Hi there! Currently, I’m slowly moving toward converting my beloved stomp boxes into digital. The first “client” happens to be the Moogerfooger which has a fantastic Drive section on the input. As I was playing with its model, I decided to release just this opamp/drive section as a standalone VST effect (still Win only, though).
The beauty of simple things 🙂
All in all, this freebie is a very simple thing. It’s basically just a gain knob that can saturate when pushed hard enough. But to add some little bells and whistles, I also included input trim (+/- 20 dB), an output volume knob, and peak metering for easier gain staging.
And that’s it.
As for how close it comes to the original … well, it distorts slightly less and the natural low pass that results from the simulation is, at lower sampling rates (48kHz and down), cramped as expected (which is however nothing that 96kHz would not cure).
But more importantly — soundwise it’s pretty convincing. Head to head, I managed to dial in some settings where I could not tell the difference between SN06-G and original. What’s more, even at lower sampling rates SN06-G matches the hardware more than -30dB in null test (the greatest culprit being the already mentioned difference in low pass).
And that’s probably the main reason why I decided to release the drive section separately, too (in addition to it becoming an integral component of future releases).
SN06/SN06-G comes in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors, with and without GUI.
Enjoy 😉
Sender Spike 
awesome!
but can you make GUI 2x times bigger and OUTPUT volume knob?
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Thanks for feedback. Here you go — https://senderspike.wordpress.com/2020/01/21/quick-update-sn06g-opamp-new-version-110/ 😉
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Hello Sender Spike,
I really appreciate all your vsts so far. Especially the tape recorder has become my favourite tool when I like to round kicks for e.g.
But one thing I wonder about is the measurering in your plugins. As far as I can see they do not show the values which relates to the actual db, hz, ms etc., do they? Is it, because you like the idea of adjusting sounds just by ear and not by typing in values? If so, that’s definitely fine for me.
But dealing with compressors and eq for example I also like to have the option to choose exact values sometimes. Have you ever thought of implementing such a feature in your tools?
Liebe Grüße from Dresden, Germany Sebastian
21.01.2020 02:49:52 Sender Spike :
> > senderspike posted: ” Hi there! Currently, I’m slowly moving toward converting my beloved stomp boxes into digital. The first “client” happens to be the Moogerfooger which has a fantastic Drive section on the input. As I was playing with its model, I decided to release just t” > >
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Thanks very much for feedback. Text input for all parameters (and all plug-ins) is something that is in my TODO list for quite some time. I just always postponed it 😳 Currently, there are text inputs only in EQ (all parameters, except those that are fixed/stepped), gain/ceiling parameters in limiter, and drive/volume parameters in opamp (those numeric readouts are clickable and editable). Rest of the controls I deemed not so critical in terms of precision input (and I’m no “purist” by any means), but the plan is to add text input there, too. Anyway, thanks once more 😉
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And you keep bringing the goodies, never change man 😀
Btw, won’t you add an output knob?
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OK, I won’t 😀 As for output knob, here you go — https://senderspike.wordpress.com/2020/01/21/quick-update-sn06g-opamp-new-version-110/ 😉
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And also if I may make another suggestions: input-output ganged together. Internaly compensated the more input the less output in same level. And in GUI finer output knob for further tweaking of output.
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very good idea!
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Thanks for feedback. Personally I hate auto gain features in plug-ins and always switch it off (I’m like, “Hey, plug-in I will tell you when I want the gain to change” 😆 ). That’s why I didn’t bother with it until now. Anyway, thanks for suggestion, it goes into my TODO list. As for finer mouse input — I already tried to somewhat improve the default VST SDK behavior (mouse input status was raised from “clumsy/fiddly” to “slightly fiddly” with second iteration through SN plug-ins), but to make it behave the way you see in plug-ins with really polished GUIs is not that trivial as it turned out. For now, I mitigated this problem with text edits for precision input. But rest assured, it is something that I’d like to improve on. It’s just not a priority. Anyway, thanks once again for feedback.
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By finer output I mean same mouser behaviour but not +-32. +-12 should be sufficient if you will make ganged input-output.
My first comment is missing. I thanked you for great plugin with usefull sound. To make it even better would you please consider steep “invisible” antialiasing filter to get also clean harmonics for higher freq spectrum? Tested with sine sweeps and see harmonics are bouncing back to mid frequencies when you go to higher sine freq.
