UPDATE: T-RackS Saturator X is released

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T-RackS CS T-RackS Saturator X

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Peter - IK Multimedia wrote:
cprompt wrote:
Peter - IK Multimedia wrote:...or just buy it that way right inside Custom Shop too. This option is there for those that do not want to use Gear Credits.
I did not know that. Is there any difference/advantage to doing it through Custom Shop or do all roads lead to Rome, as it were?
There is no advantage outside of the convenience/alternative there, so all roads lead to Modena.

Personally I neither have a problem with the Custom shop, the Gear Credits nor the Jam Poins -
however there is one thing I am wondering: when will you have another Gear Credits sale?
"Preamps have literally one job: when you turn up the gain, it gets louder." Jamcat, talking about presmp-emulation plugins.

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cprompt wrote:
The credits, on the other hand, I still wonder what benefit they bring. There was a time when buying a product with credits was much cheaper than buying it with cash - the €/Credit rate was very good - a €100 product I could buy with around €70 of credits. Now the € to Credit ratio is 1:1 (for "normal" amounts anyway) and buying credits has absolutely zero use any more.
Buying Gear Credits STILL has a big advantage over cash IF you buy huge Credits packs. And buying Gear Credits when they're on sale makes that advantage even bigger. Last August you could buy 1000 Gear Credits for only $550 then after you buy this 1000 Credits pack you got a additional 450 Credits for a total of 1450 Credits. I used Jam Points so I paid a little less than $550, I think I got 1450 Credits for about $537. I just bought Saturator X with some of my Gear Credits wich makes it dirt cheap when I do the division math (about $27). The Gear Credits and Jam points system has served me well!

Well done IKM this Saturator X is VERY GOOD sounding plugin! This Saturator X and Stealth Limiter and Messa Boogie amp sims all makes me feel that my Gear Credits purchase was a very prudent purchase so far. I took a chance with my money and IKM is so far delivering really good goods for my investment. Glad to see IKM still pumping out high-quality plugins. IKM is definitely one of the best companies out here and the T-RackS is a stellar product that's only getting better with time.
Last edited by sounddesigner on Sat May 21, 2016 8:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
T2 Icarus is a must. SonicCore SCOPE is the most. As heart of studio it has my vote, cause XITE-1 is all she wrote.

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With the talk about Gear Credits and Custom Shop purchases, I think that this FAQ is worth pointing out as I got caught out by this before. When you by T-Racks stuff using gear credits, they are NFR:


http://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq/

Bolding Mine:
The Custom Shop purchases that are transferable include purchased AmpliTube/T-Racks Collections and individual T-Racks CS models purchased with credit card or PayPal, as they provide product serial numbers.

If you purchase T-Racks CS models using gear credits, they are not transferable to another user.

If you purchase any a-la-carte AmpliTube gear models, they are not transferable to another user.

If you purchase any SampleTank 3 libraries from the Custom Shop, they are not transferable to another user.

For more information on transferring a license, please visit here.

FAQ ID 3611, 2013-05-21

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Any thoughts on how Sat-X compares to existing plugins, e.g. Saturn, Maul, etc.? I demoed this and didn't hear anything that made me think it was a "game changer" (sorry, promise I won't use that phrase again). Also, the Iron and Steel models were so subtle that I couldn't tell they were doing anything even with the drive cranked.
A well-behaved signature.

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To me plug-ins like Ozone (Exciter) & Trash 2 shit on the Saturator-X. IK´s offering is way too unflexible and can´t compete IMHO.

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I had a good go of it last night... I think it's pretty cool. Sounds really good on drums. Add a nice thickness to bass, etc.

