It also has a good choice of distortion types, and not only does it emulate tape saturation and character but also the digital flavor that came right after analog. It also has all the bells and whistles you could expect from a saturation and tape plugin. The plugin has a mellow design pleasant to the eye and a good amount of presets. What if I told you, you could teleport back to the 80s? Well, not literally, but the XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color gets close enough. The 7 Best VCA Compressor Plugins 2021 (VST, AU, AAX) Top 13 Saturation & Tape Emulation Plugins 2021 1. The 11 Best Vocoder & Vocal Processing Plugins 2021 When used in moderation, it adds liveliness and flavor to the song. Another appropriate use of saturation is during the mastering stage. If you want to decrease the high frequencies of a sound source, adding saturation is one way to achieve that. You can use saturation to improve the mid-range of a track at the expense of the high end. What Is Audio Saturation Good For?Īudio engineers use audio saturation to glue different sound sources together, such as drums, increase the presence of basslines in the mix, tame transients, enrich vocals, and add cohesiveness to the mix as a whole. Digital plugins emulate this process successfully as well and are vital for mixing and mastering purposes. Old analog machines such as tube amps, transistor-based preamps, and tape machines often caused this effect, and nowadays, many artists still prefer using them for their analog warmth. Distortion generates new harmonics, and compression balances the dynamic range. Another way to look at Saturation is as a combination of distortion and compression. Audio engineers use it as it adds a colorful and pleasant tonality to the sound. One may also refer to this effect as soft-clipping.
It originates from analog hardware machines and is now commonly emulated in plugins. It is caused by overdriving the input signal, which becomes non-linear to the output. Saturation is a form of distortion that audio engineers use to increase the harmonics and warmth of the track.
The 3 Best Free Saturation Plugins 2021.Top 13 Saturation & Tape Emulation Plugins 2021.