SaschArt has announced the release of twinCrusher, a freeware dual-band distortion effect in VST plugin format for 32-bit and 64-bit digital audio workstations on Windows.
Coming after a couple of more “out there” releases by SaschArt (one of them being a binaural beats generator based on the golden ratio), twinCrusher is a far less exotic affair. But it isn’t a boring plugin, either. Featuring a dual-band signal chain with user-adjustable split frequency value, it is a somewhat advanced distortion tool that can be used for sound design tasks requiring a higher level of attention to detail. One example would be distorting the top end of a bass-heavy sound without affecting its sub bass frequency content.
The user interface is well-designed, sporting a subdued color scheme and clearly labeled controls. The control parameters are split into two sections, low-band and high-band, with drive, gain, and roundness (anti-aliasing) control on each section. Located between the two sections are the split frequency parameter (which determines the boundary between the low and high bands), damping, and mix controls.
Despite its relatively advanced feature set, twinCrusher is easy to use. Setting the split frequency to the desired value and adjusting the distortion flavor to taste on both bands is an easy task. The anti-aliasing functionality is a very welcome addition, as is the mix adjustment knob which is something I always like to see in distortion and modulation effects, as well as dynamics processors. It makes parallel processing way easier to pull off than having to set up FX sends or busses in the DAW’s mixer.
Another aspect worth pointing out is twinCrusher’s notably low consumption of CPU resources. This is something we’ve seen in all SaschArt plugins released to date, and one feature that users with lower-specced computers will definitely appreciate. To make things even better, the plugin is available for direct free download from the developer’s website, no strings attached. It is also a very small download (less then a megabyte), much like the Acolyte monophonic synthesizer which was also featured on BPB today. If you don’t already own a go-to multi-band distortion effect in your arsenal, this one is well worth a try.
twinCrusher is available for free download via SaschArt (465 KB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST plugin format for Windows).
Last Updated on April 13, 2017 by Tomislav Zlatic.
