Relab Color Drive
Relab Color Drive is a real-time circuit-solving saturation engine built from the Relab 176's variable-gain 6BC8 tube stage and transformer circuit, delivering authentic tube and transformer color — from subtle harmonic depth to bold, musical drive.
About
Relab Color Drive is a real-time circuit-solving saturation engine built from the Relab 176's variable-gain 6BC8 tube stage and transformer circuit, delivering authentic tube and transformer color — from subtle harmonic depth to bold, musical drive.
Product details
Delivery, formats, and options
Delivery
Saturation Built From a Real-Time Circuit
A Real Tube Circuit, Solved in Real Time
Color Drive does not stack algorithms or approximate warmth. It solves the Relab 1TR tube stage — complete with output transformer — in real time. Harmonics that feel alive, not static. Transients that respond exactly the way they do in hardware.
Drive — The Heart of the Tube Stage
When you increase the Drive you are not just adding a gentle 'tube effect.' You are pushing an accurate model of a tube stage and output transformer through complete saturation curves. Harmonics build naturally, transients round in a controlled way, and the signal picks up all the unmistakable weight you normally only get from real hardware.
Switch in the Transformer, Change the Harmonics
Switching to transformer coupling routes the output through a modeled output transformer, completing the full analog signal path. With Calibration centered, the stage produces mostly odd-order harmonics, adding focus, punch, and that familiar hardware solidity — by a mile.
Bias the Tube and Tune the Harmonics
Calibration adjusts the tube bias point, letting you introduce just the right amount of even-order harmonics when you need warmth. Paired with the output transformer, you can create subtle, musical artifacts that give you precise control over the harmonic profile before any drive is added.
Modern Controls Shape What the Circuit Hears
The low-mid resonance control tames the deep bass around the drive circuit so you keep all the weight without mudding the saturation. Pre and post tilt emphasis filters let you steer exactly which frequencies get the harmonic treatment — giving you precise, musical control over the entire harmonic profile.
A Growing Harmonic Platform
Color Drive launches with the Relab 1TR tube stage, but the architecture is ready for additional circuits as new hardware models are released. Future 'color packs' will slot right into the system, giving you an expanding library of real circuits and tones — all inside one plug-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Color Drive solves a complete analog tube circuit with output transformer in real time — it does not use waveshapers, lookup tables, or stacked algorithms. The result is harmonics that respond dynamically to your input, just like real hardware.
The 1TR is Relab's reference tube circuit — a single-tube gain stage with switchable output transformer coupling. It is the first circuit available in Color Drive, with additional circuit models planned as future color packs.
Color packs are additional circuit models that will be available as upgrades. The Color Drive architecture is built to host multiple hardware-modeled circuits, so future packs slot right in — expanding your tonal palette without needing a separate plug-in.
Color Drive supports VST, VST3, AU, and AAX on macOS (including Apple Silicon native), and VST, VST3, and AAX on Windows. It works with all major DAWs including Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, and Reaper.
Yes. Color Drive runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) with no Rosetta translation required, giving you maximum performance and the lowest possible latency on modern Macs.
Color Drive uses PACE iLok for authorization. You can activate on an iLok USB dongle or directly on your computer using machine-based authorization — no physical dongle required. A free iLok account and current PACE drivers are needed.
Absolutely. Color Drive is designed for efficient CPU usage so you can run it on individual tracks for subtle harmonic enhancement, on buses for glue and warmth, or on your master for final polish — as many instances as your session needs.
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If Color Drive does not meet your expectations for any reason, contact support within 30 days of purchase for a full refund — no questions asked.
Relab Color Drive