Tag: boutique

TC Electronic Intro Sale (Up to 79% Off, Until 4/14)

Hey everyone! I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.

[link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/manufacturers/445/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

TC Electronic has just joined forces with Plugin Boutique, kicking things off with an awesome intro sale! When I think of TC, reverb and delay instantly come to mind—they’re legends in the world of spatial effects. Now that they’re under Music Tribe (the parent company of Behringer), those iconic algorithms are finally hitting the plugin scene.

Funny thing, though—back in 2018 when stuff like the TC8210 first dropped, there wasn’t a standalone Native version. It was tied to hardware controllers, so unless you snagged one cheap early on, it kinda faded into the background. Music Tribe’s website wasn’t exactly user-friendly either…

But this time, I got some NFR (Not for Resale) codes from Plugin Boutique to test these out, and wow—they’ve nailed the spatial plugin game. So, I figured I’d share my thoughts with you all!

Oh, and if you buy through the links in this post, I’ll earn a small commission that really..really helps me keep going—thanks a ton for the support! 😊

Let’s dive in!

TC Electronic Sale Plugins Overview

(Note: PolyTune and LM2 are exclusive to the TC Studio Elite Collection bundle.)

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on offer, sorted by type:

RolePlugin NameDescription
ReverbVSS4 HDAn upgraded System 6000 reverb algorithm—smooth and modern.
VSS3The classic System 6000 reverb algorithm—timeless and pristine.
NONLIN2A creative reverb for warped, nonlinear sounds—perfect for sound design.
DVR 250A vintage digital reverb inspired by the EMT 250.
TC 8210A clean, classic digital reverb with a nod to vintage vibes.
DelayTC 2290A recreation of the TC 2290 digital delay with tons of modulation options.
ModulationTC 1210Combines stereo expander with chorus, flanger, and vibrato effects.
DynamicsMD4 HDAn upgraded System 6000 multiband compressor with extra bells and whistles.
MD3The original System 6000 multiband compressor—still a beast.
DYN 3000A clean digital compressor based on Midas Heritage consoles.
MASTER X HDA modern take on the Powercore-era 3-band compressor.
BRICKWALL HDA True-Peak limiter built on System 6000 tech—mastering-ready.
EQPEQ 3000A 2×12-band parametric EQ inspired by Midas live consoles.
AnalyzerLM2A stereo loudness meter based on ITU-R BS.1770-3 standards.
TunerPolytune NativeThe famous PolyTune guitar tuner, now in plugin form.
PedalsStereo Chorus FlangerA chorus/flanger pedal with lush stereo effects.
Booster and DistortionA volume boost and distortion pedal combo.
XII PhaserA classic phaser pedal for swirling tones.
Dual Parametric EQA simple 2-band EQ pedal.
SustainerA sustain pedal to keep your notes ringing.

Phew, that’s a lot, right? Haha. Since there’s too much to cover in detail, I’ll group them by category and highlight the standouts.

(Click image to purchase plugins at plugin boutique)

Reverb

VSS4 HD, VSS3, NONLIN2

[Bundle link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/81-Bundles/39-Effects-Bundles/14611-SYSTEM-6000-Native-Bundle/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

For me, TC Electronic’s reverbs are the heart of this lineup. The System 6000 plugins (VSS4 HD, VSS3, NONLIN2) have a slightly tricky UI at first—it’s not super intuitive. But once you dig into the parameters, they’re familiar to anyone who’s done some mixing. For beginners, it might feel overwhelming, but mastering these could level up your reverb game across any plugin.

These deliver that crisp, polished digital reverb sound we all expect from TC—VSS4 HD and VSS3 for lush spaces, NONLIN2 for wild, creative effects.

DVR 250, TC 8210

[Bundle link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/81-Bundles/39-Effects-Bundles/14613-Icon-Series-Legacy-Native-Bundle/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

The DVR 250 nails that vintage EMT 250 vibe—think early digital reverb with a chopped-off ultra-high end due to sample rate limits. TC 8210 keeps things clean but tames the highs a bit to echo that retro feel, while still sounding unmistakably digital.

