Blue Cat Audio

Blue Cat’s Destructor is a powerful distortion and amp sim modeling tool capable of simulating any kind of distortion: from harsh digital destruction to smooth compression or guitar amp simulation (works for clean tones too!), and most importantly, yours!

What’s new in 1.6?

• Improved Tone Maps navigation, with updated user interface (for amp simulation and 9 built-in effects).
• Added MIDI control support (MIDI CC messages) for Next and Previous Preset commands, with MIDI learn.
• Improved MIDI & automation control settings with lock, reset and “save as global setting” capabilities.
• Preset files can now be dropped onto the preset LCD area to be loaded.
• Level meters, spectrum analyzers and tuner stop processing when the user interface is closed, reducing CPU usage.
• Multiple DSP performance improvements.
• Reduced the number of threads used by the plug-ins.
• Improved global and preset settings window loading time on Windows.
• Reduced time to load Axiom, Destructor or any built-in plug-in.
• Full unicode support.
• Native Apple Silicon (M1 processor) support.
• Dropped 32-bit support on Mac.
• Now requires MacOS 10.9 and newer.
• Fixed VST3 (and sometimes VST) version freezing Ableton Live upon save on Windows.
• New “Guitar Pedal” mode: build your own effect pedals with Destructor.
• New drive range parameter to adjust the range of distortion available in a preset.
• Revisited all 707 factory presets and related tone maps, with adjusted drive range and improved tone.
• Added 19 new distortion and compression pedals presets.
• The opacity of the tone map window can now be adjusted.
• Arrow keys can now be used to navigate presets, in the main view or in the presets browser.
• Smoother presets switching.
• Improved smooth plug-in bypass (faster and smoother transition).
• Level meters, spectrum analyzers and tuner stop processing when the user interface is closed, reducing CPU usage.

Main Features

• Powerful distortion and amp modeling tool.
• Simulate any kind of distortion: analog or digital, guitar and bass amps, saturation, clipping, compression, bit crushing…
• Works for “clean” sounds too.
• Get started with several hundreds of fully editable presets, inspired by real gear.
• More than 1600 visual styles to customize the user experience.
• Control the dynamics with the input gate and compressor.
• Control the tone with the pre and post filters.
• Exclusive shape dynamics control: adapt the tone to the dynamics of the signal.
• Use the internal or external side chain to trigger the distortion.
• Protect your ears with the output brickwall limiter.
• Comprehensive visual feedback: real time spectrum analysis, dynamic distortion curve display with embedded signal histograms.
• Load reference curves for tone matching.
• No latency.

It is delivered with hundreds of presets and predefined models, either inspired by existing gear (guitar & bass amps or cabinets, compressors, pedals, tape machines…) or created by our destructive minds.

But the plug-in is not limited to these predefined models: all parameters of existing presets are fully editable, which gives you access to an unlimited number of distortion simulations – no need to purchase extra presets or amp models to build your custom tone.

Based on a perceptual model rather than on electronic designs or impulse responses, the signal chain is reduced to its bare minimum, simplifying the process of tweaking the tone and making it fit into the mix.

Thanks to its exclusive adaptive shaper, it is reactive to the playing of instrumentists, providing a very natural feeling, similar to analog gear.

To make the look and feel of the plug-in fit with your favorites tones, it is bundled with more than 1600 visual styles that can be selected separately for each module.

It is also possible to import reference curves measured with Blue Cat’s FreqAnalyst Multi to quickly match existing tones.

Credits: this plug-in includes several factory presets created by Sink and Hans Van Even.

Blue Cat’s Protector is a 0 dB stereo brickwall limiter with adjustable dynamics response. It will typically find its place on the master bus of your DAW to protect your audio output from overshoot, limit the general volume and improve the perceived loudness, thanks to a very transparent frequency response.

Main Features:

• 0 dB brickwall peak limiter and waveshaper.
• Optional Lookahead
• Continuous control of the dynamics response from transparent limiting to colorful distortion.
• Stereo link control.
• DC Filter to get rid of DC offset.
• Large zoomable peak and RMS audio levels and gain reduction meters for optimal monitoring.
• Loudness boost monitoring.
• Fully configurable dynamics response histogram.
• Side chaining capability: a unique way to perform side chain compression and much more.
• No latency.

Despite its very simple set of controls, it offers a wide range of sounds and it is also suitable as a track limiter for more creative effects such as distortion, pumping or heavy limiting.

Its large colorful meters and its custom dynamics histogram provide premium visual feedback and make it the perfect tool to monitor and control the dynamics on your master buss. You can also check in real time the loudness boost obtained with the limiter.

Beyond its powerful dynamics processing features, and like most of our plug-ins, Blue Cat’s Protector also offers a powerful side chain capability thanks to its MIDI CC output. This unique technique not only lets you do side chain limiting but also parameters modulation: control any parameter of any plugin to create powerful side chain effects in real time.

Versions 2.2 Is Out Now!

• Brand new GUI design, with improved usability and touchscreen support.
• The GUI can now be zoomed from 70% to 200%.
• Lock the GUI state to prevent changes when loading presets.
• New lookahead function to reduce distortion when used as a loudness booster.
• Mono tracks support: the plug-in now also works in mono.
• Lock GUI state to prevent changes when loading presets.
• Last loaded preset is now remembered in session and displayed in the presets menu.
• Plug-in state can now be reverted to the last loaded preset.
• Now supports retina displays on Mac (text and graphs using high resolution).
• Mac: new installer.
• Mac: fixed minor compatibility issues with Mac OS High Sierra and Mojave.
• Changed demo limitations: up to 5 instances allowed, bypass time changed to half a second, and bypass parameter is not affected anymore.
• Dropped support for Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.6 and earlier.
• Dropped support for legacy RTAS and DirectX plug-ins formats.
• Fully compatible with previous versions of the plug-in (except for VST3 on Mac, as explained below).

A complete professional digital audio processing environment in a single bundle: the Blue Cat’s PatchWork standalone application and the complete collection of Blue Cat Audio’s commercial audio plug-ins.

This is a total of 19 products, including 6 award-winning unique audio analysis tools, 3 powerful dynamics processors, 4 premium equalizers, and a unique scripting plug-in to build your own effects or virtual instruments.

Bundled Products Include:

• DP Meter Pro
• Destructor
• Dynamics
• FreqAnalyst Multi
• FreqAnalyst Pro
• Late Replies
• Liny EQ
• MB-5 Dynamix
• MB-7 Mixer
• Oscilloscope Multi
• Parametr’EQ
• PatchWork
• Plug’n Script
• Protector
• Remote Control
• Stereo Parametr’EQ
• StereoScope Multi
• StereoScope Pro
• Widening Parametr’EQ

Get all the tools you need to measure, monitor, understand your audio signal and also reuse these measurements to control other plug-ins or any MIDI controllable hardware!

Blue Cat’s DP Meter Pro plug-in will tell you everything about your audio levels. Blue Cat’s FreqAnalyst Pro and FreqAnalyst Multi plug-ins provide extremely smooth spectrum and frequency content analysis.

Finally, the StereoScope plug-ins series let you visualize the stereo image of your audio content in details. While the ‘Pro’ plug-ins offer unique possibilities to create your own signal-controlled effects, the ‘Multi’ versions have unique multiple instances features to perform the analysis on several tracks or anywhere in a signal chain. Our audio analysis tutorials explain these in great detail as well.

Bundled Products Include:

• DP Meter Pro
• FreqAnalyst Multi
• FreqAnalyst Pro
• Oscilloscope Multi
• StereoScope Multi
• StereoScope Pro

Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer is a unique plug-in that splits the signal into several frequency bands and lets you mix and process them as if they were separate tracks.

What’s new in 3.5!?

