How It Works
Technical view
This patch uses the same internal stereo phrase and general overdrive chassis, but backs the saturation amount down, leans harder on the low-shelf stage, and applies a more muted post-drive high shelf. That combination makes it behave more like a preamp thickener than a distortion block: gentle tanh compression, extra body from `contour`, and limited high-frequency edge unless `tone` opens it back up.
- Drive, Boost & Saturation
- waveshaping / saturation
- delay processing
- oscillator / LFO modulation
- DC blocking
Signal Path
Compiled preview chain
Preview source: An internally generated picked-string phrase is widened to stereo with a short right-channel delay and slight channel-to-channel shelf-EQ offsets before the preamp stage.
- 1internal picked-string demo phrase
- 2stereo spread with a short right-channel delay
- 3high-pass cleanup
- 4heavier low-shelf thickening and mild 930 Hz peak shaping
- 5gentle single tanh saturation stage
- 6restrained post-drive high-shelf compensation
- 7dry / wet mix
- 8DC blocker
- 9output gain trim
- 10final tanh limiter
Preview source
An internally generated picked-string phrase is widened to stereo with a short right-channel delay and slight channel-to-channel shelf-EQ offsets before the preamp stage.
Effect core
Gentle single-stage tanh saturation with strong low-shelf thickening and restrained post-drive high-shelf recovery.
Signal path
The static waveform and the live player both reflect this compiled signal chain.
- internal picked-string demo phrase
- stereo spread with a short right-channel delay
- high-pass cleanup
- heavier low-shelf thickening and mild 930 Hz peak shaping
- gentle single tanh saturation stage
- restrained post-drive high-shelf compensation
- dry / wet mix
- DC blocker
- output gain trim
- final tanh limiter
Controls that matter
These are the currently active controls detected in the FAUST source for this effect.
- mix: Blends the clean stereo preview source with the low-gain preamp path.
- output_gain_db: Applies final output trim after the preamp path and DC blocker.
- drive: Raises the input multiplier feeding the single tanh stage, but over a gentler range than the heavier drive patches.
- tone: Controls the restrained post-drive high shelf after saturation.
- contour: Pushes the low shelf and broad mid contour ahead of the saturation stage.
Code-backed analysis
The generated description is tied to the active helper blocks and routing found in the current DSP.
- demo
- fx
- outputStage
- leftDemo
- rightDemo
- driveTone
- phraseMono
- previewShiftSamples
Controls
Audible controls in this DSP
Blends the clean stereo preview source with the low-gain preamp path.
Lower settings keep more unprocessed attack; higher settings emphasize the preamp thickness.
Applies final output trim after the preamp path and DC blocker.
Balances loudness without changing the amount of saturation.
Raises the input multiplier feeding the single tanh stage, but over a gentler range than the heavier drive patches.
Adds subtle compression and harmonic density instead of moving quickly into overt distortion.
Controls the restrained post-drive high shelf after saturation.
Lets the preamp stay dark and tape-like or open up slightly for more presence.
Pushes the low shelf and broad mid contour ahead of the saturation stage.
Adds weight and body, making the patch feel fuller rather than sharper.
Analysis
Code-derived notes
Reviewed against the current DSP. This variant stays on the same core topology as the neighboring drive patches, but with substantially lower saturation gain and a darker post-drive shelf so it reads as a thickener instead of a distortion block.
Active blocks
- demo
- fx
- outputStage
- leftDemo
- rightDemo
- driveTone
- phraseMono
- previewShiftSamples
- softsat
- pickedVoice
- fund
- pickEnv
- ampEnv
- triggerAt
- maxDelaySamples
Inactive helpers
- synthVoice
- organVoice
- bellVoice
- quantize
- combLP
- echoOnly
- diffuser
Warnings
No current warnings are attached to this effect.
Source
- library/drive-boost-saturation/tape-preamp.dsp
- Output stage: DC blocker -> output gain trim -> final tanh limiter
- Library position: 4