Haven't used Decapitator for a long time, never owned it. I'd say I would definitely still want to have SDRR even if I had Decapitator, from memory. Whereas I do not feel the need to buy Decapitator as it stands. Just get SDRR for the pittance it costs. I highly doubt you'd regret it.

I have both and SDRR for me is a lot more like UBK-1 where it shapes the total sound. Try SDRR in the Master Glue preset and then UBK-1 in a preset with the Glue compressor. You'll see what I mean. Decapitator I use more as a preamp type deal. I'd get a sound with Decapitator and use SDRR on the mix. Obviously SDRR is so versitile you can use it on tracks also. I would say the saturation sounds very different between the two. Anyone using Decapitator on the mix Buss? I find it brings sound forward so maybe not the best use (unless super subtl)? I like to keep the mix buss more 3-D but am always open to new technique!

Thanks @ Karloff70 and @ Ardis
I've been recently considering SDRR so perhaps I'll have to dive in.

Just do it. It's a really useful/joyful plug.

You won't regret it! Desert Island plug in, really....

There is a place for SDRR in every piece of music that you make. It can be as subtle or drastic as you need. It is a classic.

One plug in I've found really groundbreaking the works with these is Fielding DSP Reviver. It opens up tracks like Clariphonic (or the Neve trick with Decapitator). Labeled as a saturation device since boosts the 2nd and 3rd harmonics. Very cool and like Clariphonic easy to overdo. I really like the "sound shaping" plug ins that aren't drastic and add a little something. One of the big mistakes I made was to grab a tool and shape the hell out of sound. Now I'm kind of chipping away at it with layers that add up. Sort of like VCC where you hear a slight sweetening but nothing major until you get rid of it. Living by the maxim, if you hear it it's an effect. It's hard not to be addicted to the "aha" moment when you hit the switch and everything jumps in dimension and depth. I would put Radiator on that shortlist (which I passed up for Decapitator). Some serious mojo going on in that box.

Just wish all these distortion plugs would come with the ability to dial down the quality to reduce the CPU load like on Massive and suchlike.... reduce the quality for playback, then you can crank it for exporting...

Actually finding Reviver uses very little CPU. Hornet SW34EQ I also use for saturation uses very little CPU also. Decapitator and SDRR are beast tho. SDRR in dual mono is quite heavy (but very cool!)

I mainly use Decapitator in a way that when something can't be manipulated in other way to sit well or I don't feel like skewing and curving it with EQ or changing timbre with change of dynamics with compressor, than subtle coloring of Decapitator in most cases help.
For example, when something has to be more lighter and brighter sounding I try "E" setting and Drive it while it sits. If something has to have more weight and less harshness than "N" with turning Tone knob up or down with Drive using like pusher if it gets too squat. I barely use it for distortion. Specially not Punish button. It works for me just with parallel setup. When I need distortion I use Logic's distortions or Decimort because it's more straightforward sounding, talking for plugin world but best distortions of that sort IMO comes from guitar pedals and driving preamps with transformers.

That's a cool insight. I almost never use the "E" or the "T" or "P" settings. Gonna try the "E" setting as a lightener. I agree with using Decapitator just to give a little vibe. The blend knob is great and I also like the highpass and lowpass filters. I wish I could use it on every track just for those.

BTW there is a cool discussion on using the SDRR in Mastering here:

Best mastering plugin of 2015

Did a google search for "Decapitator tricks" and found this thread. Now I'm resurrecting it, since I have one way of using the plug that I love...

Post reverb plugin (UAD 140 in my case), P setting, drive at 4, tone somewhere in the 10:00-noon range.

I keep the mix 100% typically, but vary that to taste. It, to me, makes the reverb "return" sound a lot more complex and interesting, and if you're mix is heavy on the verb, it adds a nice fuzz to the background of the whole picture.

Also dig it post the UAD Ocean Way plug. Lately been digging the Tchad Blake "grease" preset for that.

BTW there is a thread on here that has the "real" TB presets. Funny these tools are still as valid as they were when I started the thread. Both developers are way ahead of the curve. SDRR was updated. Another distortion plug in which is very different is Vertigo VSM-3. The Kush 456a is a good one also.

Decapitator has a lot in it and SDRR is just silly with all the choices! I bet you could do a mix using SDRR and nothing else except effects. I really think believable is a word that applies to both. As a person who's trying to use less than more, I will never tire of these. Funny with the next shiny thing, I believe these tools will serve almost as analogue. They really do have a timeless sound, even given advances in coding. They just sound bloody good!

Oh, yea, I found that thread a couple weeks ago. That's where I got the GREASE.

