# FREE Audio, Mixing, Effect Plugins Thread



## synthpunk

Please list free audio plugins here.


CableGuys Pancake 2
http://www.cableguys.com/pancake.html


----------



## sazema

Voxengo, Sound Delay (must)
http://www.voxengo.com/product/sounddelay/


----------



## emid

IRDust - The only free true stereo convolution reverb. Simple and without fancy features.

HISE - open source framework for sampled instruments.


----------



## nulautre

Great dynamic EQ: http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/

They have a few more free ones too


----------



## chrisr

nulautre said:


> Great dynamic EQ: http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/
> 
> They have a few more free ones too



Thank you - it had somehow passed me by! I've become complacent about new plugs in recent years, preferring to use & master what I have if possible... but I downloaded that, and I'm incredibly impressed!!


----------



## Mundano

https://www.tritik.com/products/krush/
excellent sound destruction
EDIT: bit crusher


----------



## Maestro1972

https://vladgsound.wordpress.com/plugins/


----------



## synthpunk

Nothing pretty, but some very good useful plugins. Please consider Chris's Donation-ware model if you are able.

www.airwindows.com


----------



## davidgary73

Klanghelm freeware @ 

http://klanghelm.com/contents/products/DC1A/DC1A.php
http://klanghelm.com/contents/products/IVGI/IVGI.php
http://klanghelm.com/contents/products/MJUCjr/MJUCjr.php

Valhalla Freq Echo @ https://valhalladsp.com/shop/delay/valhalla-freq-echo/

Flux Bittersweet @ http://www.fluxhome.com/products/freewares/bittersweet-v3

Some Tal freeware @ https://tal-software.com/Products


----------



## synthpunk

Acon Digital Multiply Chorus
https://acondigital.com/products/multiply/


----------



## synthpunk

XFER Records Freebies including Over The Top Compressor and Dimensional Expander.
https://xferrecords.com/freeware/


----------



## naosato

ICE9 - Automute
http://www.cerberusaudio.com/Software/Products/Ice9/

Saved my ears so many times


----------



## synthpunk

DCAM Free comp
https://www.fxpansion.com/products/dcamfreecomp/


----------



## Vin

*Teufelsberg Reverb*

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2...eates-the-sound-of-a-giant-phallic-spy-tower/

*A1AUDIO Plugins*

http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/


----------



## GULL

Free EQ http://sonimus.com/products/soneq/


----------



## Flaneurette

https://mercuriall.com/cms/details_freestuff
http://kbrownsynthplugins.weebly.com/


----------



## synthpunk

Audio Damage Roughrider compressor v2.0 now available free.

https://www.audiodamage.com/pages/free-downloads


----------



## synthpunk

FreakShow Productions Chaotic Reverser Plugin. You can try it for 14 days, download it for free, pay what you want, or the very fair asking price of $20.
https://freakshowindustries.com


----------



## synthpunk

Music Radar's 2017 Best Free Effect Plugins.
http://www.musicradar.com/news/the-...ign=18551&utm_term=9633085&utm_content=331111


----------



## Cdnalsi

Here are some of my favourites:

EQs:

*Baxandall Simulation Equalizer / BasiQ* - Very nice sounding 3 band EQ; more of a sweetening device rather than freq correction
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
https://www.kuassa.com/products/basiq/

*Code Red Free* - 60s classic all tube British console inspired EQ and preamp; Waves Abbey Road REDD console like
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.shatteredglassaudio.com/product.php?id=106

*PTEq-X* - Vintage passive program EQ; one of the best sounding
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 64bit
https://www.kvraudio.com/product/pteq-x-by-ignite-amps

*Mellowmuse EQ1A* - Super smooth analogue style EQ; very light on CPU
Win, Mac / VST, AU, RTAS, AAX / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.mellowmuse.com/EQ1A.html

*Nova-67P* - Parallel parametric EQ; also 5 band parallel dynamic EQ
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
https://vladgsound.wordpress.com/downloads/

Reverbs:

*DX Reverb Light* - Great little reverb that’s true stereo; won’t affect stereo imaging
Win, Mac / VST, AU, SAWStudio / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.anwida.com/download.asp

*Teufelsberg Reverb* - Lush reverb from NSA Listening Tower Impulse Responses
Win, Mac, Linux / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.balancemastering.com/blog/balance-audio-tools-free-teufelsberg-reverb-plugin/

*OrilRiver *- Algorithmic reverb; also features console style 3 band wet EQ
Win, Mac / VST, AU(Wrapper) / 64bit
https://www.kvraudio.com/product/orilriver-by-denis-tihanov

*u-He Protoverb* - Room reflection simulator reverb; great randomizer 
Windows, Mac, Linux / VST, AU, AAX / 64bit
https://www.u-he.com/cms/protoverb

*Tal Reverb 4* - Modulated vintage reverb sound; very diffuse sounding with fast build-up
Win, Mac / VST, AU, AAX / 32bit, 64bit
https://tal-software.com/products/tal-reverb-4

*Voxengo OldSkoolVerb* - Algorithmic reverb that’s more “classic” in sound
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.voxengo.com/product/oldskoolverb/

Imaging:

*A1 Stereo Control* - Stereo width expander, has safe bass feature which centers freqs below an certain value
Win, Mac / VST, RTAS, AAX, AU / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index.php/downloads

*Panagement FE* - Binaural panner and distance fader
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
https://www.auburnsounds.com/products/Panagement.html

Misc:

*A1 Trigger Gate* - Gate / Pattern Sequencer, has random feature.
Win, Mac / VST, RTAS, AAX, AU / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index.php/downloads

*Audiothing Filterjam* - Multi-band resonant filter with randomizer
Win, Mac / VST, AU, AAX / 32bit, 64bit
https://www.audiothing.net/effects/filterjam/

*Klanghelm IVGI* - From dirty track distortion to soft and subtle master bus saturation; can alter the symmetry of the signal without affecting the harmonic content much
Win, Mac / VST, AU, AAX / 64bit
https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/IVGI/IVGI.php

*Audio Assault Transient* - envelope shaper; has 2x switch 
Win, Mac / VST, AU, RTAS / 32bit, 64bit
http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?plugin=Transient&id=2153

*Valhalla Freq Echo* - from subtle choruses to the smokiest dubs
Win, Mac / VST, AU / 64bit
https://valhalladsp.com/shop/delay/valhalla-freq-echo/


----------



## synthpunk

Nice list.



