Output Thermal - £134

This multi-stage distortion has the potential to really heat up your tracks, as Si Truss discovers…

CONTACT WHO: Output WEB: output.com KEY FEATURES Three-stage distortion effect with multiple additional processors, master compressor, two modulators and 250+ presets

Of Output’s eclectic line-up, last year’s granular effect tool Portal is a highlight; taking a complex and experimental process and putting it into a plugin package that makes it accessible without losing any of the depth.

Their latest, Thermal, is a close sibling, sporting a similar UI and once again striking a balance between ease-of-use and creative depth. The core concern here is distortion, with algorithms ranging from analogue emulated overdrive through digital clipping and various forms of wave folding. There is, however, such an abundance of additional processing tools here that it would almost be more accurate to describe Thermal as a multi-effect plugin.