Portal by Output: what it does + free alternatives
Granular effect that turns any sound into something new.
Opens Output's own site.
Put SCRAMBLE. on your drums, 808s and vocals
One button rolls a new FX chain: glitch, stutter, tape stop, chops, reverb, delay and vocal tune. There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible chains, the same count as the positions of a 3x3 cube. Save 10,000 presets a day and 1% of them would take 118 billion years, over 8x the age of the universe.
Not just loops: drum buses, 808s and bass, hats, vocals and the master bus. 3,000+ downloads so far.
Free alternatives to Portal
All free creative fx →
FreeIVGI
Analog-style saturation and distortion.
FreeCHOW Tape Model
Physically modelled reel-to-reel tape, open source.
FreeChow Centaur
Model of a famous transparent overdrive pedal, open source.
FreeVinyl
Free vinyl crackle, wear and warp. A lo-fi classic.
FreeTAL-Chorus-LX
Juno-60 style chorus. A producer favourite on keys and pads.
FreeTAL-Filter-2
Filter with LFO and step modulation.
FreeBlue Cat's Freeware Pack
Chorus, flanger, phaser, EQ, gain and more in one free pack.
FreePancake 2
Free auto-pan with drawable curves.
FreeWider
Mono-compatible stereo widener.
FreeOzone Imager
Free stereo imaging and width from iZotope.
More paid creative FX plugins
All best plugins →
Decapitator
Analog saturation that makes everything sound bigger.
EchoBoy
The go-to delay for vocals, with dozens of echo styles.
RC-20 Retro Color
The lo-fi plugin: noise, wobble, distortion and space.
ShaperBox 3
Rhythmic volume, filter and time shaping.
HalfTime
Instant half-time beats and slowed effects.
Portal FAQ
Is Portal free?
No. Portal is a paid creative FX plugin from Output. Free alternatives in the same lane include IVGI, CHOW Tape Model and Chow Centaur.
What is Portal used for?
Granular effect that turns any sound into something new.
When does Portal go on sale?
Many plugin makers run their biggest discounts around Black Friday (November 27, 2026) and Cyber Monday. Check Output's own page for the current price; we list confirmed sales on our Black Friday page.