Stimulate

free harmonic exciter that adds shine without the sand (v1.4)

Need instant sparkle without turning your mix into glass shards? Stimulate by Viator DSP is a free harmonic exciter that lets you dial odd and even harmonics independently, set the frequency range to excite, and blend it all with a mix control. It’s the fast, musical way to brighten vocals, drums, synths, and buses—minus the harshness.

Platforms: macOS (AU/VST3, 64-bit Universal) • Windows (VST3, 64-bit)
Version: 1.4 (bugfixes for analyzer artifacts & first-launch randomness)

Why it’s useful

• Target the air: Choose the Range (everything above your chosen frequency) to add sheen where it matters.

• Shape the color: Odd harmonics = edgy presence; Even harmonics = sweet, glossy warmth. Blend both for modern pop bite.

• See what you’re adding: The central display shows how your sine-wave “would bend,” making odd/even balance crystal clear.

• Stay honest: Mix and Trim keep level and parallel balance under control; Phase flip solves sneaky cancellations.

Quick-start recipes

• Vocal polish (subtle)
  Range: 6–8 kHz → Even: 30–40% → Odd: 10–15% → Amount: 15–20% → Mix: 20–30% → Trim to match.

• Drum bus snap
  Range: 3–5 kHz → Odd: 35–45% → Even: 15–20% → Amount: 25–35% → Mix: 15–25%.

• Synth air without hiss
  Range: 8–10 kHz → Even: 25–35% → Odd: 5–10% → Amount: 20–25% → Mix: 20%.

• Bass definition (growl lane)
  Range: 1.5–2.5 kHz → Odd: 30–40% → Even: 0–10% → Amount: 20–30% → Mix: 10–15%.

Tip: Level-match with Trim before/after toggling bypass. If it sounds “better” but is just louder, pull it back a dB.

Controls (at a glance)

• Amount — Drives harmonic distortion intensity.

• Range — Sets the threshold frequency; everything above is excited.

• Odd / Even — Balance harmonic flavor (aggressive vs silky).

• Phase — Flips polarity to avoid cancellations in parallel contexts.

• Mix — Wet/dry blend for parallel excitement.

• Trim — Output gain for level matching.

What’s new in v1.4

• Fixed random data in the graph on first launch.

• Fixed analyzer randomness when no audio is present.

• Fixed artifacts at certain buffer sizes.

Where it shines

• Lead vocals for modern gloss that survives streaming encoders.

• Acoustic & overheads to bring out stick and string without brittle EQ boosts.

• Soft synths & pads for air that cuts through dense arrangements.

• Mix bus (light touch) when a half-dB of “finished” is all you need.

Download Stimulate v1.4, set Range where you want the sheen, blend Even for gloss and Odd for bite, level-match, and print. Bright, controlled, and free—what’s not to like?

Sources :

patreon.com/: https://www.patreon.com/posts/stimulate-plugin-64547471
https://www.audiopluginsforfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/stimulate-14.zip