Review: Chromaglow (The New Saturator Plugin In Logic Pro)

"A Logic Pro Chromaglow Plugin Review"

Logic Pro has recently unveiled its 11th iteration, featuring exciting new tools: Chromaglow and Stem Splitter. In this review, I will dive into Chromaglow and compare it with Soundtoys' Decapitator, a renowned plugin that Chromaglow closely resembles. Can Chromaglow stand up to the premium Decapitator? Let's find out.

Just a sidenote:

To celebrate Logic Pro 11, I've updated my Logic Pro mixing templates. These are compatible with the new version and some iterations of version 10, even going back to Mac OS High Sierra. They're available for free, so be sure to download them if you're interested.

Watch the video review

Plugin Overview: Chromaglow and Decapitator

Chromaglow and Decapitator both aim to add character and warmth to audio tracks. Here's a breakdown of their main features:

Drive Knob: Both plugins feature a drive knob, central to their functionality.

Low Cut and High Cut Filters: Present in both, allowing frequency sculpting.

Mix Knob: Both have this feature, enabling blending of processed and unprocessed signals.

Style Options: Chromaglow offers retro tube, modern tube, magnetic, squeeze, and analog preamp styles. Decapitator provides five distinct flavors for mix coloring.

Resonant Shaper: Unique to Chromaglow, it allows shaping resonance, adding versatility.

Filter Slope Setting: Chromaglow offers adjustable filter slopes from 6 to 48, adding flexibility.

Tone Knob: Exclusive to Decapitator, this knob isn't available in Chromaglow.

Flexibility and Presets:

Chromaglow provides presets for various instruments and scenarios, including bass, drums, guitars, keys, master bus, and vocals. Decapitator offers presets for bass drums, effects, guitar reamping, and vocals but lacks specific master bus presets. Chromaglow’s subtlety makes it more suitable for mix bus use, whereas Decapitator is more aggressive.

Application and Sound:

Kick Drum: Chromaglow and Decapitator can be dialed to achieve similar sounds, although Decapitator’s mix knob for parallel processing wasn't used here for fairness.

Snare Drum: Both plugins produce close results. Chromaglow’s Magnetic setting and Decapitator’s E setting were used, demonstrating slight differences in their output.

Bass: Chromaglow's Squeeze function with hard press and Decapitator's E setting revealed that Decapitator retained bass subs better, while Chromaglow boosted harmonics more effectively.

Vocals: Chromaglow required more drive to achieve the desired harmonics compared to Decapitator, which could produce more harmonics with less drive.

Conclusion

The Chromaglow stands up well against the Decapitator, showcasing unique features like the resonant shaper and filter slope settings, which provide additional flexibility. While Decapitator remains a robust and heavy-handed tool for adding warmth and distortion, Chromaglow offers a more nuanced and all-around approach suitable for various applications, including the mix bus.

Ultimately, both plugins have their strengths and could be used in tandem for optimal results. Chromaglow’s subtlety and fine-tuning capabilities make it a valuable addition to Logic Pro 11, proving that stock plugins can compete with premium options like Decapitator.

Final Thoughts

Chromaglow is a solid addition to Logic Pro's toolkit, offering features that make it versatile and capable of standing alongside established plugins like Decapitator. Whether used separately or together, both plugins provide unique benefits that can enhance your mixing and mastering projects.

Now, I'm wondering: Is the Chromaglow a valuable addition to Logic Pro or not? Let me know in the comments below ⤵️