We're currently living in the age of digital audio. Exciter is an incredibly powerful tool that is essential to any music producer.

But there are so many different Exciter plugins in the music production landscape, so we decided to create the ultimate list of the top Exciter plugins today that will help you find the perfect fit.


ANIMATE: IGNITE

Exciter by Mastering The Mix



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Description


ANIMATE helps you inject life into your mixes in a precise, versatile and colourful way.

It consists of four modules, which can be purchased individually or as one multi-effect plugin:

Ignite

Ignite mode allows you to dial in rich harmonic distortion in a dynamic way based on the input signal. Ignite can increase the perceived loudness, power and presence of a channel without the pumping effects of a compressor.



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Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


Mac:

  • Mac OS X 10.8 or higher
  • AU, VST 2/3 or AAX host (64-bit only)

Windows:

  • Windows 7, 8 or 10
  • VST 2/3 or AAX host (64-bit only)

Available in VST, VST3, Audio Units and AAX formats (64-bit only).

Please note: AAX compatible with Pro Tools 11 and later only.

OS Compatibility



Type B

Exciter by AudioThing



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Description


Vintage Exciter

Type B is a plugin inspired by a famous vintage exciter effect. The original unit was designed to add presence and brightness to vocal or instrument tracks. It was often used to enhance dull recordings where the high-frequency content was missing due to tape overdubs.

Type B lets you control more aspects of the exciter circuit emulation, giving you access to the internal filter, the harmonic generator and more.

Additional Features

You can show/hide the drop-down panel by clicking on the arrow icon in the bottom left corner of the interface.
You’ll get access to:

  • Filter controls: mode (pre/post), type (highpass, bandpass), slope (12/24dB), emphasis.
  • Additional options: direct signal, wet boost, and background noise.

How Does It Work?

Exciters generate high-frequency content that is not part of the original signal using a combination of filtering and distortion (harmonic generator). The input signal goes into a filter (usually highpass, but you can also choose bandpass with Type B) before feeding it into the harmonic generator.

You have controls over the generated harmonics using the Color parameter. The signal is then mixed back with the dry signal. As an additional feature with Plan B you also have an option to swap the filter position with the Harmonic Generator.

Expensive Exciter

The original aural exciter algorithm was developed in the mid-1970s by Aphex Systems. At first, it was available to recording studios only to hire (at a cost of $30 per minute of finished recording time in 1975). Eventually, its popularity led to the release of commercially available models like the Type B and Type C.




Features

  • Vintage Exciter
  • HP/BP Filter with Emphasis
  • Adjustable Unit Noise
  • Oversample up to 16x
  • Resizable Window
  • Preset system with randomizer
  • Light and Dark UI mode

Video


Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


Mac:

  • OSX 10.9 - macOS 11 Big Sur
  • 2GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM
  • VST2, VST3, AU, or AAX (64-bit only)

Windows:

  • Windows 7, 8 or 10
  • 2GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM
  • VST2, VST3, or AAX (64-bit only)

Please Note: Type B is not affiliated with, sponsored, nor endorsed by Aphex Systems / Aural Exciter.

OS Compatibility