Free Music Lab

Free · no upload

Saturation & soft clipper.

Add warmth, body or grit to any sound and watch the harmonics appear.

Press play, turn the Drive knob and watch the new tones (harmonics) appear in orange.

1. Choose a sound:

What you're hearing

Original With saturation
Press Play to see the sound

Low notes on the left, high on the right. Each new orange peak is an added harmonic: that's the warmth or grit.

2. Pick a flavor

3. Shape it

How to use the online saturation

  1. Pick a test sound (pure tone or chord) or upload your own audio.
  2. Press Play and raise Drive slowly.
  3. Choose a flavor: Soft, Tube or Hard.
  4. Adjust Mix, Tone and Volume until it sounds right.
  5. Press Export to save the result as WAV.

What saturation is and why it helps

Saturation imitates what happens when analog gear (tape, tubes, transformers) is pushed near its limit: the signal gets rounded and new harmonics appear. That's why a saturated vocal, bass or mix sounds more present and warmer, and cuts through better on small speakers like phones.

A soft clipper does the same to the loudest peaks: it rounds them instead of chopping them off, so you gain loudness without the harsh crackle of digital clipping.

Tips

  • Vocals and podcasts: Soft curve, low Drive (10–30%) and Mix at 50–70%.
  • Bass: Tube with medium Drive so it's heard on small speakers.
  • Drums: Soft or Hard for punch; lower the Tone if cymbals get harsh.
  • Full mix: very little Drive and low Mix; always compare with A/B.
  • Lower Volume as you raise Drive to compare fairly: louder always seems better.

Private, nothing uploaded

All processing happens in your browser with the Web Audio API. Your audio is never uploaded. Want to trim or EQ first? Use the audio & video editor.

Frequently asked questions

+What does saturation do to audio?

It gently bends the waveform so new harmonics are added above each note. In small amounts that sounds warmer, fuller and louder; pushed hard it becomes crunchy distortion.

+What's the difference between soft, tube and hard?

Soft rounds the peaks smoothly, like analog tape. Tube is asymmetric and adds even harmonics for a vintage, thicker sound. Hard cuts the peaks flat, like a hard clipper or fuzz pedal, for an aggressive edge.

+Is this a soft clipper?

Yes. The Soft curve works as a soft clipper and the Hard curve as a hard clipper. Use low Drive and the Mix control to control peaks and add loudness without obvious distortion.

+Can I use my own song or recording?

Yes. Tap Upload your own audio, adjust the sound while it loops, then export the whole file as WAV with your settings. The file never leaves your device.

+Why does the spectrum show orange peaks?

The cyan line is your original sound and the orange area is the saturated version. Each new orange peak is a harmonic that the saturation created. That's what you hear as warmth or grit.

+Which experience level should I pick?

Beginner shows only Drive and Volume. Medium adds Mix and Tone. Advanced shows the transfer curve, and Expert adds A/B comparison. Changing the level never changes the sound.