Soundtoys Decapitator Quick-Start: Analogue Saturation in Under Four Minutes
Saturation is the secret weapon behind fat techno kicks, gritty basslines and drums that bite, and Soundtoys Decapitator is one of the most loved saturation plugins in electronic music. This three-and-a-half-minute quick-start guide comes straight from Soundtoys, so it is a fast, no-waffle tour of the controls by the people who built it. Decapitator models the character of classic analogue gear, and you pick between its five styles before dialling in drive, tone and the low and high cut filters. The Mix knob lets you blend the dirty signal back with the clean one, which is the easiest way to add weight without losing punch, and the Punish button is there when you want things properly wrecked. Why it is worth your time: knowing what each control does stops you reaching for random presets. Try it on a 909 loop or a rolling bassline, push the drive until it crunches, then pull the mix back to taste.
Video: “Soundtoys Decapitator: A Quick-Start Guide” by soundtoys on YouTube (3:32). All credit to the creator; please like and subscribe to support them.
Get the plugin: Decapitator by Soundtoys (paid, with a free trial), or try the free CamelCrusher for a similar crunch.
Kit for this
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface: clean inputs and outputs so you hear exactly what the saturation is doing.
- Yamaha HS5 studio monitors: honest speakers that show when you have pushed the drive too far.
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: closed-back headphones for checking gritty low end late at night.
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