Soundtoys Has A New Plugin And It’s A… SuperPlate Reverb

There are companies that release a new (forgettable?) plugin every month or so, and then there are companies such as Soundtoys, where a new plugin is an event worth celebrating. At least for all those musicians and producers like me, who still find Soundtoys plugins among the best in the industry, even after all these years (and yes, I wish they would feature resizable GUIs but ctrl+scroll is good enough for now).

So yeah, the new plugin, right? A few days ago Soundtoys released the much anticipated SuperPlate reverb plug-in. SuperPlate is now available for sale as a standalone plug-in and as part of Soundtoys V5.4, the latest bundle version (with a no-brainer upgrade path for current owners).

SuperPlate emulates the unique tonal character of five classic electromechanical plate reverbs – without the massive investment and back-breaking weight of the originals. Its advanced algorithms capture a level of unmatched realism and versatility and create luscious, immersive effects.

The Models

At the core of SuperPlate are meticulous models of the EMT 140, EMT 240, Audicon, EcoPlate III, and Stocktronics RX4000 plate reverb units.

How do these models differ from each other? The manual is here to help:

• Classic 140 (EMT 140): The first plate is the same EMT 140 model included in Little Plate. Its sound is on the warmer side and it was originally designed to replicate a concert hall. It’s a bit fuller and richer sounding than many of the plates that came after including the Audicon and
  Echoplate. When people think of plate reverb, the EMT 140 is that sound.
• Goldfoil 240 (EMT 240): This plate is based on the slightly less well known EMT 240 that was essentially a smaller and lighter version of the 140 with a darker sound and an overall shorter reverb time.
• Audicon: The Audicon is based on what is commonly known as “The Plate II” built by Lawson in the 1970s and used quite notably in Nashville. It has a more punchy sound from its steel plate and a bit more sparkle than an EMT 140.
• E. Plate III: The fourth plate is a model of the “ECOPLATE III” built by Jim Cunningham of Studio Technologies in Illinois back in the 1980s. The ECOPLATE III is styled after the EMT but its sound is on the brighter side that sounds good on percussion, brass and source material with high harmonic content. It was used quite a bit in the 1980s on albums by Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, George Benson and others.
• Stocktronics: The fifth plate is modeled after the Stocktronics RX4000 plate reverb which is a Swedish Plate reverb designed by Lars “Stockis” Liljeryd. Only 250 units were made, and it has a unique sound as the cold forged, stainless-steel plate is only 0.3mm thick, which makes it very bright and brings tons of character to a mix.

Analog Coloration And Modern Features

SuperPlate includes three different flavors of analog coloration – Tube, Solid-State, and Clean – which can be used in combination with any of SuperPlate’s styles. The Tube and Solid-State modes are modeled on the EMT V54 preamp for tube saturation and the EMT 162 preamp which has a built-in compressor to help tame transients.

SuperPlate also includes a range of modern digital features, including infinite decay time, built-in pre-delay, expanded modulation controls, full-featured EQ for detailed tonal shaping, and a unique decay ducking option that adjusts decay time to avoid overlap or masking.

Hands-On Impressions

Let’s start with the classic… you can never have enough reverbs! True, we all have some excellent reverb plugins already (check out our recent Arturia Rev LX-24 review), but SuperPlate definitely adds something to the table.

5 rare plate reverb models, with the sound quality you would expect from Soundtoys, and with smart extra features for modern production techniques, such as the auto-decay. I also find extremely useful the analog coloration stage (try saturating the input level with the tube model on, for instance). That and some modulation at low rate (with my favorite EMT-240 model), and I’m in reverb heaven!

Last but not least, if you own the Soundtoys bundle (recommended!), try using SuperPlate within the Effect Rack plugin, mixed with Echoboy, Primal Tap, Phasemistress, and the like. There’s lots of extra fun to be had there!

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICING – Valid through June 14, 2023

• SuperPlate is available individually for $79 (reg $149)
• Soundtoys users who received Little Plate as a free gift during a promotion can upgrade to SuperPlate for $39 (reg $79)
• Soundtoys users who bought Little Plate may trade up their license to SuperPlate for $29 (reg $59)
• Soundtoys 5, now including SuperPlate, is available for $499
• Soundtoys V5.3 Bundle owners may upgrade to Soundtoys V5.4 for $29 (reg $59)
• Effect Rack plug-in owners can purchase a SuperPlate license for use within Effect Rack or individually for $79 (reg $149)

To learn more about SuperPlate please visit the Soundtoys website.