Soundtoys Decapitator – Analog Saturation Modeler Plugin (ELECTRONIC LICENCE DOWNLOAD)

OVERVIEW

The Soundtoys Decapitator captures the soul of analog hardware saturation and puts it right inside your DAW. Modeled after five legendary pieces of analog studio gear, Decapitator lets you add everything from subtle tube warmth to full-on distortion with unmatched depth and realism.

More than just emulation, Decapitator reacts dynamically to your input – responding to the natural movement and energy of your mix. Sculpt your tone with the analog-style EQ, blend wet and dry signals effortlessly with the mix control, and push your sound into wild territory with the Punish button. Whether you’re enhancing a vocal, thickening drums, or driving synths to the edge, Decapitator gives your tracks that unmistakable analog vibe modern mixes crave.

Note: Delivered as an ELECTRONIC LICENCE DOWNLOAD – no physical product.

“Decapitator is ‘instavibe-in-a-box’.” — Fabrice “Fab” Dupont (Jennifer Lopez, Marc Ronson, Santigold)

 

“I like it on everything.” — Tchad Blake (Brazilian Girls, Sheryl Crow, Cibo Matto)

 

“Watch out! This thing will tear your head off!” — Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, We Are Scientists, The Alkaline Trio)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Authentic Analog Saturation:

Infuse your tracks with the warm, musical tone of real analog circuitry.

Five Distinct Models:

Choose from five hardware-inspired saturation types for a wide range of tonal flavours.

Dynamic Analog Feel:

Experience the living, breathing response of analog gear reacting to your signal.

Tone Shaping Control:

Fine-tune your saturation with analog-modeled high and low tone controls.

Parallel Processing Made Easy:

Use the built-in mix knob to blend dry and wet signals instantly – no extra routing required.

Push It Further with “Punish” Mode:

Engage the Punish button for extra gain and extreme character that cuts through any mix.

FEATURES

• Hardware-modeled analog saturation from subtle warmth to full distortion

• Five detailed analog circuit models with unique tonal personalities

• “Punish” button adds 20dB of gain for extreme drive and attitude

• Analog-modeled tone controls for sculpting high and low frequencies

• Mix knob for simple parallel blending of wet/dry signals

• Dynamic, responsive modeling captures the true feel of analog gear

• Perfect for vocals, drums, guitars, synths, and entire mixes

• Compatible with Apple Silicon and VST3

• Supported formats: AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST2, VST3, AU (64-bit only)

• Works with Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig, and more

• Requires macOS 10.14+ or Windows 10+ and internet for activation

TECHNICAL SPECS

Current Version: 5.5

Apple Silicon and VST 3 Compatible

Plug-in Formats (64-bit only):

• AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST 2, VST 3, and Audio Units (AU)

Supported Sample Rates:

• Minimum: 44.1 kHz, Maximum: 192 kHz

System Requirements:

• Operating systems: Mac OS X 10.14 or later; Windows 10 or later.
• Not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines.
• An internet connection is required at the time of activation.

Supported Hosts:

• Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig
• Full list of compatible host applications is listed below.

DOWNLOAD MANUAL

COMPATIBILITY

Officially Supported Host Applications

All version 5 Soundtoys products come in 64-bit VST, AU and AAX Native plug-in formats. Here is a list of our officially supported host applications.

• Pro Tools: 2020 or higher (Mac & PC: AAX Native and AudioSuite)
• Logic Pro X: 10.7 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits)
• Ableton Live: 11.0 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Studio One: 5 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Cubase: 12 or higher (Mac & PC: VST3)
• Nuendo: 12 or higher (Mac & PC: VST3)
• Reaper: 7 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Bitwig Studio: 5 or higher (Mac & PC: VST2 & VST3)
• FL Studio: 2025.1 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)

Officially Supported Operating Systems

• OS X 10.15 or higher*
• Windows 10 or higher*

* Apple Silicon & VST 3 Info:

VST3 support is available for both Windows and macOS, and offers native compatibility with both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M-series) and Intel processors.

Soundtoys will continue to support both VST3 and VST2 formats for all products for the time being. This update is free for all users with Soundtoys version 5 or later plug-ins.

Log in to your Soundtoys account and download the installers here or on our downloads page.

Known Issues and Notes

• In Digital Performer 11, discrete parameters behave incorrectly for VST3. Soundtoys recommend using VST2 or AU in Digital Performer 11 until the issue can be resolved.
• Some hosts will automatically replace VST2 plug-ins in sessions with matching VST3 versions, depending on the DAW and your DAW preferences. The Soundtoys VST3 versions are fully interchangeable with their VST2 counterparts, but not all hosts implement this feature of VST3.

Note about DAW / Computer Support

Sountoys cannot guarantee support if you are using a supported host platform listed above on an operating system or computer that is not supported by the host platform itself. Please visit your DAW’s website or manual to ensure you are using a compatible system.

If your DAW is not on the list above or if your supported DAW version is older than what’s listed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that our plug-ins won’t work. It just means that it has not been tested. If something goes wrong with an unsupported DAW, you are welcome to write to support, but Soundtoys cannot guarantee a solution. They currently recommend using their free trial with your host to confirm compatibility on your computer.

32-Bit Plug-in Support

With the release of 5.3.2, Soundtoys have officially discontinued support for 32-bit plug-ins. With macOS Catalina requiring all applications to be 64-bit, and with the vast majority of our PC customers using 64-bit plug-ins, they decided it was the right time to end 32-bit support. Their most recent 32-bit installers are available to download below.

Download Soundtoys 5.3.2 for Windows (32-bit)

Download Soundtoys 5.3.1 for Mac (32-bit)

Download Windows 32-Bit Installers for Individual Plug-ins

Hardware Support

Soundtoys 5 is not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines.