Effect / XLN Audio
RC-20 Retro Color
8.6Great
RC-20 Retro Color is an XLN Audio effect plugin that adds vintage-style texture and character to recordings, emulating warm analogue and lo-fi recording equipment.
Plugin comparison
RC-20 Retro Color vs ShaperBox 3
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
Effect / Cableguys
ShaperBox 3
8.7Great
ShaperBox 3 by Cableguys is a multi-effect plugin combining 11 effect processors, each driven by drawable LFO waveforms with optional 3-band processing.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, ShaperBox 3 comes out ahead (8.7). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | RC-20 Retro Color | ShaperBox 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — |
| Dubspot Score | 8.6 | 8.7 |
| Formats | VST, AU, AAX | VST 2, VST 3, AU (Mac only), AAX |
| Type | Creative effect / character processing plugin | — |
| Effect modules | Noise, Wobble & Flutter, Distortion/Saturation, Degrade (bitcrusher), Reverb (Space), Volume Drops | — |
| Plugin formats | VST, AU, AAX (64-bit) | — |
| Mac requirements | macOS 10.13 or later (64-bit) | — |
| Windows requirements | Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) | — |
| Magnitude control | Single slider to scale the intensity of all active effects at once | — |
| Included effects | — | 11 Shapers: Pitch, Reverb, Time, Drive, Noise, Liquid, Filter, Crush, Volume, Pan, Width |
| Multiband | — | Every Shaper can be split into 3 bands, each with independent LFO and envelope follower controls |
| Modulation | — | Drawable LFO waveforms plus envelope follower per band |
| Mac formats | — | VST 2, VST 3, AU, AAX (Intel and Apple Silicon) |
| Windows formats | — | VST 2, VST 3, AAX (64-bit) |
| System requirements | — | macOS 10.15 or later; Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11 |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.