or sparkly

Something like Kush API

 

The preamp section of scheps omni channel can create basically everything. Studio one redlight is also very underrated.

 

https://www.fabfilter.com/products/saturn-2-multiband-distortion-saturation-plug-in

 

N
A
N
I

 

For subtle harmonics
Kazrog True Iron
Softube Tape

My creative saturation color box
Softube Harmonics

Some other plugins that add saturation
PSP E27
PSP FETpressor
Plugin Alliance SSL Consoles

And some others

 

Last edited: Nov 1, 2021

Brainwork Black box hg 2ms . Adds a nice crunch , grit to the sound or final mix . also use two klark teknik kt76 hardware compressors that adds a nice bit of saturation to the mix in all buttons mode .

 

get ozone exciter or any multiband saturator with solo band option then solo the high band and preview each saturation mode. There are not many modes in the world, all saturator are based on same handful of principles. Pick the most fitting mode for the song and that's it. The answer for a specific may not be just saturation but also dynamics, eq and how the other tracks interact with it

 

there are basically 3 types of saturation: modelling tubes, modelling tapes, and implement "clean" mathematical solutions which only consist of a single formula for the gain shaping.

and which one i use... mostly depends on the material, because they are different.

 

I'm also interested by the answers, but, Guys, please, explain why and in which circumstances. A list does not say much.

 

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 1, 2021

Wavesfactory - Spectre

 

Try out shinechilla, by Voxengo. Its main con is that you need quite a run before handling it well.

https://www.voxengo.com/product/shinechilla/

It synthesizes harmonics depending on the input signal, and you have a great control over how they will be produced (freq, amplitude, order, ect)

Its particularity is that it's actually synthesizing harmonics, not saturating the signal, even if you have the control over it as well too. But I never turn the saturator on in the plug-in.

So used sparingly allows the generation of harmonics with a great dodge of itermodulation problems, when applying it to a bus or a master.
It can cover your "shine" ou "sparklingly" needs for example, by exciting some 2nd and a little less 3rd harmonics in the hi-medium / hi end frequency spectrum.

Its main advantage becomes also its main con, as keeping the control over loudness/peak/RMS level with the harmonics generation can be tricky sometimes.

If it's just about saturation, e.g. for a snare, the general all-around winner is the neve 1073 type one, transistor-type distortion, Lindell /LSR Audio made a great model avaible in the Plugin Alliance catalogue.

 

The trick is to saturate in stages, and in bands. First, you saturate emphasizing low-mids. Then, you saturate emphasizing high-mids. Then maybe push 4-5 kHz a dB up with some analog-style saturating EQ, or maybe not. Just don't overdo it. You can do this with pretty much anything you fancy, tho tape usually doesn't give the shine you're after, and most emulations eat up the highs.
It works because saturation adds higher-order harmonics. So if you saturate low-mids, the bulk of new harmonic content will end up in high mids. And then you saturate exactly that
I'd do this with Saturn's Tube algorithms, in two separate instances. This is important, because one instance processes all bands in parallel, and we want the saturation to be in series, or stages. Or better yet, Saturn first and Spectre after that, or vice versa.
Both Thermal and Trash are multistage and multiband, so theoretically they are a better fit for the tasks, although I haven't used them for such purposes yet.
Once again tho, don't overdo it. You don't want overdriven tones.

 

Define "shiny/sparkly". Are you instead looking for an exciter, or a suggestion on a good exciter?

 

Great question, I also love to know which saturation you all are using for hardware coloring.

 

i agree Redlight works wonders especially on kicks and snares sound design and its multi modes adds more F҉҉A҉҉T҉҉N҉҉E҉҉S҉҉S҉҉

 

Thanks for the replies. I don't wan to mess around with settings I was looking for a saturator that naturally has a sheen or spark to it

It might be an exciter I am looking for but I'm not sure, I guess I will have to try and see

I am saturating in stages: burier will do lows and mids
Need something for some sheen/ spark
after tape style sat

 

Try Wavesfactory Spectre then. Be wary tho, you'll have to at the very least select the band you want to saturate and the style of saturation. Give it a go nonetheless, it's very pleasant and capable.

 

Look at frequency plot, phase maybe, guys, what it does. Interesting