GSat+

Name: GSat+
Author: TBProAudio

by TBProAudio · Saturation · Tube-style saturation

Not rated yet

GSat+ is a free saturation plugin from TBProAudio, made with Gearspace.com, with three tube-style character modes, clip protection and oversampling.

It has VU meters and GPU and non-GPU versions. It is free.

Best for: Mix Bus, Drums, Bass, Vocals, Keys & Synths. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: tube, metering, free, oversampling, low latency, warm, bass, drums, parallel processing, subtle, vocals, CPU-light, built-in mix knob, zero-latency, aggressive, bus processing, classic, clean, crisp, full mix, mix bus, mixing, randomize, resizable UI, single-band, smooth.

What it does

GSat+ is a free saturation plugin that TBProAudio developed together with the Gearspace.com community. It grew out of the saturation module of the developer's CS-5501 channel strip and adds tube-style colour with harmonic control, oversampling and clip protection.

Character modes: three tube-based saturation characters. Bedroom Producers Blog lists the character choices as clean, warm, crisp and classic.
Saturation controls: a Stages knob for intensity, Fluctuation for a subtle randomising effect, and separate odd and even harmonic controls that move the tone from smooth to aggressive.
Clip protection: selectable before or after the output stage, to keep peaks in check.
Mix and mono: a Mix knob for parallel saturation and a mono mode.
Metering: VU meters with switchable input/output monitoring and meter types.
Oversampling: optional 2x or 4x; without it the plugin runs at zero latency.
Efficiency: low CPU use, smart bypass, 64-bit processing, presets, a freely scalable GUI, and GPU and non-GPU builds.

The current version is 1.3.11 (May 2026). It is free.

Source: TBProAudio product page

When to use it

GSat+ is a strong free choice when you want shaped tube-style warmth with more control than a single knob. Compared with Saturation Knob, it adds odd/even harmonic controls, a Mix knob, oversampling and VU metering, while Saturation Knob is quicker for one-move grit. Next to Decapitator it is gentler and has fewer styles, with no filters or tone shaping beyond the harmonics. One KVR user treats it as a free stand-in for the Black Box HG-2, though it does not model that unit. Its low CPU use makes it easy to put on many tracks.

Best for: warmth and density on buses, drums, bass and vocals, and subtle parallel saturation across a mix.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you want aggressive distortion and many styles (Decapitator), or tape-style colour and wobble (RC-20 Retro Color).
Tip: leave oversampling off for zero latency while tracking, and switch on 2x or 4x for mixdown.

What producers say

Users and the free-plugin press rate it highly, often saying it competes with paid saturators.

KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 6 reviews, praising the hardware-like saturation, the odd/even harmonic control and the look; one called it "comparable to paid ones".
Bedroom Producers Blog called it a "feature-packed plugin" and noted it is light enough to run many instances on an older system.
Criticisms: one KVR user reported a Logic Pro crash on a 2011 iMac, and another was unsure what the Fluctuation control does.

Where to buy

TBProAudio: Free
Plugin Boutique: Free

Tutorials and reviews

Gearspace.com & TB Pro Audio presents GSat+ FREE (Gearspace Forum)
Using GSat+ FREE as an effect: three examples (audio only) (Gearspace Forum)
Novo Saturador Gratuito Muito bom GSat+ (Jorge SomBinário)
GSatPlus Overview & Tutorial | The Best Saturation Plugin…
FREE GSatPlus Saturation by TBProAudio

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