Best Top 5 Saturation VST Plugins in 2024
Saturation plugins can add warmth, color, and that special feeling that'll set your music apart from amateur productions. The right saturation plugin can give your synths more character or make your drums sound fuller by flattening the transients. Saturation vsts will also make these sounds louder at the same peak levels. Here are my 5 favorite saturation plugins that I use daily in my studio.
1. FabFilter Saturn
FabFilter Saturn is definitely my favourite saturation plugin, I use it in EVERY song and mix. It's extremely versatile, you can use it to add gentle warmth or extreme distortion, thanks to its multiband capabilities and different saturation modes. I love using Saturn on buses to glue different tracks together. Interface is intuitive, and advanced modulation options let you be really creative with dynamic changes.
2. Decapitator by Soundtoys
When I'm looking for fritty, analog type of saturation Decapitator is my go-to plugin. It’s perfect for giving your drums that extra bite and super useful on basses and vocals, especially rock vocals. The one thing I'm not a big fan in this plugin is auto gain, works too gentle to my ears, so I have to regulate gain manually every time. The drive knob is super responsive, and I often use the “Punish” mode for when I want to get really aggressive. Plus, the five different saturation models based on real hardware will let you shape the tone to match your mix.
3. UAD Ampex ATR-102
This one is not as versatile as other plugins in this ranking, mostly because it needs Universal Audio interface to run it, but if you Hva ean UAD audio interface then you should at least try demo version. It's an emulation of a classic analog tape machine and it’s super useful when it comes to adding that vintage warmth and glueing to your mixes. I often put it on master bus, instrument bus or drum bus to add that final touch and richness to the sounds.
4. Black Box Analog Design HG-2
When I want to add both saturation and subtle harmonic excitement, I turn to the Black Box Analog Design HG-2. It’s perfect for adding richness and density to vocals, guitars, or even entire mixes. But I also like to use it on synth basses and 808s. The pentode and triode tubes allow me to blend two different types of distortion, giving me tons of flexibility. This is one plugin that adds that “pro” touch to my productions.
5. RC-20 Retro Color
RC-20 Retro Color is a multieffect plugin that specializes in adding nostalgic, lo-fi textures. So it's much more than just saturation. It’s ideal for when I want my synths or keys to sound like they’re coming from an old cassette tape. I love using it to make my pads sound warmer or to give a lo-fi vibe to an entire mix. It's super useful plugin when I feel that something sounds "too digital". The “Noise” and “Wobble” controls are particularly useful for adding imperfections and humanizing the whole sound.
Final Thoughts
All of these saturation plugins bring something unique to the table, and I find myself using them for different purposes depending on the project. But in the end you should try them by yourself to check which one suits your style of mixing.
