Glorious Destruction!

Pick of the Month makes a welcome return! This May we take a look at Degrader, our Resampler and Bitcrusher plugin.

We made Degrader to give producers and sound designers a simple, flexible way to introduce digital grit and texture into their audio. It’s a tool that lets you dial back fidelity – intentionally – through adjustable resampling and bit reduction. Whether you’re aiming for the feel of early digital hardware, lo-fi samplers, or just want to roughen the edges of a clean mix, Degrader gives you the control to do it with intention.

"Regarding Degrader, my favorite thing about it is how sneakily versatile it is. Of course it’s great for totally obliterating an audio signal or dropping the bit rate to sound like an old video game, but using it with a light touch does a lovely job of carving out a little space for a part in a mix, of giving it a beautiful or ugly pedestal to stand on – whatever suits the mix. I’ve used it across genres from driven and synthy to lush and acoustic, and there are far more uses for it than one might think. It’s a sweet friend to have!" – Tyler Sabbag, Emmy award winning producer and composer

The signal path includes pre- and post-processing filters to help shape the tone before and after degradation, along with an optional distortion stage for when more edge is needed. All parameters are fully automatable, making it easy to create evolving effects, transitions, or motion within a mix. You can link controls for more fluid interaction and use the dry/wet mix to blend in just the right amount of character.

We included a set of factory presets to get started, but Degrader is designed to be explored. It can be subtle or extreme, clean or noisy. The interface is minimal and focused, so you can spend more time listening and less time tweaking.

Ultimately, Degrader is about making digital sound feel a bit less polished – on purpose.