Oolong Jr
Key Features
- Drive is the main saturation amount control, built to move from light harmonic thickening into more obvious overdrive without switching to a different mode page
- Smooth softens clipping and harsher overtones, so the plugin can lean warmer and rounder instead of turning edgy as soon as you push it
- Full adds extra body and low-end weight, giving you a quick way to make sources feel thicker before reaching for a separate EQ
- Make Up and Mix keep gain compensation and parallel-style blending on the front panel, which speeds up small tone moves on buses and individual tracks
- The voicing is tuned by ear between tube-preamp and tape-machine character rather than tied to one specific hardware emulation, which gives it a broader color-box feel
- Current official support is AU and VST3 on macOS, with Windows VST3 still listed as coming soon in the public Berglind Audio materials
Description
Oolong Jr is the free edition of Berglind Audio's Oolong Saturator, a macOS-only saturation plugin built for musical color rather than strict hardware cloning. As of April 24, 2026, the official Berglind Audio checkout still publishes an "Oolong Jr (FREE)" variant with a $0 minimum price, and the product pitch stays focused on flexible tube-and-tape-style character from light thickening through harder drive.
The stripped-back workflow is the main appeal. BPB's hands-on overview calls out Drive, Smooth, Full, Make Up, and Mix as the core controls, which makes Oolong Jr feel more like a fast tone box for everyday tracks than a deep mastering suite full of menus and hidden routing.
That compact control set still covers useful ground. Smooth is there to soften harsher clipping or transient bite, Full pushes extra body into the low end, and the built-in mix plus make-up controls keep quick parallel-style saturation moves easy on drums, bass, synths, vocals, and buses.
The limits are also easy to read. Berglind Audio's public materials only confirm AU and VST3 support on macOS, while Windows VST3 is still listed as coming soon and no deeper OS or CPU specs are published, so Oolong Jr makes the most sense when you want a character-first saturator instead of a giant multiband distortion environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oolong Jr still permanently free?
As checked on April 24, 2026, the official Berglind Audio checkout still includes a published variant named "Oolong Jr (FREE)" with a $0 minimum price and a separate suggested support amount. That is a strong sign the free edition is still a standing offer rather than a short-lived promo tied to the original launch article.
What is the difference between Oolong Jr and the full Oolong version?
Oolong Jr is the stripped-down edition focused on the core controls, while the full version adds more routing and tone-shaping depth. BPB specifically calls out extra full-version options like Wide, Warm, and Crispy modes plus filters, stereo width, mid/side routing, and more detailed input shaping.
What formats and platforms are currently confirmed?
Berglind Audio's public store listing currently confirms AU and VST3 support on macOS only. Windows VST3 is still described as coming soon, and no additional public CPU, RAM, or minimum-macOS details are listed on the official store materials.
What do the Smooth and Full controls actually change?
BPB describes Smooth as the control that softens clipping and helps tame harsher transients or overtones, while Full appears to add low-end response and overall body. Together with Mix and Make Up, they let you decide whether the saturation feels tighter and polished or thicker and heavier.