Cdnalsi said:


> Here are some of my favourites:
> 
> EQs:
> 
> *Baxandall Simulation Equalizer / BasiQ* - Very nice sounding 3 band EQ; more of a sweetening device rather than freq correction
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> https://www.kuassa.com/products/basiq/
> 
> *Code Red Free* - 60s classic all tube British console inspired EQ and preamp; Waves Abbey Road REDD console like
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.shatteredglassaudio.com/product.php?id=106
> 
> *PTEq-X* - Vintage passive program EQ; one of the best sounding
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 64bit
> https://www.kvraudio.com/product/pteq-x-by-ignite-amps
> 
> *Mellowmuse EQ1A* - Super smooth analogue style EQ; very light on CPU
> Win, Mac / VST, AU, RTAS, AAX / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.mellowmuse.com/EQ1A.html
> 
> *Nova-67P* - Parallel parametric EQ; also 5 band parallel dynamic EQ
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> https://vladgsound.wordpress.com/downloads/
> 
> Reverbs:
> 
> *DX Reverb Light* - Great little reverb that’s true stereo; won’t affect stereo imaging
> Win, Mac / VST, AU, SAWStudio / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.anwida.com/download.asp
> 
> *Teufelsberg Reverb* - Lush reverb from NSA Listening Tower Impulse Responses
> Win, Mac, Linux / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.balancemastering.com/blog/balance-audio-tools-free-teufelsberg-reverb-plugin/
> 
> *OrilRiver *- Algorithmic reverb; also features console style 3 band wet EQ
> Win, Mac / VST, AU(Wrapper) / 64bit
> https://www.kvraudio.com/product/orilriver-by-denis-tihanov
> 
> *u-He Protoverb* - Room reflection simulator reverb; great randomizer
> Windows, Mac, Linux / VST, AU, AAX / 64bit
> https://www.u-he.com/cms/protoverb
> 
> *Tal Reverb 4* - Modulated vintage reverb sound; very diffuse sounding with fast build-up
> Win, Mac / VST, AU, AAX / 32bit, 64bit
> https://tal-software.com/products/tal-reverb-4
> 
> *Voxengo OldSkoolVerb* - Algorithmic reverb that’s more “classic” in sound
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.voxengo.com/product/oldskoolverb/
> 
> Imaging:
> 
> *A1 Stereo Control* - Stereo width expander, has safe bass feature which centers freqs below an certain value
> Win, Mac / VST, RTAS, AAX, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index.php/downloads
> 
> *Panagement FE* - Binaural panner and distance fader
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> https://www.auburnsounds.com/products/Panagement.html
> 
> Misc:
> 
> *A1 Trigger Gate* - Gate / Pattern Sequencer, has random feature.
> Win, Mac / VST, RTAS, AAX, AU / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index.php/downloads
> 
> *Audiothing Filterjam* - Multi-band resonant filter with randomizer
> Win, Mac / VST, AU, AAX / 32bit, 64bit
> https://www.audiothing.net/effects/filterjam/
> 
> *Klanghelm IVGI* - From dirty track distortion to soft and subtle master bus saturation; can alter the symmetry of the signal without affecting the harmonic content much
> Win, Mac / VST, AU, AAX / 64bit
> https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/IVGI/IVGI.php
> 
> *Audio Assault Transient* - envelope shaper; has 2x switch
> Win, Mac / VST, AU, RTAS / 32bit, 64bit
> http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?plugin=Transient&id=2153
> 
> *Valhalla Freq Echo* - from subtle choruses to the smokiest dubs
> Win, Mac / VST, AU / 64bit
> https://valhalladsp.com/shop/delay/valhalla-freq-echo/


----------



## synthpunk

Sinevibes Drift
http://www.sinevibes.com/drift/

Tritik Krush
https://www.tritik.com/products/krush/

Bedroom Producers Top Freebies
http://bedroomproducersblog.com/2016/12/29/free-vst-plugins-2016/


----------



## synthpunk

Snapshot free recall plugin
https://non-lethal-applications.com/products/snapshot


----------



## jcrosby

Acustica Audio Freebies:
http://www.acustica-audio.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=297

Charly:
https://primestudio.at/magento2/index.php/plugins/primecharly.html


----------



## storyteller

Ran across this the other day for a pretty great sounding analog tube delay:

https://ask.audio/articles/exclusive-free-summing-tube-processing-delay-plugin-from-audified


----------



## synthpunk

Bob Perry Listener (free) Mix Checker Plugin...
https://www.bobperry-audio.com/shop/bob-perry-listener/


----------



## synthpunk

Soundtoys free Halloween Patches.
http://www.soundtoys.com/outer-limits/

Soundtoys 5 req.


----------



## synthpunk

Melda MFree FX Bundle (33 free effects)
https://www.meldaproduction.com/MFreeFXBundle


----------



## synthpunk

Free world wide Digital Subscriptions to Tape Op magazine, Paper as well if you are in the U.S.
https://tapeop.com/subscriptions/basic/

Free Tape Op Podcasts
https://soundcloud.com/tapeopmagazine
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tape-op-podcast/id1196134359?mt=2


----------



## synthpunk

Waves Free VU Meter
https://www.waves.com/plugins/vu-meter#introducing-vu-meter-plugin


----------



## synthpunk

TB Audio Free Monitoring Tool Plugin
http://tb-software.com/TBProAudio/ISOL8.html


----------



## Reid Rosefelt

A holiday gift from Native Instruments. Free PHASIS Phaser.

