Arturia launched a new version of its flagship effects suite, FX Collection, which includes two new plugins, EFX Ambient and Pitch Shifter-910. FX Collection 6 also marks the introduction of an Intro version with a selection of six effects covering the basics for $99. That pales in comparison to the 39 effects in the full FX Collection Pro, but that also costs $499.
Pitch Shifter-910 is based on the iconic Eventide H910 Harmonizer from 1974, an early digital pitchshifter and delay with a very unique character. Arturia does an admirable job preserving its glitchy quirks. Pitch Shifter-910 is not a transparent effect that lets you create natural-sounding harmonies with yourself. Instead, it relishes in its weirdness, delivering chipmunk vocals at the higher ranges. There is also a more modern mode that cleans up some artifacts while preserving what makes the 910 so special. Though if you ask me, it also takes some of the fun and unpredictability out.
EFX Ambient is the other new addition to Arturia’s lineup, and it’s a weird one. While it does what it says on the tin, it doesn’t always do it in predictable ways. Sure, there’s plenty of big ethereal reverbs and shimmer, but there’s also resonators, glitch processing, and reverse delays. It has six distinct modes with unique characteristics, which it feeds through a big washy reverb. And there’s an X/Y control in the middle for adding movement to your sound.
Neither of the brand-new effects made the cut for the Intro version. FX Collection 6 Intro includes Efx Motions, Efx Fragments, Mix Drums, Tape Mello-Fi, Rev Plate-140, and Delay Tape-201. That offers excellent versatility covering delay, reverb, tape-like lo-fi, modulation, and even granular processing. Primarily, what you miss out on are some of the saturation and mixing effects like bus and compression, as well as the more specialty flavors of delay and reverb like Rev LX-24, based on the Lexicon 224 from 1978.
$499 for the full FX Collection 6 Pro might seem steep, but as the company has grown the lineup from 15 effects in 2020 to 39 in 2026, it’s become a more attractive value proposition. And, while it’s not quite as highly regarded as Arturia’s V Collection of soft synths, it’s building a reputation for high-quality effects.
Source: www.theverge.com