I would probably by this, if I didn't have so many other options. I've got load of saturation plugins as it is, so I kinda' don't need another one.
I will take the Lord's name in vain, whenever I want. Hail Satan! And his little goblins too. :lol:

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just null tested it. i've got enough saturators as it is, so i was just curious of IK's take on it.

the transformer modes took me by surprise - it seems that their effect has a reverse correlation between input gain and saturation amount. increasing gain (and compensating) actually decreases the overall effect on the audio. and that is taking into account that the effect is really, really, really subtle in the first place. steel mode basically only subtly enhances low end transients but otherwise keeps the sound, and iron mode on low gain setting sounds like low-passed 1176 in all buttons mode in parallel. i was able to null the iron mode on maximum gain down to -60dB, and steel mode on maximum gain down to -70dB (analyzer says there's nothing there down to -80dB on nulled white noise). that's so subtle it borders on snake oil :)

as i said, on lower gain settings the effect of transformers is actually more pronounced, so i'm not sure what to think of it. am i not understanding what the transformer mode is supposed to do?

also, all modes raise output level - transformers do so by ~0.3dB while e.g. tape 1 does so by ~1.45dB (master +6 does so by ~2dB, master +12 does by ~3.5dB... you get the picture), making it harder to null them. is that intentional?
I don't know what to write here that won't be censored, as I can only speak in profanity.

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Transformer core saturation is somewhat a parallel process. So when the signal goes thru, it could be overpowered by the dry signal at higher gains. I could be wrong about this, but that's at least how inductors work. Transformers are a bit different.

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soulone82 wrote:To me plug-ins like Ozone (Exciter) & Trash 2 shit on the Saturator-X. IK´s offering is way too unflexible and can´t compete IMHO.
Nice troll. Especially the Trash 2 part.

Although I agree Trash 2 is good, especially if you want massive distortion. But not for convincing saturation.

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Seems like you don´t know Trash 2 too well...

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I didn't see this video posted in the thread (sorry, I thought I had posted it when it was out) - we released a quick video showing Saturator X used on drums:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAS7yuLpRhw

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Tested some more today, and it's really nice.

The best thing is having 10 modes within one plugin, real handy.

By the way, I'm not sure about the transformer modes (IRON/STEEL). I mean, even when pushed the +40dB, the effect is still subtle. But I may be missing something here, about the way transformers saturate.

Because on other plugins like Mellowmuse SATV or URS Saturation V2.5, it's obvious when pushed. I don't know if those two plugins are faithful to the real deal, but I like how they sound, so I'd like some input about transformer saturation, please.

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kj.metissage wrote:Tested some more today, and it's really nice.

The best thing is having 10 modes within one plugin, real handy.

By the way, I'm not sure about the transformer modes (IRON/STEEL). I mean, even when pushed the +40dB, the effect is still subtle. But I may be missing something here, about the way transformers saturate.

Because on other plugins like Mellowmuse SATV or URS Saturation V2.5, it's obvious when pushed. I don't know if those two plugins are faithful to the real deal, but I like how they sound, so I'd like some input about transformer saturation, please.
as noted in my post above, transformer modes actually color the sound more if you're not pushing them. personally i'd like to hear some explanation from IK - whether it's "this is how transformers behave" or "sorry, it's a bug, will be fixed in the next update".
I don't know what to write here that won't be censored, as I can only speak in profanity.

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Burillo wrote:
kj.metissage wrote:Tested some more today, and it's really nice.

The best thing is having 10 modes within one plugin, real handy.

By the way, I'm not sure about the transformer modes (IRON/STEEL). I mean, even when pushed the +40dB, the effect is still subtle. But I may be missing something here, about the way transformers saturate.

Because on other plugins like Mellowmuse SATV or URS Saturation V2.5, it's obvious when pushed. I don't know if those two plugins are faithful to the real deal, but I like how they sound, so I'd like some input about transformer saturation, please.
as noted in my post above, transformer modes actually color the sound more if you're not pushing them. personally i'd like to hear some explanation from IK - whether it's "this is how transformers behave" or "sorry, it's a bug, will be fixed in the next update".
Agreed !

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soulone82 wrote:Seems like you don´t know Trash 2 too well...
i do and it's one of my favourite plugins. It can't compete for the warm like saturation on offer here, sorry.

I would only ever use trash for more in your face distortion or talking filters, delays, etc. Not subtle warm saturation.

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