Soundtoys Decapitator versus JS Distortion

[Dream Of Sleeping]

I've been using JS Distortion on my vocals as a send effect. I was always very impressed with how it sounds although I wanted to try Decapitator by soundtoys. Just downloaded it as a trial.

I was quite surprised it didn't seem to sound anymore impressive than the js distortion. I set them up how I liked and I couldn't even tell the difference.

Am I mad? Or is this just my amateur ears showing? Anyone else compare the two? What do you think? Is there something I could be listening out for that makes Decapitator superior?

I'll continue to play with it for the next 30 days.

[domzy]

i would say decapitator is more tweakable and capable of a broader range of tones, if that's what you are looking for.

[kirk1701]

If you can't hear a difference, don't buy it. It doesn't matter if others hear a difference.

There's a huge argument about expensive plugins being snake oil, but I don't think that's constructive.

What's most important is, if you're happy with stock plugins, then don't worry about using anything else. If you’re getting sounds you like, you're doing the right thing.

Nothing wrong with trying commercial stuff either. If you like it and the price is right, buy it. If not, don't.

Example, I tried the Waves Abbey Road REDD Consoles a few years ago when I first started experimenting with Reaper. I honestly couldn't hear the big deal. I tried them again a month ago and they really jumped out at me. So I bought them.

I'm very happy with them, but I'm glad I didn't buy them the first time.

TL;DR Trust your ears.

[Dream Of Sleeping]

Originally Posted by domzy

i would say decapitator is more tweakable and capable of a broader range of tones, if that's what you are looking for.

I do enjoy the interface a lot.

[Dream Of Sleeping]

Originally Posted by kirk1701

If you can't hear a difference, don't buy it. It doesn't matter if others hear a difference.

There's a huge argument about expensive plugins being snake oil, but I don't think that's constructive.

What's most important is, if you're happy with stock plugins, then don't worry about using anything else. If you’re getting sounds you like, you're doing the right thing.

Nothing wrong with trying commercial stuff either. If you like it and the price is right, buy it. If not, don't.

Example, I tried the Waves Abbey Road REDD Consoles a few years ago when I first started experimenting with Reaper. I honestly couldn't hear the big deal. I tried them again a month ago and they really jumped out at me. So I bought them.

I'm very happy with them, but I'm glad I didn't buy them the first time.

TL;DR Trust your ears.

That's kind of what I was thinking. If I can't hear a difference, then the average joe isn't going to be able to tell.

[kirk1701]

Originally Posted by Dream Of Sleeping

That's kind of what I was thinking. If I can't hear a difference, then the average joe isn't going to be able to tell.

That's not quite my point, but it's not wrong.

IMO, it doesn't pay to factor in what the average joe is hearing. If he happens to hear it and like it, that's a bonus. You're the creator. Make it sound the way you want. The rest is out of your purvue.

[serr]

Decapitator is still one of my goto distortion boxes because of its flexibility in different sounds. In spite of it's bugs in fact! (It reports incorrectly to PDC and gets crashy.)

The JS distortion isn't even in the same game.

If you happened to land on the same style of distortion effect in Decapitator that is the one thing the JS plugin does... well, there it is then. There would be all kinds of stuff Decapitator could do that would be beyond the JS. Moot point if you aren't going there in your mixes though!

Heh, yeah this one usually isn't some detached thing where someone is trying to fake a genre effect or something in commercial music.

[poetnprophet]

if it means anything, I haven't yet found a way to get Decapitator to sound the way I want. Maybe it's me, maybe it isn't....but to everyone's point here that it really just depends on you and your goals, because its sound varies. A lot of the reviews hail it as THE distortion to use, but I have never been able to get results for myself.

I also haven't tried the JS saturator, but I think I will tonight!

[Dream Of Sleeping]

Originally Posted by poetnprophet

if it means anything, I haven't yet found a way to get Decapitator to sound the way I want. Maybe it's me, maybe it isn't....but to everyone's point here that it really just depends on you and your goals, because its sound varies. A lot of the reviews hail it as THE distortion to use, but I have never been able to get results for myself.

I also haven't tried the JS saturator, but I think I will tonight!

Just to clarify. I'm not talking about the js saturator, but the js distortion. I couldn't get the js saturator to sound like much of anything to be honest.

[Dream Of Sleeping]

Originally Posted by serr

Decapitator is still one of my goto distortion boxes because of its flexibility in different sounds. In spite of it's bugs in fact! (It reports incorrectly to PDC and gets crashy.)

The JS distortion isn't even in the same game.

If you happened to land on the same style of distortion effect in Decapitator that is the one thing the JS plugin does... well, there it is then. There would be all kinds of stuff Decapitator could do that would be beyond the JS. Moot point if you aren't going there in your mixes though!

Heh, yeah this one usually isn't some detached thing where someone is trying to fake a genre effect or something in commercial music.

I'm playing around with it more. I think I'm hearing more difference the more I play with it. I tried echo boy on a guitar part as well, and I liked the sound of it more than readelay.