Effect Grid plug-in: Split audio into 9 frequency ranges to process independently
Effect Grid is a plug-in for the multi-band crazies among you. It splits the incoming audio into frequency bands, but also into amplitude bands. You can then use any other plug-ins to process each individual band. That’s something seemingly simple, but when it’s made so convenient, it can give your sounds a serious push! That’s the kind of creative sound design tool which serves as the foundation for proper audio mangling!
Effect Grid multi-band splitter
How does it all work? Effect Grid creates 9 bands laid out on a 3 x 3 grid. This approach enables three-dimensional control (amplitude, frequency and time) of the signal passing through. Each band has dedicated cutoff frequency, threshold and gain parameters (also automatable) for detailed control over its behaviour. It also has plug-in slots to let you instantiate up to 3 plugins (VST, VST3, AU). Or 2 if you are using the multi-out feature (which is compatible with most DAWs, except Logic Pro X).
With gain control of up to +-24dB, you can actually remix audio by messing with its frequency amplitudes. From the cutoff and threshold parameters, you can also “bypass” (in effect) certain frequencies. You can also automate them to create dynamic transitions and who knows what else. That’s what I call a toy! Furthermore, each slot can be routed to an independent bus (up to 9) for additional processing and you can assign multiple slots to the same Bus.
The Dry-wet parameter works as you’d expect from other plug-ins and it’s also a handy way of duplicating the signal if you need that. There are also the M-S-B buttons for Mute, Solo and Bypass controls over each frequency. You can also change the transition type between amplitude bands to better fit your source sound. This basically affects the speed of the transition and provides additional control over the bands split.
Finally, there’s the Settings menu where you can scan and manage plug-ins, read the manual, and change the color theme. This is a really nifty plug-in that I seriously like. Fine-grained processing like this is the name of the game when it comes to professional music production. It’s strange how no DAW developer has included something like Effect Grid as a stock tool yet.
Effect Grid GUI
Price and availability
Effect Grid costs 45 Canadian dollars (USD 35.41) and is available in VST3, AU & AAX formats. It works under macOS 10.11+ and Windows 10+. A 15-day fully functional trial version is provided – use the code ‘TRIAL’ at checkout to get that.
More information
- Effect Grid GUI: Effect Grid
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