Saturator
Stoke Saturator
One sound. Four knobs. Measured.
Saturation with Drive, Tone, Mix and Output. Turn up the character, blend it back into the track, and use Auto to compensate as Drive changes.
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VST3 / AU / AAX · macOS & Windows · v0.2.0
Read the Stoke manualIN MOTION
Stoke, running.
IN YOUR SESSION
Drive the tone, then compare the level.
Stoke keeps an aligned dry path and generates saturation in a separate harmonic contribution. Drive changes the character continuously; Tone tilts the processed signal, Mix sets its contribution and Output sets the final level. Auto uses a calibrated curve to limit the level change as Drive rises. Input calibration adjusts the circuit’s operating point to the source.
THE LISTENING ROOM
Listen to Stoke.
One performance. Two perspectives. Loudness matched.
Drive at 75%, neutral tone, 100% wet.
About this demo
Rendered through Stoke Saturator 0.1.2 on macOS. Input and processed excerpts are matched in loudness. Switching keeps your place.
Open input audio ↗Open processed audio ↗A CLOSER LOOK
Inside Stoke.
Four knobs, one row
Drive on the left under its coal, Tone, Mix and Output on the right, AUTO and POWER beneath them. Seven parameters in all.
The coal is measured
The ring responds to measured added-harmonic energy. This capture shows DRIVE at 95%.
Type the exact value
Click any readout and type. Return commits as one host gesture, Escape writes nothing. Tone in dB, Mix in percent, Output in dB.
All features & controls
- One deeply tuned analog-style voice; Drive morphs it continuously
- Four knobs: Drive, Tone, Mix, Output; Auto and Power; seven parameters in all
- Dry path is a bit-exact delay line; every harmonic lives in a separately generated residual
- Recorded 808, kick and bassline tests keep 20–120 Hz energy within ±0.5 dB at Drive 50% with neutral Tone and Output
- Recorded kick and snare tests keep crest reduction within 1 dB at Drive 50% and 4 dB at Drive 100%
- Recorded aliasing result: −131 dBFS at full Drive with a 10 kHz sine
- With AUTO on, recorded program and bassline tests stay within ±0.5 LU at Drive 20%, 60% and 100%
- AUTO is tested at three input scales spanning approximately 24 dB
- Input calibration tracks program loudness with BS.1770 weighting and normalizes the drive operating point
- Program-dependent bias gives sustained material a slight bloom
- Transient-aware ease protects the first milliseconds of every hit
- Power off passes aligned dry. At Output 0 dB, Mix 0 nulls against aligned dry; Drive 0 also nulls with Tone 0 dB
- 6 samples, or 0.125 ms at 48 kHz, reported to the host for delay compensation
- 12 source-named starting points
- AU, VST3 and AAX on macOS; VST3 and AAX on Windows
Compare with Auto
AUTO uses a calibrated static compensation curve. Compare the level in your session as you adjust Drive.
Twelve starting points
The strip across the top steps through twelve source-named starting points. It reads Custom whenever the knobs match none of them, and each one sets the four sound knobs and re-arms Auto and Power.
Power off is a null
The line says POWER OFF and both readings match. The input passes bit-exactly at 6 samples of reported latency.
Recorded measurements and test conditions
| Claim | Measured | The test |
|---|---|---|
| Low-frequency energy | 20–120 Hz within ±0.5 dB at Drive 50%, neutral Tone and Output; recorded 808, kick and bassline tests | ContractTests low-end |
| Transient crest | Recorded kick/snare crest reduction within 1 dB at Drive 50% and 4 dB at Drive 100% | ContractTests transient |
| Measured aliasing | Recorded −131 dBFS at full Drive with a 10 kHz sine; test limit below −90 dBFS | ContractTests alias |
| Loudness compensation | With Auto: ±0.5 LU on program and bassline tests at Drive 20%, 60% and 100%, at three input scales spanning approximately 24 dB | ContractTests equal-loudness grid |
| Honest bypass | Power off passes aligned dry. At Output 0 dB, Mix 0 nulls against aligned dry; Drive 0 also nulls with Tone 0 dB | EngineTests null family |
| Tiny latency, reported exactly | 6 samples, 0.125 ms at 48 kHz, verified by impulse cross-correlation | EngineTests latency |
Put it to work.
Drums and drum buses
Recorded kick and snare tests keep crest reduction within 1 dB at Drive 50% and 4 dB at Drive 100%.
808s, kick and bass
Recorded 808, kick and bassline tests keep 20–120 Hz energy within ±0.5 dB at Drive 50% with neutral Tone and Output.
Vocals, keys and guitars
Push Drive for density, keep AUTO on to compensate the level change, then compare with POWER.
Everywhere at once
One voice and seven parameters, with input calibration to adapt the drive circuit to your source.
THE DETAILS
Fits your setup.
- Controls
- Drive · Tone · Mix · Output · Auto · Power
- Parameters
- 7
- Starting points
- 12, named for sources
- Low end
- Recorded 808, kick and bassline tests: 20–120 Hz within ±0.5 dB at Drive 50%, neutral Tone and Output
- Aliasing floor
- Recorded −131 dBFS at full Drive with a 10 kHz sine
- Loudness
- Recorded program and bassline tests: ±0.5 LU with Auto, Drive 20%/60%/100%, three input scales spanning approximately 24 dB
- Bypass
- Power off passes aligned dry. At Output 0 dB, Mix 0 nulls; Drive 0 also nulls with Tone 0 dB
- Latency
- 6 samples, 0.125 ms at 48 kHz, reported exactly
- Formats
- VST3 and AAX on macOS and Windows · AU on macOS
- Platforms
- Windows 10+ (64-bit) · macOS 10.15+ Intel / 11+ Apple Silicon
- Made in
- Studio 4, Cleveland OH
- Windows
- Windows 10 or later, 64-bit. VST3, AAX, Standalone.
- macOS
- macOS 10.15 or later on Intel; macOS 11 or later on Apple Silicon. AU, VST3, AAX.
- Hosts
- A 64-bit host supporting your platform’s plugin format. Your DAW may require a newer operating system.
Use it in Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, FL Studio, REAPER, Bitwig Studio, and other compatible hosts.
Find the right format for your DAW ↗Questions about Stoke.
Does Drive change the low end?
Recorded 808, kick and bassline tests keep 20–120 Hz energy within ±0.5 dB at Drive 50% with neutral Tone and Output. Tone and Output can intentionally change the balance and level.
Does it get louder as I push it?
With AUTO on, the recorded program and bassline tests stay within ±0.5 LU at Drive 20%, 60% and 100%, across three input scales spanning approximately 24 dB. Compare the level in your own session as you adjust the controls.
How much latency does it add?
6 samples, or 0.125 ms at 48 kHz, reported to the host for delay compensation.
Are there modes or styles to choose?
No. Drive morphs one continuous voice: mostly second-order warmth low on the dial, controlled upper harmonics arriving as you push, with a spectral ceiling that darkens slightly as drive rises.
Which formats and platforms?
AU, VST3 and AAX on macOS; VST3 and AAX on Windows. Check the system requirements and your DAW’s supported formats.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every released Vitric plugin has a free 3 day trial with every feature available during the trial window. Trials require an internet connection for periodic verification; purchased perpetual licenses work offline. Get the installer and your machine-bound trial license from the downloads page. At the signed expiry, audio processing and generated MIDI lock until you install a purchased license or a valid subscription grant. The plugin can still load so projects and saved settings are not deleted.
PART OF THE COLLECTION
Stoke, in a bundle.
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Hear it in your own session.
Stoke. Free, with a full license.
No card required. Your full license arrives by email.