• New macro controls editor to edit plug-in parameters mapping.
• Assign multiple parameters from multiple plug-ins to a single macro
  control, and adjust the range for each parameter.
• Assign a name to each macro control, that is now displayed in
  automation lanes in most host applications (may require a session reload
  in some cases).
• Parameters names for existing sessions will be automatically updated
  upon load.
• Select macro knobs appearance among 18 predefined styles.
• Updated dozens of presets with macro parameters.
• New learn modes to quickly assign plug-in parameters.
• Added an option in global & preset input settings to send MIDI events
  when MIDI-enabled parameters are modified in the plug-in (to update
  control surfaces accordingly).
• In most plug-in formats, internal audio I/O configuration can now be
  selected regardless of the configuration defined by the host (you can
  for example reduce the number of channels to save CPU and process only
  selected channels).
• Improved performance to load the user interface.
• Improved VST parameter value display in some host applications.
• Added Apple Silicon support for AAX Plug-in Format.
• Mac: installers and plug-ins have been notarized to avoid security
  warnings on Mac OS Catalina and newer.
• Fixed bypass that did not let MIDI messages go thru for some MIDI
  plug-ins.
• Fixed some GUI resizing issues with some VST3 plug-ins.
• Fixed an issue with some VST3 plug-ins requiring to click twice on the
  bypass button to get bypassed.

Main Features:

• Multiband mixing console: adjust the levels, panning and “stereoness” of each band separately.
• Multiband VST, VST3 and Audio Unit Host: insert third party VST, VST3 and AU plug-ins and process each band independently.
• External side chain support for sub plug-ins on each band.
• Parameters Mapping: map sub plug-ins parameters to automate them or use a control surface.
• Flexible Audio routing: connect sub plug-ins i/o to any audio channel for multi-mono effects or creative side chain.
• Pre and post fader VST/VST3/AU plug-in inserts, with full latency compensation.
• Up to 7 bands, with crossover filters from 6 to 96 dB/Oct for optimal separation.
• Multiple instances linking: group bands within a single instance or between multiple instances of the plug-in. Modify the spectrum on multiple tracks with a single slider.
• Bypass, mute, solo on every band.
• Mono switch on master for mono compatibility check.
• Dual Mode: independent left and right or mid and side channels control.
• Complete visual feedback with real time response curves, spectrogram, and levels display for each band.
• Side chaining made easy: a unique way to perform multi-band side chain compression, ducking, gating and much more.
• No additional latency.

New Features & Improvements:

• Up to 7 times more processing power with the new multicore engine that processes each frequency band on a different core.
• New DSP workload meter that displays the DSP activity and CPU load.
• Added MIDI control support (MIDI CC messages) for Next and Previous Preset commands, with MIDI learn.
• Reduced time to load the MB-7 Mixer or any built-in plug-in.
• Multiple DSP performance improvements.
• Level meters and frequency analyzers are not computed anymore when the user interface is closed, reducing CPU usage.
• Reduced the number of threads used by the plug-in.
• Improved global and preset settings window loading time on Windows.
• Added ability to select the plug-in to load when a shell plug-in file is dragged and dropped onto a slot.
• Full unicode support.
• Preset files can now be dropped onto the preset LCD area to be loaded.
• Improved “Tone Maps” user interface (available for 9 built-in effects).
• Native Apple M1 support available as a preview.

Each band proposes controls that can be found on a mixing console, and more: bypass, mute or solo each band separately to isolate frequencies you want to work on, adjust the gain, the “stereoness” and the position in the stereo field. When manipulating the stereo image, a master mono switch also lets you check mono compatibility.

The plug-in can also operate as a multiband VST, VST3 and Audio Unit host: you can process each band independently with your favorite VST, VST3 or Audio Unit plug-ins! Up to four plug-ins can be loaded on each band, pre or post fader. Latency compensation, presets management, undo/redo integration, and individual plug-in bypass are included for optimal operation.

The plug-in also proposes unique linking and grouping options thanks to our multi-instances technology. You can link bands together within a single instance or between several instances of the plug-in on different tracks. This lets a simple fader control as many bands on as many tracks as you want. This is particularly useful when adjusting the placement or the balance of several competing tracks.

And as usual with Blue Cat Audio, the plug-in provides comprehensive visual feedback to let you know what’s exactly going on: for each channel, monitor the spectrum, the in/out levels and the frequency response.

Thanks to its advanced MIDI and automation input capabilities, when combined with our other plug-ins, Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer is capable of advanced side-chaining features that really unveils its potential.

Blue Cat’s PolyVibe is a complete re-creation of vintage “vibe” pedals, based on original designs and taking them several steps further for the 21st century.

