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Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:59 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
I need a little more balls from my Native Instruments Vintage Organs plug in. I need something that sounds tube driven, high headroom, not cheesy, clear and punchy overdrive. Does it exist?

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:03 pm
by nakedzen
Not free, but Fab Filter Saturn does everything from tape saturation to lead guitar sounds.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:18 pm
by Loop Bizkit
nakedzen wrote:Not free, but Fab Filter Saturn does everything from tape saturation to lead guitar sounds.


Wow. Came here to see if you'd asked on the forum, Mike.

and Zen recco'd the same plugin! :thu:

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:27 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
yeah, after I read you email confirming zen's recommendation that pretty much settled that. I will be putting energies towards acquiring this. It's practically essential. There's just a lack of huevos that I'm unable to beef up about my B3 plugin without getting thin and super trebly. I need a good analog and rich sounding overdrive plugin.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:36 pm
by nakedzen
Loop wrote:
nakedzen wrote:Not free, but Fab Filter Saturn does everything from tape saturation to lead guitar sounds.


Wow. Came here to see if you'd asked on the forum, Mike.

and Zen recco'd the same plugin! :thu:


It is a pretty sweet thing to have! :thu: I'm a big fan of FabFilter stuff in general.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 6:23 pm
by Markdude
Analog/tape saturation style plugins would be great in general for that purpose. There are a lot of random freebies out there that might fit the bill.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 6:26 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
Markdude wrote:Analog/tape saturation style plugins would be great in general for that purpose. There are a lot of random freebies out there that might fit the bill.


NI has a tape saturation effect plugin stock in Kontact, but it lacks. I have a bit of a high standard for this particular plugin. Everything available in reaper and my NI falls too far short.

I need something that will sound analog rich and big that doesn't get harsh and trebly when saturated.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:48 am
by newholland
hey mike-- do you know how to reamp? 'cause seriously-- i use a casio keyboard into a fender frontman with a mic in front of it. if you program your keys, route them out to even a basic practice amp (or better yet, a GOOD amp with a good cab) with a dirt circuit, and mic 'em back in, you can have a way more flexible platform for dirting things up.

i seriously throw a ribbon mic in front of my frontman with the treble turned off and patch right in the front, and have always gotten fantastic farfisa or dirty hammond sounds out of it and even key freaks have said to me 'GOD DAMN-- what'd you do?'... and it's seriously precisely nothing but what i listed. it really works well.. so just pull it outa the digital realm!

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:29 am
by nightflameauto
I've used newholland's trick on vocals to saturate them. Run 'em out through a guitar amp with the gain cranked up and blend that back into the original track. The original maintains clarity and the saturation makes it sit right in the mix.

Never thought to use it on synth or other instrumentation tracks.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:26 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
Fuckin' A. I'm glad I popped in here again. I mean, I'd like to have the software just to have, but in the meantime as to not get frustrated with tones and therefore not get much done... I should try this out.

But I don't know how to reamp. Is it as simple as selecting the line out on the track's I/O's and running that to my amp, and then micing/recording back in sans eyeliner?

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:32 pm
by nightflameauto
Sort of that simple, but you'd do well to borrow, buy, or steal a reamp kit to match up impedance. Otherwise you'll get tons of noise and possible shit-all signal. It occurs to me I've borrowed reamp gear several times and never actually used it to reamp guitars. It's always for vocals.

The neighbors love me piping my screams through the 4x12 with the gain cranked up. :thu:

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:45 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
so either way there's money involved. unless I borrow or steal :lol:

:hmm: (should I rally the philanthropy of GAB behind me making an organ sound like an amplified and rocked out accordion?)

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:31 pm
by newholland
Modest wrote:so either way there's money involved. unless I borrow or steal :lol:

:hmm: (should I rally the philanthropy of GAB behind me making an organ sound like an amplified and rocked out accordion?)


do you have a keyboard that'd just run into an amp?

i don't waste time programming shit.. i just play the keyboard into an amp and record IT.

my casio cost me pretty much nothing.. you can pick up a standard sample keyboard on CL for jack.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:39 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
newholland wrote:
Modest wrote:so either way there's money involved. unless I borrow or steal :lol:

:hmm: (should I rally the philanthropy of GAB behind me making an organ sound like an amplified and rocked out accordion?)


do you have a keyboard that'd just run into an amp?

i don't waste time programming shit.. i just play the keyboard into an amp and record IT.

my casio cost me pretty much nothing.. you can pick up a standard sample keyboard on CL for jack.


