Best saturation plugin for the sake of perceived loudness

Discussion in 'Mixing and Mastering' started by Swg Itsyo, May 16, 2023.

  1. Riddim Machine

    Riddim Machine Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2021
    Messages:
    617
    Likes Received:
    532
    Location:
    Jamaica
    But serious, guys, i kinda stopped using saturation plugins to get things louder. Yes, i still use a lot of saturation, but more for subtle tone enhancement, even prefering analog modeled eqs which give the color without having THD at a louder thresholds. Because when you're mixing loud those harmonics get in the way too early when you push the final limiter, on my experience. The only saturation i use to get things louder are the StandardClip on my drums and the Inflator on the 2buss, beucase it acts like a first limiter, before the final one.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    • List
  2. Havana

    Havana Platinum Record

    Joined:
    May 6, 2022
    Messages:
    355
    Likes Received:
    192
    Sir Audio StandardClip.
     
  3. Alleykat

    Alleykat Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2016
    Messages:
    65
    Likes Received:
    62
    for many years I used Sonnox - Inflator, then I just discovered Newfangled - Invigorate, I only use the saturation & waveshaping and gets me the same results as the inflator but way less chirping and sound less bright.
     
    • Interesting Interesting x 1
    • List
  4. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

    Joined:
    May 1, 2019
    Messages:
    426
    Likes Received:
    136
    You know you can turn autogain off right?
     
  5. Dj Phonkmane

    Dj Phonkmane Newbie

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2023
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    2
    U He Satin, The Oven
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • List
  6. ElectroCity

    ElectroCity Ultrasonic

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2023
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    38
    softube tape
     
  7. Hazen

    Hazen Rock Star

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2016
    Messages:
    700
    Likes Received:
    408
    SuperSat and Mix Console models in Toneboosters Barricade 4 (which basically can be used in unrestricted free demo mode).

    Thank me later!
     
    • Interesting Interesting x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • List
  8. Jomexe

    Jomexe Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2022
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    41
    Location:
    UK
    StandardClip, set nice and soft (rounded curves). But I don't like the interface much.
     
  9. clone

    clone Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2021
    Messages:
    7,337
    Likes Received:
    3,232
    Their free Saturation Knob plugin is nice for this. Sometimes clean saturation is all you want; which is convenient because that's basically all this one does.

    Another free one I like is Szechuan Saturator. Not much about it is subtle. https://codalabs.io/szechuan/
     
  10. Lois Lane

    Lois Lane Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2019
    Messages:
    4,767
    Likes Received:
    4,692
    Location:
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
    I really enjoy that smooth, somewhat browner than ocher saturation of Kush Transformer Model N. It takes me there. I'd buy it in a New York minute if it wasn't iFokt.

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Interesting Interesting x 1
    • List
  11. Hazen

    Hazen Rock Star

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2016
    Messages:
    700
    Likes Received:
    408
    Last time I checked, Saturation Knob created aliasing like nothing else. Really bad. The only saturation plugin I found was worse was the freebie one by Klevgrand. Really bad and audible!!
     
    • Interesting Interesting x 1
    • List
  12. mild pump milk

    mild pump milk Russian Milk Drunkard

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2014
    Messages:
    2,786
    Likes Received:
    2,381
    Location:
    Russia
    Not an issue for "DAW with oversampling" users :D
     
  13. Jim Stratos

    Jim Stratos Ultrasonic

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2017
    Messages:
    117
    Likes Received:
    36
    If you are after perceived loudness from a saturation plugin there is one and only one plugin and look no further.
    Black Box from PA.

    You can hear it in action along the reactions of Jaycen Joshua and Reid Stefan (who follows Joshua step by step imo) at the relevant tutorials (Mixing with the Masters series (can't remember which one exactly right now) for JJ and Mastering with PA plugins (or something like that) for Reid).

    Hearing is believing. Very hard to comprehend what it does!

    JJ says something like "You cannot beat me in loudness if you haven't the Black Box"

    If it's the top choice for JJ...
     
  14. Hazen

    Hazen Rock Star

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2016
    Messages:
    700
    Likes Received:
    408
    I have both versions of PA's Black Box plugin and never really gelled with it. The gain staging is a total mess and you have to turn up the first saturation stage (pentode) in order to be able to use the second (triode). And then there is another saturation gain (I don't even understand what it's really doing). All these stages adding gain, which you have to manually compensate for and if you make slight changes to the settings, you again have to manually adjust the output gain. And then there is an additional input knob and one called "density". I have no clue how to get a proper, gain-staged signal out of this box tbh.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Barncore

    Barncore Platinum Record

    Joined:
    May 25, 2022
    Messages:
    375
    Likes Received:
    265
    I recently discovered the X-saturator plugin by SSL Native, thought I'd give people here a heads up on it. It's really good. I'm in the honeymoon period atm so take me with a grain of salt, but it might replace P42 Climax as my go-to for subtle saturation that adds something special without being obvious about it

    I had previously dismissed it due to not loving the SSL Fusion Vintage Drive plug but thankfully discovered it again due to a recommendation from a mastering engineer I trust

    I used it on a master last night. It's surprisingly 3D for a plugin, nice sense of depth, I'm excited to use it more. Can only imagine it would be great in mixing situations too. Worth adding to the toolbox
     
    • Interesting Interesting x 2
    • List
  16. Ionian Audio

    Ionian Audio Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2019
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    11
    bx_limiter
     
  17. Colonel F'in Sanders

    Colonel F'in Sanders Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2024
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    10
    Pulsar Modular - P42 Climax
    VoosteQ - Model N
     
  18. Hennessey

    Hennessey Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2016
    Messages:
    559
    Likes Received:
    284
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
    For myself PSP Vintage Warmer is a revolutionary discovery, it has limiter and saturation... Man, one plugin to rule them all. Pleasant saturation if you are careful and it gets nice volume perception/loudness while retaining the peaks. All PSP are genius plugins. Fabfilter Pro L on the end of chain on master bus if you use it for final mix. No chances for mistake.
    My observation and use.
     
  19. Fal@nd

    Fal@nd Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2016
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    9
    I just start to use Strymon Deco for tape saturation, and I like it. Anyone?
     
  20. thejohndoe

    thejohndoe Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2015
    Messages:
    120
    Likes Received:
    46
    Not sure why people are recommending clippers..anyways. Sonnox Inflator, Ursa DSP Boost(more of an upwards comp, but its done with no time constants, so technically a saturator), Boom Library Uberloud, most plugins that model diode and op-amp Line and MIC stages if done properly and not just clip e.g Mic channel in UAD API Vision Channel Strip, and Century Tube channel strip
     
Loading...
Similar Threads - Best saturation plugin Forum Date
Best Saturation Plugin 2018 ? Software Feb 9, 2018
best/favorite saturation plugin for 2015 Software Sep 5, 2015
Get the best Tape Saturation on your Tracks Selling / Buying Apr 17, 2019
Best Falcon expansions Software Monday at 11:07 PM
Best GM Soundfont for orchestral music Genre Specific Production Sunday at 5:55 PM
Loading...