iZotope’s revived distortion plugin is Trash – no, seriously
The plugin lets users take their sounds from “subtle saturation to ultimate chaos”.
Image: iZotope
iZotope has revived a fan favourite plugin, and it’s Trash. Literally. The iconic distortion tool, Trash, first introduced in 2003, is back and boasts a set of new upgrades to offer a “whole new take on the joy of breaking things”.
Trash is now available as a desktop plugin and for use on iPad with Logic Pro using the AUv3 format. Both versions also include a new Trash Lite mode which is completely free.
“Trash takes sound into new dimensions with unlimited ways to twist, mangle, and energise music,” says iZotope. The plugin now features an easy-to-use interface, and is driven by two engines: the Trash and Convolve modules.
The Trash module includes over 60 distortion types for subtle distortion all the way to “full-on sonic mutation”. Convolve, on the other hand, comes with over 600 impulse responses to morph and filter your sound, such as tin cans, piano cabinets, reversed reverbs, and underwater recordings.
Both modules include an “intuitive” XY pad, allowing you to blend between either four distortion algorithms, or four impulse responses. Other new features include an Envelope Follower, a Dice Roll button for inspiration, and a Scream filter. Trash also utilises intelligent auto-gain and limiter settings on your output levels.
Take a look below:
A few creatives have already got their hands on Trash, but seemingly the reviews are mixed. iZotope have a high standard to live up to following the well-loved Trash2, which landed nearly a decade on from the original Trash in 2012. White Sea Studio praises the new user interface of Trash 3 — though commenters on YouTube express disappointment — while Low End Candy says he’s not so sure on the new version of the tool, but came to like it after playing around with some of its features. See his video below.
Use Trash for free via the Trash Lite mode, or you can purchase the full edition now via iZotope. Trash for desktop is priced at £95/$99 (with an introductory price of $79 through 16 April 2024), and at £19.99/$19.99 for iPad via the App Store.
