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WARM saturation plugin interface by KERN Audio
KERN Audio·Saturation

WARM: Tape, Tube and Transformer Saturation Plugin by KERN Audio

WARM is a saturation plugin from KERN Audio that adds warmth and harmonic drive using tape, tube and transformer characters. It is available in VST3 and AU formats for Windows and macOS.

VST3AUWindowsmacOS64-bit
AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique
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01Overview

WARM is an effects plugin from KERN Audio in the saturation category. It offers three saturation modes: tape, tube and transformer. Tape is described as warm and gritty, tube adds even harmonics, and transformer provides asymmetric drive. The developer says each harmonic is shaped independently through 7th-order Chebyshev waveshaping rather than producing random distortion.

Best for

  • Warming up drum buses
  • Adding harmonics to bass
  • Tape-style vocal saturation
  • Gluing mix channels
Developer
KERN Audio
Category
Saturation
Store
Plugin Boutique
02Key features

What you get

  • Three saturation modes: tape, tube and transformer
  • 7th-order Chebyshev waveshaping
  • Independent per-harmonic control
  • Per-band spectral pre-gain before saturation
  • Envelope follower for level-dependent drive
  • Adaptive oversampling
  • K-weighted auto-compensation
  • 34 factory presets and four controls
03In depth

Three saturation characters and harmonic control

WARM's three modes are built around different harmonic behavior. Tape is the warm, gritty option, tube emphasizes even harmonics, and transformer gives an asymmetric, deeper drive.

KERN Audio says each harmonic is controlled independently, with per-band spectral pre-gain shaping the signal before saturation. A spectral display shows what the processing is doing.

An envelope follower makes the drive respond to input level, so louder signals are pushed harder, in the manner the developer describes as similar to analog circuits.

Workflow, controls and processing

WARM has four controls and 34 factory presets to start from. Processing uses adaptive oversampling, and the plugin includes K-weighted auto-compensation to help keep the output level consistent when the drive changes.

The developer lists CPU use under 3%, which makes it practical to place on several channels in a session.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

DeveloperKERN Audio
TypePlugin
CategorySaturation
FormatsVST3, AU
Operating systemsWindows, macOS
Architecture64-bit
05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does WARM support?

WARM is available as a VST3 and AU plugin. It supports Windows and macOS, and the developer lists 64-bit operation.

What do I need to use WARM?

WARM runs in any VST3 or AU compatible host on 64-bit Windows 10 or later, or on macOS 10.13 or later with Intel or Apple Silicon.

Does WARM come with presets?

Yes. WARM includes 34 factory presets that can be used as starting points before adjusting the four controls.

07Developer

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