I've been using Waves Platinum for years, among other things. I thought many of the effects sounded exciting compared to what Waves offers. I must admit that I've only been using Cubase SX3 for a little over a month, but I've liked what I've heard for some things.For me its clear : never use Cubase build-in fx...
I don't really think that effects are "good" or "bad". Effects should have character. They may not work on source, but they may sound great on another.
Reverbs don't have to be real sounding either. I'm not sure when this became an issue. I don't hear "real" in high end Lexicon gear, either. So what!
Use your own ears, but you should try out all the stuff out there, especially if it's free. Of course, I've been engineering for about 5 years and usually get my tones before the converter for most things. So, I find that I don't use that much EQ anyway. If I'm using an effect, it's for creative use so anything goes, really.
Brandon

