kakl AudioParlour has released a free public beta of The Marauder, a distortion effect plug-in.



Presenting: Dynamic Distortion.

Looking for a plugin to add beef to your soft-synths, grime to your drums, or body to your bass?
Originally designed as a high-gain amplifier for VA synths, The Marauder is a boutique distortion plugin
providing a unique workflow for adding wear, heft and grit. Going beyond naive waveshaping methods, the
core of the Marauder is configurable distortion model with colourful interplay between its four gain stages.
Inspired by feedback compressor designs, an envelope balances the input stage between two amplifier models,
each with a distinct flavour. A crossover filter feeds the highs through a dedicated signal path for tonal
control. Signal routing throughout the plugin features a meticulously balanced feedback network, resulting
in subtle interplay between the overdrive characteristics of the various gain stages - ensuring just the
right amount of unpredictability.

TDM?

The Time Domain Model (T.D.M.) is a physically modeled output stage , adding vibe, presence and colour;
yet capable of near square-wave saturation. The Beta version has one built in model - but the retail
version will feature multiple swappable models.

Basic Workflow:

Start with "Mix" on the T.D.M. module at zero. Work the "Drive" and "Sens" knobs to get some activity
on the A/B meter. When the meter is bouncing, experiment with the Gain A and Gain B knobs to manipulate
the distortion characteristics. Work "Attack" and "Decay" like a compressor. Twist the "HF Model knob"
to mix brightness of the signal as desired. The "Drive" knob introduces overdrive as well and can be
used for extra dirt. Work the T.D.M. by bringing up the "Mix", while tweaking the amount of T.D.M.
"Drive" and "Profile" to get different speaker-sim style effects.

Block Diagram:



Features:
- Analog inspired distortion.
- Four unique gain stages.
- Goes from subtle to extreme.
- Organic, syrupy sounds.
- Contour your overdrive with a feedback-compressor styled envelope.

Best of all, The Marauder is FREE. We're working on a retail version which will have some extra goodies,
but the basic version is free - and always will be.

The beta of the Marauder is currently available for Windows (32-bit VST). 64-bit and AU/RTAS support is in development.
The final retail version will cost approximately $50 USD

Download Open Beta Version:
Version 1.0b, WIN32 VST2, MARAUDER.zip (28.6M)

1.0b Release Notes:

* Optimized for 44.1/48khz. Higher sampling rates are possible, however some of
the plugin's frequency dependent effects will behave differently.

* This is a gain manipulation plugin, and can result in extremely hot signals.
The "Output" knob is provided to cleanly adjust the gain at the output stage,
however you may wish to also place a limiter after the plugin to reduce
the risk of damage to speakers and ears.

* Currently verified to work in REAPER 4 and Ableton Live 8.

More INFO: kakl AudioParlour