Heat 2

Name: Heat 2
Price: 49 USD
Author: W.A. Production

by W.A. Production · Distortion · Twin distortion

Not rated yet

Heat 2 is a twin distortion from W.A. Production that blends two of ten modeled distortion types.

Each module has its own high- and low-pass filters, with a mix control and gain compensation, for $49.50.

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

Keywords: drums, synths, auto-gain, bass, electric guitar, simple, heavy, vocals, gritty, metering, built-in mix knob, mixing, resizable UI, single-band, sound design, subtle, visual feedback.

What it does

Heat 2 is the update of W.A. Production's Heat, sold as "filtered twin saturation & distortion". Two distortion modules, each with its own filters, are blended with a central dial so each colour can sit in its own frequency range.

Ten distortion types: labelled A to J; each of the two modules uses one of them.
Per-side controls: drive, high- and low-pass filters and makeup gain for each module, so each distortion can target its own part of the spectrum.
Blend dial: a central knob mixes the two distortion chains.
Gain and mix: input and output gain compensation of ±48 dB and a mix ratio that sets how strong the effect is.
Display: real-time frequency meters with a two-colour waveform view for the two sides.
Presets and workflow: factory presets for instruments and genres, resizable window, click-free bypass, a PDF manual and a tutorial video.

Heat 2 came out in March 2022. The current version is 2.1.0 (April 17, 2024). It is offered at a reduced upgrade price from Heat, and a demo is available.

Source: W.A. Production product page

When to use it

Heat 2 is the simpler pick when you want two distortion colours on one source, each kept to its own frequency range by its filters. Compared with Saturn 2, it has no true multiband splitting and no modulation, but the filtered twin modules give a lighter take on choosing where the drive sits. It offers more choice than Devil-Loc Deluxe, which is built around one crushing style, and it is less deep than Trash, which chains filters and distortion much further. The upgrade price makes it an easy step for owners of the original Heat.

Best for: blending two distortion colours on bass, drums, synths, guitars and vocals, from subtle saturation to heavy grit.
Genres: EDM, hip-hop and rock.
Look elsewhere if: you want multiband or modulated distortion (Saturn 2 or Thermal) or long distortion chains (Trash).
Tip: start from the instrument and genre presets, such as Lead Synth Power for leads, and tweak from there.

What producers say

Reviewers and buyers find it intuitive and versatile, and no real criticisms turned up.

Bedroom Producers Blog (2022 first look) found it versatile "from guitars and synths to drums and vocals", praised the snappy interface and the presets, and mentioned no drawbacks.
Plugin Boutique users rate it 4.6 out of 5 from 82 ratings; one called it "a slick sequel" that is "intuitive and sounds great", and others praised the instrument presets as starting points.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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