On Monday, BlepFX released the free Crunchrr digital degrader plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
This VST3 and CLAP plugin has a simple interface that allows you to add digital artifacts to an audio source.
Crunchrr modulates a small fractional delay line at an audio rate at high frequency, providing a bitcrush, erosion, and sample divide effect.
If you’re curious about what that sounds like in practice, then you’re in luck. Three audio demos embedded on the product page show what Crunchrr can do.
The demos showcase crunchy drums, noisy drums, and bitcrushed piano, with the ability to bypass the effect.
To my ears, the effect, as showcased in the demo, adds a bit of vibe to the sound but is relatively subtle. This is great if you want a more nuanced lo-fi effect instead of a more in-your-face bitcrushed sound.
The demos also show how Crunchrr can take fairly stock drum sounds and make them more distinctive, which I think is a handy application. It’s a great way to emulate the sound of early digital samplers.
Despite the low-key sounds on the demos, BlepFX states that Crunchrr can produce anything ranging from subtle distortion up to turning the source into a completely noisy mess.
Users can pick from six modulation types (noise, bandpassed noise, square, sine, saw, triangle) and a broad frequency range (0.1 Hz to 22 kHz.)
You can set the modulators to mono or create a subtle stereo-widening effect by offsetting the modulator phases on the left and right channels.
BlepFX also optimized the algorithms to provide light CPU operation with a resizable interface and light and dark modes.
The plugin is available via a ‘name your price’ model. You can complete the checkout without any expense by clicking the ‘get it for free’ link on the product page, although there’s also the option of supporting the developer via PayPal or card.
You’ll then need to enter an email address, after which you are forwarded to a page that allows you to download and install zips for any of the three OS formats with a single click.
The zips are quite lightweight, with Windows, macOS, and Linux coming in at 9.3 MB, 6.3 MB, and 5.3 MB, respectively.
I have to say Crunchrr looks like a nice little freebie that would be up your alley if you like a simple, no-frills interface and are keen to spice up your productions by adding some dirt and distinctive tones.
Download: Crunchrr (FREE / Name-your-price)
More:
