Klanghelm IVGI
Klanghelm is a great small plugin developer that makes plugins in VST,AU and Rtas formats.
IVGI is one of Klanghelm’s free plugins but this saturation plugin is honestly something i use in almost evry mix. Its interface is quite simple but under the hood it is anything but simple.
IVGI has many uses such as
Harmonic enhancement : Add Gritty or a mellow tone to any sound that can help fill out any source Audio. This is controlled by the Response section the more you turn it to the left the darker and more it saturates the low end. when you start hitting the LF+ section you get a slight low end shelf very subtle but audible as well as a high end cut that helps darken up the signal. Common Uses I find this for is De-essing audio that has overly harsh top end. Going to the right does the exact opposite effect this is great for enhancing the top end and adding shine do a dull track.
Dynamic manipulation : The ASYM Mix knob controls the way it reacts and saturates to incoming signals. the more it goes to the left the more is saturates and compresses the incoming audio, Though its subtle it is audible and helps to gently round and shave off extreme dynamics subtly and naturally, as well as adding nice filling harmonic content. When turned to the right you do less saturation and less compression. The way IVGI reacts to audio when turned to the right feels more like a gritty almost spiky style of saturation it lets the transients through more so when it does saturate you can almost hear it getting hit hard only by peaks and such. this is a great cool effect for synths that you want to saturate only at the peak level.
The input trim is a great way to drive the signal hard if you have a very low level signal.
X-talk is the way the left and right side of the plugin bleed into each other giving more of a vintage feel.
The Drive section chooses how much you saturate the signal the other controls always are in effect so this is the way you choose if you want to just color the audio with no real audible distortion, or you can really kill and crush the signal with saturation.
Something to note is that IVGI like all Klanghelm plugins are very very dynamic and react in a very natural and realistic way. Even if you drive the signal all the way you will not have a over compressed sound that lesser saturation plugins do to enhance level without really filling things out.
The meters are VU meters calibrated to -18VU. Input, in-out which is the difference between the in and output I use it as a Gain reduction meter. Output is well the output.
