The Kiss of Shame is an analog tape degradation plugin originally developed in 2014 but never released – until now! This week’s collection of the best free plugins also features a handy transient shaper and a saturator. Enjoy!
Matthijs Hollemans The Kiss Of Shame: Tape Degradation
The Kiss of Shame is a fantastic analog tape degradation plugin originally developed ten years ago by Eros Marcello and friends. At the time, however, it was never finished or released. Developer Matthijs Hollemans has dug up the code as part of his “plugin archeology project”, updated it to JUCE 7, and got The Kiss of Shame running again on current systems.
According to the developers, TKOS was one of the first tape emulations to realistically model the instability of the magnetic particles in the tape. It also emulates things like lubricant loss, deformation, and even reel expansion and contraction. With this level of detail, it’s great for bringing your tracks to life through the subtle inconsistencies of slightly degraded analog tape.
The Kiss of Shame not only lets you adjust the type and age of the tape, but also the environment in which it was stored. The big Shame knob in the center adds artifacts like drift, wow, and flutter. There’s also a hiss control, a switchable print-through emulation, as well as a blend knob for adding just the right amount of effect. Awesome!
The Kiss of Shame is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.
Audec Transient: Transient Shaper
Audec Transient is a transient shaper with a handy waveform graph that shows you what’s going on. The input and output signals are displayed simultaneously, so it’s easy to see what the plugin is doing and how it is affecting the envelope of your signal.
Like most transient shapers, Transient allows you to adjust the time and gain for both the attack and release phases. This makes it easy to shape the punch and body of drum tracks, for example. In addition to this, Transient offers a clipper with adjustable hardness.
Transient is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.
Bansaw Crown Music Band Saturator Free: Saturator with 3 Modes
Band Saturator Free by Bansaw Crown is a free saturation plugin with a choice of three modes (or “flavors”, as the developer puts it). Use it on single tracks, drums, vocals, or even the entire mix. In addition to the saturation stage, the plugin offers a sweepable pre/post filter with resonance. Moreover, there’s also a hard or soft clipper for an extra helping of punchiness. If you like it, you can upgrade to Band Saturator Pro ($39.99), which adds four additional flavors and adjustable oversampling.
Band Saturator Free is available for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
**Looking for more free plugins like The Kiss of Shame, Transient, and Band Saturator Free? Check out our archive!
Image Sources:
- The Kiss of Shame: Matthijs Hollemans
