Beatskillz has released Slam Pup, a freeware tube saturation and compression effect in VST3 and AU plugin formats for digital audio workstation software on PC and Mac.
Slam Pup is a simple two-in-one audio effect designed for quick dynamic processing and tube saturation. It’s not exactly a new release – Beatskillz introduced it back in January this year – but it definitely deserves to be mentioned in the Bedroom Producers Blog news section.
See also: Best FREE Saturation VST Plugins!The plugin features a tube preamp emulation circuit (inspired by the API 2520 Op Amp design) and an analog-style compressor module. Both modules only have a single control parameter. Slam Pup is optimized for a quick workflow, allowing the user to dial in the desired amount of compression and saturation with just a couple of mouse clicks.
The Bark knob controls the multistage tube drive circuit. It saturates the signal, introducing harmonics and subtle distortion. When pushed hard, the tube circuit will audibly distort the processed audio signal. That said, at lower values, the Bark tube circuit will slightly enhance and “warm-up” the signal on the input. It is particularly useful for improving the sound of software synthesizers and other digital audio sources.
The Bite knob controls the dynamic compressor’s threshold parameter. Increasing its value will result in more compression. When pushed to more extreme settings, the built-in compressor will result in “pumping compression” that can sound good on certain types of audio recordings. Be careful not to overdo it, though, as it can quickly drain the life out of your recordings and the entire mix, for that matter.
The Dry/Wet slider sets the amount of processed signal that is mixed with the clean audio. This feature is handy for when you want to apply quick parallel processing to your audio track without setting up a send bus in the DAW. Experiment with pushing both the Bark and Bite controls a bit harder than usual, and then reducing the overall intensity of the effect by introducing some of the clean audio back into the mix. You will still get the analog distortion flavor without breaking up the signal.
Slam Pup can be downloaded for free via Beatskillz. A valid email address is required to receive the download link. Before signing up and downloading, keep in mind that only 64-bit plugin hosts are supported.
More info: Slam Pup (9.4 MB download size, ZIP archive containing EXE installer, 64-bit VST3/AU plugin format for Windows & macOS)
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