Review: Topos saturation & amp plugin by Forever 89

NoiseQuest’s Josh Turvey takes a detailed look at Forever 89’s second plugin, the all-terain tone explorer Topos.

Summary

Topos is a unique, and highly versatile saturation and speaker emulator that places physical modelling at the heart of its architecture. Affording its users unparalleled, creative control over each component of the signal chain, it seamlessly blends between a wide variety of saturation and speaker types, thus making it a valuable addition to production and mixing workflows.

Pros:

Incredible range of parameters that users can tweak to fine-tune and customise their ideal timbre.
A simple and intuitive design that makes it easy to explore and implement Topos’ features.
Excellent implementation of Drive scaling and Auto Gain Reduction.
Topographical-inspired design makes for an engaging and immersive experience when exploring multiple Amp and Speaker blends.
Optional Mid/Side processing for enhanced, mixing workflows.

Cons:

Single-band only. The ability to apply different saturation/speaker settings to specific frequency bands in the Filter section would greatly enhance the plugin.
Global Mix only. Independent Mix controls for the individual Filter, Amp, and Speaker sections could provide greater flexibility.
Given the range of parameters, Topos could benefit from implementing a customisable ‘Randomising’ feature to encourage exploration.

Intro

Following last year’s release of their innovative, sample-modelled drum machine ‘Visco’ (read the review), German/Swedish-based developer ‘Forever 89’ have added a second plugin to their lineup with ‘Topos’—their first audio processor.

This unique, saturation and speaker emulator uses Physical Modelling to recreate the sonic characteristics of various amp and speaker types. Ultimately, this provides greater flexibility and versatility than Impulse Responses (IRs), which are commonly used to accurately simulate analog gear and real-world spaces. The result is a lightweight and innovative audio effect that is capable of seamlessly blending between different saturation and speaker types to create entirely unique timbres that are not possible with other emulators.

Below, we explore Topos’ features and how they can be implemented to enhance one’s workflow.

Design & Features

Despite its straightforward design, Topos packs a large amount of information and functionality into its one-page layout, which is divided into the following sections (see image above):

Header (Purple Box): Provides access to the Preset Browser, plugin Settings, and an Output Metre.
Filter (Yellow Box): Determines the area of the frequency spectrum that will be processed by Topos.
Amp (Red Box): Controls the amount of saturation that Topos will impart on the source audio. This ranges from subtle to extreme.
Speaker (Blue Box): Accesses the various speaker emulations included within Topos.
Mix (Turquoise Box): Controls the overall strength of Topos’ processing, and contains settings for audio routing (e.g. Mid/Side) and organic movement.
Contextual Display (Green Box): Topos’ main display features multiple methods to analyse the processed audio. It also automatically updates to display information related to the currently selected parameter.
Detail Panels (Orange Box): Additional parameters related to each section. These settings access Topos’ full potential by providing access to the full range of parameters captured via the use of physical modelling. This allows for in-depth customisation and maximum control over each aspect of the plugin.

Before exploring each section individually, it should be noted that they can be conveniently toggled on and off by clicking on the coloured dots next to the respective title. Users thus have the option to engage the various processing stages according to taste.

Starting with the Filter section (see image above), one can get an overview of Topos’ different panels and how they relate to one another. Users can either interact directly with the controls on the Main Panel (red box), or with the parameters in the Detail Panel (blue box), which, in this case, is used to sculpt the EQ curve according to one’s preference.

Although it’s not possible to interact directly with the Contextual Display (green box), this panel provides essential visual feedback by automatically updating to showcase the influence of the currently selected parameter.

Overall, the Filter section is basic in its functionality and provides a no-frills approach to managing the frequency spectrum of the processed audio. Controls are provided for Cutoff, Peak, and Slope, but users are limited to two filter types (high and low pass), which can also act as shelving filters when manipulating their respective Slope parameters.

The Amp section (see image above) is responsible for adding saturation to the source audio, and is one of the most important elements of the plugin. Mimicking the behaviour of the Filter section, users can interact with the controls in the Main Panel, or with the litany of extra parameters found in the Detail Panel (green boxes).

The strength of the Drive control (red box) is determined by an excellent ‘scaling’ feature, which can be used to make the parameter more or less exaggerated. This is a fantastic addition that allows the user to easily switch between subtle and extreme use-cases, thus adding to Topos’ versatility. The Output control (yellow box) features a similar scaling approach that can be used to exaggerate or reduce Topos’ automatic Gain Reduction, thus eliminating any potential clipping and loudness deception.

The centre of the Main Panel features Loudness and Distortion metres, as well as a menu that switches between the different saturation types. This is accompanied by a map icon (blue box) that provides access to Topos’ unique saturation topology (see image below).

Once engaged, users are presented with an interactive map that selects between Topos’ different saturation types. Users can either select a specific type of saturation, or drag on the map to blend between a maximum of three saturation types, thus creating entirely new timbres that don’t correspond to real-world emulations. This behaviour is carried into the Speaker section (discussed below), and it showcases the benefits of Forever 89’s use of physical modelling.

