Category: Plugin Sale Info

XLN Audio DB-30 (Drum Butter) Intro Sale (~4/30, 23%)

Hello, this is Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and singer-songwriter.

Today, I’m introducing the newly released DB-30 from XLN Audio. This company is also well known for their saturation plugin RC-20 Retro Color, and I’ve actually written a brief review of it in the past.

Purchase XLN Audio DB-30 at Plugin Boutique

As with my other plugin reviews, this product was provided to me as an NFR (Not For Resale) copy. If you purchase it through the links in this blog, I receive a small commission, which genuinely helps support my work.

Alright, let’s dive in.

As the name suggests, DB-30 is designed specifically for drums. It features six main modules, along with additional EQ and tone-shaping tools. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Boom adds weight and power to the low-end, making it especially effective for kick drums. Acid introduces harmonics, giving you that characteristic “acid” tone—similar to what you’d hear in classic acid bass sounds.

Shack adds texture and noise to elements like snares and hi-hats, helping them stand out more in the mix.

Shift allows you to manipulate frequency and formants, making it possible to reshape the tone or even create pitch-drop style effects.

Space applies reverb to your drums, adding depth and ambience.

Compress offers six different compressor types, each with very distinct frequency responses, harmonic behavior, and compression curves.

For a clearer comparison, I’ve included images of the compression curves above.

The Saturate section also includes six different saturation types, each with its own strong and unique character in terms of frequency response and harmonic distortion. Interestingly, each saturation mode also exhibits slightly different compression behavior. Personally, I really liked how it subtly recreates the kind of compression you’d expect from analog tape.

More is designed to increase loudness and add harmonics, making the overall sound more aggressive and impactful. In my opinion, it works particularly well for genres like rock and metal.

Additional features include the Magnitude control at the top, which lets you adjust all six effects simultaneously. You also get access to EQ, an “Air” control for added high-end presence, and transient shaping tools.

Overall, it’s a very solid plugin for adding texture and character to your sound. If you’re already a fan of RC-20, I think you’ll find this one just as useful in your productions.

Purchase XLN Audio DB-30 at Plugin Boutique

If you purchase through Plugin Boutique, you’ll usually receive a free plugin as well, so it’s definitely worth taking advantage of that.

Also—was it yesterday or today? I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve completely lost track of time… The enclosure for the hardware I designed has finally arrived!

Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to assemble it until next week due to my schedule. If everything goes well, I’ll share a detailed update soon.

Before that, I’m also planning to post another article about synthesizers.
I think I might wrap up the basics after covering just one more topic.

Anyway, I’ll see you in the next post. Thanks for reading!

Three Body Technology Tape Vibe Intro Sales (Until Jun 5)

Hello! This is Jooyoung Kim an audio engineer and music producer.

Today, I’m introducing a new plugin called Tape Vibe by Three-Body Technology.

This plugin was provided as an NFR (Not For Resale) copy by Plugin Boutique. If you purchase it through the links below, I’ll receive a small commission which helps support my blog.

Let’s start!

Purchase Tape Vibe Plugin at the Plugin Boutique

As you may know, Three-Body Technology is the renowned developer behind the Kirchhoff-EQ. That plugin was a total sensation when it was released, and I believe its success became the driving force behind the company’s growth.

Now, they offer quite a wide variety of plugins, such as the Future MB. Tape Vibe is another great addition to their growing lineup.

The concept of this plugin is simple.

First, I noticed only third harmonics appearing in the analyzer. I suspect it takes inspiration from the SPL Machine Head. I actually wrote a review for that a few months ago, so if you’re interested, please check the link below.

Brainworx Saturators Overview & Sale (SPL Machine Head, SPL Vitalizer MK2-T, Elysia Karacter)

However, the way it works is fundamentally different. First, in the frequency domain, increasing the drive results in a noticeable high-frequency roll-off. Additionally, the Thick knob boosts the low frequencies, as shown in the image below.

It features an internal Auto Gain, so you don’t have to compensate for the volume much as you crank the drive.

We can use Tone knob to adjust the high frequencies.

However, it doesn’t exhibit typical tape compression characteristics. Instead, we can observe brick-wall limiting when pushed with high drive values. An interesting quirk of this plugin is that the output level seems to rise once the signal amplitude exceeds -20dBFS.

