SATV

Because of the power and availability of all the virtual instruments and plugins, creating music today is much easier than it used to be. However, achieving the same sound you would normally have a few decades ago is a more difficult process. Simply put, digital sound is too “clean” and “perfect”, and many feel that it lacks the warmth of analog instruments and recording equipment. For this particular reason, many developers constantly release plugins and synths with the precise goal of making digital sound like analog.

Saturation is one of the effects that is often used to add warmth to some digital instruments or a mix, and today we’re going to take a look at a plugin that does just that.

SATV is an analog-style saturator plugin that you can use to add the desired effect to your individual tracks or your mixes. It allows you to choose between four types of analog saturation: Transistor, Transformer, Tube, and Tape. The parameters always stay the same and they aren’t that many to describe them in detail; there’s a drive knob, a mix knob, an output knob, and a phase switch. You may also use the Group control to assign a number to different instances of the plugin, which you can then control simultaneously.

Although it doesn’t offer much in terms of parameters and it doesn’t come with any presets, SATV’s sound modulation doesn’t disappoint. So if you’re looking for a plugin that isn’t too fancy but gets the job done, then SATV isn’t a bad choice.

As you may already know, saturation is basically a harmonic distortion. It can be used to enhance certain harmonies of tracks and mixes, making them louder, warmer, richer, or punchier. It can also offer a bit of soft-clipping to transient peaks. You can use the effect on any instrument, vocals, and even during the mastering process; just don’t abuse it unless you want your mix ruined.