Aubergine plugin suite – Analog EQ & saturation by Malcolm Toft

Aubergine

The Aubergine Plugin Suite blends Professor Malcolm Toft's legendary analog designs with Acustica Audio's advanced digital technology. With sampling expertise from Nik Georgiev, it delivers an authentic 1970s sound with powerful EQ and saturation features. This suite offers vintage warmth and modern flexibility, making it perfect for professionals seeking high-quality mixing tools. Compatible with VST3, AAX, and AU formats, it integrates effortlessly into your DAW, providing versatile options for both modern and classic sound shaping.

Key Features

Authentic Analog Emulation: Utilizes advanced sampling techniques for an unmatched analog-like sound.
Flexible EQ Routing: Choose from Pre, Post, or Linked to the saturation for a range of tonal variations.
Extensive EQ Control: Powerful EQ with Pre-emphasis and De-emphasis option, switchable cutoff frequencies for LF and HF bands, providing more than enough flexibility for diverse scenarios. The EQ harmonically interacts with saturation for a richer, organic sound.
Saturation Magic: The Punishr Saturator brings Toft’s renowned saturation circuits into the plugin world, with the ability to add three distinct types of harmonic saturation.
Hyper Technology: Improved efficiency and sound fidelity with reduced CPU usage.
Factory Presets: Curated by world-renowned sound engineers for immediate creative use.

About the Plugin Suite

Aubergine consists of two core products:

Aubergine Toft 70’s Strip: A complete channel strip offering vintage Pre-Post-Linked EQ, a vintage-style preamp emulation and a powerful saturator.

This plugin features a four-band EQ with independent pre-post-linked saturation routing, offering flexible sound shaping. The Low and High Shelving EQs have selectable cutoff frequencies at 80Hz/120Hz and 8kHz/12kHz, while the semi-parametric mid bands provide six selectable frequencies, spanning 100Hz–1.5kHz for the Low Mid and 1kHz–15kHz for the High Mid. It also includes pre and post high- and low-pass filters with ranges from 20Hz to 350Hz and 1.5kHz to 20kHz, a vintage-style preamp, and a powerful saturation section for rich harmonic enhancement.

Aubergine Toft 70’s Strip GUI

Aubergine Punishr Saturator: A Harmonic saturation plugin derived from Toft's famed hardware saturation designs, with the ability to add three distinct types of harmonic saturation (SYM, ASYM and IRON). Details:

- SYM (Symmetrical): Symmetrical distortion, where both sides of the waveform are clipped equally.
- ASYM (Asymmetrical): Asymmetrical distortion, where only one side of the waveform is clipped.
- IRON: Iron transformer saturation, providing a warm, analog-like distortion.

Aubergine Punishr Saturator GUI

Malcolm Toft: A Pioneer in Audio Design

With over five decades in audio engineering, Professor Malcolm Toft ( has shaped the industry through both innovation and application. As a recording engineer, he contributed to albums by The Beatles, David Bowie, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, and T-Rex, while his groundbreaking console designs set industry standards. His collaboration with Acustica Audio marks a key moment in bringing his legendary expertise into the digital realm, merging classic analog warmth with modern processing flexibility to redefine the possibilities of contemporary audio production.