Brainworx and Black Box Analog Design’s HG-2 tube saturation plugin is currently 76% off at Plugin Boutique. The regular price is $125, and the deal brings it down to $30 until May 31.
HG-2 is the official emulation of Black Box Analog Design’s hardware tube processor. It’s a unit that retails for around $3,000 (yikes!) and shows up on many professional mix sessions.
The plugin includes four emulated tube stages along with modeled input and output transformers and costs a whopping 100 times less than the hardware during the sale.
The signal flow here is pretty interesting, compared to most other saturators I’ve tried. The pentode tube generates even-order harmonics for that guitar-amp-style distortion, while the triode brings in edgier third-order content, which sounds more like tape. Both have their own gain controls and sit in series.
There’s also a parallel saturation circuit that feeds in alongside, with a choice of two 12AX7 tubes (the Alt option is more aggressive) and a Saturation Frequency selector that focuses the harmonics on the lows, the highs, or the full band.
Overall, this is a pretty flexible setup. Whether you want subtle warmth or something noticeably colored, the HG-2 will get you there.
The plugin version adds a few controls that aren’t on the hardware. The bipolar Density knob drives both tubes harder (or pulls them back) without changing their relative balance. There’s also an Input Gain trim and a wet/dry Mix knob for parallel coloring.
The Calibration menu is software-only, too, with Dark, Normal, and Bright settings that shift the high-frequency response of the whole signal path.
The Air control is my favorite touch. It’s a 10 kHz shelving boost that adds high-end sheen, and unlike the hardware (where it’s just an on/off switch), the plugin lets you dial in the amount. Pretty cool!
I wouldn’t say this is a must-have plugin, but HG-2 definitely puts weight behind the low end, gives the top a bit of polish, and makes the whole mix feel a touch louder and more present at the same peak level. That last bit is part of why it shows up so often in mastering chains.
HG-2 is available in AAX, AU, and VST3 formats for macOS 12 to 15 and Windows 10 to 11. The 76% off offer runs until May 31, 2026.
This article contains affiliate links, which means BPB may earn a commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you.
Download: Black Box Analog Design HG-2 ($30, regularly $125, ends May 31)
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Last Updated on May 3, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
