If you’ve touched FL Studio, you already know Gross Beat is basically a household name. Metro Boomin, Southside, TM88, Wheezy, they’ve all used that iconic half speed, stutter, and tape stop FX in tracks from Future, Travis Scott, and a ton of underground tracks and Type Beats.
Most producers don’t realize…Gross Beat isn’t the only plugin you that can achieve this sound. It’s just the popular famous.
Partially due to the DAW and also who uses it.
There are plugins that can flip and mangle audio easier and offering more control. flip audio cleaner, offer more control.
And they work in FL Studio, Ableton Live 12.3, Reason Studios, pretty much all DAWs that accept and work well with VST3. Let’s dig in
1. Effectrix (Sugar Bytes) Trap Producer’s Favorite
This is the sequencer based alternative. Think “Gross Beat inside a step sequencer.” You stack effects across a 32 step grid and let it go nuts. Good for clean rhythmic edits and beat mangling.
Perfect for
- fills
- transitions
- glitch loops
- stutter heavy beats
This plugin is a classic here. Super easy use and the fx sound pretty good too.
2. ShaperBox (Get Familiar with Cableguys)
This is the plugin that makes Ableton users forget Gross Beat exists. TimeShaper plus VolumeShaper is literally the Gross Beat workflow with a nicer haircut. Preset banks. Curve drawing. Multi-band control. It’s like Gross Beat on pre-workout.
- Perfect for
- lo-fi chops
- trap drops
- rhythmic movement
- sidechain “pump” without compressors
Cableguys get’s slept on sometimes, don’t be on of those beat makers that makes this mistake.
3. Halftime (Another Cableguys Plugin)
Not a full Gross Beat replacement, but it nails the “Ayo this melody feels too clean” half speed vibe.
One button. Instant dark, moody, warped melodies. Gross Beat can do it. Halftime just does it easier.
Perfect for
- trap melodies
- ambient layers
- sample breakdowns
4. MRhythmizer (MeldaProduction) BEAST Of a Plugin
This is the one every FL refugee ends up using. It’s basically dog walks Gross Beat. Offers more control, more nuanced, more options, better with automation…It’s a BEAST! Time manipulation. Gating.
Glitching. Stutters. You can draw your own envelopes. You can randomize patterns. You can get way weirder than Gross Beat ever lets you.
Perfect for
- EDM drops
- halftime pads
- tape stop moments
- Last second “fix this transition” panic
I also love the fact that community offers amazing presets.
Conclusion
If you’re someone who loves Gross Beat style manipulation, Sugar Bytes’ Effectrix makes it easy to experiment. Try them on melodies, drums, transitions, and even those old loops. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they flip your workflow.
You can check out the latest Sugar Bytes deal here https://audioplugin.deals/shop/
New to Audio Plugin Deals?
If this is your first time on Audio Plugin Deals, you might be wondering how the massive discounts actually work. No worries, it’s straightforward.
Developers team up with APD to run limited-time promos instead of spending money on ads. The deals move fast, they reach a huge group of producers, and the volume makes the discounts possible. That’s how you get premium plugins at prices that look unreal.
Here’s the full breakdown of how APD works → https://audioplugin.deals/how-it-works/
