REQ: Softube - Harmonics Analog Saturation Processor
Did you ever try to give a track attitude by adding distortion, but then wind up with a washed out, lifeless sound instead? Harmonics, with its never-before-heard approach to dynamics in distortion, is the answer.
Guitars, vocals, drums, bass, even synths often need some extra grunt to push them over the edge, but distortion can destroy dynamics and cause more problems than it solves. Too little and your sound doesn’t cut through and fill its space. Too much and you lose the light and shade, the attack and decay. Transients blend into tails, and detail and definition go out the window.
Softube Harmonics might be the best way to get that elusive analog mojo in the box.
- Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer Superstar (Nirvana, Tom Waits, The White Stripes)
But with Harmonics, you get much more than just five awesome-sounding analog distortion models. You also get a revolutionary new approach to handling dynamics during the process of distorting the sound. The input signal is listened to and analysed by the plug-in, allowing the dynamics and detail to be preserved and enhanced even after heavy distortion is applied.
Add to that the fact that Harmonics has five totally different-sounding component-modelled distortion styles, high and low cut filters, a mix knob and more, and you end up with a very powerful secret weapon indeed.
It's amazing! Have no idea how you guys did it, but keeping the dynamics and getting nice saturation is incredible! - Dada Life, DJ Duo (Olle Cornéer and Stefan Engblom)
In Short
Five genuinely different component-modelled distortion sounds
Revolutionary ‘Dynamic Transient Control’ technology
‘Amount’ knob to control the amount of saturation
‘Character’ knob controls tone or color of the distortion
High and low cut filters can be placed before or after distortion
Wet/dry blend knob for parallel processing
THD meter allows fine control of subtle saturation
All of the grunt, none of the drawbacks
Includes presets by Joe Chiccarelli and Howard Willing