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Color Drive Black Friday pricing from Relab Development puts this saturation plugin at $20, 74% off, until Nov 30, 2026.
Color Drive is a saturator built on the variable-gain tube circuit of the Relab 176, transformers included.
The maker says it does not stack algorithms or fake "warmth". Instead it solves the Relab 176 tube stage in real time as one circuit.
That circuit covers the input transformer, the 6BC8 variable-gain tube, the calibration bias and the output transformer.
Because everything is solved together, the maker says density, tone and transient shape interact the way they do on hardware. Every move changes how the whole system responds.
The range runs from barely-there tube warmth to real crunch. Relab says it can tuck transients, add harmonic weight and give an instrument presence without pushing it forward in level.
Start with Calibration centered and the transformer in, and you get mostly odd-order content. The maker describes this as focus, punch and a solid hardware feel in a mix.
Move Calibration off center and even-order harmonics creep in. Paired with the output transformer, that gives you a precise way to balance the harmonic mix.
The emphasis filters work before any Drive is added. Tilt or shelve the high end and the tube leans harder on those frequencies, which shapes the harmonic profile ahead of the saturation itself.
Relab describes the result as subtle or bold but always musical, and as a saturator that responds like real hardware.
Yes. The Color Drive Black Friday deal takes 74% off Relab Development's saturation plugin, bringing it to $20. The offer runs until Nov 30, 2026.
Color Drive is a saturation plugin from Relab Development built on the Relab 176's variable-gain tube circuit. It solves the input transformer, 6BC8 tube, calibration bias and output transformer in real time as a single circuit.
Calibration adjusts the tube's bias point. Centered, the stage gives mostly odd-order harmonics. Moving it away from center introduces even-order harmonics for warmth or contour, and it pairs well with the output transformer for shaping the harmonic mix.
Yes. Switching to transformer coupling inserts the Relab 176's output transformer into the signal path, completing the analog chain. With Calibration centered, the maker says this adds focus, punch and hardware solidity to a mix.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.