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/specials/happy-holidays-2017/








PHASIS is a brand new phaser. It offers timeless phasing sounds – adding movement, soul, and creative magic to any signal. PHASIS draws inspiration from classic phasers but adds powerful new features for never-heard-before results. The Spread control changes the spacing of the phaser’s notches, for vocal-style effects. Ultra mode pushes modulation to ultra high rates, producing unique FM-esque tones. Download the VST/AU/AAX plug-in for free now!


----------



## synthpunk

AudioThing Free Filterjam plugin.
https://www.pluginboutique.com/products/3022-Filterjam


----------



## Reid Rosefelt

Whole set of Sonic Anomaly plugins for Windows PC (VST) and in Reaper JSFX format 
http://sonic.supermaailma.net/plugins


----------



## synthpunk

Bedroom Producers Best Free VST's 2017
https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2017/12/28/free-vst-plugins-2017/


----------



## synthpunk

Free Bricasti Impulses
http://www.samplicity.com/bricasti-m7-impulse-responses/


----------



## synthpunk

Combear (Sausage Fatener style replacement) compressor free
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/8-Compressor/3985-ComBear


----------



## synthpunk

Best Free VST Plugins 2017
https://www.producerspot.com/best-free-vst-plugins-released-in-2017


----------



## synthpunk

Free Audec Vibrato, Bit Crusher, and Ring Mod plugins:
http://audec-music.com/


----------



## chrisr

Hi SynthPunk - just wanted to thank you for your contributions to this thread. Really good stuff that I wouldn't have come across otherwise. I expect there's some sort of forum "Kudos" button to press somewhere, but I prefer to just say thanks.


----------



## JanR

Paulstrech is now available as a plugin ))

https://xenakios.wordpress.com/paulxstretch-plugin/


----------



## SoNowWhat?

I don't think any of these have been posted yet.
The sites have some paid and some free plugs. It's pretty obvious which is which (I say this as even I was able to work it out).

Kilohearts - if you hover over the "products" at top banner of screen all products are revealed and the free ones are starred with a little "free" rosette. StackHeap lets you create custom DSPs to suit your needs with multiple instances of each plug, in any order to create whatever you might be looking for. The paid Multipass host option lets you do the same but allows separate signal chains for different frequency bands. Of course any of these plugs can be run as single stand alone (independent of StackHeap or Multipass) effects on a send or insert.

HOFA - this should take you straight to their freeware page. There are other plugs on offer that can be trialed before purchase.

I'm still finding my way with a lot of these but wanted to share. I've already grabbed some of the freebies in this thread, some of which look amazing (and just what I was looking for). Thank you all for sharing and thanks @synthpunk for starting the thread.

And last note, if you haven't trialed Nova from Tokyo Dawn (free version and paid option available), then definitely take a look.

Happy music making.


----------



## bill5

emid said:


> IRDust - The only free true stereo convolution reverb.


Not true and the link on that page is busted FYI. Reaper's reverb can do this.

Also this bundle includes one: https://www.meldaproduction.com/MConvolutionEZ

And there's one called SIR as well, don't have link offhand.

Also are people posting things they actually used and liked, or just any freebies they run across? Rather than just post freebie links (there are tons), of those I've tried and recommend:

Anything Voxengo
TDR Nova (parametric EQ)
Jayquilizer (simple but nice "graphical" EQ)
TAL stuff, generally
Blue Cat, generally 
Variety of Sound stuff, generally
Azurite (chorus)


----------



## monsieurmickey

Hello,

Here are 3 free plug ins that I like.
Simple and effective

Reverb Solo
https://reverb.com/software/effects/acon-digital/47-reverb-solo

ComBear
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/8-Compressor/3985-ComBear

La Petite Excite
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/62-Exciter/1664-La-Petite-Excite


----------



## davidgary73

Basstard...Get it now. It's FREE. Sounds awesome. It's easy to use.

Only available through Aquarius: https://www.acustica-audio.com/pages/aquarius


----------



## Ledwick

Acoustic drum kit for Kontakt Player (allows Full Kontakt discount Upgrade price)...

Sennheiser DrumMic'A - https://de-de.sennheiser.com/drummica

Versatile Mastering Plugin with multiple modules - RMS compressor, peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter...

Vlagsound Limiter No6 - https://vladgsound.wordpress.com/plugins/limiter6/

AmpleSound has some great freebies, but I'm gonna mention the acoustic guitar because I recently discovered it's possible to switch to "chord mode" to create legit custom strum patterns using a normal MIDI piano roll...

Ample Guitar M LITE - https://www.amplesound.net/en/pro-pd.asp?id=7

Has no one mentioned HY? There's free versions of all plugins. (Not the free trials, the actual "free versions"). High quality.

https://hy-plugins.com/


----------



## bill5

Ledwick said:


> Has no one mentioned HY? There's free versions of all plugins. (Not the free trials, the actual "free versions"). High quality.
> 
> https://hy-plugins.com/


They only have one free plugin that I see, which looks like some kind of synth (under "description" all they have is a picture, no actual description)?

Agreed on Ample btw!


----------



## Ledwick

bill5 said:


> They only have one free plugin that I see, which looks like some kind of synth (under "description" all they have is a picture, no actual description)?
> 
> Agreed on Ample btw!


Yes Ample is awesome!

