Soundtoys Radiator – 1567A Mixer Amp Plugin (ELECTRONIC LICENCE DOWNLOAD)

OVERVIEW

Soundtoys Radiator is a dual-drive tube input channel and EQ inspired by the legendary Altec 1567A – the green-faced 1960s mixer that helped shape the unmistakable sound of early Motown. Known for its thick warmth, gritty saturation, and musical harmonic drive, the 1567A became a secret weapon for producers seeking authentic analog colour. Radiator faithfully captures that character, modelling the original tone circuitry, transformers, input/output amps, and simple bass/treble EQ to deliver everything from subtle tube sweetness to bold, vintage punch.

Beyond the hardware-accurate modelling, Radiator includes modern conveniences like a mix knob for instant parallel processing and switchable noise for true analog behaviour. It also comes with Little Radiator, based on the Altec 1566A, for a focused single-stage tube preamp flavour. Whether you’re warming vocals, thickening drums, gluing mixes, or adding classic analog soul across your tracks, Radiator brings the 1567A’s musical mojo to every channel – without the expense or maintenance of vintage gear.

Even better: 100% of Radiator sales support nonprofit organisations, making this plug-in as meaningful as it is musical – read more about the Soundtoys pledge.

Note: Delivered as an ELECTRONIC LICENCE DOWNLOAD – no physical product.

“I used it on vocals, which is my favorite thing to use my real Altec box on, and it sounded fucking great.” — Butch Walker (Producer, Songwriter – Weezer, Never Shout Never, Cee-Lo, Pink)

 

“Love this thing – instant vibe – I used it on drums and vocals on a mix that was very straight and polite and it added such great character to both. Really loved how it made both sound much more real and energetic.” — Billy Bush (Producer, Engineer – Garbage, Foster The People, Muse)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Authentic Analog-Modelled Tube Mixer with EQ:

Recreates the warm, gritty tone and simple bass/treble controls of the original 1567A.

Dual Input & Output Amp Stages for Unique Character:

Drive each stage independently for a wide palette of harmonic textures and saturation.

Classic Motown Sound Inside Your DAW:

Capture the punchy, soulful colouration heard on early Motown hits from the 1960s.

Mic/Line Transformer Loading Options:

Switch between two transformer behaviours for subtle warmth or saturated vintage grit.

FEATURES

• Analog-modelled recreation of the Altec 1567A tube mixer

• Classic 1960s Motown-inspired warmth, grit, and colouration

• Dual-stage input and output amplification for complex harmonic interactions

• Simple two-knob EQ (Bass/Treble) based on the original hardware

• Mix control for easy parallel saturation and tone blending

• Switchable transformer loading via Mic/Line toggle

• Authentic hardware noise option (on/off) for true analog realism

• Includes Little Radiator — a single-stage tube preamp based on the Altec 1566A

• Ideal for drums, bass, vocals, guitars, keys, mix buses, and lo-fi colouration

• Delivers punchy harmonic drive, warmth, and rich tube saturation

• Inspired by the units used on early Motown masterpieces

• Apple Silicon & VST3 compatible

• Formats: AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST2, VST3, AU (64-bit)

• Supports 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz sample rates

• Compatible with major DAWs: Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Logic, Nuendo, Reaper, Studio One, Bitwig

• Requires macOS 10.15+ or Windows 10+ (not compatible with ARM-based Windows)

• Internet connection required for activation

TECHNICAL SPECS

Current Version: 5.5

Apple Silicon and VST 3 Compatible

Plug-in Formats (64-bit only):

• AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST 2, VST 3, and Audio Units (AU)

Supported Sample Rates:

• Minimum: 44.1 kHz, Maximum: 192 kHz

System Requirements:

• Operating systems: Mac OS X 10.14 or later; Windows 10 or later.
• Not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines.
• An internet connection is required at the time of activation.

Supported Hosts:

• Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig
• Full list of compatible host applications is listed below.

DOWNLOAD MANUAL

COMPATIBILITY

Officially Supported Host Applications

All version 5 Soundtoys products come in 64-bit VST, AU and AAX Native plug-in formats. Here is a list of our officially supported host applications.

• Pro Tools: 2020 or higher (Mac & PC: AAX Native and AudioSuite)
• Logic Pro X: 10.7 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits)
• Ableton Live: 11.0 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Studio One: 5 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Cubase: 12 or higher (Mac & PC: VST3)
• Nuendo: 12 or higher (Mac & PC: VST3)
• Reaper: 7 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)
• Bitwig Studio: 5 or higher (Mac & PC: VST2 & VST3)
• FL Studio: 2025.1 or higher (Mac: AudioUnits, VST2 & VST3; Windows: VST2 & VST3)

Officially Supported Operating Systems

• OS X 10.15 or higher*
• Windows 10 or higher*

* Apple Silicon & VST 3 Info:

VST3 support is available for both Windows and macOS, and offers native compatibility with both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M-series) and Intel processors.

Soundtoys will continue to support both VST3 and VST2 formats for all products for the time being. This update is free for all users with Soundtoys version 5 or later plug-ins.

Log in to your Soundtoys account and download the installers here or on our downloads page.

Known Issues and Notes

• In Digital Performer 11, discrete parameters behave incorrectly for VST3. Soundtoys recommend using VST2 or AU in Digital Performer 11 until the issue can be resolved.
• Some hosts will automatically replace VST2 plug-ins in sessions with matching VST3 versions, depending on the DAW and your DAW preferences. The Soundtoys VST3 versions are fully interchangeable with their VST2 counterparts, but not all hosts implement this feature of VST3.

Note about DAW / Computer Support

Sountoys cannot guarantee support if you are using a supported host platform listed above on an operating system or computer that is not supported by the host platform itself. Please visit your DAW’s website or manual to ensure you are using a compatible system.

If your DAW is not on the list above or if your supported DAW version is older than what’s listed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that our plug-ins won’t work. It just means that it has not been tested. If something goes wrong with an unsupported DAW, you are welcome to write to support, but Soundtoys cannot guarantee a solution. They currently recommend using their free trial with your host to confirm compatibility on your computer.

32-Bit Plug-in Support

With the release of 5.3.2, Soundtoys have officially discontinued support for 32-bit plug-ins. With macOS Catalina requiring all applications to be 64-bit, and with the vast majority of our PC customers using 64-bit plug-ins, they decided it was the right time to end 32-bit support. Their most recent 32-bit installers are available to download below.

Download Soundtoys 5.3.2 for Windows (32-bit)

Download Soundtoys 5.3.1 for Mac (32-bit)

Download Windows 32-Bit Installers for Individual Plug-ins

Hardware Support

Soundtoys 5 is not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines.