Devious Machines Infiltrator 2 can look intimidating the first time you open it.
There are effect slots, sequencers, envelopes, modulation controls, macros, filters, distortion, delay, reverb, spectral effects, and dozens of other tools packed into one interface.
But you don’t need to understand everything inside Infiltrator 2 to start getting great results.
At its core, the workflow is surprisingly straightforward:
Choose an effect → shape the effect → create movement → add more effects → blend it with the original sound.
Once you understand that basic process, Infiltrator 2 becomes much easier to navigate.
In this beginner’s guide, we’ll walk through how to use Infiltrator 2, from loading your first effect to creating rhythmic sequences, using modulation, exploring presets, and building practical effects for Hip Hop, R&B, Trap Soul, and other styles of music.
What Is Infiltrator 2?
Infiltrator 2 is a multi-effects plugin from Devious Machines designed around creative effects sequencing.
It contains 54 effects and allows you to combine as many as 10 effects simultaneously.
Those effects cover everything from relatively familiar processing such as filtering, distortion, delay, and reverb to more experimental pitch, spectral, glitch, and time-based processing.
The real power comes from combining those processors with Infiltrator’s modulation and sequencing tools.
Instead of an effect remaining static throughout your song, you can make it change rhythmically.
For example, you could have a filter open during the first half of a bar, introduce distortion on the next beat, trigger a delay toward the end, and finish the phrase with a reverb effect.
That’s the basic concept behind Infiltrator 2.
You’re not just building an effects chain.
You’re building an effects performance.
Understanding the Infiltrator 2 Interface
Before we start creating sounds, there are a few areas of the interface you should understand.
Fortunately, beginners don’t need to learn every control immediately.
Focus on five things:
- Effect slots
- Effect controls
- Sequencer
- Modulation
- Master/output section
If you understand those five areas, you can already accomplish quite a lot.
1. The 10 Effect Slots
Across the upper portion of Infiltrator 2 you’ll find the effect slots.
You can load as many as 10 effects into a single preset.
Think about these like insert slots inside your DAW.
You might create something like:
Filter → Saturation → Chorus → Delay → Reverb
But unlike a traditional effects chain, you can manipulate when and how those processors affect your sound.
For your first few sessions with Infiltrator 2, don’t use all 10.
Start with one or two effects.
It will make understanding the plugin considerably easier.
Step 1: Load Infiltrator 2 Onto a Track
Start by loading Infiltrator 2 as an insert effect inside your DAW.
It can work on almost anything.
Try it on:
- Synths
- Pianos
- Rhodes
- Pads
- Guitars
- Drum loops
- Percussion
- Vocal chops
- 808s
- Samples
For this tutorial, I’d recommend starting with a simple four- or eight-bar melody.
A Rhodes progression, synth pad, or repetitive melody works particularly well because you’ll clearly hear what Infiltrator is doing.
Play your loop continuously while experimenting.
Step 2: Choose Your First Effect
Now select one of the effect slots.
Infiltrator gives you access to a large collection of effects, but resist the temptation to start building a giant chain.
Choose something familiar.
A filter is an excellent starting point.
Load a low-pass filter.
Now adjust the cutoff.
You should hear the high frequencies gradually disappear as you lower the cutoff frequency.
Nothing particularly unusual yet.
But now we’re going to make that filter move.
Step 3: Understand the Envelope
This is where Infiltrator 2 starts becoming much more interesting than a conventional effects rack.
The envelope allows you to create movement within an effect.
Instead of keeping the filter cutoff in one position, you can draw a shape determining how the parameter changes throughout the sequence.
For example, imagine drawing an envelope that starts low and gradually rises.
Your filter can now move from:
Dark → Brighter → Brightest
automatically.
Try reversing the shape.
Now you’ll hear:
Bright → Darker → Darkest
This simple concept applies to many parameters throughout Infiltrator.
And once you understand it, you begin to realize why the plugin is so powerful.
Step 4: Set the Speed
The Speed control determines how quickly your modulation pattern moves.
Because Infiltrator can synchronize with your DAW’s tempo, you can create movement that stays locked to the rhythm of your production.
For example, you might create movement every:
- 1/4 note
- 1/2 note
- 1 bar
- 2 bars
- 4 bars
The exact setting depends on the effect you’re trying to create.
For R&B, I often prefer slower movement.
If you’re processing a pad or Rhodes, you probably don’t need the filter jumping around every sixteenth note.
Try a slower modulation pattern that develops across one or two bars.
The result can feel much more musical.
Step 5: Learn the 32-Step Sequencer
The 32-step sequencer is one of the most important parts of Infiltrator 2.
This is where you can decide when different effects occur.
Think of it similarly to programming drums.
