starts sounding distorted, dial it back down a bit, unless that’s what you’re going for.
One huge issue I have with this plugin is not the pluginitself, but all the hoops they make you jump through to be able to use it.
You have to register with them, also register with ilok.com and then link those accounts.
AFTER that you have to download the gobbler app and install the plugin, and now you can finally use it!
It’s an easy saturation plugin to recommend if you’re willing to go through the registration process. However, I find the Tube Saturator Vintage (Previous plugin on this list) to be a better alternative to this one, and you don’t have to register in multiple places and download additional software to use it.
While no other plugin beats the Simplicity of the Saturation Knob, it’s also a tad limited. If you find yourself needing something a little more powerful, then I’d recommend Saturate by Eventide. It’s definitely a step up, both in quality as well as in the number of built-in features, etc.
You can download it here.
Marauder by AudioParlour (Windows Only)
Marauder is an interesting free dynamic distortion effect which sounds absolutely phenomenal once you got the settings dial in, and it can be used as a subtle saturation tool that goes from a tube style saturation all the way to tape style saturation.
You can also experiment with Gain A, B and T.D.M. to achieve some interesting higher-gain sounds.
The truth is that you will need to tweak and fiddle around with the controls a bit in order to get a great sound, however, once you get the hang of it and put in the time, it will feel very rewarding once you get the sound you’re looking for.
Now, it’s worth noting that Marauder isn’t really a beginner-friendly saturation VST since, like I just mentioned, you need to know what you’re doing and invest some time into it to get it to sound how you want it to.
Additionally, it’s only available for Windows systems 32-bit, and even though the developer announced that it would be available in other formats in the future, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case.
Still, it’s definitely a plugin worth checking out!
You can download it here.
Looking for free Drum VST plugins? Here are the best ones.
Metal Area mt-a by Mercuriall (Windows, Mac)
The Mercuriall Metal Area mt-a is based on the Boss MT-2, which is a super popular distortion pedal that I actually used to own back in the day.
The funny thing is that most people think that it doesn’t really sound all that great (the real pedal, that is). However, in the right hands, some pretty cool tones can be achieved, especially if you’re into really heavy guitar tones.
This just means that some tweaking is required in order toget a good sound out of the pedal, and this is also the case with this plugin.
It comes with controls for Level, Distortion, High, Low, Middle, MidFreq, Input Gain, Mono/Stereo, Quality switch and an On/Off knob.
If you’re in need of a distortion plugin that will allow youto create some cool metal tones, then by all means check this one out.
You can download it here.
Related: Here’s a list of the best Guitar amp sims.
Greed Smasher by Mercuriall (Windows, Mac)
Greed Smasher is based on the Mesa/Boogie GridSlammer overdrive guitar pedal.
Being a virtual overdrive pedal, the plugin is aimed mainly at guitar players and music producers who use distorted guitars in their music.
However, effects like this one can work equally well onvirtual instruments and even hardware synthesizers.
Note: Some users reported that this plugin would crash sometimes, but it definitely sounds great and I didn’t have that issue at all when testing it out.
You can download it here.
808 Tube Screamer by TSE Audio (Windows, Mac)
This is an emulation of the Infamous Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer pedal and boy is it great!
It sounds absolutely fantastic and whenever I’m recording a rock/blues guitar riff, I tend to put it in the chain since I absolutely love the way it sounds.
I absolutely recommend this one since it’s just fantastic plugin that can add some warmth or bite to your tone!
You can download it here.
Tubes Creamer 808 by Mercuriall (Windows, Mac)
Mercuriall Audio Software’s Tubes Creamer 808 Core is a freevirtual Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer pedal emulation.
The Ibanez TS-808 was used by artists such as Stevie RayVaughan which was, in a way, how he got such an amazing tone.
The Tubes Creamer is an emulated version of this pedal and sounds absolutely fantastic, and best of all… it’s free!
Just add it to the chain in your DAW and you’re ready to go!
If you’re looking for an awesome blues or rock tone, thenabsolutely give Tubes Creamer a chance!
You can download it here.
Looking for free Modulation VSTs? Here’s a post I wrote about the best ones.
TNT by Ourafilmes (Windows Only)
TNT is a Distortion/Saturation plugin which wasoriginally created for audio processing on drums, as well as FX and basssounds.
It comes in Multi-band and single-band both with mono andstereo components.
Both share the same saturation/distortion algorithms but thesingle band features a Tone knob that is not present in the multi-band version.
This Tone knob features a transparent 6dB crossover filterthat separates the low and high bands where you can use differentsaturation/distortion algorithms on each band.
There is also a balance knob that helps to level both bandsbefore final output.
You can download it here.
Plusdistortion by Distorque (Windows Only)
The Plusdistortion plug-in is an emulation of an MXRDistortion+.
Free Saturation Plugin Macbook
It has a wide range of distortion sounds from a little bitof dirt to a giant fuzz/crunch tone.
It emulates the germanium diode clipping used in theDistortion+, as well as the lo-fi op amp and just about every other aspect ofthe circuit.
Many parts of the effect are also tweakable, so you cancraft your own D+ based distortion.
In addition to the normal distortion and output controls, a couple extra ones have been added, such as Input Level, Oversampling, Input Type (Pickups & Buffered), High-Cut and Low-Cut, and more.
You can download it here.
Face Bender by Distorque (Windows Only)
This is an emulation of a Fuzz Face and a Tone Bender MKIIwith added controls for tweaking.
It runs in mono or stereo, and has selectable 2xoversampling.
The Fuzz Face was first made by Arbiter Electronics in 1966.
It had a thick, fuzzy distortion and was made famous byartists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and David Gilmour.
The Tone Bender MKII was also released in 1966, by SolaSound.
Compared to the Fuzz Face, it has a brighter, more distortedsound.
This plugins sounds pretty damn good and is really easy toset up, so what’s not to like?
Best Free Saturation Vst
You can download it here. Kingdom rush 2 untuk pc.
Buz by Buzzroom (Windows Only)
This is an old sounding distortion/fuzz pedal effect.
There are loads of VST distortion effects out there (sometop ones too -JCM 900, green machine etc), but only a few have a bigmuff soundlike this.
Buz has a nice wide tonal range, and the ‘edge’ controlreally adds some “sleaze” to the sound.
Free Tape Saturation Plugin
It allows you to get that authentic 60s garage band soundwithout much effort.
You can download it here.
Ouradrive by Ourafilmes (Windows Only)
This is a basic valve overdrive vst effect.
It uses almost no cpu resources and it’s very simple to use:
It only has two knobs and an on/off switch.
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Simply apply the desired amount of valve overdrive to thesound using the DRIVE knob and then adjust the OUT gain knob tothe desired output level.
You can also use use the automation feature if you so desire.
This effect works best with sounds that have lots of low –low/mid frequencies.
Use it on synths, basses, guitars, leads, lo-fi sounds,voices or any sound that you want to slightly push harder, warm, overdrive oreven distort.
You can download it here.
Conclusion
The one I like the most of all the plugins on this list isdefinitely Temper.
However, all of them sound great and will surely help yougive your mixes more personality.
I hope you found this information useful…
Have a wonderful day!