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Forge

Forge is a transformer and tube plugin designed to give tracks, buses, and mixes the warmth, density, and movement of classic analog gear.

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Analog Tone Without the Hardware

Getting a rich analog character in your mixes has traditionally meant needing expensive hardware. Forge simplifies the process.

Inspired by the magnetic behavior of classic transformer and tube circuits, Forge lets you shape the tone, weight, and personality of your tracks using three distinct transformer flavors, transformer drive, air, and optional tube saturation. The result is a faster path to mixes that feel bigger, richer, and more finished.

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Choose the Right Kind of Character

Every track asks for something different. A vocal might just need a little clarity. A drum bus might need thickness and punch. Instead of reaching for a different plugin (or a different piece of hardware) for each job, Forge gives you three transformer options, built around distinct tonal personalities.

Nickel is the cleanest and brightest, adding a gentle lift up top while keeping transients intact.

Iron is smooth and mid-forward, thickening the low-mids so guitars, vocals, and drums sit more confidently in the mix.

Steel is denser and slightly darker, tightening the low end and adding controlled thickness for mix bus, rock drums, and heavy guitars.

Switch between them instantly, no rebuilding your chain required.

Add Weight Without Losing Clarity

Many saturation plugins sound impressive at first, but quickly become muddy, harsh, or difficult to control.

Forge was designed to stay musical.

The Transformer Drive control lets you add harmonic density and analog character while preserving the detail and balance of your mix. Small adjustments create subtle depth. Push it harder, and Forge delivers more attitude and personality.

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Shape the Final Flavor

Once you’ve found the right transformer character, refine it with Air and Tube Drive.

Air restores openness and high-frequency detail, making it easy to balance warmth with clarity.

Tube Drive adds a second layer of harmonic richness and saturation, ranging from subtle analog polish to fuller, more colorful tones.

Together, they make it easy to move from clean and open to rich and saturated without reaching for additional plugins.

Hear it in Action

How It Works

Hover over a control to learn how Forge works.

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Built for Musicians. Backed by Pros.

“You hit this one on the head! I love the subtle transformer goodness.”
marc-smith
Marc Smith
Platinum-certified songwriter, producer, mixing, and mastering engineer (Destiny’s Child, Lil Flip, Stacie Orrico)

Videos

Give Your Mix the Weight and Character It’s Missing

Forge makes it easy to add depth, weight, and personality without expensive hardware or complicated signal chains. Whether you’re polishing a mix, enhancing a drum bus, or bringing life back to sterile tracks, Forge delivers musical analog character in a simple, focused workflow.

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F.A.Q.

All of our plugins are available as VST3, AU, and AAX formats
All of our plugins are officially supported on the following DAWs:

AAX, AU, VST3 versions
64-bit only
Ableton Live 11+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
Bitwig 4+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
Cubase 13+ (Mac & PC: VST3)
Digital Performer 11+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
FL Studio 23+ (Mac & PC: VST3)
Garageband 10+ (AU)
Logic Pro 10+ (AU)
Pro Tools 12+ (Mac & PC: AAX)
Presonus Studio One 5+ (Mac & PC: AU, VST3)
Reaper 6+ (Mac & PC: VST3)
Cakewalk Next by BandLab (PC: VST3)

If you don't see your DAW listed above, they should still work as long as your DAW can use VST3, AU, or AAX plugins. But any unlisted DAWs are not officially supported.
One of our core beliefs/values here at Carve Audio is that making music should be fun and entertaining. Because of that, we try to bake a little personality into everything we make. Sometimes that shows up as a food pun. Sometimes it’s a playful graphic. Sometimes both. If it makes you smile for half a second before you hit play, that’s a win. That said, the sound is never a joke. Under the hood, these plugins are designed and tuned with the same care you’d expect from tools meant to deliver real, professional results. We just don’t think great sound has to come with a boring personality. So yeah, the names are a little ridiculous on purpose. The results aren’t.
Mac OS X 10.15 or higher
64 bit compatible
Windows 10
At least 400 MB of free drive space
All of our plugin manuals can be found here
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