It's tube pre, use wharever you see it fitting, I like it on bass, but my bass chains are long and subtle sometimes, but YMMV

 

- Klanghelm SDRR
- Toneboosters Reelbus (surpised no one mentioned this one...very versatile & not expensive at all)
- Nomad Magnetic II (usually don't like Nomad plugs that much but this is definitely one of their better ones)
- Softube Sat Knob (great freebie)
- Camel Crusher (great for the right situation)
- kiloHeartz Faturator (cheap cost and effective on the right material...the widener is great on this also)
- Sonimus Sweetone - if you can find the sweet spot on this one you can get a nice sound, just depends on the material
- Vladg/TDR Slick EQ - The saturation section is nice on this one and can give some good tones on certain things. The auto-gain is nice as well.

I also like Ferric TDS, but I'm really trying to avoid bridging and 32bit plugs at this point. There are just way too many alternatives at this point to continue using 32bit plugs. Really wish VOS would find some way to bring their plugs to the 64bit world, but doesn't look like it will ever happen. The old URS Saturation plugin falls into this category as well.

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2015

Glad you did, heard great things about that one, gonna download demo right now

 

There is another one I use, but only on one track at a time as it eats through resources more than u-he Diva, but It has a warm and rich sound I like, from Wave Arts (Tube Saturator)

 

i rly like it too but kinda weird saying it coz i havent yet given a focus to other saturators yet
but afaik its diffrence i can hear it rly good
have u tried tube saturator 2?

 

I meant to but never got around to it. I think I might try it now.

 

funny, seems like i'm the only one who likes uad stuff (i want a real culture vulture tho). another one : Nick Crow Tube Driver, its a freebie! http://nickcrowlab.blogspot.de/

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2015

hello, tshffl,

it does not seem funny, mentioned it on the first page of posts.

wish all the best for all of us, there already exists quite loads more for all universal audio digital platform users...

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2015

One of my absolute favorite DAW Saturator: Abletons Saturator. It rocks!

 

Yeah it's my go to saturation when I need an element to pierce through the mix just a little bit more, about 15% wet, always does the trick

 

A bizzarre german plugin that goes beyond saturation, I found it very interesting:

 

Update to demoing Wave Arts Tube Saturator 2


Be aware it requires iLok2, and to be perfectly honest, I found it to be disappointing. It distorts more than version 1, but compared to Ohmicide it was found wanting. It failed to get the required warmth as Version 1 in the same amount of time given (at least to my ears)

I give it 2 out of 5

 

thanks for the info!

 

Yes, Wave Arts Tube Saturator is disappointing.

 

Lately, I've been using less and less saturation in my mixes...I've found that, the less I use it, the more "analogue" they sound.

I've learned it from Mixbus; It emulates an analogue console, but all it's processors are as clean as it gets, including the tape saturation, which produces very minimum quantities of harmonics.

The best way to emulated analogue gear is not by adding saturation; It's by avoiding to produce digital artifacts...

If you overuse "character" plugins, including dedicated saturation ones, you'll end up with a super-nasty mix at the end of the chain.

Anyway, I digress.

Fab Filter's Saturn is what I use for specific saturation tasks, simply because it offers an incredible level of control. You have to use it wisely, though. Saturation works only to bring out contrast between tracks; It'll loose its purpose if you overuse it.

All I'm saying is...You know...It's easy to get carried away when it comes to saturation; The same goes for compression.

 

La Petite Excite - free exciter plug-in (Mac/PC) which has superseded Sausage Fattener in my repertoire.
The Eddie Kramer Tape saturator (with slapback "tape" delay) in Waves is also remarkable.

 

I'll agree with what you said RMorgan, but only so far... I think the crux of the matter, or the solution for me and others is finding the proper balance. Like you said proper use, I call balance... It's a matter for me of the play against the 2, both the clean and the "unclean ?", that creates a musical and sonic tension I personally prefer. Slapping a sausage fattener on everything is definitely going to make for an overhyped fuzzy ass bullshit mix, but if you play the right elements of your mix through some, juxtaposed properly with cleaner sounds and parts, you can get the best of both worlds... but that's just my IMHO I could type a few paragraphs on I won't bore everyone with here...

 

@ArticStorm, yup, I reach for Saturator often as well in my daw of choice, not as 3d sometimes as I would like, (perhaps I need to learn it better, as bone simple as it is), but cpu efficient as hell, and great quick utility to get there quick... sometimes I think I will rethink the sound later, but no, I usually stick with it... it's amazing how decent the stock ableton stuff is... simple stuff like just the "utility" I use on every track for something, whether automation, flipping stereo field, multiple gain staging between plugs etc.... and the simple delay etc... hell, the stock compressor and eq8 ware my most used in that department. just works.

 

Nomad Factory MAGNETIC II - Reel-to-Reel Audio Tape Warmer
& E-TUBE TAPE WARMER

But I often use Softube's saturator

I heard good stuff about KAYA by Sly-Fi-Digital (the guy behind UBK and Kush Audio)




Peace