1. Cymatics Diablo
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Diablo by Cymatics is a drum enhancer plugin that can add that extra punch and oomph to your 8o8s.
The plugin has unconventional controls named boost, punch, sizzle, body, heat, etc. Each of these adds different tonal and transient characteristics to the sound. In addition, there’s also a three-band equalizer, a filter, and a mix knob. This drum processor can make your 8o8s punchier, warmer, fatter, or longer.
Key Features:
- Shape your drums
There’s a transient processor in the plugin called punch that lets you increase the attack amplitude of your drums and make them knock. Then there’s a compressor with fast attack disguised as a knob called body which increases the sustain of the drums. Finally, boost is another knob that triggers different algorithms of EQ in different settings. - Harmonic Processing
The Sizzle knob, at different algorithms, lets you add high-end harmonics to your drums, and the Clip knob lets you clip-distort your signal as a soft or hard clip. The hard clip gives an overdriven and aggressive distortion tone, and the soft clip will give a warmer and smoother texture to your 808s. In addition, a Heat controller lets you select from four different distortion algorithms, each with its unique harmonic characteristic and feel. - Stereo imaging
Diablo has a width knob that lets you set the stereo imaging of the sound. When the knob is turned down completely, the sound becomes mono, and when it’s turned beyond 50%, the knob acts as a stereo separator. Further, there’s an HPF (High Pass Filter) switch that, when turned on, lets the width knob act only on high frequencies.
Compatibility:
The plugin is available for both Mac and Windows and is compatible with Logic Pro, Abelton, FL Studio, Reason, and any DAW that supports VST and AU plugins.
Summary:
Diablo is the perfect drum processing plugin for modern sound. Whether you’re creating trap, drill, R&B, or pop, the plugin will help you create bangers. It’s important yet challenging to have earth-shaking drums and 808s that rock your clubs/parties, especially as a bedroom producer in 2023. But plugins Diablo helps you achieve that thump and energy in your mixes/productions.
2. Cymatics Vortex
If you want to enhance your 808, the Vortex plugin from Cymatics will do a great job since it was created precisely for that.
If you’re in electronic music or hip-hop production, you know about the 808s. Its history goes back to the legendary Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer drum machine. In simple terms, it’s a sample used as a kick drum. The 808’s main characteristic is a powerful bass sound that will make your walls wobble.
The Vortex plugin is a simple software that will help you make your 808s more expressive by emulating analog saturation. It has four modes of operation and only three knobs with the most necessary settings. You can also use interesting presets to experiment with the plugin’s sound.
Key Features:
- One Big Knob
The heart of the plugin is a large knob located in the center. Turning it to the right will give you the most extreme sound. It is how you control how much your saturation effect will be noticeable. - Make It Electric
The first mode of the plugin is called Electrical. Its sound is based on a pentode tube. And it’s not strange because it will give you a bright, aggressive low-end. - Add Some Fire
Thanks to this mode, you get a warmer sound, as if it were heated by analog tubes. The developers promise that with it, you can get a loud signal without any harshness. - Danger Radiation
Radiation mode is the third in the order. It will serve perfectly to give your low-end more edge since it is based on symmetrical clipping. - Extreme Ultraviolet
The last and most extreme is a mod called Ultraviolet. It will give you metallic timbres that can make your sound unique. That’s because it uses waveshaping. - Dial Into Additional Settings
You can always influence the sound of your plugin even more with additional settings. The three knobs at the bottom often help you adjust the color, filter, and mix levels.
Compatibility:
The plugin is available for Windows and macOS, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST/3, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
Vortex is a simple plugin from Cymatics that will help you achieve the wealthiest 808s. You can use the four modes of operation and get both expressive and unique sounds. Thanks to the additional settings, Vortex can positively influence the sound or destroy it completely. Of course, this is in the figurative sense.
3. Cymatics Space Lite
The baby brother of the Space plugin, this Lite version comes with the same features and looks and can deliver an astonishing result at a zero-mark price tag.
It all starts at the “Dry/Wet” control, with the reverb modes underneath it. Next to it, the two rows of controls can take care of the delay, FX, and distortion aspects of the effect.
Finally, an EQ, width, filter, and in/out configurations can be made and tweaked right off the box. Everything in a very sleek and futuristic look.
