Gone are the days when one or two effects are enough for a mix. Today every mix has a load of them, sometimes even on the same channels. While this is very versatile, it does take a toll on your computer’s CPU power, as some effects (especially reverbs) are resource hogs. iZotope has a solution for that with it’s new FXEQ multi-effects plugin, which provides 5 popular effects along with a powerful EQ for each.
FXEQ is another plugin of iZotope’s Catalyst series that includes Aurora, Plasma, Velvet, and Cascadia that all have similar user interfaces derived from the what the company has learned from previous plugins like Neutron and Ozone.
It combines saturation, reverb, delay, modulation, and lo-fi into one plugin, adds plenty of control for each, then allows you to fit them into the mix better with a 6-band EQ for every module. It’s like having 10 modules in a one plugin, but without any of the complex routing that usually accompanies a multi-effect setup.
The Modules
The Saturate module has eight different modes: Satin, Tape, Grit, Foldback, Snap, Bump, Steel, and Corrode. It can be further adjusted with Drive and Tilt controls, with Tilt allowing for tweaking modulation.
The Reverb module allows you to choose between Hall, Chamber, and Plate, with PreDelay and Decay controls for more tweaking. You can also adjust the PreDelay and Decay based on either note divisions or milliseconds timed to the tempo of the track.
The Delay module’s modes include Classic, Reverse, Modulation and Crunch, with a Time (milliseconds or note divisions again) and Feedback controls for further tweaking. There’s also Ping-Pong mode that’s activated by toggling the Paddle icon on the top right.
Modulation includes Chorus, Phaser, Flanger and a Doubler. There’s a Depth control and Time control that also allows you to set it to the tempo of the track.
Lo-Fi’s modes include Vinyl, Tape, Cassette, and Radio, with Wear and Wobble controls for further adjustment.
Finally there’s the ability to further tweak each module with it’s own 6 band EQ, which also includes four filter shapes and adjustable Q.
At just $49 ($39 if you’re a previous iZotope purchaser), you get enormous bang for the buck. As with all iZotope plugins, FXEQ can work on Mac and PC and with most plugin formats.
Find out more here, or watch the video below to see and hear more details.
