Released in 2008, Sugar Bytes' Effectrix was a beloved multi-effects sequencer plugin. 15 years later, Effectrix has just been reimagined as Sugar Bytes releases Effectrix2, an update the manufacturer is calling a "completely different beast".
Effectrix2 boasts 14 "beefed-up" effects that can be sequenced into evolving, glitchy patterns over 32 DAW-synced steps. Though the number of effects is the same as the original Effectrix plugin, each effect has been redesigned from the ground up, and there's a few additions, including a ring modulator, granulator, and a spectral processor. The full list of effects is as follows: Looper, Grain, Ring, Vinyl, Spectrum, Tonalizer, Crush, Filter, Phaser, Modulation (Chorus or Flanger), Delay, Reverb and Level.
Crucially, the signal path in Effectrix2 can now be reordered, giving the user the power to experiment with different configurations of signal flow between various effects, each of which now has a dedicated Dry/Wet control. Effectrix2's looper has also been revamped, and the user's now able to apply swing to a loop, define repeated patterns or modulate a loop's pitch and length over time.
Speaking of modulation, Effectrix2 boasts a new modulation system in which each effect has its own modulation sequencer, offering a range of modulators that can be applied on a per-step basis, including an LFO with four waveforms, an envelope follower and a randomizer.
Randomization is a bit of a theme in Effectrix2. Iintelligent' randomization options have been implemented throughout the plugin, so everything from single parameters to entire patterns can be randomized with an adjustable intensity level ranging from subtle to 'total mayhem'.
Effectrix2 can store up to 12 sequenced patterns within a single preset. Patterns can be triggered in real-time through automation or MIDI input, making Effectrix2 a useful tool for on-the-fly manipulation of effects in live performance.
Effectrix2 is available now for Windows and Mac in VST2/VST3/AU/AAX formats. The plugin is priced at €129.
