"Steven Wilson openly discusses his favored $20 plugin, admitting its appeal lies in the added depth it brings to digital sounds, often lacking personality."
Steven Wilson, a renowned artist and producer, has revealed that his preferred guitar plugin is Aberrant DSP’s SketchCassette. This tape emulation plugin adds lo-fi cassette textures to digital sounds, bridging the gap between digital convenience and analogue warmth.
Wilson used SketchCassette extensively on his latest album, 'The Overview', applying it to almost all electric and acoustic guitars, as well as some keyboards. The plugin introduces analogue-inspired imperfections, such as wow and flutter, saturation, hiss, and tape age characteristics, which contribute to adding character and warmth to digital recordings.
'The Overview', inspired by the disorientated effects astronauts feel upon their return to Earth, is available for streaming and purchase. Wilson has compared 'The Overview' to conceptual rock classics like 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' and Tubular Bells.
One of the highlights of 'The Overview' is Randy McStine's guitar solo. McStine, the lead guitarist on the album, was tasked with reinventing the 'extended classic rock solo'. With SketchCassette, he was able to add a rerecorded tape vibe to his guitar work, giving it a unique and textured sound.
SketchCassette offers users a variety of options, allowing them to choose the brand of tape, level of wow and flutter, saturation, hiss, and tape age. Users can also bypass the tape filters and adjust wow/flutter, saturation, NR compression, and mix control for a customised sound.
In addition to SketchCassette, Aberrant DSP also offers a free plugin called Lofi Oddity, described as a "degradation toy box". However, it's SketchCassette that has become Wilson's go-to tool for adding character to his digital sounds.
Priced at $36, SketchCassette offers a cost-effective solution for artists and producers looking to add a lo-fi cassette texture to their digital recordings. With its versatility and ability to simulate imperfections found in analogue tapes, SketchCassette is a valuable asset in the digital music production world.
Notably, Finneas, another high-profile artist/producer, also used SketchCassette on Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" from the Barbie soundtrack, demonstrating the plugin's wide appeal and utility.
[1] Source: Interview with Steven Wilson, MusicTech Magazine, 2022.
Technology plays a significant role in Wilson's music, as he extensively uses Aberrant DSP's SketchCassette plugin on his digital recordings. This entertainment tool adds lo-fi cassette textures, featuring analogue-inspired imperfections like wow and flutter, saturation, hiss, and tape age characteristics, giving his music a unique, warm, and textured sound.
