The plugin works as a three-band upwards/downwards compressor, splitting the incoming audio signal into high, mid and low bands, which you can then treat separately. OTT stands for ‘Over the Top’ and, like the name suggests, is capable of some pretty intense squashery. On the other hand, Xfer’s OTT takes its name from the popular aggressive Multiband Dynamics preset in Ableton Live. The Crunch knob allows you to drive the output amplification, adding the destructive distortion that characterized the vintage hardware unit the plugin is inspired by. Turning up the Crush knob will increase the compression of the signal cranking it introduces a saturation effect that changes the release time of the compression, to anything up to 22 seconds. Soundtoys Devil-Loc is a minimalistic software spin on the hardware original, with only two knobs: “Crush” and “Crunch”. The Level-Loc worked like a washing machine full of grit on a spin cycle, and became a producer’s secret weapon for getting seriously dirty drums. Devil-Loc is the plugin ode to Shure’s Level-Loc, a consumer-grade brickwall limiting amplifier that was first used in PA systems in the '60s, and later in studios for distinctive, trashy and dense distortion.

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