Thenatan VYBZ 2: Seven Lofi Effects in One Window for $10

Thenatan Audio has released VYBZ 2, a lofi and character multi-effect that lays seven processors side by side in one window: Texture, III Verb, Echo, Damage, Time Machine, Motion and II Band. The chain is pre-ordered and level-matched, so a preset or a few knob turns gets you vinyl noise, tape push, a wobbly 1970s tone and a dreamy tail at once. Plugin Boutique has the standard version for $10, down from $89, until 19 November.

At a glance: seven effects in a fixed, level-matched chain; 9 noise textures plus your own sample; three reverbs and 25 impulse responses; six drive circuits with bitcrushing; a Time Machine that ages sound from 1930 to now; 12 device simulations; a matrix LFO; dice randomisation with locks; 256 presets. VST, VST3 and AU, no AAX. $10 at Plugin Boutique to 19 Nov (regular $89), or $20 with all nine expansions.

What is VYBZ 2?

Lofi plugins usually come in two shapes. Single-job tools add one kind of damage: noise, wobble or bitcrushing. All-in-one "vibe" processors, led by XLN Audio's RC-20 Retro Color, stack several of those jobs behind one intensity control. VYBZ 2 is the second kind, but with more stages: as well as noise, wobble and drive it has a full reverb section, a tempo-synced stereo delay, width and auto-pan tools, an EQ and a parallel compressor at the end. The idea is that a beatmaker never has to leave the plugin to finish a lofi sound.

Thenatan's catalogue is built around focused character effects, and its earlier DIAL radio plugin shares the same design language. VYBZ 2 succeeds the original VYBZ; owners of version 1 have an upgrade coupon from Thenatan.

What's in VYBZ 2

Texture. Nine built-in noise beds, including vinyl, tape, room and rain, with gain, pitch and high- and low-pass filters. Set Noise to User and load your own sample, which saves with presets and sessions. Texture follows the input, so a silent track stays silent instead of hissing between phrases.

III Verb. Three algorithmic reverbs (a smooth large space, a plate and a shimmer-style dream mode) plus a convolution mode with 25 real spaces, from small rooms to halls. Freeze turns the tail into a sustained pad, and Mono keeps it narrow so it does not swamp a busy beat.

Echo. A tempo-locked stereo delay with separate left and right times, including dotted and triplet values for ping-pong. Feed sets the repeats, a Color ring darkens or brightens them, and an ensemble chorus sits before the delay.

Damage. Six drive circuits: Tape, Valve, Drive, Amp, Fuzz and Octave Fuzz. A Mix ring blends the drive with the clean signal for parallel saturation, and Reducer and Crusher add sample-rate and bit-depth grit, down to 2-bit.

Time Machine. Drag a year from 1930 to now and each era brings its own tone, wow and noise. VHS adds wobble, softer highs and video hiss, Bad Cable adds crackles and cut-outs, and tape drop-outs have their own depth and speed.

Motion and II Band. Motion handles width (mono to extra wide), an auto-panner and a tempo-synced "pumper" for a sidechain feel. II Band is a two-band EQ with shelf or bell shapes and a single Tone tilt.

The rest of the chain. Envolution plays the result through one of 12 devices, from a phone speaker and CB radio to a boombox, a megaphone and earbud bleed. A matrix LFO moves the reverb and echo in time with your track. The footer has NY parallel compression, a global dry/wet mix, input and output gain and a safety limiter. Dice randomisation builds a new setting from the current one at four strengths (Subtle, Nice, Bold or Wild), and you can lock any effect to keep it out of the roll. Everything can be undone.