Also, I agree... well, I haven't tried the SDRR, but with everything the Decap can do, I am at the very least, using less EQ.

I do. Usually when a mix sounds "flat" or just not exciting enough. I use the "E" setting since it's very euphoric IMO - adds some excitement in the upper mids. Usually mix knob around 3ish, so pretty subtle. Just enough so the mix perks up when it's activated.

I was going to come here just to say "E setting, light drive, low mix, instant high-mid juice." I like it particularly for backup vocals that need a bit more energy without being brought forward too much. You do have to be pretty subtle with it, because that setting can get harsh and obtrusive very quickly if you overdo it (unless harsh and obtrusive is what you want, of course).

One of the biggest mistakes I made with Decapitator was overusing it. A light touch is always best with saturators. I start with when I start to hear it, and back off to half that!

It's true. My tendency is to start by overdoing it, then backing up from there. I automate the parameters a lot though to add some interest and varying texture to a mix. Maybe the drums are more blown out in the chorus sections... stuff like that. Base level settings are always best left conservative though, IME.

When using decapitator I try not to go over 2.5 on the Drive, above that It's just too much and cheap sounding. Don't get me wrong since I find it really good, but saturation is this thing you have to go little by little and adding tracks. I really dig the A, N and E. The T and P they just don't sound good to me.

I have worked on analog consoles and tape machines for decades and saturation is just there, but you don't realize it, is like the air you breath, you just have it and don't think about it, but if you over do it you get dizzy.

For me (saturation) it has to be a global color you give to the song or whatever piece of audio you're working with. Mind operational levels even working ITB and choose a nominal level and treat it so across the board. Of course there are some tracks you really need to push but just be careful.

When working with the filters on the decapitator jut be really aware of not introducing resonance on the corners, you gotta have a reliable monitoring and a powerful reason for doing so since it is easy to have un ugly bump be it on the lows or highs which some time are easy to get used to them when working long hours, your brain just accept it.

Apart from having your main monitors, is also good to have some boombox or alike stuff for checking things. I like to check on this cheap stuff since they sound so bad they give you a great opportunity for checking areas that sound kind of ok on the mains but they may sound bad on these kind of speakers. I also like to check stuff by bouncing and exporting to iTunes and then check on different headphones, good ones and bad ones. You'd be surprise the sort of things you find this way... just be careful with the filters, I am not saying to stay away from them.

Anyway ... just to finish... Place a saturation plugin on the Master fader also, and play around, but be careful with the level going to the bus, try to trim the whole mix if your levels grow too much since it will drive or saturate even more. I used to place a decapitator on the 2bus but nowadays I place a VCC and UBK-1, lately I like the Omega458a, @-20 as reference and then some parallel with a Hardware Vulture. This way it just sounds more real IMHO.

And again MIND THE LEVELS, do the saturation with processing instead.

I find that the Mix control is just as important as the Drive when it comes to controlling Decapitator, depending on what I want to do. Often I can get the sound I want by hitting Drive pretty hard and mixing in at low levels (the "Punish" button can do interesting things when mixed like this).

I would also emphasize the importance of learning what the Decapitator's tone controls can do. They interact in really interesting ways. For instance, on a lead guitar track that needs a bit more "juice", try cranking the Tone knob to about 2-3 o'clock but then rolling the high cut back pretty far.

Funny I was thinking the same thing. Saturation can flatten a sound if overused and sound like an overdriven pre stage. Kinda like reverb where too much is washy, just enough can fatten a sound and bring out inner harmonics. A lot of little nudges is better than one big move.....

do you people read manuals?


all the modes are very useful each of them do something different that can have a use in tracking.....

also the level of the drive is very relative... i see people talkin they drive only until 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever coz more can sound bad etc etc... but decapitador results are hugely influenced by the balance of input level and drive level so you can find something nice with low input and high drive aswell as low input low drive.. aswell as high input high drive etc etc there s no rule of thumb in there but a lot of experiment to see how different results....

A = clean amplifier..

E = Loudness curve ( smiley curve )

N = mid weight

T = Even harmonics

P = Odd harmonics...

different tools for specific situations...

That's what I recall reading FWIW.

A is for an old Ampex preamp which is a tube unit and they liked
E is for (I believe) very clean EMI
N is for Neve Can get the fizz distortion to add highs
T+P are for Culture Vulture and do different harmonics

Amazing the variety you get in one unit. I agree with use sparingly, since a saturator can tend to flatten a sound (to my ears anyway).

Thought I’d bump this.... AA’s Jet is a cool plug in to add a bit of randomness etc. Any tricksters out there?....