Each stage has an individual filter section for dialing in the harmonic nature of your sound, with options for bitcrush, modulation, and time-based effects like delay and reverb. Output’s THERMAL is a saturation plugin that’s a surefire way to transform the character of your samples and instruments. If you’re looking to inject your music with some wobble and warmth, you’ve come to the right place. So to that end: Here is a comprehensive list of the best lo-fi plugins on the market right now, from a wide variety of developers and price ranges. “You variable artifacts depending on what gear/software you’re using.” Then playback resampled sound at original speed,” he wrote. The brilliant, critically acclaimed songwriter Helado Negro recommends you treat your samples and recordings manually before you even process them: “Resample pitched up. Making lo-fi is just as much about method and practice as it is about picking the right gear. Just remember: The plugins you use do not define your art, even though they can make a difference. There are even plugins that add the warm crackle of playing well-loved vinyl to your track. Others, like Output’s own THERMAL distortion engine, use saturation and bit depth reduction to gnarl up the sound.

Some plugins achieve this by emulating tape units or early digital samplers like the iconic Akai S950. For the purpose of this article, we’re defining it as any plugin that lets you infuse your music with analog-sounding character, grit, and texture. There’s some confusion about what a “lo-fi” plugin actually is. Today’s lo-fi has roots in the DIY recording movement that developed throughout the ‘70s and really exploded in the ’80s with the advent of sophisticated home recording gear and technology like MIDI. The sound of “lo-fi” is usually defined by the use of audio elements that have been “degraded” in some way, like oversaturation, pumping compression, pitch fluctuation, audio artifacts, or a reduced bit rate. The most popular software presents you with numerous different ways to quickly fuzz up your sound. In 2022, the best lo-fi plugins do more than simply recreate the quirks and distortions of different tape machines and preamps. In 2022, “lo-fi” (or “low fidelity”) is the catch-all term used to describe the woozy sonic aesthetic that spans across genres like lo-fi hip-hop, chillwave, and bedroom pop.

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