Hollance has introduced Krunch, a FREE filter and saturation effect for macOS and Windows.
Krunch merges a low-pass filter with a saturation effect. The plugin is modeled after the One Euro Filter, an algorithm designed to filter noisy signals.
The One Euro Filter uses a first-order low-pass filter to stabilize signals by minimizing jitter and lag.
It accomplishes this through an adaptive cutoff frequency: at low speeds, the low cutoff reduces jitter, while at higher speeds, the cutoff is increased to minimize lag.
The One Euro Filter is popular due to its ease of implementation and effectiveness without consuming many resources.
Leveraging this concept, Krunch dynamically adds harmonics and character with minimal effort.
A glance at the interface shows that Krunch is user-friendly, featuring only a few controls. The main dial, Krunch, is prominently positioned, and the more it is cranked, the more the sound is filtered.
The effect is noticeable even at lower levels, eliminating the need to push it too far.
Above the Krunch dial are the Mix and Out sliders.
The Mix slider adjusts the blend of wet and dry signals. Increasing the dry signal can allow for more of the Krunch effect while maintaining the right balance. The Out slider compensates for any reduction in output level after filtering.
Oversampling (OVS) is available to reduce aliasing, and a bypass button (BYP) allows for A/B testing.
Despite its simplicity, a suggested workflow for Krunch is provided on the GitHub page. It recommends starting with the Mix at 100%, increasing the Krunch until it sounds harsh, and then reducing the Mix.
Krunch is available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS and Windows.
Download: Krunch (FREE)