Trance saturation, explained.

Range 0 dB to 36 dB · Typical starting point 0 dB

How hard the signal is pushed into the saturation — the main control. A little adds harmonics and warmth; a lot turns to distortion. The curve steepens as you drive.

• Lower: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Higher: too hard and it turns to fizz and grit — the sound buries itself in distortion

Range -36 dB to 36 dB · Typical starting point 0 dB

Output gain to make up for the level the Drive adds. Match the bypassed loudness so you judge the harmonics, not a volume jump — saturation always sounds better just because it is louder.

• Lower: quieter than bypass — you wrongly think the saturation did nothing
• Higher: louder than bypass — louder always sounds warmer and better, match the bypassed level first

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 100%

Blends saturated with clean. Pull it back for parallel saturation — the clean source stays underneath while the harmonics add colour on top. The single best way to not destroy a sound.

• Drier: mostly the clean sound with just a hint of harmonics — the safe parallel way
• Fuller: all saturated — no clean signal left underneath to keep the tone honest

Range 30 Hz to 18000 Hz · Typical starting point 1000 Hz

With Color on, this is the frequency the pre-emphasis filter centres on — where the saturation bites hardest. Low for weight, high for presence and edge.

• Lower: focuses the harmonics low — adds weight and warmth to the bottom
• Higher: focuses them high — adds presence and air, but tips into harsh and fizzy fast

Range -100% to 100% · Typical starting point 0%

How much the low band is pushed into the saturation. Positive saturates the lows more (weight); negative pulls them out of it.

Range -100% to 100% · Typical starting point 0%

How much the high band is pushed into the saturation. Positive saturates the highs more (presence, edge); negative keeps them clean.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 30%

How wide the colour band is around the Frequency — narrow for a focused bite on one band, wide for a broad tilt.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 100%

Only active when Type is Waveshaper. Sets how hard the custom waveshaper is driven.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 50%

Waveshaper only — blends the curve toward a straight (linear) line. Higher = cleaner, less shaping.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 5%

Waveshaper only — bends the shape of the curve, changing the harmonic character.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 0%

Waveshaper only — flattens the curve around zero, taming the smallest signals.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 0%

Waveshaper only — adds ripples to the curve for a richer, more complex harmonic series.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 0%

Waveshaper only — sets how many ripples Depth adds across the curve.

The waveshape — the character of the saturation. Analog Clip is the warm, rounded all-rounder; Digital Clip is the hard, bright one; Soft Sine, Medium and Hard Curve soften the clip by degrees (warmer, smoother); Sinoid Fold wraps the wave for wild special-effect tones; Waveshaper is the fully custom mode (the params on the right).

A final clip stage after the saturation. No Clip lets peaks through; Soft and Hard Clip catch anything still poking over, a safety net or extra edge. Subtle — leave it off unless you need the ceiling.

Switches on the two pre-emphasis filters (Amt Lo / Amt Hi / Frequency / Width). They tilt which frequencies get pushed into the saturation hardest — so you can drive the highs for air without muddying the lows, or weight the lows without fizzing the top. Off = the whole signal saturates evenly. Mix Lock shows the Color section simplified as a low/high tilt; in Live it is Base / Freq / Width / Depth.

Drive

4 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

2500 Hz

Send the kick to a return with Saturator, push Drive for click and harmonic bite, then turn Amt Lo down so the saturation skips your low end. Blend the return up under the dry kick until it still speaks on phones but the punch and clean sub stay intact.

A touch — add click and harmonics so it cuts on small speakers, or a little weight.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: too hard and the sub turns to buzz — the kick buries itself in fizz
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry just slips a little grit under the clean kick — keeps the thump safe
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet throws the clean kick away — only the gritty distorted version is left
• Output, too low: set under bypass the kick comes back quieter — the grit sounds weaker than it is
• Output, too high: set above bypass the louder kick reads warmer and fatter — match the level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it warms and thickens the body — adds weight without touching the click
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it sharpens the click — but tips into fizz and harsh edge fast

Drive

8 dB

Output

-1 dB

Dry/Wet

60%

Color · Frequency

4000 Hz

On the Mix Lock template, leave the sub clean — it stays one simple low sine and the harmonics that let the bassline read on phones live on the Off-Beat Harmonic / Main Mid-Bass layer ABOVE the sub, so saturate there, not here. Working outside that template? Duplicate the sub, high-pass the lows out of the copy, saturate only that copy and blend it in — the clean sub underneath never gets touched.