With a couple of twists and innovations, the plug-in can simulate many kinds of “vibes”, chorus, phaser, rotary or wah/vocal effects, while keeping this particular vintage flavor that is so typical to “vibe” pedals.

Thanks to these extensions, the plug-in is not only suitable for guitars, but for any other instrument, including the human voice.

Like the original “Uni-Vibe” pedal (a registered trademark of Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc.) played by Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and many others, the PolyVibe plug-in gives you access to a wide range of vintage “vibe” tones, and actually much more!

Using the original filters designs as a starting point, the plug-in lets you control their shape and motion in details to create new modulation effects, with two extra modes. It can also produce stereo vibe effects, while most pedals are still limited to mono these days.

You can of course synchronize the modulation with the host application, and adjust the feel of the oscillator with the “swing” control to fit the music.

Despite all these extra controls and options, it has never been so easy to find your own tone: the Tone Maps helps you explore existing presets and create new effects quickly.

Features

• Re-creation and extension of the original “vibe” pedals in a plug-in.
• Create new effects with the 3 filter modes: classic, reverse and phase.
• Total control over the filters shapes and motion.
• “Swing” control for more musical effects.
• Control te stereo width of the effect.
• Synchronize the LFO to the host application, or control the effect with automation or a MIDI expresion pedal.
• Navigate presets and create new tones easily with the tone maps explorer.

Blue Cat Audio Standards:

• Available in most plug-in formats for Mac and Windows.
• Full MIDI control and automation support, MIDI Learn.
• No CPU load on idle: processing shuts down when fed with silence (optimal CPU usage).
• Customizable user interface with transparency & zoom.
• Smooth Bypass: noiseless plug-in activation / deactivation.
• Undo/Redo.
• Full featured integrated presets manager.
• Copy/paste the state of the plug-in between instances.
• Any sample rate supported.

Blue Cat’s FreqAnalyst Pro is a real time spectrum analyzer with advanced functionalities. It uses the same smooth algorithms as its little brother (Blue Cat’s FreqAnalyst free plug-in): it has been designed to provide extreme smoothness and high resolution for both time and frequency.

Main Features:

• Mono, stereo or mid/side real time spectrum analyzer.
• Total control over the analysis parameters, with slope and offset correction.
• Smart interpolation algorithm for extreme display smoothness.
• Spectrum and spectrogram views.
• Animated zoom for all displays.
• Precise measurement capabilities, with note info display.
• 3D waterfall view with full 3D control.
• Solid or wireframe 3D surface display.
• Instant, peak and average curves display for each channel.
• Save the curves for easy A/B comparison.
• Opacity control for the user interface.
• Custom absolute and relative threshold control.

The frequency analysis can be fine tuned in details: manage its precision and rate, apply an offset or slope to the measured spectrum. Two thresholding systems are available, and the time response can be changed thanks to the attack and release parameters. Three modes are offered for each channel: instant, peak or average response can be displayed on the same graph. Zooming capabilities and coordinates display let you exactly measure the characteristics of the spectrum.

The four memory slots let you store any curve in memory: it helps you make comparisons between several tracks or effects setup very easily.

A spectrogram view has been added so that you can monitor the evolution of the spectrum over time either in 2D or 3D (3D waterfall mode). All channels are of course available in this view, with exact coordinates display and zooming capabilities.

Like many of our other professional analysis tools, this plug-in also provides output parameters that you can use to control other effects in real time: the generated automation envelopes or MIDI CC messages include the minimum and maximum frequencies and the energy center of the spectrum, expressed in Hertz or as MIDI note value. With the transformation parameters (offset, amount and reverse), you can customize the generation of these parameters and monitor the modifications on the value graphs. Check the DP Meter Pro Tutorials to see how to use this capability within your favorite host.

Thanks to this unique functionality, you can now control any effect with the pitch of the audio signal: imagine a filter on an instrument controlled by the pitch of another instrument, compression depending on the pitch of the signal… Anything is possible.

Thanks to Blue Cat’s skinning language support and the included window opacity management feature, you can adapt the plug-in user interface to your personal needs and enhance your workflow.