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Ah yeah, +32 is indeed ridiculous whether input and output are ganged or not. It was a quick addition after some request to add output control so I rather erred on the “safe” side. Still, precision mouse input in the vein I described it is something that intrigues me 😀
As for aliasing. You may find a previous conversation here where we discussed that SN06 does not alias. Well, as you found and pointed out, this is not exactly the case, but — when I made previous, very brief, checks I didn’t go to extremes. Now I did. From what I saw, up to ca. 13kHz with sine at -10dBFS aliasing is practically a non issue. Some partials are reflected back but peak around -100dBFS and there is also some IMD above fundamental that peaks around -110dBFS. But yes, there is one nasty harmonic that gets reflected back below fundamental and peaks around -60dBFS when you move the fundamental above 13kHz (it already starts around 10kHz, but until 13kHz is reflected above fundamental). I admit, on graph it looks alarming, but I dare to say that for all practical purposes it’s a non issue. There is not much meaningful musical info in those regions either way, and all distortions (analog and digital alike) sound like shit up there, whether they alias or not. Btw. you should check SN03’s aliasing — you would be horrified 😆 Yet, to my ears it’s the best tape sim I know (I never tried UAD stuff and the Waves Kramer though, and most probably never will because SN03 does all I need and more…well, I don’t expect it to serve coffee).
Still, I will probably look into it (read aliasing), but don’t hold your breath as for when. Also, one funny thing I realized going through this exercise is that I cannot hear above 17kHz. Good to know. Indeed, I’m no dolphin, neither a bat 😆 Anyway, thanks for feedback, it’s much appreciated 😉
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This plugin 64-bit free, it’s not just for synthesizers, it perfectly works great for mix buss glue enhancer to mastering on the master buss. It’s gives loudness life, it’s a maybe kind of VCA dynamic summing mix buss saturation, I’m fine it as a special gift for mix and mastering for gluing mixes together with clarity and warmth loudness. I love this plugin 64-bit free download, love u ladies and gentlemen.
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Sender spike I love your freeware plugins
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Dear eranmadi84 I love your enthusiasm. Also, finally I have the chance to thank you for all those favorable reviews over at KVR and ongoing support. Thank you very, very much 🙂
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Hi. Thank you very much for this superb series of useful plugins, really appreciated. Just a simple question: as it seems that the VST2 protocol is slowly being phased out, do you have plans on releasing VST3 versions of your plugins?
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Thanks. To be honest, I’d like to stay away from VST3 as long as I can, because it’s a mess. I’m really glad I kept my copy of the old SDK for all these years. As if I knew 😀 Btw. I doubt that VST2 will be axed anytime soon — VST3 SDK has still wrappers that allow production of VST2 plug-ins. With that being said, and to answer your question — no I don’t plan to release VST3 versions, but if VST2 support will be axed indeed, I’ll bite the bullet and make the transition.
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Generaly as I got it from reading and listening. Aliasing is one of main reason why digital processing mostly in contrast to analog gets these sound descriptions: harsh, grainy, fragile.
It is masking harmonics with almost “inaudible” inharmonic parts and makes the sound more full on disharmonics parts (which you almost cannot identify). It make audio fragile in further processing. So the problem is only magnifying in other processing.
Also bit reduction decimation was long time for audio dsp programmers in non hearable region but it if you take care in code and dither (even with the most basic noise) it will be more pleasant in the end. It does not loose spatial quality of tiny sounds which makes almost psychoacoustical difference you can sense and also meausure.
I know everything is also matter of CPU time and effectivity but I think solving these DSP problems will differentiate best plugins from the others. I would pay you for this plugin if it raises quality to be in top HW emulations. And I know this oversampling – filtering – decimation comes with CPU cost but is worth it. If it is good dsp implementation (transparent as it can be) it can only bring good things.
Keep at hard work and thank you because you are solo programmer with ears that also makes music which is a must and also rare in programming dsp for audio. Study, experiment, implement, listen, decide,….
