Prototype Audio has introduced Fusion Core, a free saturation plugin available for both macOS and Windows in VST3 format. This plugin, a simplified version of their full-featured Fusion plugin, offers a taste of analog-style saturation at no cost.
While the full Fusion plugin is a paid offering, Fusion Core still packs a punch, providing four distinct analog saturation modes that replicate the sound of vintage hardware. These algorithms are designed to add warmth, texture, and definition to your audio, making them ideal for enhancing samples and mixes without sacrificing low-end power.
Here’s the trailer video –
The minimalist interface of Fusion Core is clean and intuitive, with Prototype Audio’s tagline, “clean design, dirty sounds,” perfectly capturing its essence. Users can experiment with four unique saturation modes: Tube Heat, Tape Warmth, Wave Designer, and Console Character.
- Tube Heat mimics the natural compression and harmonic distortion of tube circuits, adding a subtle crunch to your sound.
- Tape Warmth recreates the gentle saturation and compression of analog tape machines, delivering that classic “tape feel.”
- Wave Designer is a blend of wavefolding distortion and clean saturation, providing more aggressive, edgy tones.
- Console Character replicates the distinct coloration and high-end grit of analog mixing desks.
Downloading Fusion Core is straightforward—just enter your email address on the product page, and Prototype Audio will send you a link to access the installers for both macOS and Windows. The installer files are 91.91 MB for macOS and 24.25 MB for Windows.
While audio demos for Fusion Core itself are limited, Prototype Audio offers a brief YouTube demo and some audio samples on the full Fusion product page. These can give you a decent preview of the tones you can achieve with Fusion Core.
The main difference between Fusion Core and its full counterpart is in the saturation bands. Fusion Core only supports one saturation band at a time, whereas the full Fusion plugin offers multiband saturation, allowing you to use different saturation modes on up to three separate bands simultaneously. This flexibility makes the full Fusion version more versatile for complex sound shaping.
Download: Fusion Core (FREE)