There is a free version of every HY plugin though, I just checked. Click any SINGLE plugin (NOT a bundle) then scroll down and click "download" on the LEFT side of the screen (NOT "download" on the top right) and scroll down and each plugin has a "demo" version, which is limited and also a "free" version, which has less features but is fully functional. Sorry about the caps, its sort of difficult to find, but totally worth it. I'm using the free version of HY-Delay 4 currently and the sequencer is amazing and the filters too etc etc.

Here's the direct link to one of the plugins
https://hy-plugins.com/product/hy-seq16x3/
sorry, you still have to click "download" on the LEFT side to see the free version. It doesn't directly show it even from the link.


----------



## denise.Audio

The denise audio Noize Retro is a free noise generating plugin for all producers.

check out the instructions on the page of how to get your copy

https://www.denise.io/store/denise/NoizeRetro

Happy producing.
Joe


----------



## Divico

Here is a free tape emulation: https://github.com/jatinchowdhury18/AnalogTapeModel
The plugin is the result of a scientific research on the behavior of tape recorders and the attempt to simulate it. I did just a quick test on drums and man it sounds really good.


----------



## Ivanko NYC

4 Free and pretty descent plugins here: EQ, Comp, Reverb and Distortion

http://www.semanticaudio.co.uk/projects/download/


----------



## JEPA

Free Audio-Loop editor, creative tool


Momentum | Big Fish Audio


----------



## AVDIODROME

Auburn Sounds COUTURE

Intuitive Dynamics
Good for transient shaping and sound design if you push it.


----------



## bill5

(deleting expired free offer)


----------



## jcrosby

Acon Digital Verberate "Basic"








Verberate Basic (free) - Acon Digital







acondigital.com





Acon Digital Multiply (Chorus):








Multiply - Acon Digital







acondigital.com





Cableguys PanCake (Auto/LFO-Panner):








PanCake by Cableguys - Imaging Plugin VST Audio Unit


PanCake is a free plug-in that allows you to create flexible panning modulations. As you'd expect from Cableguys, PanCake is a wacky, custo...




www.kvraudio.com





Xfer OTT ('Over the top' multiband compressor):
https://xferrecords.com/freeware
Free Clip (Soft clipper with up to 32x oversampling):








Free Clip by Venn Audio - Soft Clipper Plugin VST Audio Unit


Free Clip is an intuitive multi algorithm soft clipper/wave shaper plugin, available as a Windows VST or mac Audio Unit/VST. The plugin allo...




www.kvraudio.com


----------



## nathantboler

Free plugin from Valhalla:








Valhalla Super Massive - Valhalla DSP


Make some space. ValhallaSupermassive has been designed from the ground up for MASSIVE delays and reverbs. Get ready for luscious clouds of reverb, otherworldly delays, and swelling waves of feedback unlike any you’ve heard before. Supermassive has 18 out-of-this-world reverb/delay modes...




valhalladsp.com


----------



## Erik Couttolenc

Any good free Spectrum Analyzers?


----------



## Illico

Erik Couttolenc said:


> Any good free Spectrum Analyzers?


Do you mean standard Spectrum Analyser? ... 
*Voxengo SPAN*


----------



## Erik Couttolenc

Illico said:


> Do you mean standard Spectrum Analyser? ...
> *Voxengo SPAN*


Yes. Thanks!


----------



## easyrider

VST Plugins, Synth Presets, Effects, Virtual Instruments, Music


VST Plugins, Synth Presets, Effects, Virtual Instruments, Music Plugins from Pluginboutique




www.pluginboutique.com


----------



## bill5

Just FYI above to all the above is for two compressors and a mono-to-stereo voice plugin...also a) it requires ilok, and b) requires installing some other company-specific software installer which you must first install before installing the plugin etc...lost me at ilok even w/o the other stuff  But others may feel it worthwhile, I can't say how good they are or aren't.


----------



## easyrider

bill5 said:


> Just FYI above to all the above is for two compressors and a mono-to-stereo voice plugin...also a) it requires ilok, and b) requires installing some other company-specific software installer which you must first install before installing the plugin etc...lost me at ilok even w/o the other stuff  But others may feel it worthwhile, I can't say how good they are or aren't.



eh?

The Pulsar Smasher is a great Plugin...You can buy it for 49 Euro Here









Pulsar Smasher - Aggressive Dynamic Processor -


Pulsar Smasher is a straightforward extreme compressor modeled after the “British mode” of a uniquely modified 1176 compressor. It adds definition to the low-frequency transients and makes the whole tone more aggressive. Decidedly not versatile, it is useful to enhance the ambience in overheads...




pulsar.audio





It's made my Pulsar...who make the legendary Mu









Pulsar Mu - The Ultimate Glue Compressor


Pulsar Mu is the ultimate glue compressor plugin. It emulates a modern yet legendary tube compressor which is an industry standard for mix and mastering.




pulsar.audio





If you haven't heard of pulsar or the Mu you need to get with the program!

You dont need to install third party crap either you can download direct..

The Baby Audio I Heart NY can also be downloaded direct









BABY Audio - I Heart NY - Parallel Compression Plugin / vst


Buy I Heart NY here - or check out the free demo. Parallel compression - also known as New York compression - is an essential production technique, used by mix engineers to create fatter, more powerful, drum, bass and synth tracks. We put the effect into a VST, AU and AAX compressor plugin for Cuba




babyaud.io





You download the trial and activate it with the serial number

Review here by Warren Huart Produce like a pro



You can also download and activate the WA Plugin 

here









Vocal Splitter | W. A. Production


Get the best music loops, sample kits & audio loops. Visit us today to check out tons of sound packs. See the complete list of free drum samples, bass sounds & more!




www.waproduction.com


----------



## bill5

I forget if I saw it here but Acon's free Verberate and Digital Multiply (chorus) are good IMO. Nice, clean and easy-to-use interface: https://acondigital.com/downloads/


----------



## Trevor Meier

Ran across an incredible freemium (Patreon-funded) gem: Analog Obsession. There are some exceptionally good plugins in there. Faves so far are Rare, CHANNEV and TuPRE, but there are dozens and all seem to be top-notch quality (they pass the gearspace Aliasing Police tests with flying colours). 

Almost everything is available free but if you like the plugins, support the guy on Patreon. He’s earned it!


----------



## Klesk

https://bluelab-plugs.com/
All plugins are free now.


----------



## FOTO M

The free version of zenbeats for smartphone, mac, win .... a little big thing to construct with "normal" instruments ... the "fusion" or "separation" works nice in this little software and gives me a boost i think. and in full use ... :-D try it first... there is the full history plus new ways in there, but only roland products.... i am happy wit this. i have only this and adobe audition. zenbeats the midi and plugin pro. audition for everything else and more. data exchange per cloud ms,google,et cetera


----------



## ThomCSounds

Hey guys! I've made this video about 5 great tape plugins.

The plugins I used are :

➡️ SN03 by Sender Spike
➡️ ChowTape by Chowdhury DSP
➡️ Tape Cassette 2 by Caelum Audio
➡️ Ferric TDS by Variety of Sound
➡️ Track 24 by Low Wave



Any other free tape plugins you can think of that I may have missed? There's ToTape by Airwindows that I forgot to add to the video :D


----------



## Superabbit

Toneboosters have retired their TrackEssentials and BusTools plug-ins and released them as freeware.

These are top-quality FX packages. Compressors, equalizers, meters, reverb, limiter, and more, pretty much every effect you need to mix and master from the mind of Jeroen Breebart. I've long been a fan due to their FX being bundled with my first DAW, Mixcraft. They produced some of the first top-quality FX I worked with.

These packages include such industry-standard FX as Barricade limiter and Sibalance de-esser. Plus lots more, including an EQ with mid-side capability and what is now my favorite vocal pitch shifter.

To get them, go to this page and scroll to the very bottom:

https://www.toneboosters.com/changelog.html

Manuals may be downloaded at the bottom of this page:

https://www.toneboosters.com/support.html

Note: when installing on Windows, take care to set the correct path to your VST2 plug-ins folder. By default, the installer puts them in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2. Either move the .DLL's to your actual VST folder or tell your DAW where to find them.


----------



## Superabbit

Another plug-in manufacturer, Audio Damage, have released a chunk of their back catalog into the wind as freeware:

https://www.audiodamage.com/pages/free-and-legacy

Some of this stuff is pretty advanced/obscure, so be sure to get the manuals here:

http://audio-damage.manymanuals.com/


----------



## timbit2006

BitterSweet v3 - FLUX:: Immersive







www.flux.audio




Transient designer by Flux.


----------



## Bee_Abney

timbit2006 said:


> BitterSweet v3 - FLUX:: Immersive
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.flux.audio
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Transient designer by Flux.


The free version is very good in itself, the paid version has multi and features which are useful, but not essential.


----------



## timbit2006

AcousModules


Spatial audio fanatics rejoice!
These are free and apparently just recently updated to 64 bit. VST3 and AU only.


----------



## el-bo

timbit2006 said:


> AcousModules
> 
> 
> Spatial audio fanatics rejoice!
> These are free and apparently just recently updated to 64 bit. VST3 and AU only.


There’s an insane amount of stuff here, a lot of which looks very interesting. Can’t wait to have a poke around.

Thanks for the share


----------



## MarkY

*Audiomodern Panflow*

Link: Panflow


----------



## Superabbit

I haven't delved into Panflow yet, but if it's of the quality of Filterstep and Gatelab, it will be excellent.


----------



## MarkY

Tried it a bit and pretty impressed.


----------



## Harry Koopman

Hi there. Question. I am especially curious about free plugins to put on the stereo-out/master bus that can really enhance/improve orchestral music. I'd like first hand info on this based on experience. Perhaps this experience even means little or no plugins, or only a little EQ. 
An aside question that comes into my mind: do you create a separate master for your orchestral outputs to put the additions on, or do you not, just adding the additions to the stereo-out, without making a separate master. It is the last I most often do, as I do not see the benefits of making an audio-only master of the Logic project.
Thanks, and happy composing.


----------



## Superabbit

Harry Koopman said:


> Hi there. Question. I am especially curious about free plugins to put on the stereo-out/master bus that can really enhance/improve orchestral music. I'd like first hand info on this based on experience. Perhaps this experience even means little or no plugins, or only a little EQ.
> An aside question that comes into my mind: do you create a separate master for your orchestral outputs to put the additions on, or do you not, just adding the additions to the stereo-out, without making a separate master. It is the last I most often do, as I do not see the benefits of making an audio-only master of the Logic project.


My answer to your first question assumes that you're doing your own mastering, that is, delivering a completely finished piece of music that's not going to get any further processing.

My favorite free all-in-one master bus plug-in is bx_masterdesk Classic, which you get as part of a bundle of other useful free plug-ins when you register with Plugin Alliance. It has the processors you need, all in one plug-in. Compressor, EQ, limiter, and spatial manager. And some useful presets. Add to that MAnalyzer and MLoudnessAnalyzer from the Meldaproduction FreeFX Bundle and you're good to go.

For you second question, I believe what you're asking is whether after I first get the best mix I can get with no master bus FX I either export that mix as a stereo file and apply FX to the stereo file, or do I just declare the mix "finished" (hah, as if....) and start putting processors on my master bus?

For me, this first of course depends on whether I'm mastering the piece using the same program I used to mix it. At this point, I'm not using a separate program, so I just keep it and start applying master bus FX.