Here is something to study if it can help you:
https://dspguru.com/dsp/faqs/multirate/
Click to access deip-original.pdf
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end/1131877-good-dither-practices-what-yours.html
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Check the manual and analize the plugin with PluginDoctor, This plugin actually doesn’t produce any Aliasing at all-
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I’m afraid Dansi is right. I don’t have PluginDoctor myself (tried the demo once, but after a few crashes while my PC was constantly trying to lift off I gave up on it — I stayed with VST Plugin Analyzer instead) I just fed SN06 with a sine and watched the activity in SPAN. There is one harmonic that travels down the freq. spectrum as you tune the sine up (we are talking ca. 11-13kHz here). If it’s not aliasing artifact, then I have no clue what it might be. Also, when you make the range of the analyzer window to go down to -200dBFS you will see some tiny, tiny peaks even with 1kHz sine (but that might be something else). The whole description of the “experiment” is in my previous reply to Dansi. All in all, it seems that there is some aliasing in SN06, but is essentially a non issue for all practical purposes. And of course this applies to sample rates 48kHz and down … I guess, as I didn’t bother to check it with higher sampling rates (my development rig has only max. 48kHz audio interface attached to it — I was lazy to switch on my main recording rig wich can go up to 96kHz).
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I remember when ten years ago I moved from 44.1/16bit to 48/24bit and was comparing various dithering algorithms. The lack of dithering after reduction to 16 bits was clearly audible. The differences between various algorithms not so much. So, yeah, I agree with this one. But nowadays I simply don’t downsample. I bounce everything at 48/24bit and let Bandcamp/Soundcloud/file converter or what have you do its thing (I skimmed through the GS thread and I’m with Fabien on this one).
As for aliasing, again I agree, it may pose a problem, then again it also may not. The issue is way overblown and there are a lot of popular myths around it even in the ranks of respected sound engineers (been faulty of falling for them myself).
Honestly, when I think about all these issues (not so long ago we had a heated debate about filter cramping/oversampling over at GS, which fall into this category too), moving to 96kHz/24bit makes more than sense — it solves all these problems (well, bit reduction is another matter).
Anyway, thanks for the links. I have something for you, too 😆
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I’m a Linux user and I love your plugins, but sadly the GUI versions all crash under WINE, so the only one i can actually use is the compressor… Could you please release GUIless versions for all of your plugins for us Linux addicted? 😉 Thank you very much for your work!
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It will take few days, but gladly 😉 And of course this does not apply to VU meter which depends entirely on its GUI. Btw. there already is also a GUI-less version of SN03 (tape sim), and I have to say in advance that using EQ in GUI-less mode will be a challenge.
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Thank you so very much! I will try to advertise your plugins as much as I can. Sorry, I didn’t notice SN03 already had a GUI-less version too. Regarding the EQ, I’m aware that using it won’t be very easy, but I will check it out. To tell you the truth, I was mostly drooling over SN03, 05 & 06, LOL! Thank you again for your work, I wish you all the best and I will keep hanging out here to check the news! 🙂
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I went on re your channel strip, neglecting to mention that your tape sim is indeed by far the most authentic-sounding of the several free/paid ones I have, and it also is the only one I use now. My…”songs”, blaahahaha, talk about using a term lightly :O :O all are filled w Sender Spike now. Kramer Tape; you’re not missing much. It doesn’t have that analog, round, pancake-producing quality which your tape sim has.
And now…While I was raiding your site once again, greedily snatching up more freebies n updates, I grabbed this “Op amp”. So, it’s a stompbox, then, a dirt box? Hey, cool! I’m not sure what it’s for, exactly…I’m lost….I want my mommy… ;(
JK it’s free, so thank you! I’ll find some abuse for it, I’m sure.
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Thanks again. As someone on GS called it, it’s a “preamp saturation” thing. Well, it’s an opamp after all. Depending on how hard you push it, it’s more or less an overdrive at best.
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Great sounding plugin! It really thickens up some thin sounding plexi VST’s.
What exact model of Moog pedal did you base the VST off of? I’m thinking of maybe adding it to my actual rig.
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Reposting this comment because I no longer see the original
What exact pedal did you base the VST off of?
I think it’s fantastic sounding and I love it! I want to get the same hardware version to add to my rig!
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Thanks, your previous comment didn’t show up because I have WP setup so that I have to approve all first time posters. Anyway, it’s Moogerfooger MF-102 Ring Modulator and it’s definitely in the category of keepers. Highly recommended — but that’s essentially true for the the whole MF line 😉
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