Not on the sub itself — keep it clean and harmonically simple. The harmonics that translate belong on the Mid-Bass layer above it.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but the sub still vanishes on phones
• Drive, too high: too hard and the sub turns to fizz and buzz — the clean low drowns in grit
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry just kisses harmonics under the sub — the safe touch that keeps the weight
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet throws the clean low away — only the buzzy harmonic ghost is left
• Output, too low: set under bypass and the sub reads thinner than it is — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: set over bypass and the sub just sounds bigger from the level — match bypass or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: aimed low it piles weight onto a sub that is already all low — no extra audibility, just mud
• Color · Frequency, too high: aimed high it grows the harmonics that make the sub cut on phones — push too far and they fizz

Drive

8 dB

Output

-1 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

2500 Hz

Switch Color on and push Amt Hi up with the Frequency parked in the upper-mids, so the saturation bites on the growl harmonics where the reese movement lives; leave Amt Lo flat or slightly negative so the fundamental stays clean and does not fizz. Then ease Dry/Wet back until the moving grit reads present and aggressive but the clean weight still sits underneath.

Often — grit and presence so a moving bass cuts and bites.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: too hard and it turns to fizz and grit — the growl buries itself in distortion
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry just tucks a little grit under the clean bass — the safe, honest blend
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet throws the clean tone away — the weight thins out and the movement smears
• Output, too low: set quieter than bypass and it under-sells itself — you swear it did nothing
• Output, too high: set louder than bypass and louder just sounds warmer — match the bypassed level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it just adds warmth the fundamental already has — the harmonics get buried, none of it helps the bass cut
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it lights up the harmonics that cut — but tips into harsh and fizzy fast, masking the growl

Drive

3 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

1500 Hz

Switch the Color section on and bring its Freq up out of the sub so the saturation warms the harmonics across the low-mids and leaves the fundamental clean underneath. Keep Dry/Wet low so it reads as gentle glue on the whole bass group, not a tone change on any one part.

Light — a little warmth and harmonic cohesion across the low end.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: too hard and the bass turns to buzz — it loses its weight and body in the grit
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry keeps the clean bass with a hint of harmonics underneath — the safe blend
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet trades the solid clean low for buzz — harsh up top, no anchor left
• Output, too low: quieter than bypass under-sells the warmth — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: louder than bypass just sounds warmer because it is louder — match the bypass level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it adds weight and warmth — fuller, but pile it on and the low end muds up
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it adds presence so the bass reads on phones and laptops — push it and the top fizzes

Drive

6 dB

Output

-1 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

3000 Hz

Switch Color on and turn Amt Hi up as you set the Frequency into the presence range, so the harmonics land up high where the hook needs to cut instead of down in the body. Keep Drive modest and let Amt Hi do the cutting, so you add edge without fizzing the tone.

Usually — warmth, drive and presence so the hook cuts over a busy mix.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: driven too hard the lead turns to fizz and buzz — the tone buries itself in grit
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry it just glazes a little warmth under the lead — the safe way to keep the tone
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet and no clean lead is left — only the rasping, one-dimensional distorted version
• Output, too low: trimmed too low it under-sells the grit — you think it did nothing and chase more drive
• Output, too high: pushed past bypass it just sounds warmer because it is louder — match the level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: weighted low it thickens and warms the body — but blunts the bite that lets the hook cut
• Color · Frequency, too high: weighted high it adds presence and edge fast — then tips into harsh, fizzy and fatiguing

Drive

5 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

4000 Hz

Keep Drive light and switch on Color, then set its Freq up in the upper-mid bite where the pluck speaks so the grit lands on the edge and not the body. Ease Dry/Wet back a touch only if it starts to thicken, the fast attack survives because you are barely driving it, not because of any blend.

