This super-cheap FX plugin promises ‘the Drake underwater sound’ in just a few clicks
Get that downtempo hip-hop vibe in seconds
A quick search reveals plenty of tutorials that attempt to explain how you can create ‘the Drake underwater sound’ in your DAW, but if you fancy doing it in one hit, you may want to consider Thenatan’s aptly-named Underwater plugin.
Promising to provide “the quickest way to create that ‘40’ Drake-style Underwater effect” (40 being producer Noah Shebib, who helped to popularise the effect thanks to his work with the Canadian hip-hop/R&B star), Underwater is a simple plugin with just a few controls. Turn down the Filter knob and tweak the Redux (lo-fi degrading) and Drive (distortion) knobs and you should be about done.
There’s also a low-cut switch that cuts everything under 80Hz, the option to choose from seven slope settings and a master output knob. For that authentic woe-is-me downtempo vibe, a tear-shedding animation is included, too.
Underwater runs as a VST/AU plugin on PC and Mac and is available now for the introductory price of $12.50 (regular price is $50). Found out more on the Thenatan website.
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I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.
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