On an oscilloscope, you can see how the heavy saturation completely reshapes the waveform, resulting in a highly distorted signal.

While the saturation adds great body, higher drive settings tend to dull the top end quite a bit. The key is to dial in a moderate drive and then use the Tone control to restore clarity. This creates a really pleasing harmonic saturation that sits perfectly in the mix.

Purchase Tape Vibe Plugin at the Plugin Boutique

In conclusion, Tape Vibe is a straightforward and easy-to-use saturation tool. It may not be a perfect tape emulation, but it’s great for adding analog weight with minimal effort. If you need a simple way to add some vibe to your tracks, it’s worth a look.

See you in the next post!

EastWest Sounds Hollywood Orchestra Opus + Space II Reverb Review (38th Anniversary Sale – Up To 81%, ~Mar 29)

Hello! This is Jooyoung Kim, an audio engineer and music producer.

Last month, I requested NFR (not for resale) codes for EastWest Sounds’ Hollywood Orchestra Opus and Spaces II from Plugin Boutique for review. However, since the previous manager left the company, some communication errors occurred. As a result, I only realized two days ago that the NFR codes had already been delivered to my iLok account. I have apologized to the current manager for the oversight and am writing this article now, albeit a bit late.

Anyway, it’s been a long time since I last wrote an article introducing new plugins. As with my previous articles, Plugin Boutique provided the NFR codes for this review. If you purchase these plugins through the links provided, I’ll receive a small commission, which helps me keep this site going!

Check EastWest Sounds’ current Deals

Then.., let’s start!

Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition Diamond

In the past, EastWest Sounds offered the ‘Hollywood Orchestra’ series in Diamond, Gold, and Silver editions. Today, these divisions have been phased out and unified into a single, comprehensive version: OPUS (OPUS is the name of the playback engine).

The Hollywood Orchestra Opus bundle includes strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. It also includes solo instruments, and the total recording data comes in at approximately 944GB. As you can see the above pictures, there are plenty of selectable articulations in each instruments.

In orchestral recording, I believe that having flexible and mixable microphone positions is crucial. As a variety of miking techniques are used in classical music, each position serves a distinct role and offers a unique sound. This versatility allows the library to fit specific production needs, whether for modern dramas, cinematic scores, or traditional classical compositions.

This product provides six microphone positions: Close, Mid, Main, Surround, Vintage, and Stage (the latter being exclusive to expansion instruments). These options greatly help in shaping the sound from the perspective of both mixing engineers and composers.

Personally, I find the selectable Moods and envelope controls incredibly helpful for composing. In the past, I often wanted strings with a sharper, more aggressive attack, but I was frequently limited by the technical constraints of my other virtual instruments.

With these features, it is much easier to shape the sound directly and intuitively. This versatility allows these instruments to be used across various genres, from pop, rock, and indie acoustic tracks to cinematic film scores.

The Mixer view is also impressive. It features an officially licensed SSL (Solid State Logic) Channel Strip, Transient Shaper, and Bus Compressor. Having these high-end tools directly integrated into the engine is a huge advantage for shaping your orchestral sounds.

Furthermore, the Mixer view offers a wide array of built-in effects, allowing you to create unique and experimental textures by applying them to traditional orchestral instruments.

You can listen to the sounds on their official YouTube channel.

Purchase EastWest Sounds’ Hollywood Orchestra OPUS Edition in plugin Boutique

Space II Reverb

If you are interested in audio engineering or the field of MIDI orchestration, you’ve likely heard of this reverb. It is a legendary tool that is widely considered an industry standard.

While it used to be quite expensive—priced at over $200 in the past—frequent discount deals now make it a much more affordable and attractive choice for many composers.

This reverb is based on IR (Impulse Response) technology, which I explained in a previous post.

Basics of Mixing – 8.2 The History and Types of Reverb

The reverb sound can be finely adjusted with envelope and filter controls (such as high/low-cut). In my opinion, these features are the core strengths of this reverb, and those two functions work seamlessly to shape the perfect space.

Spaces II features over 1,020 presets, including 353 new snapshots. What sets it apart is the True Stereo (S-S) processing. Unlike standard reverbs that sum the input to mono, True Stereo preserves the actual stereo imaging of your instruments, providing an incredibly realistic and wide orchestral stage.

