Soundtoys Echo Pack (Summer Sale)

[Russell Grand]

Wow. I was thinking of making a thread “in praise of soundtoys”. Tremolator, Phasemistress, Panman, Crystalizer, Echoboy and Microshift sound amazing. PrimalTap is very special. The terrible GUIs though.

But maybe you’re right. Although I’m not sure there is a good replacement for Phasemistress. And definitely not for PrimalTap.

As far as delays, Valhalla Delay is also very special and pretty versatile, although it can’t really do what Echoboy does. The value would be with the soundtoys sale if you can get over the GUI.

Nothing to be hesitant about IMO, if you're still willing to, please make that thread. Soundtoys deserves all the love they get, their plugs are still some of the best creative VSTs out there and I'm proud to have many in my arsenal. One day I hope to have the entire collection.

[LoveEnigma18]

I need some advice from fellow Soundtoys owners, especially those who have the bundle.

I currently have Decapitator, Echoboy Jr., Sie-Q, Little MicroShift and Little AlterBoy and the upgrade price for me is currently $210, which I believe is the summer sale discounted one?

What would be a cheaper and best way to buy the bundle from here on? If I get the Echo Pack, does anyone have a fair idea how much the bundle upgrade price would change?

I am no hurry, so should I just wait for Black Friday for upgrading directly to the bundle? Will that $210 still come down during BF?

So, as per my communication with Soundtoys, it seems that Echo Pack will actually give a total reduction of $110 on the upgrade price, at least for my case. Because my current upgrade price is $210. If I buy Echo Pack for $99, and along with the plugins that I already have, the full bundle upgrade will become $100 for me.

Maybe I can get Echo Pack right now from JRR Shop and then wait for BF sale so that upgrade will become $50. The second option, which would be the cheapest, is to upgrade directly during Black Friday.

[ramseysounds]

If you’re buying a pack as a way to get an upgrade to a bigger pack, you don't need the pack. Just buy the plug in you're really after. Soundtoys really are 1st class plug ins.

[2:43AM]

I came across this thread as I am in a self-debate/analysis-paralysis on whether I should buy Echoboy or upgrade to the bundle, which is $105 for me at this time of sale. All I really want/need is Echoboy. I currently own Decapitator, Little Plate, Tremolator, Devil-Loc, and Filterfreak. Personally, I think I own the better of their plugins already, Filterfreak and Decap especially. I hear so much about how good Echoboy is that I just can't resist the "grass is greener" mentality! For delays, I use Ableton Live, so I have Echo plus Waves H-Delay, Dubstation, Softube Tube Delay, Sonic Charge Echobode, Hornet Delay, as well as some freebies like TAL-Dub 2/3, and NastyDLA. I have a couple of outboard FX as well: Sony DPS-R7 (can do delay stuff), Alesis Wedge, Lexicon PCM41, and Alesis Quadraverb 2.

My go-to's are Dubstation and H-Delay. Echobode gets crazy fast, but can be creative. Do I need another delay? Only I can answer that one...but my main question is in regards to the various "modes" of Echoboy: are they that different from anything else on the market and/or what I already have? Do they replicate that crazy dub delay action that seems to only exist on Jamaican reggae song and nowhere else? Is it all a bunch of smoke and mirrors?

Ah, the questions...the frustration...the paralysis...the GAS!

[reggie1979]

People used to refer to EchoBoy as the only plugin that is capable of giving some proper analog mojo to your miserable soft synth, back in 2008-9. I don't think that has ever been true or accurate. Does this however worth $99, now that ValhallaDelay is out? Merely for the sound quality, which one is a better buy?

NOTHING is echoboy. Sorry, I've tried them all and nothing is what echoboy is. Please feel free to state your objections, but I'll use it w/o reservation. Not many plugs you can say that about but this IS the one. NOTHING is echoboy, not one plug.

[2:43AM]

NOTHING is echoboy. Sorry, I've tried them all and nothing is what echoboy is. Please feel free to state your objections, but I'll use it w/o reservation. Not many plugs you can say that about but this IS the one. NOTHING is echoboy, not one plug.

Any quantifiable evidence of this? What do you like about it, specifically? Is it the way it handles the feedback and/or the decay of the feedback? For example, H-Delay is rather lousy at this. Is it the various modes, and by modes I mean "emulations?" Does it sound like their respective, hardware counterparts?

I'm trying to get ahold of Soundtoys for a reissue of the demo, but they have not yet responded.

[sqigls]

i'm forever kicking myself for missing out on the $19 deal a few years back

[Russell Grand]

There are so many good delays out these days! If you demo the SoundToys stuff and like it, it's worth the price (as is the whole bundle which can be had for ~$250 on sale).

The one thing you'll get in SoundToys Primal Tap that I don't think is present in Replika XT or Valhalla Delay is Sample Rate Modulation. If you've heard a Daniel Lanois production from the last 35 years you've heard the Lexicon PrimeTime delay that Primal Tap is based on. Back in the day Lexicon and other companies extended delay time by reducing sample rate, therefore reducing the bandwidth. You can modulate it either continuously or in 1, 2,4 and 8x multiples with crazy results, especially with feedback. Not many other delays besides the Unfiltered Audio Sandman and PSP's Lexicon PCM42 have Sample Rate Modulation.

SoundToys Crystallizer is an interesting granular delay - but if you have NI Guitar Rig 5 or FM8 FX, the PsycheDelay does pretty much the same thing. Plenty has been written already about EchoBoy/Jr., the one thing I wish for is more modulation - I'm hoping a separate Master Modulation section appears in the rack in SoundToys v6.

Great post about the Soundtoys delays.

[reggie1979]

NOTHING is echoboy. Sorry, I've tried them all and nothing is what echoboy is. Please feel free to state your objections, but I'll use it w/o reservation. Not many plugs you can say that about but this IS the one. NOTHING is echoboy, not one plug.

Any quantifiable evidence of this? What do you like about it, specifically? Is it the way it handles the feedback and/or the decay of the feedback? For example, H-Delay is rather lousy at this. Is it the various modes, and by modes I mean "emulations?" Does it sound like their respective, hardware counterparts?

I'm trying to get ahold of Soundtoys for a reissue of the demo, but they have not yet responded.

I dunno about quantifiable evidence but I've tried them all (I own a few) and echoboy fits the need, perfectly, every time. Others are good, but between all the swing options, all the delay options and mixing in stereo and it's just the bee's knee's.

[perpetual3]

Technically, Echoboy allows you to much more intricately craft the delay effect.

[Calenberger]

The Echo Pack contains the best Soundtoys plugins.
The other are not that interesting (at least for me...).

[perpetual3]

Phasemistress, filterfreak, tremolator are very good plugins.

[nathanj]

Phasemistress, filterfreak, tremolator are very good plugins.

Completely agree and would add Little Plate. Sold my bundle last month to fund a larger purchase and have regretted it every day.