No i'm using a controller for native instruments plug ins. And if I'm gonna even consider a straight up keyboard it's gonna be a yamaha motif, or korg triton, or other kick ass one. I'm more likely to improve my controller first. Anyway, I'd need to do the programming and reamping.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:50 pm
by newholland
https://soundcloud.com/neuedeutschland/one-hour

song and playing may not be your cup o' tea (and have my doubts it is-- but that's okay)-- but here's the recorded sound from something i did last week- not bad for a POS keyboard into a cheapie solid stater, i think anyhow. :D but it's pretty dirty, and sure didn't cost much.

now.. your standards might be different, but it's A solution, and a cheap one if not the best one. :lol:

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:03 pm
by nightflameauto
That sounds good for what you've got happening there newholland.

Mike, you have reamp gear you can literally send the signal through anything. Pedals, amps, delays, verbs, anything.

I should really just buy one instead of borrowing any time I want to do something destructive. I already got myself a little direct box so I when I'm recording I can take down the amp take and the direct signal, so I'd actually be able to use it for guitar now too.

See how I'm selling myself shit I didn't even know I wanted? :facepalm:

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:09 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
I'm gonna experiment at home with reamping into either my frontman bass amp or my Laney. It would be awesome to be able to get the meatiness I want from this hammond B3 sim. It actually sounds pretty good but just needs to get an amped sound.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:37 pm
by newholland
nightflameauto wrote:That sounds good for what you've got happening there newholland.

Mike, you have reamp gear you can literally send the signal through anything. Pedals, amps, delays, verbs, anything.

I should really just buy one instead of borrowing any time I want to do something destructive. I already got myself a little direct box so I when I'm recording I can take down the amp take and the direct signal, so I'd actually be able to use it for guitar now too.

See how I'm selling myself shit I didn't even know I wanted? :facepalm:


thanks man!

yeah-- same with VST's.. y'know, i just finished up a recording where i REALLY wanted to blow out a vocal part-- i tried all the usual suspects like decapitator or radiator and nothing was really doing it.

so i pulled up amplitube, dialed in an OR120, dimed it, and BAM.. yep. there it was.

same thing, just inside the box. aint what it is, it's what it does!

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:39 pm
by Ostinato Rubato
newholland wrote:
nightflameauto wrote:That sounds good for what you've got happening there newholland.

Mike, you have reamp gear you can literally send the signal through anything. Pedals, amps, delays, verbs, anything.

I should really just buy one instead of borrowing any time I want to do something destructive. I already got myself a little direct box so I when I'm recording I can take down the amp take and the direct signal, so I'd actually be able to use it for guitar now too.

See how I'm selling myself shit I didn't even know I wanted? :facepalm:


thanks man!

yeah-- same with VST's.. y'know, i just finished up a recording where i REALLY wanted to blow out a vocal part-- i tried all the usual suspects like decapitator or radiator and nothing was really doing it.

so i pulled up amplitube, dialed in an OR120, dimed it, and BAM.. yep. there it was.

same thing, just inside the box. aint what it is, it's what it does!


Interesting. I will also be keeping this in mind.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:41 pm
by nightflameauto
I've done that too. Mixing songs for a friend I had a day where I couldn't borrow my bud's reamp box so I used Lepou plugs and Recabinet to blow some shit up. Sounded excellent in the mix. :thu:

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:42 pm
by newholland
Modest wrote:I'm gonna experiment at home with reamping into either my frontman bass amp or my Laney. It would be awesome to be able to get the meatiness I want from this hammond B3 sim. It actually sounds pretty good but just needs to get an amped sound.


do it! having a big speaker flappin' really makes such a big difference over a sampled tone. hard to dial that in for a sample.. but speakers really bring some coolness to the table, and i think sample makers kinda forget that sometimes in the process of just making things a neat and tidy approximate sound of a thing.

i could be wrong, but i'd think even a basic DI would probably do what you need to ramp up into the front side of an amp.

Re: Overdrive plugins for synth instrument plug ins

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:26 am
by JamesPeters
I use these two on bass guitar tracks:

http://www.soft-amp.com/softamp-3od

http://www.soft-amp.com/softdrive-gv

Mostly the 2nd one, with the voltage control set fairly high, mode "GV-2", LEDs off.

Given that bass guitar distortion and keyboard distortion are sometimes similar, you might like what this does. And then the 1st plugin can add some special sauce.

You can try some of his other plugins (under "projects") too.