8.7Great
Soundtoys Decapitator is an analog saturation plugin that models hardware consoles, preamps, and studio distortion units to add subtle to extreme warmth.
Plugin comparison
Soundtoys Decapitator vs UAD Empirical Labs FATSO
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
UA's native Empirical Labs FATSO folds tape-style saturation, transformer warmth and four compression modes into one plugin, no Apollo hardware required.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Soundtoys Decapitator | UAD Empirical Labs FATSO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | $149 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.7 | — |
| Formats | AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST, VST3, AU | VST3, AU, AAX |
| Saturation models | Five analog saturation models modeled on vintage and modern hardware | — |
| Key controls | Analog-modeled Tone control, Mix knob for parallel processing, and a Punish button for extra gain | — |
| Sample rates | 44.1 kHz minimum to 192 kHz maximum | — |
| Architecture | 64-bit only; Apple Silicon compatible | — |
| OS requirements | macOS 10.15 or later; Windows 10 or later (not compatible with ARM-based Windows) | — |
| Current version | 5.5 (requires internet connection for activation) | — |
| Type | — | Tape-style saturation, transformer warmth and compression |
| Versions | — | FATSO Jr (core tones) and FATSO Sr (deeper control) in one plugin |
| Saturation | — | Warmth (high-frequency saturation and soft limiting) and Tranny (transformer and tape-head saturation) |
| Compression modes | — | Buss, G.P., Tracking, Spank |
| Sr extras | — | Tranny saturation control, sidechain filtering, threshold, attack and release |
| Platform | — | UAD native; no Apollo or UAD-2 hardware required |
| Formats | — | VST3, AU, AAX |
| OS | — | macOS and Windows |
| Spark | — | Included in UAD Spark Studio |
| Developed with | — | Dave Derr, original FATSO designer at Empirical Labs |
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