I also image that you want to know the pros and cons I believe are inherent to doing it either way. The practice of rendering it to a file before applying master FX is the traditional one, and goes way back to phonograph records, where it was the job of the mastering engineer to apply limiting and compression to make the music as loud as possible without making the needle jump the groove, and to also apply the RIAA EQ curve, an inverse of which is built into phono preamps. As time went on the role of the mastering engineer became more important, and they started adding EQ cuts and boosts in cases where the music as delivered needed them, as well as other things like spatial width manipulation and even reverb. And if they couldn't solve any mix issues in the mastering process, they'd kick the tape back to the producer and they'd have to do the EXPENSIVE process of trying another mix.

Now, after a couple of decades of pro quality processing being within easier reach of everyone, the philosophies around mastering are changing. Even 5 years ago, the mantra was "never master your own project." The biggest reason for this, assuming that the people involved did have the skills to do it, is that the musicians and mix engineer are "too close" to the finished mix and aren't able to hear it objectively. I guess the magazines and schools and whoever "decides" what "best practices" are noticed that so many of us were ignoring this that they've eased up. Now the idea is to do it that way if you can afford it and your music demands it (you're trying to have a top 40 hit or maybe you just aren't good at applying master bus FX).

This is the workflow that's being imitated. Obviously, if someone else is mastering your piece, you need to do it that way, similar if you're using a program other than Logic to master.

The other reason to do it that way is that there is a school of thought (based on decades of experience) that says that even if you're going to do it yourself, you should completely separate the processes of mixing and mastering intellectually so that you don't do things like chasing your tail going back and forth and adjusting the mix while you're adjusting your master bus processing. Mixing to 2 tracks helps enforce this. Along with this, it helps get out of the pit of endlessly polishing a piece and never finishing it to the point of release or submission.

How do I do it? I can't afford to have someone else do it, so it's a-gonna be me doing the master bus FX. I use the same software to record, mix and master, so it's all happening in Cakewalk. Given that, I agree that there's no real benefit to me to making a separate export. So far, I've confined my endless polishing and procrastination to the composing and mixing phases, and as long as my projects remain trapped there, I don't have to face the question anyway. 

Seriously, by the time I get a mix to the point where I think it's "ready," I just start applying master bus processing and keep away from the faders. In the rare event that a sound element is poking out or getting lost, I will allow myself to nudge its fader by no more than 2dB at a time. That keeps me away from the tail chasing.

Having said all of that, there's an even newer school of thought that suggests that mixing with mastering processors on the bus can be okay to do. The idea there is that you call up your favorite Ozone or The One or bx_masterdesk preset, or maybe just a limiter, slap it on the master bus and mix away so you don't have to be concerned whether it's all going to sound too different after going through the limiter (and bus compressor and EQ). When the mix is finished, it's finished and you don't launch another phase of the process.

I see some merit in this notion. However, I do think that taking a day or several days between finishing mixing and moving on to mastering helps give perspective. What I do in practice is work on my mix with the master FX on the master bus but bypassed. Then every so often I'll switch them on for a listen just to check.

YMMV....


----------



## Bee_Abney

Harry Koopman said:


> Hi there. Question. I am especially curious about free plugins to put on the stereo-out/master bus that can really enhance/improve orchestral music. I'd like first hand info on this based on experience. Perhaps this experience even means little or no plugins, or only a little EQ.
> An aside question that comes into my mind: do you create a separate master for your orchestral outputs to put the additions on, or do you not, just adding the additions to the stereo-out, without making a separate master. It is the last I most often do, as I do not see the benefits of making an audio-only master of the Logic project.
> Thanks, and happy composing.


One reason for confining mastering to a stereo audio file is that you keep the mixing and mastering separate. Another, so that you easily process that audio file for different platforms. And another would be for combining multiple composed pieces into an album or EP.

Other that the first of those reasons, the most important one for me is CPU. It means that I can use very CPU heavy plugins in mastering without any other plugins or synthesising draining my computers processing resources.

When mixing, it can also be a good idea to bounce things down to audio. For me, it is essential, since my computer wouldn't be able to create all of the sounds at once. As I use a lot of synthesis and sound design plugins, it is my CPU that is overtaxed. If I were using a lot of sample libraries, it could potentially require more RAM than I have (though I don't have that problem anymore as I've increased my RAM). Also, there are advantages to audio over midi in terms of fixing the sounds that you want, and being able to see precisely when transients are hitting, and so on.

You may find that you don't have to do that.

Another thing that can be very useful for mixing orchestras is to have a number of buses for mixing and effects. So, for example, you might have four: strings, winds, brass, percussion. Or you might break that down into smaller groups for more closely defined spatialisation work.

If you had one bus for all strings, and one for all brass, you would be easily able to alter the gain of one relative to the other.

And if you have a common bus for all strings, you can easily set compression, EQ and reverb sends for all strings at once (possibly with other fine tuning on individual channels).

Back to mixing and mastering, you might choose at a certain point to export audio files for each of your buses. You can then mix with those stems (one for strings, one for brass, etc., or more finegrained) before mastering.

From what I understand, with TV and film work, they will often require you to provide stems, so that there sound engineers can remix those stems when layering the music in with other sounds (dialogue, foley, sound effects). I don't know the details, but I imagine that they could also want separate stems for left and right, or four surround sound.

They might be happy with a single stereo stem for percussion, or they might want more detailed stems so that they can remix the percussion. And so on with other instrument groups.

Similar approaches to multiple stems can be useful when collaborating with others on a project. So, for example, you might send the stems for strings and brass to a percussionist to have them record some live drums.

If you are bringing the music to completion on your own, of course, the only reason for using all of these stems would be to fix certain parts of the composition in place whilst leaving further mixing decisions open for later.

In my case, I have only so far gone from midi, to audio for every track (which I do as I compose, moving back and forth between midi and audio as needed to make changes), to a stereo mix which is then mastered and exported/uploaded or whatever I do with it.

