Carbonator User Manual - Carbonated Audio

1. Overview

Carbonator is an analog saturation plugin with 5 circuit-modeled flavors and a single Fizz knob. One knob, five characters, endless tone-shaping possibilities. $20 one-time purchase - no subscription, no iLok, no account required.

Formats

VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone

macOS

10.13+ (Apple Silicon native)

Windows

Windows 10+

Version

2.2.0

Price

$20 one-time

License

Up to 3 machines

2. Installation

macOS

Download the macOS installer from your email or the Carbonated Audio website
Run the .pkg installer
Select the formats you want to install (VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone)
Restart your DAW

Windows

Download the Windows installer from your email or the Carbonated Audio website
Run the installer
VST3 and Standalone are installed automatically
Restart your DAW

Default Install Paths

macOS VST3 /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/

macOS AU /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

macOS AAX /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/

Windows VST3 C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\

3. Activation

Open Carbonator (standalone or inside your DAW)
Click the key icon in the top-right corner
Paste your license key (received via email after purchase)
Click Activate

Your license works on up to 3 machines simultaneously. No iLok, no dongle, no account needed. Once activated, Carbonator works offline forever.

4. Interface Guide

Fizz Knob - The main control. Morphs drive, compression, EQ, and makeup gain simultaneously. 0% = clean, 100% = full saturation.
Flavor Selector - Choose between Cola, Cherry, Grape, Lemon-Lime, and Orange Cream.
Carbonated Toggle - Enables Carbonated mode, which blends all 5 circuits together.
Level Display - Shows the current Fizz percentage.
Bypass - Standard plugin bypass.

5. The 5 Flavors

Cola

Console-style warmth

Punchy, round, and controlled. Cola delivers the classic console character - a warm push with gentle compression that adds weight without smearing transients.

Best on: drums, mix bus, full mixes Character: warm push with gentle compression

Cherry

Tube-style aggression

Raw, gritty, and forward. Cherry brings harmonic-rich tube drive with real edge - the kind of saturation that makes elements cut through a dense mix.

Best on: bass, guitars, aggressive vocals Character: harmonic-rich drive with edge

Grape

Vintage lo-fi character

Dusty, saturated, and nostalgic. Grape adds that vintage lo-fi color - bit-crushed warmth that makes everything sound like it came off a cassette you love.

Best on: vocals, synths, lo-fi beats Character: bit-crushed warmth with color

Lemon-Lime

Bright harmonic saturation

Airy, present, and sparkly. Lemon-Lime enhances upper harmonics to add presence and shimmer without harsh resonance - like turning on the "expensive" switch.

Best on: vocals needing presence, acoustic instruments, hi-hats Character: upper harmonic enhancement

Orange Cream

Tape-style smoothness

Creamy, warm, and forgiving. Orange Cream is the most versatile flavor - smooth tape compression with warmth that flatters anything you put through it.

Best on: everything - the most versatile flavor Character: smooth tape compression with warmth

6. Carbonated Mode

Carbonated mode blends all 5 saturation circuits simultaneously, creating a unique, complex harmonic character that no single flavor can achieve on its own.

Activate it using the Carbonated toggle on the interface
The Fizz knob controls the blend intensity
Creates rich, multi-layered harmonic content
Great for when you want "something special" that no single flavor provides

7. Recommended Settings

Subtle warmth Any flavor at 15-30% Fizz

Vocal character Grape or Lemon-Lime at 40-60% Fizz

Drum punch Cola at 50-70% Fizz

Bass grit Cherry at 40-65% Fizz

Mix bus glue Orange Cream at 20-40% Fizz

Creative destruction Carbonated mode at 80-100% Fizz

8. DAW Compatibility

DAW	macOS	Windows
Logic Pro	AU VST3	--
Pro Tools	AAX	--
Ableton Live	AU VST3	VST3
FL Studio	VST3	VST3
Studio One	AU VST3	VST3
Cubase / Nuendo	VST3	VST3
Reaper	AU VST3	VST3
Bitwig	VST3	VST3
GarageBand	AU	--

9. Troubleshooting

Plugin not showing in my DAW

Open your DAW's preferences and rescan your plugin folders. On macOS, make sure the correct format is installed (AU for Logic/GarageBand, VST3 for most others, AAX for Pro Tools). On Windows, verify the VST3 is in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\.

Audio cutting out after 60 seconds

You're running the free demo, which has a 60-second playback limit. Purchase and activate a license to unlock unlimited use.

High CPU usage

Make sure you're running the latest version (v2.2.0). If CPU is still high, increase your DAW's audio buffer size in preferences.

Activation failed

Check your internet connection and make sure the license key was pasted correctly with no extra spaces before or after. If the issue persists, email us at mixedbysoda@gmail.com.

10. Support

Need help? We typically respond within 24 hours.

mixedbysoda@gmail.com carbonatedaudio.com @carbonatedaudio