VYBZ 2 specifications

Spec	Detail
Type	Lofi and character multi-effect
Effects	Texture, III Verb, Echo, Damage, Time Machine, Motion, II Band, plus Envolution device simulation
Reverb	Three algorithms plus 25 impulse responses; Freeze and Mono
Drive	Tape, Valve, Drive, Amp, Fuzz, Octave Fuzz; sample-rate reducer, bitcrusher to 2-bit
Modulation	Matrix LFO for reverb and echo, tempo-synced panner and pumper
Workflow	Dice with locks and four strengths, solo per effect, full undo/redo, resizable interface
Presets	256 in 16 categories, level-checked against bypass; nine optional expansions (900 presets)
Formats	macOS: AU, VST, VST3. Windows: VST, VST3. 64-bit, native Apple Silicon. No AAX
Systems	macOS 10.9.5 or later, Windows 7 or later; 4 GB RAM, 2 GB disk
Price	$10 at Plugin Boutique to 19 Nov (regular $89); Full Bundle with expansions $20 (regular $129)

VYBZ 2 vs RC-20 Retro Color vs Thenatan DIAL

	VYBZ 2	XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color	Thenatan DIAL
Price (28 Oct, Plugin Boutique)	$10 to 19 Nov ($89)	$99	$10 to 19 Nov ($50)
Effect stages	7, plus device simulation	6 (Noise, Wobble & Flutter, Distortion, Bitcrusher, Reverb, Volume Drops)	Radio chain: tuner, four radio models, interference, speaker
Delay	Tempo-synced stereo echo	No	No
Global control	Dice randomiser, NY compression, Mix	Magnitude slider scales every module	Station dial and SEARCH
Presets	256	Factory presets for drums, keys, guitars, bass and mixes	64
Pro Tools (AAX)	No	Yes	No
Best at	Finished lofi beats and vocals in one plugin	Fast, musical vintage colour on any source	Making a source sound like a radio broadcast

Which to pick? RC-20 Retro Color is still the reference for one-slider vintage colour, and it is the only one of the three that runs in Pro Tools, but at $99 it costs ten times more today. VYBZ 2 does more of the job inside one window, especially the reverb and delay that RC-20 users usually add separately. Thenatan DIAL is a narrower tool for radio and broadcast effects and pairs well with VYBZ 2 rather than replacing it. For more saturation-led options, our best saturation plugins guide covers RC-20 against Decapitator, Saturn 2 and TAIP.

Who is VYBZ 2 for?

Lofi, boom bap, R&B and trap producers who want a finished, characterful sound from one insert, especially on keys, guitars, melodies and vocals. It also suits beginners: the chain is already in order and level-matched, every preset is checked against bypass so it does not just sound louder, and plain-English tooltips explain the controls. At $10 it is an easy add even if you already own a lofi plugin, just for the reverb, delay and device sections.

Who should skip it: Pro Tools users, because there is no AAX version. Mix engineers who want a single subtle saturation stage will find seven effects more than they need; a dedicated saturator is cleaner. And if you already own RC-20 plus a good reverb and delay, VYBZ 2 mostly saves you plugin slots rather than adding new sounds.

How much does VYBZ 2 cost?

VYBZ 2 is $10 at Plugin Boutique until 19 November, down from $89. The VYBZ 2 Full Bundle with all nine expansions (900 extra presets) is $20, down from $129. Thenatan's own store sells VYBZ 2 from $29 and the expansion bundle for $39, and owners of VYBZ 1 get an upgrade coupon for $9.50, so Plugin Boutique is the cheaper route for new buyers.

FAQ

What is VYBZ 2?

A lofi and character multi-effect from Thenatan Audio with seven effects in one window: Texture, III Verb, Echo, Damage, Time Machine, Motion and II Band, plus device simulation, a matrix LFO and dice randomisation.

Does VYBZ 2 work in Pro Tools?

No. It is available as VST and VST3 on Windows and AU, VST and VST3 on macOS. There is no AAX version.

VYBZ 2 vs RC-20 Retro Color: which is better?

RC-20 is the faster, more established colour tool and supports AAX. VYBZ 2 adds a full reverb, a stereo delay, width tools and device simulation, and is $10 against RC-20's $99 at Plugin Boutique until 19 November.

Can I use my own noise samples?

Yes. Set the Texture section's Noise to User and load a sample. It is saved with your presets and your session.

Is there an upgrade from VYBZ 1?

Yes. Thenatan offers VYBZ 1 owners an upgrade coupon that brings VYBZ 2 to $9.50 in its store.