Something like bx_masterdesk, as suggested by @Superabbit, is an excellent choice for getting started with mastering. I'm no sound engineer; but for me the production, mixing and mastering are all very important parts of the composition. Sort of like I'm composing with the sound itself. That's a pretty common approach with popular music and it means I have a lot of learning to do, going from being a musician to a creator of finished music recordings!

If for you, the key part is the conventional composing and arranging, then you might want relatively straightforward mixing and mastering options. This leads a lot of people to using Ozone; which I hear very good things about. But bx_masterdesk is good either as part of a larger process, or just to add a little polish before sharing your work with others.


----------



## carlc

I use a separate mastering project in Logic for some of the same reasons mentioned by @Bee_Abney above, mainly to avoid CPU or RAM limitations. Also, it allows me to take a consistent approach with a project template for mastering in Logic. Finally, it forces me to make a mental shift and listen for different things, and not get distracted by temptation to continue tinkering with track automaton, etc. 

Back to the free plugins, I saw a few mentions of ChowTape, which is a fantastically detailed emulation. It is worth noting that everything on his site is free and open source. The Chow Centaur (emulation of the famous Klon Centaur pedal) is also really great. I like to add it in front of other guitar amp sims or channel strip plugins for a bit of extra color.


----------



## Harry Koopman

Superabbit said:


> My answer to your first question assumes that you're doing your own mastering, that is, delivering a completely finished piece of music that's not going to get any further processing.
> 
> My favorite free all-in-one master bus plug-in is bx_masterdesk Classic, which you get as part of a bundle of other useful free plug-ins when you register with Plugin Alliance. It has the processors you need, all in one plug-in. Compressor, EQ, limiter, and spatial manager. And some useful presets. Add to that MAnalyzer and MLoudnessAnalyzer from the Meldaproduction FreeFX Bundle and you're good to go.
> 
> For you second question, I believe what you're asking is whether after I first get the best mix I can get with no master bus FX I either export that mix as a stereo file and apply FX to the stereo file, or do I just declare the mix "finished" (hah, as if....) and start putting processors on my master bus?
> 
> For me, this first of course depends on whether I'm mastering the piece using the same program I used to mix it. At this point, I'm not using a separate program, so I just keep it and start applying master bus FX.
> 
> I also image that you want to know the pros and cons I believe are inherent to doing it either way. The practice of rendering it to a file before applying master FX is the traditional one, and goes way back to phonograph records, where it was the job of the mastering engineer to apply limiting and compression to make the music as loud as possible without making the needle jump the groove, and to also apply the RIAA EQ curve, an inverse of which is built into phono preamps. As time went on the role of the mastering engineer became more important, and they started adding EQ cuts and boosts in cases where the music as delivered needed them, as well as other things like spatial width manipulation and even reverb. And if they couldn't solve any mix issues in the mastering process, they'd kick the tape back to the producer and they'd have to do the EXPENSIVE process of trying another mix.
> 
> Now, after a couple of decades of pro quality processing being within easier reach of everyone, the philosophies around mastering are changing. Even 5 years ago, the mantra was "never master your own project." The biggest reason for this, assuming that the people involved did have the skills to do it, is that the musicians and mix engineer are "too close" to the finished mix and aren't able to hear it objectively. I guess the magazines and schools and whoever "decides" what "best practices" are noticed that so many of us were ignoring this that they've eased up. Now the idea is to do it that way if you can afford it and your music demands it (you're trying to have a top 40 hit or maybe you just aren't good at applying master bus FX).
> 
> This is the workflow that's being imitated. Obviously, if someone else is mastering your piece, you need to do it that way, similar if you're using a program other than Logic to master.
> 
> The other reason to do it that way is that there is a school of thought (based on decades of experience) that says that even if you're going to do it yourself, you should completely separate the processes of mixing and mastering intellectually so that you don't do things like chasing your tail going back and forth and adjusting the mix while you're adjusting your master bus processing. Mixing to 2 tracks helps enforce this. Along with this, it helps get out of the pit of endlessly polishing a piece and never finishing it to the point of release or submission.
> 
> How do I do it? I can't afford to have someone else do it, so it's a-gonna be me doing the master bus FX. I use the same software to record, mix and master, so it's all happening in Cakewalk. Given that, I agree that there's no real benefit to me to making a separate export. So far, I've confined my endless polishing and procrastination to the composing and mixing phases, and as long as my projects remain trapped there, I don't have to face the question anyway.
> 
> Seriously, by the time I get a mix to the point where I think it's "ready," I just start applying master bus processing and keep away from the faders. In the rare event that a sound element is poking out or getting lost, I will allow myself to nudge its fader by no more than 2dB at a time. That keeps me away from the tail chasing.
> 
> Having said all of that, there's an even newer school of thought that suggests that mixing with mastering processors on the bus can be okay to do. The idea there is that you call up your favorite Ozone or The One or bx_masterdesk preset, or maybe just a limiter, slap it on the master bus and mix away so you don't have to be concerned whether it's all going to sound too different after going through the limiter (and bus compressor and EQ). When the mix is finished, it's finished and you don't launch another phase of the process.
> 
> I see some merit in this notion. However, I do think that taking a day or several days between finishing mixing and moving on to mastering helps give perspective. What I do in practice is work on my mix with the master FX on the master bus but bypassed. Then every so often I'll switch them on for a listen just to check.
> 
> YMMV....


Wow this is a supercomplete answer... thanks. I did by the way encounter side-effects when combining mixing/editing and mastering in one project and that is with Ozone Elements on the stereo-out. It caused (in LogicX) rather a lot of delay on recording tracks, even when set to off. This is undesirable when you still make changes to the project. If you are completely done with editing and mixing, it is no problem of course. It took me a while to discover what caused the delay: Ozone Elements.