Instead of sequencing kick and snare hits, you’re sequencing effects.
For example:
Step 1: Filter
Step 5: Distortion
Step 9: Filter
Step 13: Delay
Step 16: Reverb
Now your processing changes throughout the phrase.
This is extremely useful for creating rhythmic effects without manually drawing dozens of automation points inside your DAW.
Step 6: Add a Second Effect
Once you’re comfortable with your first effect, add another.
Let’s use delay.
Now your chain might look like:
Filter → Delay
But don’t leave the delay running constantly.
Instead, use Infiltrator’s sequencing capabilities to make the delay appear toward the end of the phrase.
Imagine an R&B melody playing:
Bar 1: Clean
Bar 2: Clean
Bar 3: Filter movement
Bar 4: Filter + delay
Then everything resets when the next phrase begins.
You’ve just created an arrangement variation without changing a single MIDI note.
Step 7: Add Reverb for a Transition
Now let’s take the idea further.
Add reverb as another effect.
Your chain becomes:
Filter → Delay → Reverb
Instead of drowning the entire melody in reverb, create a sequence where the reverb becomes prominent only near the end.
This can produce a reverb wash leading into the next section.
For example:
Verse → Reverb swell → Chorus
This is one of the easiest ways to use Infiltrator 2 as a transition generator.
And because you’re processing an instrument already inside your beat, the transition naturally matches the production.
Using Infiltrator 2 Presets
If you’re completely new to Infiltrator, presets are your friend.
The plugin includes more than 1,500 presets, giving you plenty of starting points for experimentation.
But don’t simply click through presets until something sounds cool.
Use presets to learn the plugin.
When you find one you like, stop.
Look at what’s happening.
Ask yourself:
Which effects are loaded?
How many effect slots are being used?
Which effects are being sequenced?
What does the envelope look like?
What happens when I disable one effect?
Which macro dramatically changes the sound?
Start disabling effects one at a time.
This allows you to reverse-engineer the preset.
It’s one of the fastest ways to understand a complicated multi-effects plugin.
Using Infiltrator 2 Macros
As you become comfortable with the basics, start exploring the macro controls.
Current versions of Infiltrator 2 provide eight macros.
Macros allow one control to influence multiple parameters.
Imagine you’ve created this chain:
Filter → Distortion → Delay → Reverb
You could create a macro that simultaneously:
- Closes the filter
- Adds distortion
- Increases delay feedback
- Adds reverb
- Changes the wet/dry balance
Now one control transforms the entire sound.
This becomes particularly powerful when you automate the macro inside your DAW.
Instead of drawing automation for five different parameters, automate one macro.
A Beginner Infiltrator 2 R&B Effect
Let’s build something practical.
Suppose you have a Rhodes progression playing four bars.
We’ll create a subtle evolving effect.
Effect 1: Low-Pass Filter
Add a low-pass filter and create slow cutoff movement.
Don’t completely remove the high frequencies.
We want subtle movement rather than an obvious filter sweep.
Effect 2: Modulation
Add a gentle chorus or modulation effect.
Keep it subtle.
The goal is to make the Rhodes feel wider and slightly more animated.
Effect 3: Delay
Add delay but sequence it so that it becomes more noticeable toward the end of the phrase.
Effect 4: Reverb
Introduce additional reverb during the final portion of the sequence.
Your Rhodes can now move from:
Clean → Wider → Filtered → Delay → Reverb
Then the pattern starts again.
A static four-bar chord progression suddenly feels much more alive.
Using Infiltrator 2 on Drum Loops
Drums are another excellent place to experiment.
Load Infiltrator onto a drum loop.
Start with something simple like filtering.
Then experiment with:
- Distortion
- Bit reduction
- Stutter effects
- Glitch processing
- Delay
- Reverb
- Frequency manipulation
But here’s an important production trick:
Don’t process the drums throughout the entire song.
Automate Infiltrator so that it activates only during transitions.
For example:
Bars 1–7: Normal drums
Bar 8: Infiltrator processing
Bar 9: Chorus begins with clean drums
That brief moment of contrast can make the next section feel much bigger.
Using Infiltrator 2 for Hip Hop
Hip Hop producers can use Infiltrator without making everything sound overly electronic.
Try it on samples.
A four-bar soul sample could become:
Intro: Heavily filtered
Verse: Mostly clean
Pre-hook: Lo-fi processing
Hook: Full-frequency original sample
Transition: Glitch + delay
You’re still using the same source material.
But processing gives each section a different identity.
This is particularly useful for sample-based production where you don’t necessarily want to keep adding instruments.
Using Infiltrator 2 for Trap Soul
Trap Soul is another genre where subtle effects can work beautifully.
