Exceptional Effects plugins?

[DevonB]

I am being specific; I'm looking for multi-effects plugins that are high quality. This is very rare with plugins and has been for years.

I just make my own FX racks in Live, it's super easy and let's me use discrete, high quality plugins as the components. My chosen controls and macros renamed and colored as I like automatically mapping to a MIDI controller... and all the indepth options of the plugins still accessible with a click. It's just awesome, and I guess most DAWs have a similar functionality these days, making multi-FX plugins pretty much obsolete.

I already do this with hardware units in Cubase Pro as it's a piece of cake provided you have enough inputs/outputs. I'm just looking for anything stellar in software as well.

Devon

[DevonB]

+1 to Guitar Rig, maybe I would also take a look at IK MixBox and XLN RC-20...

- Mario

You know, that is a good point. I have Komplete, and I don't even think I've loaded it once since I already have a SansAmp PSA-1 for my guitar that I'm very happy with. I'll have to check it out, esp since it'll cost me $0 at this point.

Devon

[SteveWZ]

I still am considering Relab VSR-S24 as an exception to that rule to replace the Reverb 4000 I sold earlier ....

Devon

Relab VSR-S24 is a great reverb, seems underrated in the forums but capable of some very nice spaces.

[DevonB]

I still am considering Relab VSR-S24 as an exception to that rule to replace the Reverb 4000 I sold earlier ....

Devon

Relab VSR-S24 is a great reverb, seems underrated in the forums but capable of some very nice spaces.

Depends what you want. It's exceptional for realistic 'spaces'. It very much sounds like a TC reverb, absolutely. If you wanted colored, this is not the 'verb for you.

Devon

[DevonB]

I think that it’s maybe not that useful to look for a “multi effects plugin” to run in your DAW. I mean, think about what a box like the H series Eventide are. Computers that are running an operating system that then runs algorithms for each effect. So, picking individual plugins for their strengths makes more sense.

I have to disagree here. What I'm looking for is well made presets that are already focused around a multitude of effects. While I tend to 'roll my own' on the settings for some presets, that's not what I'm after.

I don’t know if your DAW has similar types of functionality, but it is one of the things I love about Bitwig.

Cubase 10 Pro, so yes. I have a tendency to route more than one hardware unit in series sometimes with it in fact.

Here’s some other stuff that I love...

I think the Oligarc plugin bundle by Stillwell is still one of the better plugins for analog style modulation emulation.

Uhbik bundle is great and I’m sure v2 will be even better. Look into the old U-He plugins too, like MFM and Filterscape.

PSP’s N2O is great, though the UI is a bit tiny. (Not to all UI designers: there’s no need to emulate an LCD display when you’re being displayed on an LCD display.)

Wow, I haven't heard Oligarc in a long time! Uhbik is another classic that sounds great. I reviewed both of them back in 2009! Wow, it's been a long time!

Nitro/N20 is even older as I did presets for it for the beta that I submitted. Great plug!

Of course all the Valhalla plugins are amazing. No multi effects versions. The 2CAudio reverbs are another of my favorites.

Guitar Rig, while sounding kind of terrible for guitar amp emulation, IMO, is a great modular multi effects.

Valhalla will be one of my exceptions, as really, it's multiple 'things' in one, but it's just such high quality at a good price. But he never has sales, so I never feel compelled that now is the time I have to buy it. Some day I'm sure.

I reviewed B2 back in 2013 and was suitably impressed as well.

I will check out Guitar Rig too since I already own it, but skip over it because I kept thinking "guitar".

One other thing I recently did was to pick up a UAD FireWire 8 Quad audio interface. I use it to run Lexicon vintage emulations and analog compressors and various distortion and saturation emulations, like the Culture Vulture and OTO Biscuit. It’s a great way to have plugin style interfaces while being able to keep my CPU cool.

I have a UAD2 Solo and a TC Powercore PCIe card. I just can't stomach the pricing on the UAD2 cards considering the licenses become near worthless if you try to re-sell the cards compared to buying then reselling a hardware unit. Powercore got the good ol' gutpunch of being discontinued and no more support. Thankfully the 64 bit drivers and jbridge make it still usable on my DAW with Windows 10. Still, I think I want to move on from these cards here sooner than later. I have a powerful enough DAW as it is (Intel i7 4790k) and really haven't run out of horsepower as I mostly do external audio recording into it.

Devon

[metalifuxx]

Don't overlook Overloud TH-U/TH-3 and Line 6 Helix if you want to make effects chains...not just for guitar. Maybe wait for Amplitube 5 as well.

Bluecats Patchwork/Late Replies to use some your existing fx, as well as the builtin fx that come with it.

Tone2 Warmverb (multifx)

[BONES]

I guess most DAWs have a similar functionality these days, making multi-FX plugins pretty much obsolete.

Assuming anyone can be bothered doing all that shit. I sure as hell can't, I have way more important stuff to be wasting my time on, thanks.

I'm more interested in the creative presets some of these multi effects units have that only come from having multiple effects all at the same time.

OK, I think I have something for you. Ujam recently released their 3rd MFX plugin, called FLUXX, and it is easily their best. Sadly, it seems you've missed out on the intro special price but it's only $99 and I'm sure you'll be impressed by the quality on offer. They don't allow a lot of tweaking, which is why they aren't too popular around here, but they sound great and offer enough control to tailor the effect to your needs/liking.

