Soundtoys 5.5 is the complete Soundtoys catalogue: 23 plugins covering saturation, echo, reverb, modulation, filtering and pitch, plus Effect Rack, which chains 14 of the full-size effects inside one plugin window. It costs $599 at Plugin Boutique, the same at Best Service (excluding VAT) and in Soundtoys' own store. Version 5.5 added SpaceBlender, an experimental reverb for imaginary spaces, 67 new Effect Rack presets and resizable interfaces on every plugin.
The strength is character. Decapitator is the saturation plugin many engineers reach for first, EchoBoy recreates decades of tape and analog echo units, SuperPlate and Little Plate cover classic plates, Crystallizer does pitch-shifted reverse echoes and Little AlterBoy handles pitch, formant and robot vocal effects. FilterFreak, PhaseMistress, PanMan and Tremolator add beat-synced movement with custom LFO shapes and a rhythm editor. Effect Rack turns all of that into one multi-effect: build a chain, set global input, output and mix, and use the Recycle control to feed the output back into the input for modulated reverbs and runaway delays.
The trade-offs are scope and setup. Soundtoys does not make a limiter, multiband compressor or mastering tools, and Sie-Q is the only EQ, so you still need a clean toolset for corrective work. It is not compatible with ARM-based Windows machines, and activation needs an iLok account and an internet connection, though no dongle.
Soundtoys 5.5 vs buying the plugins separately
| Option | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Soundtoys 5.5 | All 23 plugins with Effect Rack | $599 (Plugin Boutique, Best Service, Soundtoys) |
| Effect Rack | 14 effects usable only inside the Rack, no individual plugins or Little AlterBoy | $299 at Plugin Boutique |
| Decapitator + EchoBoy | The two flagship effects | $398 at Plugin Boutique |
| All 15 full-size effects bought singly | Decapitator, EchoBoy, Crystallizer, SuperPlate, FilterFreak, SpaceBlender, Little AlterBoy and eight more | $1,835 at Soundtoys' list prices |
Buy now or wait? If you want Decapitator, EchoBoy, SuperPlate and one more full-size effect, the bundle already beats buying them one by one, but none of the three stores is discounting it today. Black Friday is four weeks away, so wait unless you need it this week. Effect Rack at $299 is only good value if you never want the effects as separate plugins.
How it compares
The FabFilter Total Bundle is the clean half of most professional setups: precise EQ, dynamics and limiting, where Soundtoys adds colour. Our best saturation plugins guide puts Decapitator against Saturn 2, RC-20 and others, and the plugin bundles Black Friday guide ranks Soundtoys 5.5 against six other bundles.
Choose Soundtoys 5.5 if your mixes need character and creative effects. Pair it with a clean EQ and limiter rather than expecting it to do everything.