Welcome to Looptorrent. This blog post will explore the Black Salt Audio plugin bundle, a collection of powerful tools designed for mixing and mastering. This bundle includes three plugins: the Clipper VST, Escalator, and Oxygen.
In this blog, we’ll cover the standout features of these plugins, their applications, and how they can transform your tracks. Let’s dive into the first plugin—Clipper VST.
1. Clipper VST: Loudness Without Losing Punch
Clipper VST is a pretty simple and easy-to-use plugin. It is an amplifier that loudens and thickens the sound without crushing the transients. Its purpose and features are outlined below.
Key Features:
- One-Knob Simplicity: The Clipper VST has a single input Gain knob and a Clipper Fader.
- Digital Clipping Algorithm: This advanced algorithm preserves the transients and punch.
- Ease of Use: This plugin is easy to use and avoids complex dials.
- Metering: This amplifier also has a digital meter that shows the audio level to avoid clipping.
Why You will Love it:
I have used many clipping plugins, but I felt that all of them were crushing the transients and causing the punch of the sound, especially when I used them on the drums sounds. With this plugin, I realized that it was pretty transparent to the transient sounds. This is a plus point for this plugin.
2. Escalator: Adding the Warmth and Presence
The Escalator is also a one-knob plugin. The plugin’s main function is to add analog warmth and character to the sound. The working mechanism is similar to the FL Studio 24 sound goodlizer plugin, combining compression, saturation, and distortion to process the sound.
How to Use This Plugin: A Simple Guide
As this is a one-knob plugin, it is simple to use. A simple two-step guide is given below.
1. Drag and Drop:
Start by dragging the plugin from your DAW’s manager and dropping it onto the desired track.
2. Turn the Knob:
The plugin features a single knob for control. Gradually turn the knob up to hear its effect on the audio.
Applications:
The Escalator can be used on almost any element of your mix:
- Add punch to drums.
- Enhance vocal presence.
- Enrich basslines, pads, strings, and more.
Pro Tips:
- Avoid overusing this plugin. Otherwise, your transients will be compromised. It may also introduce unwanted distortion.
- Always use your ears to find a sweet spot to preserve the transients or punch.
3. Oxygen Plugin: Add Air, Bite, and Punch to Your Mix
The Oxygen VST by the black salt audio is designed to shape transients, add compression, and enhance high-end frequencies. Here are a few factors that set this plugin apart from the traditional EQ vsts.
Modes:
1. Bite Mode:
- It focuses on the high-end frequencies to add clarity and punch to the sound.
- This mode suits the vocals, cymbals, and drums to make them cut through the mix.
2. Presence Mode:
- This mode focuses on the mid-range frequencies to add body and warmth to the signal.
- This mode suits the vocals, snares, and guitars that sound thin.
3. Air Mode:
- This mode focuses on the ultra-high frequencies (above 10kHz) for a 3D, brightened effect.
- Excellent for adding a sense of space and airiness to vocals or reverb tails.
Controls:
- Oxygen Knob: Controls the dry/wet balance, allowing you to fine-tune the plugin’s effect on your sound.
- Unique Algorithm: Prevents distortion or harshness, even when boosting frequencies aggressively.
Pro Tip
For best results, try using Air Mode on the wet signal of your reverb to create a lush, spacious sound.
Black Salt Audio Silencer:
Silencer vst is a gate that is mainly designed to control the cymbal bleed. The Cymbal Bleed is a condition in which the sound of the cymbal is recorded in the audio recording of another instrument unintentionally. These phenomena occur when a bunch of instruments are recorded together.
For example, a microphone near a snare drum may also pick up sound from nearby cymbals, such as hi-hats or crashes.
Features:
Advanced De-Bleeding Circuit
Normal gate plugins usually reduce the sound of noise. But this plugin has an advanced de-bleeding circuit that reduces disturbing high-end frequencies while preserving the attack, tone, and body of the
original sound.
Visual Feedback
This tool has a simple interface and visual feedback in the center of the plugin. It differentiates the original hits from the bleed and shows this to the user.
How Does it Work?
This plugin’s workings are similar but different from those of traditional gate plugins. You should know about a few controls to master this plugin.
Instrument Mode:
This plugin’s algorithm trains for different high-frequency elements such as snares and hi-hats. So before setting a control, the user should select the instrument to apply the plugin.
Reduction Knob:
This knob is used to decide the amount of reduction of frequencies when the gate is closed.
De Bleed Knob:
This knob is used to tweak the bleeding frequency.
Technical Details & System Requirements
- Developer: Black Salt Audio
- Formats: STANDALONE, VST, VST3, AAX
- Bit Depth: 64-bit
- System Requirements: Windows 10 or higher
- Download Size: 163.3 MB
Conclusion :
The Black Salt Audio plugin bundle targets producers, composers, and songwriters. From the simplicity of Clipper VST to the versatility of Escalator and the sound-shaping power of Oxygen VST, these tools aim to make your music stand out.
These plugins are designed to be applied to the vocals, drums, or entire mixes, and they deliver exceptional results with minimal effort.
Download your free trial and experience the difference yourself.
Citations:
“Silencer is one of the best and most intuitive drum gates I’ve ever used. I highly recommend it. Great work BSA!”
BY : Andy Sneap (Killswitch Engage, Dream Theatre, Fear Factory)
“Silencer solves the biggest and most frustrating problem that mixers face when mixing live drums. It has absolutely earned permanent residence on my close mic drum tracks.”
BY : Nick Sampson
“Silencer does exactly what its name implies, and super well I might add. The ghostnote and the sidechain feature make it the best of many gates all in one.”
BY : Sam Guaiana
Personal Experience:
I am writing this review to help those who are interested in this bundle. This review is not sponsored nor affiliated.
I have been using this plugin bundle for a couple of years, and during this, I released some pros and cons that I will discuss now.
Pros:
- Most of the plugins in this bundle are one-knob plugins. I like one-knob plugins as they are simple to use, offer quick results, and save time while producing, whereas I usually focus less on mixing.
- The parent company of this plugin bundle claims that their plugins offer high-quality processing, and I also realized this every time I used the oxygen plugin. It is good for adding polish to the sound without causing harshness.
- This plugin bundle is cost-effective, making it suitable for independent music producers like me.
- I use a PC when I am at home and a laptop when I am traveling. I have installed only lightweight plugins on my laptop, and this bundle is one of them, as I realized they have low weight on the processor.
- I have used many clipping plugins, but I always ended up with unwanted saturation when I pushed them a bit further, but not with the clipper vst. It was also smooth when I pushed its limits.
Cons:
- The company claims that its plugin bundle can be used for mixing, but I think it is unsuitable. Mixing needs detailed processing, and these plugins are one knob. They lack advanced controls except for a few plugins in this bundle.
- Escalator is one of those plugins in this bundle that leads to unwanted saturation at the high-end frequencies when I push it far from its limit.
- These plugins are cost-effective when bought individually and on the other hand, the full bundle is not cost-effective