The ability to fluidly morph and shift between varying flavours of saturation is refreshing, and it sets Topos apart from other saturation plugins.

The Speaker section is similar in design and implementation to the Amp section. Responsible for creating three-dimensional space, this section can be thought of as a highly customisable, in-built convolution engine that is untethered from the use of IRs. Users can once again interact with the quick controls provided in the Main Panel (red box), or endlessly tweak the parameters in the Detail Panel (yellow box) for ultimate flexibility.

As with the Amp section, multiple speaker types have been provided for sonic variety, all of which can be accessed and blended using the blue topographical map related to this section. There is a fantastic selection of speaker-types to be found here, but there is a dearth of real-world, and unusual spaces that could add to Topos’ sound-design potential.

The Mix section controls the overall strength of the processed audio. Whilst this is most self-explanatory, the Flux control (red boxes) adds random movement to various parameters throughout the plugin, thus creating organic undulations that lend the plugin a natural and lifelike quality.

The Detail panel of the Mix section also allows users to switch between Stereo and Mid/Side routing (yellow box), with the ‘Balance’ parameter determining where the processing should be directed. This is a brilliant addition, which can greatly enhance one’s mix when applied to individual channels and group buses.

In Use

Topos offers an immersive experience that invites experimentation at every stage of its processing capabilities. Striking an excellent balance between simplicity and complexity, Topos effectively caters to both newcomers, and sound-design enthusiasts who value deep control and customisation. The novel use of topography as a method to explore different saturation and speaker types is both fun and engaging. It pushes the plugin into uncharted, sonic territory and allows users to blend between different saturation and speaker types—a feature that makes Topos decidedly unique.

Whilst it’s unfortunately not possible to automate any movement within the map, users can simply record the output to a new channel whilst experimenting with Topos in realtime. Users will have to set this up according to their DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) of choice, but this approach to using Topos can be a richly rewarding, especially as a sound-design workflow. Perhaps future updates of the plugin will treat both the Amp and Speaker maps as XY Pads that can directly receive automation within the DAW. Until then, the aforementioned workflow is a solid workaround.

The Mid/Side functionality found in the Mix section is important to highlight because it is useful for enhancing stereo width and improving mono compatibility. For example, applying saturation to the Sides will ignore the mono signal, thus adding presence to the stereo image and widening the panorama. Conversely, adding saturation to the Mids will enhance elements such as the Main Vocals, Kick, and Bass, which typically occupy the centre of the sound stage. This capability adds to Topos’ versatility and lends to its viability as a legitimate mixing tool.

The Filter section, whilst undoubtedly useful in its current iteration, is the only aspect of the plugin that could be greatly enhanced. Given the sheer array of parameters that can be tweaked throughout Topos, it is surprising that more filter types and routing options aren’t available at the time of writing. The lack of Multi-band processing is a notable absence that would significantly elevate Topos’ capabilities. Providing users with the option to experiment with different saturation and speaker types on each frequency band aligns perfectly with the spirit of the plugin, and it is a feature one hopes the developers will consider with future updates.

Lastly, Forever 89’s previous plugin, Visco, makes use of an excellent ‘Randomising’ feature, which would also be a welcome addition to Topos considering how many parameters there are to explore in each section of the plugin. Such a feature could be a fun method for users to generate random saturation textures when lacking ideas or inspiration, and may help to maximise the creative potential that Topos has to offer.

Conclusion

Topos provides its users with a richly inspiring workflow that can truly transform its audio source. From subtle to extreme, Topos effortlessly handles its processing capabilities, offering a unique approach to saturation and the timbres that can be explored. Overall, it marks another exciting release that builds on Forever 89’s innovative trajectory.

Technical Info

Simple download, installation, and authentication process. User accounts aren’t required, with licences provided by email upon purchase.
Mac & PC are both supported, with options for VST, VST3, AU and AAX.
Topos has an online manual.
CPU usage is light to moderate depending on the number of instances in one’s project.

Disclaimer: This review was conducted on a MacBook Pro M4 Pro with 48 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD (macOS Sequoia 15.4.1). User experience with the reviewed software may vary with different technical specifications.

Alternatives

Topos is unique in its combination of saturation, physical modelling, and speaker emulation. The suggestions below don’t necessarily combine that exact blend, but they are all examples of modern, feature-rich saturation plugins worthy of exploration.

Thermal (Output Audio)
ShaperBox (Cableguys)
Infiltrator (Devious Machines)
Motion: Harmonic (Excite Audio)
Rift (Minimal Audio)
Trash (iZotope)

If Josh’s review has you interested in Topos, you can download a trial version or grab it for the intro price of 79 USD/EUR at Plugin Boutique and from Forever 89 until May 27th, 2025 (regular 99 USD/EUR).

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