Thermal

Name: Thermal
Price: 149 USD
Author: Output

by Output · Distortion · Multi-stage

vst3s Score 8.8/10 · rated #2 of 10 distortion

An interactive distortion engine built around a circular XY macro that blends several distortion parameters at once. It has more than 15 distortion types, nine built-in effects, and multi-stage processing.

Mid/side and time-based width controls and 250+ presets make it fast for sound design.

Best for: Bass, Keys & Synths, Drums, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap.

Keywords: sound design, macro controls, creative, bass, drums, simple, wide, multi-band, synths, advanced, chorus, mid/side, mixing, overdrive, preset-driven, randomize, samples & loops, subscription, wavefolding.

What it does

Output describes Thermal as an interactive distortion plugin with a multi-stage engine that goes beyond what multiband distortions usually do. It layers analog and digital distortion with effects, modulation and imaging.

Three stages: each can be limited to a frequency band, with a distortion slot, a multi-effect slot, high/low shelves and a width control.
19 distortion types: analog-style overdrive, digital clipping and wavefolding.
Effects: compression, filtering, delay, reverb, chorus and other modulation effects, plus two master effect slots and a master compressor and filters.
XY macro: the simple view is built around an XY pad and macros that move many parameters at once; an Advanced View opens up everything.
Modulation and presets: two looping envelopes with preset shapes, randomise, sync and humanise, and more than 250 presets.

It's also part of Output's subscription; the current version is 1.3.0.

Source: Output product page

When to use it

Thermal sits between FabFilter Saturn 2 and the more experimental Rift and Dist COLDFIRE. It has multiband-style stages like Saturn 2, but it's built for playing: the XY pad and presets get you somewhere interesting fast, and the built-in delays and reverbs turn it into a multi-effect. Reviewers see it and COLDFIRE as close rivals with different flavours.

Best for: sound design on synths, bass and drum loops, and breaking out of a creative rut with presets.
Genres: electronic, hip-hop, trap and cinematic production.
Look elsewhere if: you need precise, transparent saturation for mixing or mastering (Saturn 2), or MIDI-triggered, one-shot modulation, which its envelopes don't offer.

What producers say

Well reviewed as a creative, fast distortion multi-effect.

MusicRadar (Si Truss, 2020) called it well equipped and capable of "often inspiring" results, the kind of effect you reach for to get past a creative roadblock.
Tape Op (Scott McDowell, 2021) said it rivals Saturn 2 in configurability and praised the presets, LFO curve editor and humanise feature.
Attack Magazine (2020) found the interface intuitive and described it as a multi-effects suite with distortion at its core.
Gripes: no one-shot or MIDI-triggered envelopes, and in Pro Tools similarly named parameters are hard to find for automation.

Where to buy

Best Service: $149
Sweetwater: $149
Plugin Boutique: $149
Output: see store (Also included in Output's subscription)

Tutorials and reviews

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