Arturia FX Collection 3 is a major update with 4 new versatile effects plugins adding granular, tape, & distortion flavors to the bundle
With the V Collection, currently 9, Arturia has a bundle with a huge number of high-quality synthesizers and other virtual instruments. For a while now they’ve been making effects based on the same concept in the FX Collection bundle.
Today, Arturia has unveiled the FX Collection 3, another major update for its still young effect collection.
Arturia FX Collection 3
FX Collection 3 features 26 different effects plugins including emulations of vintage units and completely newly developed effects. The new update adds four new effects that bring granular, wow & flutter, and distortion flavors to this mighty bundle.
Arturia EFX Fragments
The most experimental plugin of the new FX Collection 3 is EFX Fragments which Arturia already released back on March 1st. So now the plugin is also available as part of the bundle. It’s a granular effect processor plugin with a plethora of creative and inspiring features all embedded in an intuitive user interface
It consists of three distinct mighty modes of granular processing: classic, rhythmic, and texture. As the names say: one is for more classic granulized sounds, one that transforms everything in motion and rhythm, and another for drones, textures, etc.
The interface offers separate “modules” for the different functions including grain capture, grain release, pan, FX, modulators, and more. You get handy functions such as transient & snap-to-grid grain quantization as well tempo-synchronization. There are also unique spray and randomization as well as a wide range pitch-shifter with quantization.
To add motion to your sound, EFX Fragments ships with different modulations: two custom macros, three customizable function generators, an envelope follower and a built-in step sequencer for the ultimate rhythmical boost.
Plus, it ships with a bunch of refining effects ranging from vintage-style to modern (tape echo, multimode filter, reverb). On top, you get a grain crush functionality that adds dirt and crispness to your sounds. It’s modeled after the outputs of the legendary CMI and Emulator II samplers.
A while ago I experimented a bit with EFX Fragments and combined it with different Sinevibes effects. The plugin is a great-sounding granular processor that is very hands-on and easy to use. It doesn’t take long to get useful results out of it.
Arturia TAPE MELLO-FI
The second new release is also a well-known one. The MELLO-Fi plugin was given away for Christmas last year for a limited time. And if you are only interested in this plugin, you can get it for free with every purchase from ADSR Sounds through the month of June.
Tape MELLO-FI is a tape effect plugin that is based on the behavior and sound modeling technologies from Arturia’s Mellotron V plugin. It gives you all sonic aspects of the Mellotron timbre in a standalone, easy-to-use effect plugin.
The interface is super straightforward and offers different parameters to tweak. You get a preamp section with drive, tone, and noise control as well as a VU meter. The section adds the desired heat and warmth to the signal. With less or more noise for a sound full of character. In the tape section, you can control the flutter, wow, wear, and mechanics giving your sound the typical wobbly character of vintage tape machines and the Mellotron.
MELLO-FI also has an enhanced stereo functionality that creates wow & flutter effects from left to right for extra-wide sounds. There is also an interactive tape wheel with a tempo-syncronized tape stop feature.
It also hosts an optional instant tape catch-up which is very unique. And on the output, you can use an additional 12dB lowpass and high pass filter to filter the effect. A plugin with which you can infuse character and a vintage soul to any sound.
Besides granular and tape, there are also two distortion plugins that Arturia added to FX Collection 3. Two brand-new plugins.
Arturia Dist Tube-Culture
The Dist Tube-Culture is a new harmonic distortion plugin that is modeled after the Culture Vulture vacuum tube distortion unit from 1998. It let you ignite your mix with lifelike tube warmth perfect for adding color and character to your sounds. It ranges from soft saturation to fizzy, rich crunchy timbres.
Dist Tube-Culture offers four different tube operation modes. There is one triode mode which is the cleanest that favors even-numbered harmonics and is handy for harmonic enhancements, warmth, and more. And there are three pentode modes that produce more harsher and aggressive timbres.
The plugin gives you control over the drive amount, bias, function, output, and mix. In advanced mode, you can unlock an additional stereo input mode with high and lowpass filters and dynamics controls. It also has an output with a built-in EQ.
If you want to add warmth or put your sounds on fire until they howl, you’ve come to the right place.
Arturia Dist OPAMP-21
The last addition is the Dist OPAMP-21, another distortion effect plugin. It is based on the legendary tube amp emulator SansAmp Classic, which was designed by B. Andrew Barta and produced by Tech 21 in New York City, USA. The original hardware unit used cascaded op-amps to generate a wide range of saturated tones.
Like in the original, Arturia also offers in its emulation three different pre-amp modes (Lead, Normal, and Bass) including a new modern fourth model. The latter is the most transparent one and allows you to use the plugin as a more traditional distortion plugin. Normal mode is designed to emulate the sound of a Mesa Boogie-style pre-amp sound with basically flat EQ.
On the side, Lead gives you a Marshall-style pre-amp sound, with mid-range and highs emphasized. Both normal and lead have an speaker emulation active. And finally Bass is more of a Fender-style pre-amp that is great for rhythm as well as bass.
Additionally, you can shape the sound using the eight buttons that give you different settings for the EQs and speakers. The plugin gives you control over the drive, presence, high, output and dry and wet. As usual, there is also an advanced mode with additional pre-drive and post-drive settings.
Also New
Arturia also improved the other effects by adding an A/B comparison function that let you quickly compare, copy, or bounce between two different configurations. There also come with improved interfaces with easy preset browsing, smoother loading times, and more.
First Impression
At first glance, a nice update for the FX Collection. The granular plugin in particular is a big highlight. I also really like the distortions that are instant fun. It’s a pity that the Mello-Fi hasn’t been expanded with more features.
Arturia FX Collection 3 is available now for 299€ and runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS and Windows. Existing customers of FX Collection 2 can upgrade for 69€, FX Coll 1 for 99€, and owners of FX Collection 2 + Fragments for 29€. These prices are valid until July 7, 2022.
More information here: Arturia
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