Decisively, the reverb sounds that this plugin is included are really great!

Purchase EastWest Sounds’ Spaces II in plugin Boutique

Final Thoughts

For my final thoughts, my best advice is: Buy it when it’s on sale!

Currently, the Hollywood Orchestra Opus is priced at just $196.90 (including tax), which is an unbeatable value for the sound quality you get. I remember investing around $600 in the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the past, but I believe the Opus bundle offers superior versatility, making it suitable for a much wider range of genres beyond just classical music.

Check EastWest Sounds’ current Deals

Additionally, it layers beautifully with other orchestral libraries, making it easy to create a more complex and rich sound. The results are outstanding even when used alongside different brands.

I’ll see you in my next post!

Korg Filter Ark Plugin Intro Sale (Until Jan 29)

Hello! This is Jooyoung Kim, an audio mixing engineer and music producer.

Recently, I found a very interesting filter effect plugin called the Filter Ark, made by Korg. Therefore, I requested an NFR (Not for Resale) code from Plugin Boutique for this review.

It was a really fancy and neat plugin. I think it is great to introduce this to music producers, electronic music makers, and electric guitar players.

If you purchase the plugin through the link included in this post, I’ll receive a small commission that helps support my work.

Purchase Filter Ark Plugin at the Plugin Boutique

Ok.. Let’s start!

It’s quite difficult to download and register the product. You need to download the KORG Software Pass first, and then register the code you have.

After registering, you can download your plugin. They don’t use iLok, the common passkey used by many plugin companies. Therefore, you should not delete the KORG Software Pass program.

Click the image to purchase Korg Filter Ark at the Plugin Boutique

Looking over the plugin, you can see its clean, modern design. There are several modules at the bottom of the interface that resemble guitar pedals. Interestingly, these are all different types of filters!

Simple descriptions of these pedals are shown in the table below.

Filter NameCategoryKey Characteristics
MS-20Legendary AnalogRecreates the iconic 12dB/oct filter with distinctive distortion and powerful resonance.
PolysixLegendary AnalogA warm and smooth 24dB/oct Low Pass Filter known for its musicality.
miniKORG 700SLegendary AnalogFeatures the unique “Traveler” sliders (HPF/LPF) for thick, vowel-like textures.
ARP OdysseyLegendary AnalogIncludes all three revisions (Rev 1/2/3) with sharp, aggressive resonance characteristics.
ModalModern / PhysicalA physical modeling resonator that simulates the vibration of strings or metal plates.
VowelModern / FormantA formant filter that morphs between three vowels to create human-like vocal sounds.
Wave GuideModern / PhysicalBased on volca drum algorithms, ideal for creating metallic tubes or string-like plucks.
Spectrum TracerModern / ExperimentalCaptures frequency characteristics from audio files and applies them to the input signal.
MorphingModern / VariableAllows seamless morphing between Low Pass, Band Pass, High Pass, and Band Reject modes.
StereoUtility / StereoIndependent filter settings for Left and Right channels to create wide stereo imaging.
DriftUtility / StereoFeatures dual LPF/HPF with a ‘Delta’ parameter to add organic, drifting movement.
IR (Impulse Response)Modern / ConvolutionLoads IR files to simulate realistic spaces, speaker cabinets, or Lo-Fi equipment.
All PassModern / PhaseShifts the phase of the signal to create Phaser-like notches and unique tonal shifts.
Multi ModeVersatile / UtilityA flexible filter capable of everything from precise EQ-ing to aggressive sound shaping.

Four slots are available, and their routing can be adjusted.

Clicking the VIEW (SIMPLE) button displays the frequency response graph. This interface allows you to intuitively adjust macro controls and modulation assignments.

These functions help composers shape their sounds with greater precision and nuance. Modern composers often utilize multiple filters to create dynamic movement in their music. From this perspective, the wide array of filters and features in Filter Ark streamlines the sound design process, saving composers the time and effort typically required to craft complex textures.

It is hard to analyze all the filters, but you can listen to the sounds via the link above.

Purchase Filter Ark Plugin at the Plugin Boutique

At just $53.9 (tax included), it’s quite affordable. I highly recommend this plugin to composers and music producers who work with heavy synthesizers or complex sound design.

That’s all for today! See you in the next post.