Saturate is the Spectral Clipper algorithm made popular from the Eventide Elevate Mastering Limiter.

Two controls belie a sophisticated signal processing engine that allows Elevate to overdrive a signal without changing tonal balance. Up to 24dB of overdrive can be applied without becoming ‘tubby’ or muffled. Additionally, the Shape control allows you to smoothly morph between hard clipping and the mathematically smoothest curve.

Any audio signal can be broken down into a number of sine waves at different frequencies. When overdriven, the higher amplitude low frequencies can swamp the midrange and higher frequencies causing signals under heavy overdrive to lose some finer detail. This is because the lower amplitude sine waves of the midrange and high frequencies are being removed by the saturator when the low frequencies are at the top and bottom of their swing. This causes shifts in the tonal balance that are dependent on the frequency content of the signal.

Saturate uses Spectral Clipper technology to return this finer detail back into the saturated signal. The signal is still saturated based on the curve, but the sine waves at different frequencies are treated independently, meaning that the large low frequencies don’t crowd out the finer detail frequencies, and that the tonal balance at the output is the same as the input, with only harmonics added.

Key features:

• Saturation plug-in for single tracks or entire mix.
• Smoothly adjust from the softest to the hardest possible clipping shape.
• Spectral Clipper maintains tonal balance.
• Independent input and output levels, with auto output level scaling.
• Saturation Curve Display and Meter.
• Input and Output metering show peak and rms.

More: www.eventideaudio.com