Try Infiltrator on:
Dark pads
Use slow filtering and stereo movement.
Reversed melodies
Add pitch modulation and atmospheric reverb.
Vocal chops
Experiment with delay, filtering, pitch effects, and glitch processing.
Electric pianos
Use subtle modulation and rhythmic filtering.
Percussion
Introduce movement or occasional glitch effects.
The important word here is subtle.
You don’t need every listener to immediately notice the effect.
Sometimes the best processing simply makes them think:
“Something about this beat feels alive.”
Creating Transitions With Infiltrator 2
One of the easiest ways for beginners to get immediate value from Infiltrator is using it for transitions.
Take the final beat or final bar before a new section.
Then experiment with:
- Filter sweeps
- Delay throws
- Reverb washes
- Pitch effects
- Stutters
- Glitches
- Distortion
- Lo-fi processing
Automate Infiltrator’s bypass or wet/dry control so the processing only occurs during the transition.
This lets you turn instruments already inside your production into transition effects.
Don’t Forget the Mix Control
This might be one of the most important tips in this entire guide.
You don’t have to use an effect at 100% wet.
Creative effects often become much more useful when blended underneath the original sound.
If a preset sounds amazing but completely destroys your melody, reduce the mix.
Try:
10%
Then:
20%
Then:
30%
You may discover that a crazy preset becomes an excellent texture when used subtly.
This is especially useful for R&B and Hip Hop.
Don’t Use All 10 Effect Slots Just Because You Can
Infiltrator allows up to 10 effects.
That doesn’t mean every preset you create needs 10 effects.
Sometimes:
Filter + Delay
is enough.
Or:
Distortion + Reverb
Or:
Chorus + Filter + Delay
Adding more processors doesn’t automatically make a sound better.
The goal is to create movement that supports the song.
A Simple Infiltrator 2 Beginner Workflow
If you’re opening the plugin for the first time, use this workflow:
1. Start with a loop
Choose a repetitive melody, pad, Rhodes, sample, or drum loop.
2. Load one effect
Start with something familiar like a filter.
3. Shape the effect
Learn the primary controls before adding anything else.
4. Add modulation
Create some movement using the envelope.
5. Sync it to your song
Experiment with different rhythmic speeds.
6. Add a second effect
Try delay, modulation, distortion, or reverb.
7. Explore the sequencer
Make effects appear at different moments.
8. Adjust the mix
Blend the processing with the original signal.
9. Add automation
Automate bypass, mix, or macros throughout your arrangement.
10. Save your preset
If you create something useful, save it.
Over time, you’ll build your own collection of effects designed specifically for your production style.
Common Infiltrator 2 Beginner Mistakes
Using Too Many Effects
It’s easy to become excited and fill every slot.
Don’t.
Start simple.
Making Everything 100% Wet
Blending creative processing underneath the original sound often produces better results.
Only Browsing Presets
Presets are fantastic for inspiration, but eventually start modifying them.
That’s where you’ll actually learn Infiltrator.
Processing Everything
If every instrument has extreme movement, nothing feels special.
Choose a few elements that benefit from creative processing.
Forgetting About Arrangement
Don’t think of Infiltrator only as sound design.
Think about where the effect happens in the song.
That can be even more important than the effect itself.
Is Infiltrator 2 Beginner-Friendly?
Yes, but there’s a learning curve.
Infiltrator 2 gives you considerably more control than a simple delay or reverb plugin, so you shouldn’t expect to master it in one session.
The good news is that you don’t need to.
You can get useful results from Infiltrator with only a basic understanding of:
Effect slots + envelopes + sequencing + mix control.
Learn those first.
Then move into macros, deeper modulation, advanced sequencing, and more experimental effects.
Final Thoughts: Learning Infiltrator 2
Infiltrator 2 looks complicated because it gives you an enormous amount of creative control.
But the fundamental workflow is simple:
Load an effect.
Shape it.
Make it move.
Sequence it.
Blend it into your production.
Start with one filter on a simple melody.
Then add delay.
Then experiment with the envelope.
Then learn the sequencer.
Before long, you’ll stop looking at Infiltrator 2 as a giant collection of effects and start seeing it as something much more interesting:
A tool for creating movement.
And for Hip Hop, R&B, and Trap Soul production, movement can be exactly what turns a repetitive four- or eight-bar loop into something that feels like a finished record.
What To Learn Next
Once you’re comfortable with Infiltrator’s basic workflow, the next step is applying those tools specifically to your production style.
In our next guide, How To Make Hip Hop & R&B With Infiltrator 2, we’ll use the plugin to transform Rhodes, melodies, drums, vocal chops, pads, and transitions while keeping the processing musical rather than overwhelming.