Xilentch has been busy over the past few months, and after releasing XMLimiter V2 and XMTape&Clip, the developer has added another plugin to the XM series: XMTubePre.

XMTubePre follows the same design philosophy as previous releases; the intention is to recreate the feeling of expensive hardware in a free, simple plugin.

In this case, Xilentch took inspiration from the 12AX7 vacuum tube. The 12AX7 vacuum tube helped manufacturers like Fender, Vox, and Marshall define the sound of rock and roll with their tube amplifiers.

It also helped shape the character of some era-defining studio gear, like the Teletronix LA-2A and the Pultec EQP-1A.

Over seven decades later, the 12AX7 vacuum tube is still in demand, and Xilentch drew on its versatility to make XMTubePre suitable for both mixing and mastering.

XMTubePre is a one-knob plugin that adds harmonic saturation, tone shaping, and thickens the sound with classic tube character.

The developer designed the effect to be subtle at under 50%, and more emphatic beyond 50%, giving the option to use XMTubePre as a more creative tool.

Previous Xilentch releases came with a few issues, like XMLimiter’s gin reduction meter not working, and XMTubePre isn’t without its flaws.

The plugin is extremely sensitive to input gain, and with a significant increase in actual loudness, potentially adding another plugin to compensate detracts from the intended simplicity. The developer suggests sending an input gain peaking at a maximum of -18 dBFS.

While an element of caution is required, the plugin is usable, and, more importantly, there are a lot of positives to focus on.

For a start, Xilentch is doing something right with these XM plugins because they sound very good when you find the sweet spot. While there may be a few bumps along the way, Xilentch is on a good path, and that’s worth celebrating.

Staying on a good path means listening to users, and as such, Xilentch has promised to add a dedicated Input/Output control to XMTubePre to eliminate some current issues (the update could be imminent).

XMTubePre is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows. Downloads still come directly from Google Drive; I’m not sure if or when that might change.

Mac users will encounter the common signature issue that occurs with unknown developers, and can install the plugin by placing the chosen format directly in the corresponding folder.

Xilentch intends to use future donations via Patreon, etc., to purchase the appropriate licences to create a smoother overall process.

Download: XMTubePre (FREE)

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Last Updated on December 4, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.