Delay & Modulation

[photo: TC 2290 or TC 1210 interface]
TC 2290, TC 1210
[link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/39-Reverb/11535-Icon-Series-Legacy-Native-Bundle]
These are just as iconic as the reverbs. The TC 2290 is a delay powerhouse—you can slap on chorus, flanger, pitch shifting, or auto-doubling, plus dynamic effects like tremolo, ducking, gating, and even auto-panning. It’s insanely versatile.

The TC 1210 blends a stereo expander with modulation—think chorus, vibrato, flanger, and more. Both shine on electric guitar or electric piano, but they’re also perfect for sparking creative ideas during songwriting.

Dynamics & EQ

MD4 HD, MD3

These System 6000-based multiband compressors are more than just compressors—they’re like channel strips with EQ, expanders, limiters, and soft clipping rolled in. No built-in analyzer, so they’re not the most beginner-friendly, but the controls are detailed and powerful.

DYN 3000, Master X HD, Brickwall HD

[Bundle link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/81-Bundles/39-Effects-Bundles/14614-Mastering-HD-Native-Bundle/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

These have friendlier UIs and feel more approachable. DYN 3000, based on Midas Heritage consoles, is a super-clean digital compressor—Adaptive mode keeps it pristine, while other settings add character. It’s got a gate, sidechain, and all the essentials.

Master X HD is a 3-band compressor with a cool twist: you can tweak the frequency curve directly. Brickwall HD, a mastering limiter, comes with a detailed analyzer (TC’s loudness expertise shines here) and soft clipping options.

PEQ 3000

[Bundle link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/81-Bundles/39-Effects-Bundles/14615-Midas-Heritage-3000-Native-Bundle/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

A Midas-inspired 2×12-band parametric EQ. It’s standard stuff mostly, but the ability to shift the phase up to 180 degrees is a neat trick.

Analyzer

LM2

This loudness meter (based on ITU-R BS.1770-3) is the only analyzer I got to test—sorry, no scoop on the others! It measures LUFS/LKFS, True-Peak, and more with a sleek UI that lives up to TC’s metering reputation.

Tuner & Pedals

PolyTune Native

Guitarists know PolyTune—it’s a classic. I’ve got the clip-on version myself (though I dropped it once, and now the top’s cracked… oops). The plugin’s just as clean and reliable.

Stereo Chorus Flanger, Booster and Distortion, XII Phaser, Dual Parametric EQ, Sustainer

These are revamped versions of TC’s old Powercore-era Vintage Guitar Pedal bundle. Booster/Distortion comes from the discontinued VPD1 Pre-Drive pedal, and Stereo Chorus Flanger is based on the SCF pedal.

The others don’t tie directly to specific analog pedals but echo TC’s vintage series. They’ve got that retro flavor—great for electric guitar, electric piano, or synths.

These pedals scream “vintage” in the best way.

Final Thoughts

[link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/81-Bundles/39-Effects-Bundles/14608-TC-Studio-Elite-Collection/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

This was a long one, huh! The TC Studio Elite Collection bundle includes everything I’ve covered, but there are also smaller bundles and individual plugins up for grabs.

My favorites? The reverbs, delays, and modulation effects—TC’s spatial magic really shines there. The rest are solid too, and the pedals are a nice touch.

If any of these catch your eye, the sale runs until April 14th—perfect time to snag a deal! Catch you in the next post! 😊

Brainworx Mixing Month Plugin Sale (2): Black Box Analog Design HG-2 (~3/31, $31.90)

Hey there! I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.

Brainworx Mixing Month Plugin Sale (1): Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor (~3/31, $31.90)

Today, I’m picking up where I left off to talk about more of the Brainworx plugins on sale this month:

  1. Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor – Compressor
  2. Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A – Compressor
  3. Black Box Analog Design HG-2 – Saturator
  4. Black Box Analog Design HG-2MS – Saturator
  5. Mäag Audio EQ4 – EQ
  6. SPL Transient Designer Plus – Transient Shaper

In this post, I’ll be diving into the Black Box Analog Design plugins from that list—specifically HG-2 and HG-2MS.

As I mentioned last time, I personally bought and have been using 1, 3, and 5. For this round, I received NFR (Not for Resale) licenses for 2, 4, and 6 from Brainworx via Plugin Boutique.

Also, if you purchase through the links in this blog, I’ll earn a small commission, which really helps me keep going—so thank you in advance! ㅜㅠ

Ready? Let’s get started!

3 & 4) Black Box Analog Design HG-2 and HG-2MS

https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/44-Saturation/10203-Black-Box-Analog-Design-HG-2/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160
Click image to purchase Black Box Analog Design HG-2Ms

When I tested these two, I noticed that with the same parameter settings, their responses are pretty much identical. The differences are outlined in the manual, but since they’re so similar, I’ll explain them together using the HG-2MS as the reference point.

First off, these plugins are recreations of the HG-2 hardware from Black Box Analog Design. As you’d expect, it’s all about those glorious vacuum tubes front and center. The HG-2 uses a combination of pentode and triode tubes, running your signal through both for that signature tube saturation—that’s the core of what this hardware (and plugin) is about.

It also has an extra triode tube you can blend in. The original hardware’s signal routing looks something like this:

The output stage features a Sinemag transformer, while the parallel saturation path uses a pair of 12AX7 triode tubes.

Looking at the parameters, the “Saturation” knob on the far left controls the amount of parallel saturation. The IN/OUT button toggles whether this parallel processing is active, and the ALT TUBE button switches the tube manufacturer for the parallel saturation path, altering the harmonic distortion character.

Even if you turn off the Saturation knob, the signal still passes through the pentode and triode tubes in series, so this is a piece of gear (or plugin) that’s inherently heavy on saturation. That means if you set either Pentode or Triode to 0%, you’ll get no sound at all.

Let’s break down how it works:

Photo: Frequency response—Default state, Saturation In, Alt Tube pressed, from top to bottom

This shows the frequency response in the default state, with Saturation turned on, and with Alt Tube engaged.

Photo: Frequency response—Dark vs. Bright calibration, from right bottom

Here’s the response with the Calibration knob set to Dark and then Bright.

Photo: Frequency response—Air Amount at 100%

This is with the Air Amount cranked to 100%.

Photo: Harmonic distortion—Default state, Saturation In, Alt Tube pressed, from top to bottom

These show harmonic distortion in the default state, with Saturation on, and with Alt Tube pressed. You can see the distortion really jumps when you add parallel saturation—it’s noticeable in the harmonics, and you can hear it too; the overtones come alive.

Photo: Default state vs. Saturation In, left and right

Interestingly, even though this isn’t a compressor, it starts to subtly compress when the input gets loud enough. The left is the default state, and the right is with parallel saturation active.

Now, these parameters let you shape how the parallel saturation sounds. Hit the Solo button, and you can isolate just the parallel saturation signal.

Photo: Frequency response by parameter—High Pass, Band Pass, Flat, Band Stop, Low Pass, from up to down

I measured the frequency response for each setting to show which frequency bands they affect—High Pass, Band Pass, Flat, Band Stop, and Low Pass.

purchase Black Box Analog Design HG-2Ms at Plugin Boutique

Add colorful, frequency-selective tube saturation with M/S processing. Made by Brainworx, this is your mix bus’ best friend. Celebrated mix engineers like Dave Pensado, Bob Horn, and Jack Douglas rely on the sweet tubes and creamy-sounding transformers of the HG-2.

Personally, I like setting the Saturation to Flat, dialing back the Pentode a bit, and boosting the Triode. It gives a really nice sound—perfect for adding a touch of saturation at the final stage, like a sweet seasoning for your track.

If you’ve been thinking about a tube saturation plugin, this is a great chance to snag one at a discount.

That’s it for now—see you in the next post!