12/5/2021 Best Free Vst Plugins Effects
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“My audio sample sounds dry” – I’ll add a reverb effect to make it wet (sound roomy) a little!
. There’s no shortage of great free equalizer and compressor plug-ins, but we have noticed somewhat of a shortage when it comes to free reverbs, so it’s worth bringing up the Tal Reverb-4 (AU/VST) and Acon Digital Reverb Solo (AAX/AU/VST). All in all, one of best synth VST plugins for those who prefer crystal clear percussion effects in their final mix. 38) Sonigen Modular – Sonigen Look no further than Sonigen Modular if you seek a fully modular synth VST with an array of usable presets. Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t saying you should stack effects upon effects on your vocal samples, too much of everything is bad. That said, let us look at the best free awesome VST effects plugin in the music production scene. Working with virtual studio technology (VST) plugins is tremendously convenient, but a lot of the best VST plugins out there are very expensive. If you're looking to expand your library of VST instrument (VSTi) plugins, or tweak your mixes with some great effects or MIDI effects VST plugins, you can do it for free. Dead Duck Free Effects Bundle (25 VST audio effect plugins) This is a bundled effect plugin by Dead duck. It contains 25 original VST audio effect plugins covering everything from essential mixing tools such as EQ, compression, and limiting to creative sound-shaping tools such as delays, modulation effects, and reverb.
That was a joke, I can bet you have come across several effects in your software applications (DAW) such as reverb, delay, compression, distortion, and other various effects.
But! Why do we use audio effects in the first place?
To answer that question, I’ll ask you a simple question. How would your meal taste without any ingredients?
Tasteless right! Yh, sure, it’s still eatable but it lacks flavor. Let’s transition back to the old question, why do we use audio effects?
Audio effects are software devices (ingredients) that manipulates an audio signal to a specific taste, it can make a dry audio signal sound wet, it can help in controlling the gains of an uncompressed sound (proper leveling of peaks), it can make a dull audio sample sound lively, and it can also be misused (think of adding too many/too little salt to your meal).
Since we know the importance of using audio effects, I would be recommending some of the best free VST effects plugins.
It doesn’t make any sense to randomly list the effects, so I decided to categorize each and every effect, all compressor vst effect plugin would be under the Compressor Vst category, reverb vst effects plugin would be under Reverb Vst category, you get the idea.
Page Contents
Let’s get cracking…
Compressor Free VST/AU/AAX Plugin
Compression is an effect or an audio processing tool that is used to control the overall Dynamics of an audio signal or an audio portion.
Some of the best free compressor plugins are…
1.) Audiofb – SeteChave Compressor
SeteChave is the first compressor on our list and is designed with characteristics close to the “pumping” effect. It can be used for parallel compressing and it is really intuitive with minimal knobs, so, you will quickly get a hold of this one.
Features:
Specification Requirements:
Download (Requires Free Registration): SeteChave Compressor
2.) TDR Nova
Nova is a parallel equalizer and a multiband compressor that can tackle and fix a wide range of applications when processing. It can feel a little bit daunting when using TDR due to its various knobs, but you should easily get familiar after experimenting with its features and besides, it is free ?
TDR NOVA is useful and works with all kinds of audio material, be it a drum bus asking for more crispiness, or a sibilance issue with your sounds, Nova got your back!
A simple UI design, drag and drop display with a classic “Knob” interface given quick and smooth access to the various parameters driving NOVA’s powerful processing capabilities.
The most interesting thing about this tool is that it has a rare feature you would find in Nova is that it allow users to copy and paste presets, and a lot of more great feature.
Features:
Specification Requirement:
Download TDR NOVA
3.) T-Chain
I can’t even believe this is free (well, partially!)
T-Chain as it names sounds, it is a chain of different plugins or a channel strip plugin that is designed for modularity, users can arrange different sound modules within the signal path, you get the idea!.
For example, you might decide to use it as a single Eq or a compressor module and if you so wish, you can arrange different sound modules such as a free EQ, Compressor, Gate, and Splitter (for splitting the signal into two distinct paths), one of the most exciting features about this free plugin, is that the module can be rearranged, added, and deleted by drag-and-drop, this way, your life can be easier rearranging your signal chain.
I should mention some modules aren’t free but getting a free Eq, compressor, gate, and splitter is more than enough for so many use cases.
Features:
Specification Requirement:
Download Mac: T-Chain for Mac
Download PC: T-Chain for Win
4.) TDR Kotelnikov
TDR Kotelnikov is a plugin by tokyodawn, the maker of TDR Nova.
Kotelnikov is a wideband dynamics compressor that is designed with high fidelity dynamic range control with deep musical flexibility. Their Nova plugin is a combo of Eq and Compressor while Kotelnikov is built solely for dynamic processing and has an on par features such as a proven control scheme, individual release control for peak and RMS content, an intuitive user interface, and powerful, state of the art, high-precision algorithms.
This plugin is suited when used as bus compression and or a master channel, if you try throwing many instances of Kotelnikov on your mixer inserts, you’ll eat your CPU up!
