FabFilter Saturn 2

Trying to get a grasp of all the distortion styles for The Fabfilter Saturn 2 can be a bit overwhelming, so I have tested all of the distortion styles (at the default settings) for you. Some of these, especially the ones FabFilter calls “FX”, are going to go real crazy real quick when you push up the Drive knob. Foldback, for instance, looks pretty calm when the Drive is at 0%. It’s anything but calm above that.

There are some people who seem to think the Saturn 2 has a “harsh” or “digital” sound. I find it quite the opposite. I wonder if it was wrapped in an analog-looking UI if it would “sound” different to those people. (My instincts say yes, because obviously they aren’t listening very carefully.) No one enjoys the fun of a cool-looking plugin more than me, mimicking both the sound and look of what it is emulating. But I find the UI on Saturn both functional and remarkable, and it is still fun! Just always wanted to point this out, and now I have!

If you are interested in some hints or tricks, you can check out the manual for my Saturn 2 presets.

There is quite a bit to scroll through, so you click on the category below to jump to that section if you want:

• Tubes
• Tape
• Amps
• Saturation
• Transformers
• FX

Tubes

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Tape

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Amps

The Amp style is never going to sound like a real guitar amp. Saturn 2 lacks the fine tuning you would need to tweak “everything” you can on your trusty head. You can fiddle around and get real close, adjusting input, drive, etc—but it’s a bit awkward. Plus, there are no speaker cabinets – so you are on your own recreating what you want in that regard! Still…

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Saturation

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Transformers

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FX

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