The one before it, VOODOO, is also quite good but I wasn't overly impressed with the first one, NEO, so I only got the free version of that.

They all have 30 day trial versions so you can check 'em out - https://www.ujam.com/finisher/

In the same vein as Guitar Rig is Kuassa's Amplifikation 360, which is a suite of effects you can use in combination and save as full presets. You don't have to buy everything at once, either, you can build up your collection over time. It's definitely made for guitarists, though, so you probably won't find too many inspirational presets in there.

[jens]

PSP’s N2O is great, though the UI is a bit tiny. (Not to all UI designers: there’s no need to emulate an LCD display when you’re being displayed on an LCD display.)

Nitro/N20 is even older as I did presets for it for the beta that I submitted. Great plug!

If you like Nitro, I think it's much better to use the Nitro module collection in Cherry Audio Modular rather than N2O:

https://cherryaudio.com/resources/video ... collection

[.jon]

I guess most DAWs have a similar functionality these days, making multi-FX plugins pretty much obsolete.

Assuming anyone can be bothered doing all that shit. I sure as hell can't, I have way more important stuff to be wasting my time on, thanks.

It doesn't take time or effort, at least not in Live. Effect Racks are awesome.

[BONES]

Of course it takes both time and effort, in that those things don't exist until you expend time and effort creating them. OTOH, I can spend $69 on FLUXX and have a hundred amazing presets within a couple of minutes (the time it takes to download and install the plugin).

[Dirtgrain]

I have a demo of Fluxx, and I am not finding it all that great--not hearing a hundred amazing presets. The presets themselves are weirdly organized/named, so you'd have to memorize them to get to one that you wind up liking. If it's good enough for you, I can't argue with that; but it feels like you are overstating the quality/usefulness of Fluxx.

[sleepcircle]

i don't have anything against presets as a rule but more often than not i have a very specific sound in my head and it's usually more straight-ahead if i make it.

edit: i like cableguys shaperbox for really fiddly multi-effect automation, though.

[unguitar]

I have owned many Eventides and still have my trusty H8000fw.
I have been beta testing for them back in the days.
I still have a TC Electronic Fireworx and think it is worth a rack space given the cheap prices you can find them at nowdays.
Excellent filters and modulations, well thought algorithms and a very nice alpha mod to play with while processing.
Reverbs are not to be compared to ones from EVE or LEX, but sometimes they just work well when in complex and heavily filtered algos.

Sadly there are very very few good effects designers out there it seems.

Devon

Or the People have different Targets today and the Rest of the World has to be creative.

I remember the TC Fireworx very well, but that would simply be too big Emotions for today.

And to be honest - my Chains mainly consist of Sweeteners, eqs, Balancers and so on, too.

Are you simply looking for SFX in general or can you maybe specify that? There are a lot of more specialized FX on the Market.

EDIT: Ok - it´s still produced, but was maketed differently when it came out. The Fireworx has become a Table Fireworx!°

I am not understanding what you mean the Fireworx 'would simply be too big emotions for today?' Could you restate that?

I am being specific; I'm looking for multi-effects plugins that are high quality. This is very rare with plugins and has been for years. Heck, even the Lexicon PCM plugins don't act like the PCM81 which can do multiple algorithms at once. I've at least liked that some of the Eventide plugins have more than one algorithm in the plug. I like that SoundToys has the Effects Rack that allow you to combine multiple effects (and yes, I can do that within the channel strip in Cubase as well, I'm aware. Having it all within one interface with presets already designed to work the different effects together is much preferred.)

I'm looking for things that can't be done by single effects plugins, as they have been done to death. All of my favorite hardware units out there are higher end multi-effect units; Ensoniq DP/2, Lexicon PCM81, Eventide H8000 all the way down to the H3000, Kurzweil KSP8, and TC Electronic M3000. All of these, my favorite sounds are multiple effects blocks stacked together at the same time. I would have checked out the Fireworx, but once I figured out that many of the TC Electronic units have a weak point of the power supply failing, I sold my M3000 and Reverb 4000 shortly thereafter, even though I loved both of them.

Devon

[DevonB]

I have owned many Eventides and still have my trusty H8000fw.
I have been beta testing for them back in the days.
I still have a TC Electronic Fireworx and think it is worth a rack space given the cheap prices you can find them at nowdays.
Excellent filters and modulations, well thought algorithms and a very nice alpha mod to play with while processing.
Reverbs are not to be compared to ones from EVE or LEX, but sometimes they just work well when in complex and heavily filtered algos.

Considering there is 2 Fireworx being sold as non-functioning, won't power up, on Reverb right this moment, it's again showing me there is issues with these TC units sadly (on top of many forum posts about dead PSU's and even a personal friend who has had 2 TC units that stopped powering up.) Unless it's a native plugin or an emulation, I'm not adding any TC stuff to my studio. Same type of reason I took a hard pass on the Sony DPS-V77; sounds like a great unit, but they are old, dying, and no parts available for them either. I'm well aware that hardware eventually dies. But rather not walk into something that's used and know I am sitting on a ticking timebomb. Probably doesn't help some of these units are always 'powered up' and have the actual power switch on the back of the unit, which is annoying and frustrating.

I will say though, the VSS3 and VSS4 reverb algos sound AMAZING, and unlike anything in the Lex or Eve, I agree.

Devon

[trackbout]

chipcrusher 2 is an amazing multi effect and it's on sale ridiculously cheap right now: https://www.plogue.com/products/chipcrusher.html