Key Features:
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- Nice FXs
You have “Pitch,” “Chorus,” “Flanger,” and “Phaser” as FX options, all of which can do wonders for your final result. The big deal is that they are not supposed to affect the entire sound but only the reverb signal. This way, you can have a better shape out of it. And the best thing is that a selection at the “Filter” control can have the FXs coming in before or after the signal. It’s a tremendous amount of power you can have at the modulation settings of this reverb. - Three reverb modes
“Space,” “Hall Long,” and “Spring 1” are the modes available at this Lite version. It may seem not enough, but you can go very far with these three options. The “Spring 1” is the shortest of them, while the “Space” can give you awesome big dimensions, perfect for a synth pad or ambient sound.
- Nice FXs
Compatibility:
This plugin runs in macOS and Windows. It comes in VST and AU plugin formats and works in 64-bit only.
Summary:
The only significant difference between this Lite and the Complete version is the number of reverb modes available. All controls, settings, and adjustments are the same, showcasing how powerful this plugin is. It’s complete, refreshed, and well-designed enough to be amongst your favorite tools in any version you think suits you best.
4. Cymatics Origin
Origin is a Lo-Fi plugin that makes your audio recordings sound like they were sampled from an antique tape recorder or vinyl player.
The plugin sports an elegant user interface with straightforward controls. It uses multiple processors based on vintage hardware to provide an authentic experience. You could use this plugin on contemporary synth sounds, vocals, drums, and other instruments to make them sound more retro. Let’s have a look at the different parts of this plugin:
Key Features:
- Resampler
The Resampler knob changes the sample rate of your audio in real-time. And since the process creates bit-crusher-style artifacts, the plugin uses special filters to remove them. That results in a distinctive sonic character that has recently grown popular among some mainstream artists. - Saturation & Sample
The top left knob adds saturation to your audio. It helps emulate a hardware amplifier system and results in a warm, rich sound. Next, the top right knob lets you add various noise samples to your audio. They include simple white noise, vinyl crackles, tape hiss, etc. - Movement
The Movement knob adds wow and flutters to the audio. It uses a randomizer algorithm to generate authentic tape pitch wobbles. This effect alone lends a nostalgic vibe to any audio sample, making it handy for genres like Chillwave, hip-hop, trap, and Lo-Fi. - JUNO Chorus
The bottom right knob adds the classic JUNO chorus effect. It also features both styles of the classic effect: slow and fast chorus. You can use this effect on software synths to add stereo width and a familiar charm to their sound. It’s a good free alternative to the Arturia JUNO-6 Chorus effect I’ve enlisted in this article.
Compatibility:
Origin is available for Windows 10 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10 or higher 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
Origin is an excellent choice when you want a straightforward plugin that lets you age your audio samples. It rocks a beautiful user interface, which is always a plus. And the effects are quite convincing. I’d recommend downloading it for the JUNO Chorus and Movement effects alone.
5. Cymatics Diablo Lite
Diablo Lite is a drum enhancer effect plugin by Cymatics. It aims to make your drums and 808s cut through the mix and hit harder.
Diablo Lite processes the incoming signal in two different ways to get this effect. It uses a transient shaper to emphasize the attack of the drums and a clipper to saturate them.
Key Features:
- Transient shaper.
Diablo Lite’s interface has two main knobs: punch and clip. The punch knob works as a transient shaper. When you dial it up, the transients of the drums will be accentuated. This is extremely useful if your drums feel lost in the mix or if you are using soft drum samples or breaks that are soft and need some more attack to cut through the mix. - Clipper.
The second knob inside Diablo Lite is called clip, which works as a soft and hard clipper. It will saturate your sounds and add harmonic frequencies for a warmer and richer tone. You can be subtle with this clipper or crank it up on hard mode to crush your drums. - Utility controls.
You also get some utility controls, like input, output, and mix knobs. Increasing the input value will drive the incoming signal even harder and achieve pleasing distortion. The mix knob is a great addition for parallel processing, and the output is necessary to keep your signal in control. There are also handy in and out volume meters for visual feedback.
Compatibility:
Diablo Lite is available on Windows and macOS in VST, VST3, and AU formats.
Summary:
Diablo Lite is a reliable mixing tool to have. It’s hard to fault it since it does perfectly what it aims to do. Dubstep requires hard-hitting drums, so a tool like this will be useful to all Dubstep producers.
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