UAD Audio Plugins released Verve Analog Machines Essentials, an analog-style one-knob saturation plugin for Windows and macOS. The plugin is free to download until April 30th.
A saturation plugin from the DSP giants at Universal Audio is a reason to celebrate, but the good news doesn’t end there.
Universal Audio also offers a free copy of the Galaxy Tape Echo plugin to the first 6,176 users who claim Verve Analog Machines.
So, if you’re fast enough, you can grab two free UAD plugins in one day.
Verve Analog Machines Essentials
Verve Analog Machines Essentials is an analog saturation plugin by Universal Audio.
UAD is known for some of the best DSP codes on the VST plugin market, especially in the saturation department.
Their emulations of classic analog hardware, like the Neve 1073 and Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder, are as close as you can get to real hardware.
The new Verve Analog Machines Essentials plugin takes some of that DSP magic and packs it into a more playful and user-oriented one-knob plugin form. It simplifies the processing workflow and provides the user with four analog-style effects: Sweeten, Warm, Thicken, and Vintage.
Sweeten simulates the subtle saturation effect of reel-to-reel tape recorders. You can use it for gentle overdrive and some light compression. UAD recommends using it on vocals, instruments, and the mix bus.
I tested the Sweeten mode on a drum track in a hip-hop beat I’m working on, and it’s safe to say that it sounds excellent on drums. It glues the drums together and adds a bit of loudness without killing the transient.
You can also try adding more gain to make the plugin distort, but to my ears, it sounds best at moderate settings on drums and basslines.
Warm is another tape machine emulation. However, this one is more focused on the lo-fi tape sound of a 4-track recorder instead of the pristine audio quality of a reel-to-reel tape machine.
This is my favorite Verve Analog Machines Essentials mode. It sounds wonderfully lo-fi and is very easy to use. I applied it to an analog pad, and it instantly brought life with light saturation and noticeable but not too obvious pitch modulation. Warm won’t let you go crazy with lo-fi pitch artifacts like our BPB Dirty VHS plugin, but it shines as a more moderate effect. The trick is to apply it to multiple tracks across the mix and give your entire track a more analog feel.
Thicken
Thicken turns Verve Analog Machines Essentials into a gentle distortion box. It makes the sound fuller and gently overdriven without squashing the life out of it.
It’s the least interesting of the four available modes for me, but you can use it with great results on your rhythm section and the mix bus.
Vintagize
Lastly, the Vintagize mode simulates the sound of a semi-broken tape recorder you’d find in a thrift store or an old box in your parent’s basement.
As a big fan of lo-fi effects, I wasn’t blown away by Vintagize, mainly because it doesn’t sound any better than other similar plugins like Tape Cassette 2 and our free BPB Dirty VHS.
That said, if you don’t already own a bunch of lo-fi plugins, the Vintagize mode in Verve Analog Machines is an excellent starting point.
Free Download
You can download Verve Analog Machines Essentials from the product page below. The free download offer ends on April 30th.
Will you be able to keep using the plugin after April 30th? Yes, if you claimed your free Verve Analog Machines Essentials license before the deadline, you can keep using the plugin for free forever.
Verve Analog Machines Essentials is compatible with 64-bit VST, AU, and AAX plugin hosts on Windows and macOS. It is compatible with any DAW on the market and doesn’t require UAD hardware.
Download: Verve Analog Machines Essentials (FREE until April 30th!)
