Multiband transformer saturator IS-1
The weight, density and glue of driven transformer iron, band by band. Put it exactly where a mix wants it, and see what it adds as you work.
A multiband transformer saturation plugin for Mac and Windows. It models transformer iron in one to eight bands, and Drive changes the character without changing the level. Crossovers can be linear or minimum phase, and a live spectrum shows what it adds. Free for 30 days.
$99$75introductory
Controls
Each band
- DriveHow hard the band hits the iron. Turning it up saturates the band harder, but the band's own level never changes, so you hear the character change, not the volume.
- IronHow much of the iron's saturation is mixed into the band. Drive sets how hard the band is pushed, Iron sets how much of the result you hear.
- SoloHear a band on its own, or several together.
- BypassPasses the band through with no saturation.
- PowerTurns a band off and keeps its settings.
- LIN / MINIn Per band mode, sets this band to linear or minimum phase.
Global
- PhaseLinear keeps bands in time but adds latency. Minimum adds none. Per band lets each choose.
- LockBlends each band's own iron toward one shared iron driven by the whole mix. Turned up, the bands saturate together like a single transformer, and per-band Drive matters less.
- ObserverListens for saturation the music cannot hide, such as bass harmonics in an otherwise empty low-mid, and turns down just those harmonics. The band's low end stays. At zero it is off.
- MixBlends the clean and saturated signals.
- OutputThe final output level.
- DeltaPlays only what the iron adds, so you can hear exactly what the saturation is doing.
- BypassBypasses the whole plugin and stays in time.
Spectrum
- In and OutThe signal going in and coming out, with the output's recent peak.
- IronWhere the added saturation lands in the spectrum.
- BandsClick to bypass, right-click to solo. Click above the scale to add a band.
- CrossoversDrag to move, double-click to remove.
- ViewSets slope, range and speed. Hover to hold the display and read any point.
Meters
- In and OutInput and output true-peak meters, with peak hold and overload lights.
- IronHow much saturation the iron is adding across all bands.
- Out vs InHow much louder or quieter the output is than the input.
- True peakThe output's highest true peak. Click to reset it.
- Band metersEach band's level next to the saturation added in it. The closer the two are, the more the saturation shows.
Under the hood
It uses modeled transformer-iron saturation on every band, linear- or minimum-phase band splitting and a shared iron that can bind the bands together, all in 64-bit double precision.
Specifications
| Formats | AU and VST3 on macOS; VST3 and standalone on Windows |
| Hosts | Any DAW that loads AU or VST3, such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, FL Studio and Bitwig. No AAX yet. In Pro Tools, try the VST3 in a free host such as Modalics Plugin Buddy during the trial. |
| Bands | 1 to 8 |
| Crossovers | 40 Hz to 16 kHz; linear phase, minimum phase or per band |
| Metering | Spectrum of input, output and added saturation; input and output true peak; loudness change; each band's level and saturation |
| Requirements | See the support page |
| Trial | 30 days |
| Updates | Every 1.x update is free |
| Availability | Available now, with a 30-day free trial |
| Price | $75 introductory, then $99 |
Questions
What does it add?
The weight, density and glue of driven transformer iron, in up to eight bands.Why multiband?
You saturate only where the mix needs it. Lock pulls the bands back together like one transformer.Will it change my levels?
No. Drive is level-compensated, so it changes the character, not the loudness.How is it different from other multiband saturators?
Every band is built around one sound, driven transformer iron. Observer pulls it back wherever you would hear it.Does it work in Pro Tools?
Not natively. There is no AAX version yet, but you can run the VST3 in a free host such as Modalics Plugin Buddy.- Guide: Multiband transformer saturation, explained