Mixing 808s often means adding saturation to give them more punch, power and character, especially in rap music. But what are the ideal plugins to do this? In this article, I give you my top 6 saturation plugins for mixing 808s.
The top 6 saturation plugins for 808s are:
- FabFilter Saturn 2
- iZotope Trash 2
- Softube Saturation Knob
- Black Box Analog Design HG-2
- Soundtoys Decapitator
- iZotope Neutron 4
What is Saturation ?
Before diving into the heart of the matter, I thought it was important to give a little reminder of what saturation is. Initially, the term appeared at the time when only analog material existed to record sound sources and music.
By definition, saturation changes the shape of a sound wave in such a way that it adds new frequencies to the initial wave: the harmonics. Depending on the type of saturation applied to the audio source, harmonics will be very different and their shape will vary a lot.
Depending on the situation, saturation can have a positive or negative audio effect on the processed source.
For more information about saturation, I advise you to watch the super complete video:
Why add saturation?
In music mixing, it is essential to always ask the question “why” before each action. And I find it important to do so for this article as well, because it will also help you choose your favorite plugin(s) based on the why.
In my opinion, there are 3 main reasons why it is interesting to add saturation on an 808.
A. Punch
Applied in the right way and with the right tools on an 808, saturation will always add punch. When I say punch, I’m referring to two things.
First of all, the attack of the 808 will be much more enhanced by the saturation.
And secondly, the boost that will occur in the lower end of the spectrum. The ideal being to seek a boost in the surroundings of 80 Hz to 100 Hz.
Whatever the musical genre, a punchier source will very often bring an additional energy to the song. This leads us to our second reason.
B. Character / Energy
The terms character and energy do not refer to anything very specific technically, but rather to a general feeling. A saturated source will always suddenly sound more powerful, more compressed and tighter.
And that’s exactly what we’re looking for when we add saturation. That the 808 is powerful at the bottom end of the spectrum while blending well into the rest of the frequency spectrum.
C. Harmonic Richness
The harmonic richness is what really makes the magic of saturation for me when it is well used. As you saw earlier in this article, the more saturation there is, the higher the harmonics will be.
This is exactly what will allow the 808 to blend in with the rest of the instrumental while adding a touch of spectral richness.
To allow you to make better choices according to what you are looking for in your mixes and productions, I will give, for each plugin, a score out of 3 for each element: punch, character and harmonic richness. I will also add ease of use and accuracy of processing as a criteria.
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1. FabFilter Saturn 2
Saturn is really a magic plugin, really. For me, it is clearly one of the best plugins of the last 10 years. For its audio quality, its intuitiveness and the amount of saturation types brilliantly emulated by the FabFilter plugin.
Saturn can be used in many different situations: on a mixbus, on vocals, on bus drums, and of course also on basses and 808s. But why is this plugin so great as an 808 saturation?
The first thing that makes Saturn a magical plugin with the 808s is that it has a lot of saturation types (about 20, I think). And I can assure you of one thing: each of them is unique and has something special to bring to your 808s. Some are warmer, some are more aggressive, some are richer in harmonics,… Everything’s there!
The really cool thing about Saturn too, is that dynamics knob. It allows, as its name indicates, to enhance the dynamics of the incoming signal, and therefore the attacks. Exactly what we need to give more punch to the 808!
Next, let’s take a look at this drive knob. At first sight, this knob is not very special. But when you move your mouse over it to change the amount of drive, you quickly realize how much FabFilter emphasizes precision in its plugins. It is fluid, easy to handle, precise in the numbers and in the sound result,… It’s the kind of small detail that completely boosts the workflow!
On top of that, you can go even further in the precision of the process by adjusting the tone and/or creating several frequency bands to separate the processing into bands. A real luxury.
As you can see, this plugin has everything to allow its users to create the desired result in a very precise way.
Results:
Punch: ⭐⭐⭐
Character / Energy: ⭐⭐⭐
Harmonic Richness: ⭐⭐⭐
Accuracy: ⭐⭐⭐
Ease of use: ⭐⭐
2. iZotope Trash 2
iZotope Trash is also a beast when it comes to adding energy to an audio source through saturation. Like Saturn, this tool has the advantage of being very complete in its parameters.