Features:
Specification Requirement:
Download Mac: TDR Kotelnikov
5.) Multiband Compressor – OTT
OTT is based on a popular Ableton compressor presets and are redesigned has a three-band compressor that can either be used as an Upward or Downward compressor.
Download OTT
6.) Beatskillz – Max1
I might be biased in this review but personally, this is one of the best auto-compressor plugins out there. Max 1 will automatically analyze the ratio depending on the audio source and compress accordingly.
If you feel itchy about using an auto compressor tool, you are as well covered, Max1 comes with the default compressor knobs (Threshold, Attack, Gain, and the likes). In addition to this, it also comes bundled with a soft clip switch so you can clip anything that goes past 0dB, this way, you can save extra effort using a Limiter.
Features:
Download: Win 32 VST / Win 64 VST / Mac OSX VST / Mac AU
Note: You might be asked to provide a serial key, just input your email and if you don’t get one by email, click not today
7.) Dead Duck Free Effects Bundle (25 VST audio effect plugins)
This is a bundled effect plugin by Dead duck. It contains 25 original VST audio effect plugins covering everything from essential mixing tools such as EQ, compression, and limiting to creative sound-shaping tools such as delays, modulation effects, and reverb:
Download: Dead Duck Free Effects Bundle
Reverb Free VST/AU/AAX Plugin
Reverb is the simulation of the sound of space. This space could be your bathroom, a small room, a concert hall, a chamber, and so on.
It can be used to create all sorts of effects but it can easily be misused too, basically reverb effects can be used to…
Let’s see some of the best free reverb plugins…
8.) Voxengo – OldSkoolVerb
Voxengo plugins have been my best and ready to go plugin for my music production toolbox.
OldSkoolVerbemulates the classic stereo verb algorithm and produces a crystal clear spatial image that blends well with an audio file.
This reverb tool comes bundled with various sets of parameters permitting a user to achieve different reverb styles ranging from room reverb to hall reverb to plate reverb.
“The Voxengo OldSkoolVerb is best used for a non-percussive and soft-attack sound like vocals, piano and pad sounds”.
Specification Requirement:
Download OldSkoolVerb
8.) Smart Electronix – Ambience
A friend recommended Ambience too me a few years back, and the moment I tested it, I was literally blown away.
One of my favorite features of Ambience is the hold parameter which smartly freezes the reverb tail until the button is released. You can use this for creating a reverse reverb effect, special effect and you can even automate the knobs.
Ambience is a donationware plugin. You get a nag screen with no limitation, and if you love the plugin, you can donate to the developer.’
Download: Win 32 VST / Mac OSX VST
9.) Anwida Soft – DX Reverb Light
This is the light version of the original DX Reverb. The light version contains only one simplified algorithm of the 11 available algorithms in the full version, even with the limitation, DX Reverb Light can be handy for a quick reverb effect.
Download: Win 32 VST / Win 64 VST / Mac OSX VST / Mac AU
10.) Signaldust – Abstract Chamber
I don’t know if you ever notice undesirable reverb effect when used for longer reverb sounds, it sounds frustrating some times, with Abstract Chamber you can create a longer modulated reverbs whole also maintaining a natural yet abstract spatial impression.
It only supports VST
Download Abstract Chamber
11.) TAL-Reverb III
TAL-Reverb 3 is designed to be used as a stereo plate plug-in, which is the replacement of its predecessor (TAL-Reverb-II). This new edition has several improvements such as an optimized GUI and some changes in the reverb algorithm.
Additionally, TAL-Reverb 3 has a simple EQ section, a meter display and shows actual slider values.
Features:
Specification Requirements:
Download: Windows / Mac
Delay Free VST/AU/AAX Plugin
Delay is an audio effect that records an input audio signal to a medium and then plays it back after a period of time or after the time you specify.
Some of the free delay plugins are…
12.) Proximity
Proximity is easy to use delay plugin based on several psycho-acoustic models. The idea is to give mixing engineers a reliable tool for manipulating the depth of several sound sources in a straight forward and convincing manner.
It is available in both 32 and 64-bits versions for Windows and Mac OS X in VST & AU format.
Download: Windows / Mac
13.) Adam Monroe’s Delay
Adam Monroe’s Delay is a free delay VST/AU/ AAX plugin. It features traditional delay parameters such as time and feedback, as well as high/low-pass filtering and synchronized ping-pong panning.
It supports both 32 and 64-bit version:
Download: Win VST / Win AAX / Mac VST / Mac AU
EQ Free VST/AU/AAX Plugin14.) TAL-USE
TAL-USE (Ultra Simple Eq) is especially designed after some tilt eq’s from the ’70s.
This type of eq allows adjusting the audio material without changing the character of a sound to much.
It’s an easy way, to make an audio signal sound darker or brighter with only one knob. The bass lift knob is a special addition that boosts or attenuates bass frequencies below 300Hz.
Requirements:
Download: Win 32 VST / OSX 32 VST / OSX 32 AU
I Would Keep Updating This Page…
Useful Related posts:Best Free Vst Effects Plugins 2018
Free is the magic number… particularly when starting your music production journey, or operating on a tight budget.
