Voxengo VariSaturator

What can I say?  These plugins are the bees knees!  Crunchessor, GlissEQ and VariSaturator make an absolutely killer plugin team; stick them on each of your audio tracks and you have a key which unlocks a whole new sonic world of possibilities.

I have to say, Crunchessor is a FINE compressor, absolutely spectacular on everything from drums to vocals and all in between, with a whole range of different compressor types, from clean to vintage models.  I'm not sure if this is emulating a hardware compressor, but it's definitely doing something right!

GlissEQ is one of the most flexible and versatile EQ plugins I have ever worked with.  This analyses the audio as you work and gives you an extremely detailed spectrum analysis of your audio, allowing you to make informed decisions on where to boost or cut.  If you leave the dynamic control alone, it provides a great EQ experience and will only allow your sound to be made better.  Anyone new to EQ should get this, it's superb.  Even better, if you have recorded frequencies over 24kHz, like on a vocal take recorded through a top quality mic, GlissEQ lets you observe all frequencies up to 48kHz and beyond, so you can add that airy quality to your vocal tracks.

VariSaturator, in my opinion, is just brilliant.  If EQ doesn't quite work, use this instead and you have your solution.  Brilliant on drums and guitar tracks.

If you are considering buying some top quality plugins, I would definitely recommend Voxengo time and time again, and I can almost guarantee you will be more than satisfied.  If there is one thing I would love to see from Voxengo, it would be the manufacture of yet more stellar processors for audio applications.

Varisaturator is such a great sounding plugin that can do so many things beyond saturation and adding harmonics.

When driven hard with a high FX level (hard mode), the dual band inflation can be used like OTT to bring forward the sound.  Some simple rebalancing of the high and low bands will achieve that bright sound, but in a much smoother way.

It can also be used like an EQ.  With the proper crossover frequency and input level, bringing up the FX level on the high band can achieve a lush sounding non-linear high boost that is much more rich, smooth and full than a simple high shelf boost.  I've tried this technique with many other plugins, but the digital waveshaping in Varisaturator is simply the smoothest and richest one!  The valve algorithm is also a nice option to warm up the highs.

The mid/side processing in Varisaturator is also very useful, especially on ambiences.  It really brings out the best in airy stereo signals like nothing else.

The workflow is simple and straightforward to manage the high and low bands.  You can link the controls on both bands with the right click, then individually tweak each band with the left click.

I am still finding many new uses for this plugin, and I don't think I could produce or mix without it!

I've only been using Voxengo mastering plugins for a short time, and already they have become a core inclusion in all of my new projects and in many of my old ones.

I've been able to re-release clearer, brighter, smoother versions of tracks that I thought could never be lightened-up.

My listeners have already sent me glowing feedback about the quality and spacialization of my new and re-released mixes, since having incorporated Voxengo products.

I use almost the whole array of products in different combinations in different productions with fanastic results... though it's hard not to go overboard!

While some plugins are "too subtle to be heard", there's no question they modify the /feeling/ of the music; more solid, more smooth, and more enjoyable!

I plan to purchase the remaining pieces missing from my collection in the near future.

Thanks Voxengo, for sweet sounds and sweet deals.