We’ve got something here we don’t come across too often: a Mac-only plugin. Analog Glow is a new saturation plugin from TonalMark, available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon).
You can download the .pkg installer directly from Gumroad. If you want to support the developer, you can enter any amount or add a tip.
Windows users shouldn’t feel too left out; you just got the excellent FerricTDS mkIII by Variety of Sound, all to yourselves.
Analog Glow is a simple one-knob plugin that TonalMark designed to deliver instant analog character.
Although it’s a one-knob plugin, with simplicity at the forefront, Analog Glow offers a few additional features that help adjust and control the character and texture of the added warmth.
In addition to the main Glow knob, you’ve got multi-mode drive shaping with Lo, Med, and Hi settings. The higher the setting, the thicker and dirtier it gets, with more vintage breakup.
There’s also an optional Color mode that leans heavily into the typical vintage character, with a darker top end, more weight, and more harmonics.
Analog Glow offers everything from slight warmth and tape-like high-frequency softening to much grittier saturation that’s more distinct than a subtle glue.
The Glow knob has six stages between the Min/Max amounts, making it easy to stay within a well-defined range.
TonalMark suggests using Analog Glow on anything that requires “warmth, depth, or tape-style vibe,” including the usual suspects: vocals, drums, guitars, bass, keys, etc.
For me, sticking to lower settings on many elements of your mix can add sheen, warmth, depth, excitement, and everything else under the analog-magic umbrella, without losing clarity, and that’s where I’ve enjoyed Analog Glow most.
With busier elements, like fast strumming/picking guitars, it can get muddy pretty quickly, if you push too far, even if you’re going for an obvious lo-fi sound.
Like anything, there’s a sweet spot for every source. It’s easier to push further with more static sources like 808s, synth pads, sustained chords; anything that doesn’t have a rapidly-repeating impact.
Analog Glow features HQ oversampling (4X as default/8X optional).
I can’t end any post on free saturation without mentioning the BPB Saturator Plus, and thanking everyone who has tried it out so far; thank you!
Download: Analog Glow (FREE / Name-your-price)
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