PAINSTAGER Makes Your Guitar Sound INSANE
Make It Hurt So Good: Meet PAINSTAGER
When your mix needs serrated edges and concrete-tight lows, Oracle Sound’s PAINSTAGER brings the cruelty. With multiple circuit-inspired voicings, dual-stage chaining, a built-in gate, and a tightness control, it turns clean DI tracks into hostile, mix-ready guitars in seconds.
Why PAINSTAGER?
You know that moment when a riff sounds huge alone, then falls apart in the mix? PAINSTAGER was designed to survive that transition—translating from bedroom monitors to big-room playback with surgical focus. It’s the fast lane to “finished” guitars: aggressive, articulate, and weirdly addictive.
Key Features
- 19 switchable voicings: From chainsaw grind to tight modern crunch.
- Dual-stage chaining: Stack two voices in series for monstrous saturation.
- Built-in gate: Clamp down on feedback and hiss without choking sustain.
- Tightness control: Sculpt low-end response for surgical palm-mutes and rapid chugs.
- Mix-ready output: Harmonic content tuned to sit with dense drums & bass.
What It Sounds Like
- Machine-tight lows: Thump without the mud.
- Angry mids: Riffs speak clearly through stacked guitars and cymbal wash.
- Controlled top end: Harmonics scream, fizz stays in its lane.
- Playable feel: Right-hand dynamics stay alive even at savage gain.
Use Cases
- Re-amping DI guitars: Get from raw takes to “album ready” faster.
- Layered rhythms: Consistent tone and phase-friendly low end for doubles/quads.
- Hybrid rigs: Pair with amp sims or NAM profiles to add aggression and bite.
- Live tracks: Tight gate + tightness control tame noisy rooms without neutering tone.
Explore all details on the product page: PAINSTAGER by Oracle Sound.
Quick Start: From DI to Destruction
- Load PAINSTAGER on your DI track.
- Select a voicing (start medium gain), then engage the second stage if you need more weight.
- Dial Tightness until palm-mutes feel percussive and controlled.
- Use the gate to silence idle noise—back it off until natural decays return.
- Print a tone, double it, and audition a slightly different voicing for width.
Pro Tips
- Gain last: Set right-hand attack first; then add gain only as needed.
- EQ discipline: High-pass guitars to let kick/bass own the subs.
- Two-tone quad: Keep two complementary voices across your four tracks for massive yet coherent width.
- Leave air: Let vocals and cymbals breathe above 8–10k; avoid over-brightening.
Who It’s For
- Metal, hardcore, and deathcore guitarists chasing surgical tightness.
- Home & project-studio producers who need fast, repeatable, mix-friendly results.
- Mix engineers who want aggressive guitars that don’t bulldoze the entire spectrum.
FAQ
Is PAINSTAGER only for extreme metal?
It shines there, but the 19 voicings cover everything from gritty overdrive to chaotic mayhem—great for punk, metalcore, and alt-metal too.
Will it work in a small home studio?
Yes. Voicings and dynamics were curated to translate from bedroom monitors to pro rooms with minimal re-tweaking.
Do I still need IRs or an amp sim?
PAINSTAGER excels as the drive stage. Pair it with your favorite amp sim, NAM profile, or hardware for full amp+cab realism.
© Oracle Sound. Explore more plugins, guitar tones, and production tools at oraclesound.com.