Adam Hignell takes a look at some incredible VST effects you can get for exactly zero dollars.
Award-winning AU + VST plugins for music composition.
N.B Unless stated, the following Free VST Effects are compatible with Mac and Windows OS, although not necessarily Catalina/Big Sur at time of publishing.
![]() Valhalla DSP Supermassive / FreqEcho
There are many reasons to love Valhalla’s plugins range. For starters, they’re kind to your wallet: Every plugin is priced at just $50, except for a smattering of equally brilliant ones that they give away for free!
But even if $50 is a step too far for your budget, they offer some of the baddest Free VST Effects plugins on the market. Foe example, you can get experimental with their FreqEcho plugin – it echoes incoming audio or MIDI while adjusting the frequency of the resultant echoes in a multitude of tempos and ratios. You can then adjust Mix, Feedback, Delay timing and Hi/Lo-pass filtering and pitch.
And then there’s SuperMassive, which is even more badass and far too well-designed to be a free plugin. It’s a clean, humungously powerful reverb which can also modulate, warp and delay in a myriad of increments, from subtle to bananas. It even comes loaded with a whole bunch of amazing sounding presets, categorised by style.
Check out the full range of Valhalla DSP Plugins here here.
TAL Chorus LX
It’s pretty old. It’s got a tiny user interface. And extremely basic controls. But, for me, it sounds closer to a genuine JUNO-60 Chorus pedal than any other software on the market. And that is something to celebrate!
In fact, many of TAL’s plugins are phenomenal, and free, but I guess they’ve gone on to bigger and better things, as updates and 64-bit versions are in short supply. The Chorus LX, however, is still going strong on my Live 10 / Catalina laptop! If you want warm, musical-sounding chorus effects, this is one of the best, and completely free.
NOVA DAWN – Tokyo
Nova Dawn Records is that rarest of things; a record label that makes audio plugins. With Nova, they’ve released an exceptional Free VST Effect EQ plugin that gives many paid-for competitors a run for their, er, money. A parallel, dynamic EQ, it can respond to incoming signals and execute complex EQ manouevres with ease. It’s also super clean-sounding and gives warm boosts without artifacts.
Voxengo SpanBest Free Vst Effects Plugins For Cakewalk
It’s all very well having a gymnastic EQ plugin that can show and execute cuts, boosts, passes and shelves in infinite, colorful detail. But sometimes you just need to see what is really going on. The simplicity of Voxengo Span is its secret weapon. There are no controls, save a very useful Hold function, and a couple of options for view-adjustment. All you have is a highly accurate waveform analyser. I put it on my master channel on every single track and get more frequency detail than from any premium plugin I can think of. It’s great. It’s free. Win/win.
Glitchmachines – Fracture, Cataract & Hysterisis
A triple-threat of audio and MIDI sound destruction, Fracture’s Free VST Effects are high-quality and easy to use. And capable of making sounds get very freaky, very fast.
Cataract is a MIDI effect which you can load up to 2 audio samples into, and set about warping the bejeezus out of them with Morph, Delay, Filter, 2 LFOs, Scan (kind of like a modulating gate effect) and even an 8-slot Mod Matrix. That’s enough processing power to turn the simplest audio snippet into a swirling, belching beast.
Meanwhile, Fracture and Hysterisis are Audio effects, so whack them on any audio channel and you can create almighty new sound textures immediately.
Hysterisis is a stutter machine, that can tempo adjust and delay incoming audio with a variety of modulation efects applied thereafter. Fracture is more geared towards adding, as they describe it, ‘Robotic articulations’. You can affect different parts of the audio signal with varying degress of LFO, filter, modulation and more, then mix and blend the signal parts into one composite outcome. These three effects all sound great on drums, vocals, synths and sound effects.
Cableguys – Pancake 2
Autopan is a very useful feature that comes with most DAWs as standard. Cableguys have taken this concept several steps further with Pancake, a juiced-up take on a regular pan tool.
You can set a tempo-synced pan timing, draw in the shape of the pan yourself or use on-board tools to create and tweak. Store up to 8 pan shapes for quick recall, and you can also control all of this with any MIDI controller or keyboard.
U-He – Protoverb
The good folks at U-He have struck again – this time it’s a rather excellent, if experimental, reverb plugin. Designed to aid research into fully-fledged reverb software, Protoverb users are invited to submit their best (and worst) reverb settings to aid the team’s research into performance and usability. A small proce to pay for a clean, capable and oftentimes impressive-sounding room-modelling reverb unit.
Reverbs can go from simple, clean stereo rooms to wild, distorted trails of destruction. You can achieve delicious or diabolical with ease! Add in some really cool presets and you’re well on your way to a superior reverb.
N.B Protoverb is VST only.
Looking for free instrument plugins? Check out our top selections hereAbout the author:Adam Hignell is a music producer, mastering engineer, DJ and label-owner based in Brighton, UK. When not providing content and tech support for Mixed In Key, he produces music under the alias Don Dayglow, provides professional mastering and mixing services, and runs the independent Disco/House label Particle Zoo.Write Your Own Original Compositions With Captain Plugins![]()
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