Box Of Color 1
I bring to market products that I love and that I would be the first to use.
box of color, a platform to shape your sound like no others
What Box Of Color is
Why I'm your everyday sound shaper box
Despite this (deliberately) quirky aspect, this plugin is actually very powerful. It’s a channel strip, it’s a distortion pedal, it’s an ambience generator – yet it’s none of these things at the same time. Box Of Color can be very subtle, compressing the sound in an analogue-style way, or it can function just like your favourite pedalboard setup. I have deliberately NOT included any names, specifications or emulated brands; the world is already full of them, and I’m not about to add to the dogma. I wanted to remove all (or almost all) references so that we can get back to using our ears. The GUI is deliberately disorienting for two reasons: firstly, because we’re like children playing with music, and the more we play, the more fun the music will be; secondly, to avoid using the mechanical part of the brain. Giving you irrelevant parameters forces you to search for the sound. Don’t be fooled by appearances; the sound this tool can give you is absolutely top-notch – you’ll see!
Let’s take a closer look at the various sections.
Many Modules
a superb chain at your fingertip
The plugin consists of seven modules, and you’ll find that although they’re generally connected in series, the interaction between them is very musical. You’ll often find yourself adjusting the parameters at the start of the chain as you shape the sound.
1- Input module and level
I'm happy to be at around -18 dB ... hey I'm digital, right? so gimme headroom!
Turn the input level knob until the VU meter reaches the top of the green zone. The system has been optimised to operate between -18 dB and -12 dB. The ‘Stay Here’ arrow is set to -16 dB, and the first yellow VU meter to -12 dB. You can, of course, go beyond these levels, but if you want to get the best out of your audio chain, stay within this range. Use your ears as always. GAIN MATCH: enable this if you are uncertain about the level, this is an auto gain match with an an average between peak level and RMS level.
2 - Color
A subtle colour to start with; use only this stage if you want to emulate a channel strip
Here are 5 input models... do you really want to spoil the magic and have me tell you what they are? Come on, no way. We’re here to use our ears and our gut, not our eyes and our brains! But I’ll give you a few clues: here you’ll find 3 emulations of British mixers, 2 brands and 3 models, then an esoteric tube unit, and finally a lovely tape machine. DRY= BYPASS
3 - Character
This is where things start to get interesting
5 saturation/distortion/euphoria generator models. Use Character to modulate the input and adjust the saturation/compression curve of this stage. Use Color knob to set the intensity and wet/dry Percentage.
4 - Compressor
Could a compression stage be missing? Of course not
Guys: these compressors are your Swiss Army knife and they sound absolutely brilliant (I’m biased, I know). I can tell you that the two-stage models are extremely rare and almost impossible to find (EMT and Telefunken… OK, I’ve given it away). The other two are timeless classics. Pump: determines how hard the compressor works. Comp Gain: compensates for your forays into the world of compression. Be grateful for it and don’t overdo it. Or just go on and do it – you’re adults, after all.
5- Eq
Do I really have to explain what's going on here? Come on...
As you’ll have realised, the whole point of this playful little platform is to use your ears, so I’ve been a bit of a tease, but maybe one day you’ll thank me for it. There are NO numerical readings of ANY kind – no gain, no frequency, and so on. Just turn that bloody knob and if it sounds good… well, that’s it. We can treat ourselves to a bit of this every now and then, can’t we?
6 - Delay
A simple delay can be devastating when placed in the right audio chain
- DLY COLOR: I can’t quite remember exactly what it does, but I think it makes the sound brighter or darker. Experiment with it in a musical context and find the right setting for the sound you’re looking for. - DLY DRIVE: a saturator after the filter and before the delay. - DLY TIME: when the delay is unlatched from the grid (DLY SYNC), this knob allows you to freely create tight slapbacks or off-beat delays. - DLY SYNC: 1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 triplet or straight - Feedback: Why a spaceship? To infinity and beyond, the feedback will take you home
7 - Reverb
Are we sure we should call them just ‘reverbs’?
Here, I’ll continue to deliberately avoid telling you what happens in this module, because that’s part of the fun of shaping the sound. A TIP: experiment with the reverb model whilst listening to the whole thing with the next module engaged if you want to get creative, especially with synths and unusual vocals. A low-cut and high-shelf EQ will help you position the sound in the mix. POSITION: Allows you to insert the delay before the reverb, or to have them run in parallel ↑ IR DROP ↑⤴ : I know you’ll love it and will try your best to thank me for this feature: from here, you can add your own IR to give your track an even more personalised touch.
8 - Saturazione
Saturazione stands for Saturation... a bit of national pride, given that back in the 1960s, Italy was among the best at making mixers and delay units
This stage is magical and dangerous – if you want your individual tracks to really stand out in the mix... go for it! This stage acts as a saturator, compressor and expander. You no longer need those guitar pedal chains you’ve been using up until now! Saturation Drive determines how hard the stage works, whilst Amount is a dry/wet control
9 - DA Conversion
Hey mate: how many of them let you get that proper 90s sound?
I’ve made an exception here: the names will help you understand what the plugin’s output algorithms are referring to. This stage is unusual but extremely useful in certain contexts. A TIP: if you want to recreate that 90s hip-hop sound – and more besides – use the Input Colour and DA Conversion stages, bypassing the others. You’ll thank me later.
Overall MIX DRY/WET
Use this for a more subtle sound design
OUTPUT
Guys, we've done it – we've reached the end.
Output gain: you can adjust the numerical value to match the input level with the post-processing output level. COME ON, GUYS, BE SERIOUS: always match the gain, otherwise your ears will play tricks on you As the final stage, there is also a limiter, which isn’t designed for regular use but only as a safety net at the output before the signal goes back into your DAW
An example of a preset: Call Me Chad
a Drums Fattener preset
Sound Examples
AAX, AU, VST3 versions
64-bit only
Ableton Live 11+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
Bitwig 4+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
Cubase 13+ (Mac & PC: VST3)
Digital Performer 11+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
FL Studio 23+ (Mac & PC: VST3)
Garageband 10+ (AU)
Logic Pro 10+ (AU)
Pro Tools 12+ (Mac & PC: AAX)
Presonus Studio One 5+ / Fender Studio (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
Reaper 6+ (Mac & PC: VST3)
Cakewalk Next by BandLab (PC: VST3)
AAX is a trademark and software of Avid Technology. Audio Units is a trademark and software of Apple Inc. VST3 is a trademark and software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
AAX, VST3, AU versions included
64-bit only (Mac / PC)
Mac OS X 10.15 or higher (Intel native | ARM native)
Windows 10
At least 4GB of RAM, 16GB is recommended
At least 200MB of free drive space (OS drive)
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