Sometimes — bite and edge so a pluck pokes through.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: too hard and it turns to fizz and grit — the snap buries itself in distortion
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry is the safe touch — clean snap on top, just a little harmonic bite underneath
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet kills the clean attack — all grind, the snap loses its point
• Output, too low: set quieter than bypass and the bite goes timid — match the level or you will undersell it
• Output, too high: pushed past bypass it reads warmer and sharper — that is the level fooling you, not the harmonics
• Color · Frequency, too low: aimed low it warms the body but the pluck stops cutting — no extra edge up top
• Color · Frequency, too high: aimed high it gains presence and edge — but lean on it and it goes thin and brittle

Drive

2 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

50%

Color · Frequency

1000 Hz

On a smooth pad this is a whisper, not a feature: add Saturator set to Analog Clip with a gentle Drive, then in the Color section move the Freq up into the highs so the drive leans on the top of the chords for a hint of air. Keep Dry/Wet low so the clean pad stays out front, and if you cannot hear it adding air, switch it off rather than fizzing the top.

Light or none — gentle analog warmth; pads are already smooth.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: driven too hard the pad turns gritty and boxy — the lush smoothness buries itself in fizz
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry it is just your clean chords with a faint warmth underneath — the safe touch
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet leaves no clean pad left — all harmonics, the soft bloom is gone
• Output, too low: set quieter than bypass and it under-sells the warmth — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: louder than bypass it just sounds fuller for being louder — match the bypassed level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it adds weight and body under the chords — warm, never harsh, the gentle move
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it adds air but tips to harsh and fizzy fast — the pad goes thin and brittle

Drive

12 dB

Output

-2 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

2000 Hz

This is the one source you push without apology: drive Saturator hard into Analog Clip or Hard Curve for the screaming, biting edge, and only drop to Soft Sine if it is getting too harsh and you want the squelch rounder. Then pull Output down to put the level back where it was.

Yes — saturation is core to the acid sound. Grit, drive, aggression.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, when grit is the whole point of acid
• Drive, too high: too hard and the 303 turns to fizz — the squelch drowns in distortion
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry just dirties the line a touch — safe parallel grit under the clean acid
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet and only the saturated tone is left — no clean squelch to anchor it
• Output, too low: set under bypass it under-sells the grit — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: left over bypass it just sounds warmer — match the bypassed level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it adds weight under the line — warmer, but it muddies the acid bite
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it gets edge and air — but the resonance tips into harsh fizz fast

Drive

4 dB

Output

-1 dB

Dry/Wet

70%

Color · Frequency

5000 Hz

Switch on Color and lift Depth on the high band, then sweep Freq up into the presence and air range so the added harmonics land where the vocal cuts through the synths, not in the body. Keep Dry/Wet low so the clean vocal stays underneath and you are just glazing the top, not reshaping the tone.

A touch — warmth, presence and air; helps a vocal sit.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: driven too hard and the voice fizzes and frays — natural tone buried in grit
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry leaves a whisper of harmonics under the voice — safe, and where a lead usually wants to sit
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet throws the clean voice away — all colour and grit, the natural sound gone
• Output, too low: trimmed quieter than bypass and the warmth seems to vanish — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: nudged louder than bypass and it just sounds bigger and warmer — louder always flatters, so it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: harmonics aimed low add weight and chest — warm, but the air and presence you wanted never arrive
• Color · Frequency, too high: harmonics aimed high lift presence and air — push it and the voice turns harsh and sibilant fast

Drive

8 dB

Output

-1 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

3000 Hz

These chops already carry their own grit, so shape rather than add: run it parallel on a low Dry/Wet, turn on Color, and nudge the second filter Freq up high so the wet path lays a thin sheen on top that helps them cut, while the clean chops underneath keep the body and the lows stay out of it. If they already cut, the honest answer is none.

Often — character, edge, lo-fi grit to make chops a rhythmic part.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: driven too hard it turns to fizz and grit — the chop smears and goes unintelligible
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry only a hint of grit underneath — warms the chop without losing the words
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet and nothing clean is left — the chop turns raspy and synthetic
• Output, too low: quieter than bypass and the grit sounds weak — you think it did nothing
• Output, too high: louder than bypass and it fakes warmth — match the level or your ears get fooled
• Color · Frequency, too low: harmonics aimed low and it just thickens and dulls — the chop loses its rhythmic bite
• Color · Frequency, too high: harmonics aimed high and it gets edgy and present — but turns harsh and fizzy fast

Drive

3 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

80%

Color · Frequency

2000 Hz

Run it parallel and reach for a gentle curve, Soft Sine or Medium, not Analog Clip, since you want rounded warmth across the kit rather than hard clipping that flattens the hits. Ease Drive up until the harmonics just thicken, then pull Dry/Wet well back so the clean transients stay out front. The blend is doing the work, so keep it a whisper.

Light — analog glue, warmth and weight across the kit.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: driven too hard the kit turns to fizz and grit — the kick loses its punch
• Dry/Wet, too low: kept mostly dry it leaves the clean kit with just a hint of warmth underneath
• Dry/Wet, too high: pushed full wet the clean kit is gone — only harsh fizzy harmonics left, no snap
• Output, too low: set quieter than bypass it under-sells the warmth — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: left louder than bypass the kit sounds warmer and fatter — but only because it is louder
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it adds weight and warmth to the kick and the body of the kit
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it sharpens the hats and cymbal tops — but tips into harsh and fizzy fast

Drive

2 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

70%

Color · Frequency

2000 Hz

Skip Analog Clip here, it adds harmonics you can point to, which is the opposite of what a stacked synth layer wants. Pick one of the soft drive curves instead, run it parallel: nudge Drive up just until the separate synths read as one body, then pull Dry/Wet back so it sits under the clean sum. If the top synth gets fizzy as you drive, ease Color down to keep the warmth low and let the lead breathe.

Light — warmth and harmonic cohesion across the synths.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: too hard and the synth layer turns to fizz and grit — it buries itself in distortion
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry it just warms the tone underneath — the safe way to cohere the synths
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet leaves no clean signal — the layer sounds over-cooked and harsh, the natural tone gone
• Output, too low: set quieter than bypass it under-sells the warmth — you wrongly think it did nothing
• Output, too high: set louder than bypass it always sounds warmer — match the bypassed level or it fools you
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low it warms the body of the synths — fuller low-mids, no edge added up top
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high the top of the synths goes harsh and fizzy fast — presence tips into brittle

Drive

1.5 dB

Output

0 dB

Dry/Wet

40%

Color · Frequency

1500 Hz

Treat this as glue you sense, not loudness you hear: set Type to Analog Clip, ease Drive up just a hair, then pull Dry/Wet well back so the clean mix sits underneath. Switch on Color and bring Amt Lo down so the drive favours the mids and air, keeping the warmth off your kick and sub.

A hair, or none — gentle harmonic density and analog glue across the mix.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — clean, but you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: too hard and the whole mix turns to fizz and grit — every element buries itself in distortion
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry, just a whisper of harmonics under the mix — the safe colour you can leave there
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet and the clean mix is gone — every track wears the same fizz at once
• Output, too low: trimmed below bypass and the colour vanishes — you swear it did nothing and pull it off
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass it sounds warmer and fuller — but that is just louder fooling you, match the bypass
• Color · Frequency, too low: weighted low it thickens the bottom end — quiet body and warmth under the mix
• Color · Frequency, too high: weighted high it adds air and edge up top — but the whole mix turns harsh and fizzy fast

Drive

6 dB

Output

-1 dB

Dry/Wet

100%

Color · Frequency

2000 Hz

Pick one of the softer waveshaping Types (not Analog Clip, which just fizzes a diffuse tail), bring Drive up only until the trail starts to feel grainy, then use Dry/Wet to fold that grit back under the clean tail so it reads as vintage character not distortion. Pull a little top off with Color if the wet starts to hiss in the gaps.

Sometimes — lo-fi vintage character and grit on the wet tails.

• Drive, too low: barely pushed it adds almost nothing — the tail stays clean, you may as well bypass it
• Drive, too high: driven hard the space turns to fizz and noise — the tail buries itself in static
• Dry/Wet, too low: mostly dry it just dusts the tail — a hint of grit under an otherwise clean space
• Dry/Wet, too high: full wet leaves no clean tail — only the gritted, lo-fi version of the space
• Output, too low: trimmed quiet the tail drops below bypass — it reads as nothing happening
• Output, too high: pushed loud the warmer tail flatters you — level-match the bypass to hear it true
• Color · Frequency, too low: focused low the grit thickens underneath — weight and warmth down in the tail
• Color · Frequency, too high: focused high it adds air and edge fast — the tail goes harsh and fizzy in a breath