Trash works very differently from all its competitors. Indeed, with this plugin, everything is not done once. You have to proceed ideally step by step, using the windows of filters, EQ, dynamics, etc…
This may take a little more time than normal, but it allows you to structure your mind and create incredibly precise saturation shapes.
There is actually one feature that makes iZotope Trash unique: the ability to blend two different saturation and distortion patterns within the same plugin. This often creates very aggressive results. But by playing with the mix fader, both qualitative and unique results can be created from Trash.
The iZotope plugin is not easy to learn though. It requires a minimum of knowledge in music production. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use this plugin if you’re still an amateur, but you might get stuck in the head pretty fast.
The amount of saturation shapes that can be created by Trash is almost unlimited. You just have to be prepared to take a little longer than normal to shape the saturation accurately.
Results:
Punch: ⭐⭐⭐
Character / Energy: ⭐⭐⭐
Harmonic Richness: ⭐⭐⭐
Accuracy: ⭐⭐⭐
Ease of use: ⭐
3. Softube Saturation Knob
Saturation Knob is probably one of the most underrated plugins on the audio market. In fact, strangely enough, this plugin suffers from the marketing choice of its manufacturer: being free. This makes too many people think that this plugin is an amateur tool, but it really isn’t.
Yes, it’s an extremely basic plugin that doesn’t allow to handle saturation in a very precise way. But this plugin does brilliantly what is wanted: saturate the source by adding punch, energy and harmonic richness.
Even if this tool seems very limited, this big central knob allows you to adjust the saturation dose with great precision.
Once you have set the saturation correctly, you can then choose the color/character of the rendering: low – neutral – high.
- On “Keep High”, the plugin will highlight the high frequencies and the higher harmonics.
- By choosing “Keep Low”, Saturation Knob will filter out the high frequencies and enhance the lower end of the spectrum/warmth zone.
- With “Neutral”, as the name suggests, the tool will keep its original color and character.
Saturation Knob works very well in many different mix situations, but it is especially good for processing 808s. The energy that comes out is clean and stable.
Results:
Punch: ⭐⭐⭐
Character / Energy: ⭐⭐⭐
Harmonic Richness: ⭐⭐
Accuracy: ⭐
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐
4. Black Box Analog design HG-2
HG-2 is an emulation of the hardware unit of the same name created by Black Box Analog Design. This very versatile plugin can be used on mix buses, drum buses, basses and 808s. This unit is able to add a vintage warmth but also character in the high end of the spectrum.
Few people know and use this plugin. However, what it can produce is simply inimitable. And the emulation is almost as good as the hardware unit in producing these stunning results.
But how does this tool work? What exactly does it emulate? HG-2 is actually a series of four different vacuum tube stages, the main ones being a pentode and a triode (located in the middle of the plugin).
This series of saturations (very different in terms of harmonic generation) allows the 808 to be colored with a richness, stability and warmth that is unmatched.
Through different parameters, HG-2 also allows users to privilege the low or high end of the spectrum. In particular thanks to the low-flat-high switch and the air knob which amplifies the air zone of the processed source beautifully.
Quick tip: don’t go too far in the settings with this plugin, at the risk of completely melting the attack in the power of saturation.
ℹ️ HG-2 is also super nice to use on a mix bus. I tell you more about it right here: Mix Bus Processing: 10 Must-Have Plugins
Results:
Punch: ⭐⭐
Character / Energy: ⭐⭐⭐
Harmonic Richness: ⭐⭐
Accuracy: ⭐⭐
Ease of use: ⭐⭐
5. Soundtoys Decapitator
Decapitator has become a classic in recent years. It is one of the few high quality plugins that can be used in EVERY possible mixing situation. It is an example of versatility. But how does Decapitator work?
This plugin emulates 5 legendary preamps or hardware saturation units, whose manufacturers are, in order: Ampex, EMI/Chandler, Neve and Thermionic. The color and harmonic richness of each one is very different and must be well chosen.
The A and E, for example, will emphasize the attack of the 808, while the other modes will support the sustain. For punch, energy and harmonic richness, the E mode seems to me generally the most adapted. BUT it depends on each 808, there is no ultimate truth.
