Today Nugen Audio has revealing a new and improved version of their clever and deceptively powerful channel ops utility plug-in SigMod. They have made it even easier to use as you can now host VST3 plug-ins inside the signal path of SigMod instead of having to route out of SigMod to process with plug-ins. Check out our exclusive review and learn about a special NAMM 2019 price reduction.

What Is New In SigMod

Nugen Audio have added a 12th Module to the 11 that SigMod originally released with, back in May 2018. With the addition of this new module it is now possible to process audio with VST3 plug-ins from within the signal flow path all inside this clever little plug-in.

How Does The New VST3 Module Work?

The insert VST3 module enables you to be able to insert a VST3 plug-in anywhere within the SigMod signal-flow. The addition of a ‘Dual Mono VST’ option in the setting screen allows for complex parallel processing within the SigMod plug-in, without the need to duplicate tracks or employ multiple busses to route the audio out of SigMod.

To insert a plug-in within the module, you click the text box to open the available VST3 plug-in menu. Then if this the first time you have used the plug-in, or you have installed new plug-ins since you last used SigMod, then click ‘Scan’ to populate the plug-in list. New plug-ins will be highlighted in green. 

Be aware that the Insert VST3 module only supports VST3 format effect plug-ins. It does not support the older VST plug-ins or Virtual instrument (VSTi) plug-ins.

Once a plug-in has been inserted the ‘Gear-wheel’ button can be used to view the usual plug-in graphical interface to adjust any of the parameters.

Now You Can Do This With VST2 And AU Plugins Too

In October 2019, Nugen Audio released an update to SigMod, which added support for VST2 and AU plugins as well as VST3.

Back to a VST3 example. In this example, I want to be able to undertake some MS processing. I have set up an MS module to start with, to convert the incoming stereo audio into Mid Side. Next, I have an instance of the new VST3 module in dual mono so I can process the Mid and Side paths differently and then finally another MS module to convert the MS back to conventional Left/Right stereo.

Exclusive Review

In this demo video, I show how the latest version from Nugen Audio makes using plug-ins with SigMod so much easier now you can insert VST3 plug-ins from within SigMod rather than having to route audio back out to your DAW, process it in plug-ins and then bring it back into SigMod to finish the job.

Update: With the update released in October 2019, you can now insert VST2 and AU plugins as well as VST3 plugins into the SigMod Insert module.

What Else Is In SigMod From Nugen Audio?

SigMod is billed as “a modular, customisable signal modification plug-in allowing users to easily combine simple processes into complex combinations to correct, tweak or convert an audio signal for a wide variety of purposes”.

SigMod is suitable for all kinds of quick-fix tasks, enhancing or overcoming DAW limitations. You can combine multiple modules to create complex experimental signal-flows and routings.

To achieve these solutions in one simple plug-in, the original SigMod was made up of 11 single process modules, which include master & channel strip features, signal monitoring & routing options, mid-side conversion, crossovers and output level protection. 

Each signal module can be combined in any order to create the precise routing required. Auto-resizing of the plug-in window keeps the signal flow and functionality clear and easy to see at all times.

In the settings panel, multiple instances of the 12 available processing modules can be arranged in any order allowing useful channel operations to be quickly set up and recalled. The available modules are:

• Mid-Side - Converts L/R stereo signal to Mid/Side or Mid/Side back to L/R stereo 

• Mute/Solo - Mutes the signal

• Tap - Duplicates the signal to an instance of the complementary Nugen Recieve Plug-in

• Phase - Inverts the polarity of the signal

• Mono - Sums to mono

• Switch - Swaps the left/right or mid/side channel order

• Delay - Delay in ms or samples up to 100ms

• Crossover - 2-way first-order crossover, tap the HF or LF and pass the other band

• Trim - +20dB to -70dB

• DC Offset - DC Offset

• Protect - Cuts the signal if it exceeds a specified TP measurement

• Insert VST3 - This allows the insertion of a VST3 plugin anywhere within the SigMod signal-flow (only one instance allowed)

What We Think Of The New Version Of SigMod With VST3 Support From Nugen Audio

This makes a great clever plug-in that hides its power and flexibility under a deceptively simple graphical interface. To get a sense of its power and flexibility then do check out Julian’s excellent tutorials created with the original version of SigMod.

The addition of the Insert VST3 module both increases SigMod’s power and versatility as well as making it simpler and easy to use because for a lot of solutions it is no longer necessary to route audio out of the SigMod signal path to process the audio with plug-ins. As I showed in my demo video it has made MS processing of audio with plug-ins that don’t have MS processing built in so much simpler. Instead of 2 instances of SigMod and then separate instances of audio processing plug-ins, it can be all done in one instance of SigMod.

One thing to be aware of. Unlike all the other modules it is currently only possible to have one instance of the Insert VST3 module within an instance of SigMod.

It would be great to be able to have multiple instances of VST plug-ins within a single instance of SigMod. The other idea for further improving SigMod is that it would be great to be able to tap off and feed audio to an instance of a plug-in all within SigMod. For example, to be able to use the crossover module and then feed both of the outputs into multiple plug-ins before combining them back to gather to feed the output enabling you to band split process audio using your own choice of plug-ins all within an instance of SigMod.

Special NAMM 2019 Pricing For A Limited Period

To celebrate the launch of the new version of SigMod from January 24th to February 28th 2019 the price of the new version of SigMod will drop from $49 to $29.

Existing owners of SigMod will be able to download the new version from their Nugen Audio user account.