10 super-useful 'Swiss Army knife' VST/AU plugins

Multi-faceted processors

When you’ve got a specific production task to carry out, there’s a lot to be said for finding a plugin that’s devoted to that job, but this can take time and isn’t always the best option.

Sometimes, it’s better to kill several processing birds with one plugin stone, and the good news is that there are plenty of products out there that enable you to do precisely that.

Here are 10 plugins that put multiple processors under one roof, saving you time and enabling you to get good results fast.

Waves Butch Vig Vocals

A-list engineer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Garbage) has teamed up with Waves to give instant access to the EQ, dynamics, saturation, and focus functions he uses to shape his signature sound.

4 out of 5

Read Waves Butch Vig Vocals review

Waves JJP Drums

Jack Joseph Puig (U2, The Black Crows, No Doubt) is a Grammy-winning studio boffin. Here, Waves has recreated his favoured drum processing chain within one plugin, making it a snap to dial in punch, attitude and control.

4 out of 5

Read Waves JJP Artist Signature Collection review

Beatskillz That Thing

Offering an analogue-style chorus, vintage-sounding filters, various soundscape generators and a bitcrusher for emulating classic drum machines, this multipurpose tool is unashamedly fast to use.

3 out of 5

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iZotope Nectar 2

Aimed at vocal production, Nectar 2 provides pitch correction and editing, breath removal, plate reverb, harmonic saturation, dynamics, equalization, gate, de-esser and more. It can even detect pitch and create harmonies.

4.5 out of 5

Read iZotope Nectar 2 review

Soundness Soundsoap 5

Soundsoap combines several corrective utilities into a single, unified plugin. Broadband noise can be automatically detected and removed from any signal. Add click, crackle and hum removal and you’ve got cleaner mixes!

Find out more about Soundness Soundsoap 5

Waves Scheps Parallel Particles

Another Waves plugin that combines and condenses processes into a mere four controls, offering Bite, Air, Sub and Thick parameters.

Find out more about Waves Scheps Parallel Particles

iZotope Ozone 7

This ever-popular, all-in-one mastering suite provides maximizer, exciter, stereo imager, EQ and dynamics functions. The Advanced version also adds Vintage Compressor, Vintage Tape and Vintage EQ modules. A must-have!

5 out of 5

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Exponential Audio Excalibur

Created by one of the original minds behind Lexicon, this rockin’ multi-effect features four ‘Voices’ that can each house one of 13 effects, including chorus, flanger, phaser, ring mod, shifter, reverb, filter, distortion and more.

4.5 out of 5

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Dmitry Sches Tantra

Need interesting and exciting rhythmic effects? Distortion, tremolo, filter, delay, lofi, flanger, glitch and reverb are all on tap here, with modulation provided by the highly customisable built-in 32-step sequencer and multi-step envelope generator.

Find out more about Dmitry Sches Tantra

iZotope Alloy 2

Designed as an all-in-one mixing strip that can subtly enhance or totally tweak any and all tracks in your mix, you get an equaliser, transient shaper, exciter, dynamics (with upward and downward compression), de-esser, and limiter.

4.5 out of 5

Read iZotope Alloy 2 review