fedDSP has released SHI, a frequency-dependent saturation plugin designed in the developer’s signature guitar stompbox format.
Like the previous entries in the series (Snapper, Morso, and Elegante), SHI is free during the launch period. You can grab it for free until March 31st, after which the price goes up to £30.
SHI is basically a saturator plugin with a small but clever twist. Instead of saturating the entire signal, you pick a frequency range and the saturation is focused there.
The main interface has three knobs. Drive controls the saturation intensity, Frequency selects where in the spectrum the saturation is applied, and Amount sets the blend between the dry and processed signal.
There are also input and output level controls and a power toggle. That is the whole front panel.
We have already covered several of fedDSP’s stompbox plugins on BPB, and what I like about this series is that each one has a bit of a twist. They are not just basic distortion or overdrive pedals.
SHI’s angle is that targeted frequency control, which makes it more useful as a mixing tool than a typical full-range saturator. You can focus it on the low end to add weight to a kick or bass without muddying everything else, push it into the mids for body and punch on guitars or snares, or move it up high for edge and articulation.
If you are a guitarist, collecting stompbox-format plugins like this makes obvious sense. But I also recommend this form factor for creative producers and sound designers.
I love putting guitar stompbox plugins after synths and other instruments because they are streamlined and easy to use, and you can get some interesting effect combinations going pretty quickly.
By the way, SHI also has an advanced settings section with a few useful extras if you want to dig a bit deeper. There is a post-output limiter with three modes (Off, Safe for transparent control, and Aggro for fast peak clamping), a polarity flip, switchable high-pass and low-pass filters that can be placed pre or post the saturation stage, and a parallel mix control.
Stereo instances can run in dual mono (independent left/right processing) or linked stereo mode.
SHI runs with zero latency and minimal CPU load. It is available in VST3, AU, and AAX on macOS (10.13+, Intel and Apple Silicon) and VST3 and AAX on Windows 10/11 (64-bit). No iLok or dongle is required.
Download: SHI by fedDSP (FREE until March 31st)
Deal of the day 🔥: Get 83% OFF the Leviathan Anthology Bundle by Black Octopus Sound!
More:
Last Updated on March 25, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
