Softube, Universal Audio: Mastering Maximizer, Ampex Tape Machine, and Distressor – 3 Tools Now Heavily Discounted
Weiss MM-1 at 65% Off, Plus Two UA Classics for €38.68 Each
Softube, Universal Audio: Mastering Maximizer, Ampex Tape Machine, and Distressor – 3 Tools Now Heavily Discounted · Source: GEARNEWS
Softube opens this week with the Weiss MM-1, a mastering maximizer built on the same algorithms as the legendary Weiss DS1-MK3. At 65% off for €68.43, that’s a serious deal. Universal Audio follows with two classics: the Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder and the Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor, both available for €38.68 each at 80% off. Worth checking out.
Software Deals of the Week
Softube Weiss MM-1: Now 65% Off
Softube developed the Weiss MM-1 in close collaboration with Weiss Engineering and Daniel Weiss himself, founder of the Swiss company that has been building digital audio equipment for mastering studios since 1979. The Softube Weiss MM-1 is based on the same algorithms as the Softube DS1-MK3, the most widely used mastering processor of the past few decades. Softube ported the DS1-MK3 code line by line, not as an approximation. Through July 31st, the Softube Weiss MM-1 is 65% off.
The concept of the Softube Weiss MM-1 is deliberately simple: a Style selector with five limiting characters, an Amount knob, and a Parallel Mix control. The five Styles are Transparent, Loud, Punch, Wide, and Deess, covering the most common mastering scenarios. The further you push the Amount knob, the more filtering, compression, and de-essing of the selected Style engage, all tuned by experienced mastering engineers working directly on the DS1-MK3. The side menu handles common dBFS standards for different platforms, whether streaming, Apple Music, or CD. Mastering legend Howie Weinberg and Grammy-nominated engineer Luca Pretolesi are among its known users.
In practice, the Softube Weiss MM-1 stands out for its transparency. Set the Style to Transparent and ease in the Amount knob subtly and you get more loudness without any noticeable tonal change. Choose Punch or Wide and you get targeted control over transients or stereo width directly inside the limiting process. Multiple instances can be chained in series, which makes the MM-1 a versatile building block across different mastering stages.
Through July 31, 2026, grab the Softube Weiss MM-1 here at Plugin Boutique* for €68.43 instead of €197.34 with 65% off.
Universal Audio Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder: Now 80% Off
Universal Audio developed the Ampex ATR-102 in direct collaboration with the Ampex Corporation and received official authentication from the original manufacturer. The 2-track tape machine from 1976 is still the reference in professional mastering studios today, and it would honestly be easier to list classic albums that weren’t mixed down on one than to try to list all those that were. Through July 31st, the plugin is available for €38.68.
UA modeled the entire ATR-102 electronics chain, transformers, amplifiers, and the Repro, Sync, and Input paths. Seven tape formulas are available including GP9, 456, 900, and 250, each with its own saturation character and distortion behavior. Three head widths, four tape speeds, and selectable emphasis EQs allow fine-tuning of the tonal character. Auto-Gain handles level calibration automatically whenever you switch tape formula or speed. Wow, flutter, hiss, hum, crosstalk, and tape delay are all separately adjustable and can be used creatively. Presets come from longtime ATR-102 users Chuck Ainlay, Richard Dodd, and Buddy Miller.
In the studio, the ATR-102 most often lands as the last insert on the master bus, adding warmth, depth, and analog cohesion that’s genuinely hard to achieve any other way. On individual tracks or drum groups, it delivers subtle tape saturation without changing the fundamental character of the source. At €38.68, it’s one of the most compelling plugin offers this week.
Through July 31, 2026, grab the Universal Audio Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder here at Plugin Boutique* for €38.68 instead of €197.34 with 80% off.
Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor: Now 80% Off
The Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor has been one of the most widely used compressors in professional studios worldwide since its introduction in 1993. Universal Audio developed the plugin in direct collaboration with Distressor creator Dave Derr, analyzing four different hardware units from across the product’s lifetime. Derr himself calls the UA emulation the most accurate Distressor emulation ever made. Through July 31st, the plugin is available for €38.68.
The foundation of the Distressor is its eight compression ratios: 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 6:1, 10:1, 20:1, and Nuke. Even at 1:1, the plugin functions as a pure harmonic saturator with no measurable dynamic processing, adding musical harmonics to synths and strings. The Nuke setting compresses so aggressively it transforms room mics and full mixes into something fundamentally different. Dist 2 and Dist 3 modes add even-order and combined harmonics, anywhere from subtle warmth to full saturation. A sidechain highpass filter and Band Emphasis allow frequency-selective sidechain control. Dry/wet parallel processing and a Headroom control are plugin-exclusive features the hardware doesn’t have. Presets come from Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell, and Jimmy Douglass.
In practice, the Distressor is hard to beat on drums: snare and kick at a 6:1 ratio with a fast attack immediately get more bite and energy without the room collapsing. Vocals benefit most from the Opto mode at 10:1, which produces a character that’s genuinely difficult to replicate with other compression types. Running it on a drum bus with the highpass filter in the sidechain gives you precise control without low-end pumping.
Through July 31, 2026, grab the Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor here at Plugin Boutique* for €38.68 instead of €197.34 with 80% off.
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