PLUGIN CORNER: EGOIST

Welcome to Plugin Corner our monthly expose of some of the best Plug-ins around for creating electronic music

Samuel Lambert

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 - 14:21

This month we are looking at the new plug-in from Sugar Bytes, Egoist. Proclaiming to be a “groove in a box”, Sugar Bytes have combined four main components, plus a massively attractive user interface (UI), to create an interesting and unique groove instrument. The first tab is the Slicer, which lets producers arrange up to sixteen slices of a loaded sample, but also allows parameters such as attack, decay, level, reverse and pitch to be tweaked. Perfect to add some life to hi-hat patterns.

Then comes the Bass & Beat section that combines a bassline generator with two selector waveforms (triangle/square), three filter types and two different sources. Also, users have the standard controls that would be expected at their disposal, including cutoff, resonance, modulation amount, among others. Bass presets are also included. The Beat section is simple, yet effective, with a choice of three elements, kick, snare and hi hat. Again, users have a standard array of controls for additional tweaking and a simple sequencer, with more than 1000 electronic and vintage drum sounds to get the eager beaver going.

Egoist also borrows its effects from one of the earlier plug-ins from Sugar Bytes, the massively popular Effectrix. This lets producers tamper with creative effects such as chorus, delay, reverb, lo-fi, as well as the ever-popular Looper. This section has a fun and simple UI, and also incorporates a 16-step sequencer, to mash grooves up as producers see fit.

Lastly, we have the main Song Sequencer and Egoist section. The Song Sequencer lets users switch between their existing patterns, to create breakbeat-like grooves, but also enables them to chain patterns, to create variations in compositions. The Egoist section gives numerous parameters, such as fine-tuning for the Bass, Slicer, master and more. Sugar Bytes' Egoist is available for both Macintosh and Windows (32 & 64-bit) systems, with VST, AU (OS X only), RTAS and AXX interface options supported.

DJ Mag had great fun playing with Egoist, and all in all, this plug-in does exactly what it says on the tin. In the market for a playful groove tool, for either quick and easy track sketching, or for more in-depth, randomised rhythms? Then Egoist will be right up your street.