Developer KiTiK has just released the newest addition to his sound mangling suite – Krush, a “spectral crushing” effect for macOS and Windows that is available in AU and VST3 format.
Do you need to transform a boring track? Make a sound weird and wonky? Are you pining for digital artifacts? Look no further!
If you like what you hear, be sure to check out KiTiK’s other plugins as well. We’ve covered them all here.
And if you like lo-fi audio destruction, check out our favorite free bitcrushers.
Krush has a simple interface that gets right to the point. The big knob labeled “crush” applies spectral processing to the input signal.
You can also click the handle labeled “settings” to uncover some further controls: window size, window overlap, gain control and a handy mix knob to blend your desired amount of processing with the dry signal.
Window size determines how many bins you are going to process. Low amounts are less precise for frequency content, while higher amounts sound fuller, yet a tad more smeared.
Window overlap changes the resolution from low to high. KiTiK admits that it’s not “super useful” for this particular plugin but still improves the sound. Just experiment and see what works best.
Other than these basic controls, I will be candid and admit that I have no idea what this plugin does under the hood. All I can say is that it’s some sort of FFT-trickery that sounds similar to, albeit more primitive than, plugins like Wildergarden MAIM or some of the algorithms from Unfiltered Audio’s spectral processing powerhouse SpecOps.
Whooshing sounds, chirps, sweeping resonances, degraded spectral bins and other nasty MP3-like artifacts are words that come to mind.
If you feel like a dull sound needs additional edge and weirdness, Krush is an instant solution. Tools like this are good for pure experimentation when you need something unknown to happen.
Instead of me trying to describe Krush, the developer has uploaded a demo of the plugin to his YouTube account to show what it can do, though he could have been slightly more generous with the sound selection.
Thankfully, there are other user demos already available, so be sure to check them out:
Spectral processing is steadily gaining more and more interest in the audio community, and from a plugin perspective it still seems like there is a lot of uncharted territory left to cover.
I personally enjoy all kinds of spectral madness. Creating pads, ear candy, parallel tracks to infuse an instrument with character or to completely obliterate samples are some of the ways I go about using it.
It’s a surefire way to give your track an entirely different vibe or take a sound into a completely new direction.
It’s nice to see KiTiK venturing into spectral processing, and even better, he is providing his tools for free.
However, it’s always possible to donate through his Gumroad as well. If you like Krush or any of his other plugins, donating to support up and coming people like KiTiK is worth considering.
Another such developer is Ewan Bristow, who continues to release many impressive plugins made in the plugdata environment. Check out his EB-Diøne plugin.
To download Krush go to Gumroad, enter “0” or an optional amount to donate, provide an email address and you will get access to downloads in either VST3 or AU format.
Download: Krush (FREE – email required)
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