As a lifelong fan of Peter Gabriel, I’ve always been captivated by his fearless creativity. Gabriel’s ability to blend unconventional sounds with emotional depth has made him one of my biggest influences since childhood. So, when I discovered that, according to their website, Peter Gabriel himself had endorsed Infiltrator 2, and his team uses it in the studio, my eyebrows were raised.
If this plugin was good enough for one of music’s greatest pioneers, I had to see what all the fuss was about. After all, Peter doesn’t strike me as someone who takes the idea of an endorsement lightly.
That curiosity led me to dive headfirst into Devious Machines’ Infiltrator 2, and this is easily the most fun I’ve had with any plugin I’ve tested. This plugin isn’t just another effects processor—it’s a genre-bending, boundary-breaking, creative Swiss Army Knife of a plugin.
From subtle enhancements to outright chaos, Infiltrator 2 is equivalent to taking a massive effects rack full of several plugins and shoving it into one convenient and easy-to-navigate plugin. Say goodbye to using twelve thousand super-expensive plugins to breathe life into your track. You’ll only need one.
Why Infiltrator 2 Stands Out
At its core, Infiltrator 2 is all about versatility. It offers a staggering 54 different effects, controllable through a sequencer where 10 effect modules can be switched on and off for insane combinations and rhythmic effects. Combining several of these effects means you’ll easily be able to take your track in whatever direction you please.
What I truly loved is that you don’t need to start from scratch if you don’t want to. Infiltrator comes with an impressive 1500+ presets for you to either use as is or tweak to your liking.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the types of presets I encountered:
• Beat Mashing & Glitch Effects: This plugin delivers whether you want a light, rhythmic stutter or absolute glitchy, nearly indecipherable mayhem. These tools are perfect for creating intricate breakdowns or new rhythmic patterns in genres like glitch-hop or IDM.
• Reverb & Spatial Effects: From subtle room tones to cavernous, ethereal washes, the reverb options provide a massive depth.
• DJ Scratching-Style Effects: For those looking to emulate vinyl scratch sounds or DJ-style transitions, Infiltrator 2 includes several fun little nods to those beloved scratches, tape stops, and transitions of yesteryear.
• Vocoder & Vocal Processing: Transform vocals into robotic textures or harmonized pads with ease.
• Bass Enhancement: A fantastic tool for fattening up low-end elements, adding weight and punch where needed most.
• Tongestaltung: The granular synthesis and texture manipulation modules are a dream for sound designers, capable of creating lush pads, cinematic swells, and alien atmospheres.
• Slowed/Reversed Effects: Perfect for creating eerie, atmospheric moments or dramatic drops.
• Mix Tools: Surprisingly, Infiltrator 2 even includes presets to help sounds sit better in a mix. From subtle EQ adjustments to more, these presets aren’t just about effects—they’re about improving the overall sound.
And then there’s the fun twist: someone at Devious Machines is a Psy-trance fan. Throughout the available categories, I found several presets tailored specifically for Psy-trance effects, with rhythmic gates, swirling delays, and intricate modulations that feel ripped straight from the genre’s DNA. Even if Psy-trance isn’t your thing, these presets are a great jumping-off point for experimenting with hypnotic, high-energy soundscapes.
What makes Infiltrator 2 unique is the balance it strikes between creative freedom and precise control. The step sequencer I mentioned earlier is one of the plugin’s standout features. In combination with eight different macros, producers can create free-flowing effects that evolve rhythmically over time.
How Infiltrator 2 Inspired Me
Using Infiltrator 2 felt like discovering a new creative playground. A simple drum loop became a glitchy, stuttering rhythm. A dull bassline became a snarling, distorted monster—a dry vocal recording transformed into an otherworldly choir.
When I was 17 (wow, that was a while ago), I discovered a piece of software called Mixman Studio Pro that gave birth to my love of EDM production. While that software doesn’t even come close to the features found in Infiltrator 2, I2 gave me the same excitement and creativity that that now 22-year program provided back then. It’s rare for a plugin to surprise and inspire so consistently, but Infiltrator 2 delivers on both fronts. It’s not going to create the music for you; you still need to do that, but it will help make what you make a hell of a lot less boring!
Abschließende Gedanken
Infiltrator 2 isn’t just a plugin—it’s a tool for turning ordinary sounds into extraordinary experiences. Whether you’re producing electronic music, scoring a film, or simply experimenting with sound design, this plugin has something to offer.
If you’re looking for an effects processor that can handle everything from subtle mix improvements to full-on sonic madness, Infiltrator 2 is worth every penny. And considering it’s only 129.99 when some “industry standard” effects plugins charge double that to do ONE thing, it’s even more impressive that they aren’t charging double or triple the price. In this review we haven’t even scratched the surface of all the options this has under the hood. It’s highly tweakable and very fun to use.
Altwire doesn’t use a star rating system, but if we did, this would be a perfect five-star grade. We can’t wait to see what they release next.
Check out our other plugin reviews Hier.