I’ve been using Soundtoys plug-ins for a few years now, and I genuinely love what they bring to the table. While most plug-in manufacturers tend to focus on the usual suspects—compressors, limiters, gates, delays, and reverbs—Soundtoys offers something a bit different. If you’re a fan of the Eventide series of harmonizer effects and are looking for a plug-in to replace your beloved hardware, the Soundtoys 5 plug-in suite is definitely worth a serious look. It’s more than capable of filling the gap left by your Eventide.
There’s a good reason for that too—the engineers at Soundtoys are the same folks who developed the software for those classic Eventide Harmonizers. To say they know what they’re doing would be an understatement. The Soundtoys 5 suite offers an impressive range of plug-ins, providing a wide array of creative manipulation options. But the real magic happens when you start combining these plug-ins, unlocking even more possibilities.
About the Soundtoys Little Plate
After showcasing their skills with the Soundtoys 5 suite, the team at Soundtoys turned their attention to reverb for the first time, and they set their sights on one of the most iconic reverbs ever: the EMT 140 Plate Reverb. The original EMT 140 was released in 1957 and remained in production until the early 1970s, a testament to the quality of its reverb. While other manufacturers, like Universal Audio with their excellent EMT 140 plug-in, have tried to replicate it, Soundtoys’ Little Plate has become my go-to choice.
Why? It’s all about ease of use. With just a few controls—reverb decay, low cut, modulation, and wet/dry mix—Little Plate is incredibly straightforward. But what really sets it apart are the presets, which are capable of delivering outstanding results right out of the box. If you’re not one to tinker with settings, this plug-in is perfect, as Soundtoys has done the heavy lifting by crafting excellent presets that allow you to dive in and start mixing immediately.
It’s important to note that Little Plate isn’t a direct replica of the EMT 140, and I haven’t had the chance to compare it to an original EMT 140. However, I can judge it based on how useful it is in my workflow. Soundtoys has enhanced the classic design by offering a much longer decay time than the original plates and adding a modulation option to introduce some extra character. These additions expand the creative possibilities of this already impressive reverb plug-in.
The Perfect Snare Drum Reverb
I’m always on the hunt for the perfect snare drum reverb, and since I’m a big fan of plate reverbs on snares, I focused my testing of the Soundtoys Little Plate in that area. The following examples feature a simple mix with light instrumentation, making it easy to focus on the snare. I started with a ‘dry’ snare and then moved through a variety of the presets available—so take a listen!
As you can hear from the samples, this reverb sounds fantastic, especially on snare. My favourite is the Thin Shorty preset, which provides a beautiful stereo spread that sits perfectly in the mix. The Air Plate preset also stands out; it uses the low cut to filter out everything below 1kHz, leaving only the mid-to-top end of the reverb. This approach allows you to have a rich reverb on the snare without muddying up a complex mix.
Conclusion
At just US$99, the Soundtoys Little Plate offers exceptional value, especially when compared to other EMT 140 plate plug-ins. For instance, Universal Audio’s EMT 140 costs US$199, and you need UAD hardware to run it, making the Soundtoys Little Plate a no-brainer at its price point. While the UAD plug-in does provide more control and flexibility, if you’re on a budget and seeking a top-notch plate reverb, the Little Plate is hard to beat.