ℹ️ Saturation and distortion can be super cool tools to use on rap vocals. But how to do so? I give you the answer here: How To Use Distortion On Rap Vocals
After adjusting the amount of Drive and the type of saturation you want to emulate through Decapitator, the plugin allows you to play with the overall color by pressing either the top or bottom of the spectrum. Of all the plugins on this list, I find the spectral adjustment parameters to be very well thought out and allow you to quickly put your ideas into action.
As the plugin sometimes inhibits the low-end range slightly, it will often be appropriate, at the end of the process, to play with the mix knob to have the balance sometimes between direct signal and saturated signal.
Results:
Punch: ⭐⭐
Character / Energy: ⭐⭐
Harmonic Richness: ⭐⭐⭐
Accuracy: ⭐⭐
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐
ℹ️ Decapitator can be a key plugin in a vocal chain. I give you more information right here: Crafting A Pop Vocal Chain: The Pro Guide
6. iZotope Neutron 4
For years I’ve used the same plugin for 808 saturation: iZotope Neutron. This plugin (or rather this plugin slot) imitates the warmth, retro, tube and tape saturation types perfectly. And what is really great is the fact that you can mix between each mode in a kind of very intuitive mini-graphic.
This tool has a big advantage over its competitors: it is only a slot that can be modulated with others. For example, you can decide to treat the frequency spectrum slightly, or to act on the transients with the Transient Shaper,… You can really go very far in the process!
This plugin is very easy to use and allows you to quickly sculpt your ideas through a simple and sober interface.
The problem with this plugin (this Exciter slot) is that when dealing with 808s, you can quickly find yourself limited in your creativity. Yes, the plugin allows you to choose between 4 saturation modes, which is already a good thing, but you will not be able to operate a precise dosage of the 4 modes.
This wonderful tool may be complete, professional and of impeccable audio quality, but I think that in the field of mixing, it has been surpassed by its competitors in recent years.
It is still a very efficient plugin when it comes to saturation, especially on the 808.
Results:
Punch: ⭐⭐
Character / Energy: ⭐⭐
Harmonic Richness: ⭐⭐
Accuracy: ⭐
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐
Conclusion
Saturn 2 and Trash 2 are, in my opinion, the most complete tools for adding saturation to 808s. HG-2 and Neutron 3 are also very complete but do not allow to go as far in the search for precision. Whereas Decapitator and Saturation Knob are both breathtakingly simple tools that can produce robust, punchy, rich saturation in a fraction of a second.
Your choice should be determined by your preferences, but remember that every 808 is different. One plugin might be the perfect solution for a certain source and completely unsuitable for another. The best thing to do: compare.
If you have any questions about those plugins or about anything in the field of music mixing, please contact me, I’m always very happy to help!
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My favorite tools for mixing pop and hip-hop music:
Plugins
In the field of auto-tune, I’m convinced that nothing’s better and more efficient than Antares Auto-Tune Pro. As for the EQ’s, FabFilter Pro-Q3 and Slate Digital Infinity EQ are, in my opinion, the best tools. For compression, I have 2 favorites plugins: Waves RComp and UAD EL8 Distressor.
As for reverb, I’m a big fan of the Soundtoys Little Plate, but generally, I go for the Valhalla VintageVerb for its versatility. I also love the Arturia Rev PLATE-140 and the UAD Pure Plate for its organic side.
Headphones
The closed headphones I love and will always love using for mixing pop and hip-hop music are the Beyerdynamic DT-770. As for the best open-back headphones, I use the Sennheiser HD600 headphones, and I’m really happy of them!
Monitors
Having a pair of Yamaha HS7 in its studio or home studio is always cool for more excitement while listening to your mixes. The Adam Audio T7V monitors are also super accurate. In my studio, I also have a pair of Genelec 8030 for their reliability.
Hardware gear
For anyone who wants to start using hardware in their mixes, I always recommend these 2 units from Klark Teknik: the EQP-KT and the 76-KT. Don’t forget to use good converters, such as the Apollo interfaces. This is essential for a good rendering.