----------



## jcrosby

Harry Koopman said:


> Wow this is a supercomplete answer... thanks. I did by the way encounter side-effects when combining mixing/editing and mastering in one project and that is with Ozone Elements on the stereo-out. It caused (in LogicX) rather a lot of delay on recording tracks, even when set to off. This is undesirable when you still make changes to the project. If you are completely done with editing and mixing, it is no problem of course. It took me a while to discover what caused the delay: Ozone Elements.


The latency is not a _side effect_, it's is part of how brick wall limiters work. The maximizer adds significant latency, many lookahead brick wall limiters do. This is because it needs to set a lookahead buffer in order analyze incoming audio ahead of time so that the processing is as transparent as possible....


----------



## MartinH.

Harry Koopman said:


> Wow this is a supercomplete answer... thanks. I did by the way encounter side-effects when combining mixing/editing and mastering in one project and that is with Ozone Elements on the stereo-out. It caused (in LogicX) rather a lot of delay on recording tracks, even when set to off. This is undesirable when you still make changes to the project. If you are completely done with editing and mixing, it is no problem of course. It took me a while to discover what caused the delay: Ozone Elements.


You can use a low-latency limiter in place of ozone while you record. E.g. loudmax or w1, both great free plugins.


----------



## jcrosby

MartinH. said:


> You can use a low-latency limiter in place of ozone while you record. E.g. loudmax or w1, both great free plugins.


I actually do the same thing. Since @Harry Koopman is in Logic, Logic's Brcikwall Limiter is a good choice. It has no latency at all if you turn lookahead down to 0. I've done AB comparisons of it set like this with L2, T-Racks Brickwall Limiter, etc.. It sounds essentially identical to L2 & some of the T-Racks Brickwall algorithms. I wouldn't export a mix though the Logic limiter because it's not as punchy as Ozone, Pro-L2, etc, but I do mix into to it and occasionally check how my mix will stand up to limiting....

I also put a zero latency clipper before it to shave off a dB or two so the limiter doesn't have to do so much work. I use StandardClip (a bargain at $25) set to no oversampling and hard clip. Disabling oversampling means no latency... You can also use Logic's bit-crusher as a clipper, as well as PhatFX. Basically you can get a rough idea of how smashed a track will sound after mastering without adding latency. When it's time to export you just bypass the low latency plugins, then add Ozone, Pro-L2, etc.

As far as determining the latency a plugin adds you simply hover over the plugin's name in the insert slot. After about half a second Logic will show you the latency the plugin adds underneath the plugin name. If a plugin doesn't add latency Logic will just display the name of the plugin. See the pics.


----------



## Superabbit

I'm actually a bit surprised that Logic is still affected by Ozone's latency with the plug-in bypassed. It's not that way with Cakewalk or Mixcraft. Bypassed means that there's a virtual straight wire where the plug-in was. (That is at least if you bypass it using the host's bypass button. Sometimes individual plug-ins have their own bypass switches that still leave them doing a certain amount of processing or reporting latency.)

Guitar stompbox aficionados would probably call this "true" bypass.


----------



## onnomusic

Superabbit said:


> I'm actually a bit surprised that Logic is still affected by Ozone's latency with the plug-in bypassed. It's not that way with Cakewalk or Mixcraft. Bypassed means that there's a virtual straight wire where the plug-in was. (That is at least if you bypass it using the host's bypass button. Sometimes individual plug-ins have their own bypass switches that still leave them doing a certain amount of processing or reporting latency.)
> 
> Guitar stompbox aficionados would probably call this "true" bypass.


yeah they probably do it so that you can automate the on/off without things getting out of sync, but I'd love to see an actual full bypass as well...


----------



## Trevor Meier

Option-clicking when you unload the plugin will remove its latency. I believe they did it this way for click-free plugin bypass


----------



## Superabbit

Kilohearts were mentioned a couple of years ago; they've been busy with their free Essentials. 32 mixing and creative FX including reverb, delay, tape stop, reverser, ring modulator, transient shaper, and my favorite pitch shifter. And they add to the collection every so often.

The UI's are minimal, which fits the "essentials" designation, and that's often a good thing. For instance, I put their limiter on channels when I'm auditioning synth patches to make sure that excessively loud sounds don't come blasting out of my monitors. Limiters with more features are overkill for that application.

They can operate either as snap-ins in the Kilohearts ecosystem (Snap Heap, Phase Plant, etc.) or as standalone VST3's.


----------



## YaniDee

Waves Sibilance v14 free at bedroomproducers blog (till Dec 16). Just requires your email..(uncheck the box to receive marketing). I have it (v11), but this is how I avoid WUP, as there are free Waves plugins given away from various places through the year. 









Waves Sibilance Is FREE For BPB Readers!


Waves Audio offers the Sibilance ($79 value) de-esser plugin as a FREE download for all Bedroom Producers Blog readers for a limited time. Sign up today to receive your Waves Sibilance (V14) serial number on December 16th, 2022. The giveaway is powered by SendOwl. Keep reading to learn more...




bedroomproducersblog.com


----------



## Bee_Abney

YaniDee said:


> Waves Sibilance v14 free at bedroomproducers blog (till Dec 16). Just requires your email..(uncheck the box to receive marketing). I have it (v11), but this is how I avoid WUP, as there are free Waves plugins given away from various places through the year.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Waves Sibilance Is FREE For BPB Readers!
> 
> 
> Waves Audio offers the Sibilance ($79 value) de-esser plugin as a FREE download for all Bedroom Producers Blog readers for a limited time. Sign up today to receive your Waves Sibilance (V14) serial number on December 16th, 2022. The giveaway is powered by SendOwl. Keep reading to learn more...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bedroomproducersblog.com


Great! I'll be doing the same as you!


----------

