Good vst effect for creating new sounds

[himalaya]

If you're on Mac then try the huge spectral effect bundle from Michael Norris:

http://www.michaelnorris.info/software/ ... c-spectral

These need experimentation to get the best out of (like with all spectral effects).

I would also say that you shouldn't be looking just for one 'single' effect that somehow magicaly provides the right result. A chain of rather standard effects can be as good as some more outlandish effects. A carefully tuned signal chain with the following effects, will provide an endless range of sounds that will transform the source material beyond recognition:
- pitch (octave up or down)
- resonator (tuned delays)
- Impulse response reverb with some leftfield IRs
- frequency shift
- ring mod

Another easy way is to use an existing multi-effect plugin. The idea is to print the audio file through different presets and then select the best examples. I like to do that with Sugar Bytes Turnado, which makes it really easy to automate the transition/crossfade between a big number of effects with its 'Dictator' fader. Automate some wild sweeps, render the midi with its automation to audio and then choose some cool sounding snippets from the new audio file. A lot of it will be unusable, but there will be totally unique snippets that you would never think of making. Kind of 'happy accidents'.

[thecontrolcentre]

There's CDP Sound Transformation Software from Unstable Sound ... http://ensemble-software.net/cdp.html