8.4Great
Portal is a granular synthesis FX plugin from Output that transforms any audio input into playable, musical granular effects.
Plugin comparison
Portal vs RC-20 Retro Color
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
8.6Great
RC-20 Retro Color v2 adds an Echo module, Varispeed and moveable modules to XLN Audio's vintage texture effect. $99 intro price at Plugin Boutique.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, RC-20 Retro Color comes out ahead (8.6). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Portal | RC-20 Retro Color |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 | $99 intro to 12 Jan 2027 (list $129) |
| Dubspot Score | 8.4 | 8.6 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | VST3, AU, AAX |
| Presets | 250+ presets for instant playability | — |
| Control | Circular XY control linked to granular parameters | — |
| Built-in FX | 7 built-in FX plus a master compressor and filter | — |
| Time manipulation | Powerful time manipulation engine with tempo-synced grain delay | — |
| Modulation | Scale-based pitch modulation, Time Stretch, Pitch Shift, and Humanize controls | — |
| Apple Silicon | Native Apple Silicon compatibility (M1, M2 and beyond) as of v1.2.0 | — |
| Type | — | Creative effect / character processing plugin |
| Effect modules | — | Noise, Wobble, Distort, Digital, Space, Loss, plus the new Echo module |
| Plugin formats | — | VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit) |
| Mac requirements | — | macOS 10.13 or later (64-bit) |
| Windows requirements | — | Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) |
| Upgrade from v1 | — | $19 at Plugin Boutique until 12 Jan 2027 (list $39) |
| Trial | — | 10 days, full version |
| Magnitude control | — | Single slider to scale the intensity of all active effects at once |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.