Riverflux Relic: 12 Free Analog Emulations That Rival Premium Plugins
We're all tired of having to take out a mortgage or pay endless monthly subscriptions just to have an optical compressor or Pultec-style EQ in our DAW.
While big brands continue to sell individual plugins at exorbitant prices, a suite that is shaking up the market has just landed on Gumroad: Riverflux Relic .
This isn't your average lo-fi saturator, but a virtual rack of 12 classic studio machines , each with its own front panel, meters, and the character of the original hardware.
Everything is free to download (with a free donation option). No more chit-chat, let's open the rack and see what's inside.
The Analog Arsenal: 12 Plugins in 1
Riverflux Relic provides you with algorithms to replicate the exact machines you find in mixing and mastering studios around the world, divided by category.
5 Compressors: You have an Optical, a Tube Optical, a VCA, a FET, and a Stereo Vari-Mu. Whether you need to gently level a vocal or destroy the dynamics of a drum kit 1176-style, you have the right algorithm ready to use.
5 historic equalizers: Preamp EQ, three-band Proportional-Q, 10-band Graphic, Program EQ (the classic Pultec curve), and Mid-range EQ. Color, punch, and musical surgery without the sterility of standard DAW digital EQs.
2 Tape Recorders: A multitrack recorder for coloring individual elements during the mix and a mastering recorder. You can even choose from 4 different tape types, adjust the speed, and watch the physical reels spin in time with your session.
"Pro" Features and Workflow
What's most impressive isn't just the sound, but the workflow. Free plugins usually drive you crazy with tiny interfaces and limited options. Here, you get built-in features you'll only find in high-end bundles:
Built-in oversampling: You can push saturations and compressors by activating oversampling at 2x, 4x or 8x to totally eliminate digital aliasing.
Delta Listening: Allows you to hear exactly the difference between the original and processed signals. A lifesaver to avoid being fooled by volume jumps when compressing.
External sidechain on compressors and copy/paste functions with immediate A/B comparison.
The Ultimate Combo: Relic + Analog Obsession
If you hang out on my channel, you know how much I use and recommend Analog Obsession plugins.
Until now, its freeware emulations have been the absolute reference for those looking for Neve, SSL or API-style channel strips, preamps and equalizers without spending a cent.
Well, the release of Riverflux Relic literally closes the circle.
If you combine the warmth of Analog Obsession's preamps and virtual consoles for gain staging, and use the Relic bundle for surgical compression (FET, Vari-Mu) and bus-gluing with its tape recorders, you've built a top-notch virtual hybrid setup at zero cost .
With these two developers installed on your machine, you are 100% covered for any analog-in-the-box mixing needs, from single track all the way to the master bus.
The Relic bundle runs on Windows, Mac (including native Apple Silicon), and Linux in VST3, AU, and CLAP formats.
It's stable, it sounds awesome, and it looks great.
Find the link on their Gumroad page , and if you like the mixes, leave a tip for the developer.
IMPROVE THE SOUND OF YOUR SONGS WITH MY ONLINE MASTERING
Plugins like Relic and Analog Obsession are a godsend during production for giving individual tracks a striking identity.
But when you've added together 40 tracks and need to give that mix the three-dimensionality, the cohesiveness, and the explosive volume of an international album, the algorithm stops. That's when physics takes over.
When you entrust your songs to VDSS Studio 's Online Mastering or Stem Mastering services, we take your tracks in the box and run real electricity through them.
We physically add in our Neve 8816 , we apply tube glue with our customized Vari-Mu , if necessary, we print on the real tape of our 24-track MCI JH24 . Everything is surgically captured by the Burl B2 converters.
Digital is great for building. True analog is for finishing.
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