Best Free Plugins and Paid Plugins

 

Below is a list of free vst plugins downloads and paid vst plugins.

    

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DAW

 

A DAW – or Digital Audio Workstation – is the primary software for music making. This is where you record and arrange tracks, add effects, mix, and sometimes even master your music. Most professional studios and producers use paid software such as: Logic, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Cubase, etc.

Best FREE DAW Music Producing Software

For those looking for a free DAW studio, here are a few worth mentioning:

Apple GarageBand (Mac only
apple.com/mac/garageband

Tracktion Waveform Free
tracktion.com/waveform-free

Cakewalk by BandLab
bandlab.com/cakewalk

Studio One Prime
presonus.com/Studio-One-5-Prime

Best DAW Music Producing Software

FL Studio – One of the worlds most popular DAW
image-line.com/fl-studio/

Logic – One of the industries most popular professional DAW.
apple.com/logic-pro/

Abelton Live – Also a very popular DJ DAW for producing and DJing.
ableton.com/live/

Pro Tools – Popular professional DAW
avid.com/pro-tools

 

Some other DAWs worth mentioning:
pluginboutique.com/DAW

Instrument VST and Synth VST Plugin

 

A Synth VST or Instrument Plugin is used inside your DAW to emulate real music hardware Instruments..

Best Free Instrument and Synth VST Plugins

Guitar and Bass Vst plugin.
pluginboutique.com/Ample-Sound

Synth Vst Plugins.
pluginboutique.com/Free-Synths

U-he tyrelln6 synth.
u-he.com/tyrelln6

U-he podolski synth.
u-he.com/podolski

TAL noisemaker synth.
pluginboutique.com/tal-noisemaker

Best Synth Instrument VST Music Plugins

Tal U NO LX by Tal – Juno Synth Vst
pluginboutique.com/TAL-U-NO-LX-Synth

Bassline 101 by Tal – Bass Vst
pluginboutique.com/TAL-BassLine-101

Mini V, LAB and Pigments by Arturia – Mini V for Bass, Lab for all instruments and synths, Pigments for Synth
pluginboutique.com/Arturia

Diva by U-he – Synth
pluginboutique.com/Diva

DCO 106 and Mercury 4 by Cherry Audio – Juno Synth and Jupiter Synth
pluginboutique.com/Cherry-Audio

Music Software Deals Bundles from Plugin Boutique

Saturation VST and Distortion VST

 

A Saturation VST or distortion plugin is used to create harmonics and or to distort the sound.

Best Free Saturation Distortion Effects and VST Plugins

IVGI by Klanghelm – Another favorite is the IVGI saturation and distortion plugin from Klanghelm.
klanghelm.com/IVGI.php

Saturation knob by Softube – An effective easy to use distortion and saturation effect plugin.
softube.com/saturationknob

Krush by Tritik – We really love this plugin as it offers alot of settings and parameters to get that perfect or unperfect effect.
pluginboutique.com/krush

Best Saturation Distortion Effects and VST plugins

Abbey Saturator by Waves – Awesome saturation plugin.
waves.com/plugins/abbey-road-saturator

Kramer Master Tape by Waves – Great tape saturation and distortion vst plugin.
waves.com/plugins/kramer-master-tape

Black Box HG2MS – Quality saturation and distortion plugin.
plugin-alliance.com/black_box_analog_design_hg-2ms.html

Music Software Deals Bundles from Plugin Boutique

Reverb VST Plugin

 

A Reverb VST is used to create space and dimention to the sound.

Best Free Reverb Effects and VST Plugins

Tal – Some really great reverbs.
tal-software.com/products
or
tal-software.com/tal-reverb-4

U-he – Nice free reverb.
u-he.com/protoverb

Valhalla – Super popular flexible reverb with lots of options.
valhalladsp.com/valhalla-supermassive

Best Reverb VST Plugin and Effects

Arturia reverb – Awesome sounding plate reverb for vocals, drums and much more.
pluginboutique.com/Rev-PLATE-140

Relab reverb – Great classic sounding quality reverb.
pluginboutique.com/LX480-Essentials

Softube reverb – Another favourite reverb with quality sound.
pluginboutique.com/TSAR-1R-Reverb

Toneboosters reverb – Quality reverb with lots of flexibility.
toneboosters.com/tb_reverb_v4.html

SSL Reverb FlexVerb – Ultra smooth professional reverb.
pluginboutique.com/SSL-Reverb

Delay VST

 

A Delay VST is used to create space and dimention to the sound.

Best Free Delay Effects and VST Plugins

Dub 3 by Tal – Great flexible delay plugin.
tal-software.com/products
or
pluginboutique.com/Free-Delay

Best Delay Effects and VST Music Plugins

Dubstation by Audio Damage – Popular delay.
pluginboutique.com/Dubstation

Tape Echos by Softube – Analog delay.
pluginboutique.com/tape-echoes

Delay Tape 201 by Arturia – Analoge delay.
pluginboutique.com/delay-tape-201

EQ VST

 

An EQ VST is used to modify and tweak frequencies in the audio spectrum.

Best Free Equalizer VST Plugins

Luftikus EQ – Maag style EQ plugin.
lkjbdsp.wordpress.com/luftikus/

Warmy EP1A EQ – Pultec Analog style EQ plugin.
kiiveaudio.com/warmy-ep1a-eq

Best Equalizer VST Plugins

Knif Audio Soma Equalizer – Top quality mastering EQ vst.
plugin-alliance.com/knif_audio_soma.html

Toneboosters Equalizer – Smart and flexible dynamic EQ vst.
toneboosters.com/tb_equalizer_v4.html

Compressor VST

 

A Compressor plugin is used to control the dynamics of a sound.

Best Free Compressor effects and vst plugins

Roughrider – Super flexible compressor with so many options.
pluginboutique.com/roughrider

OTT – Great sounding compressor and expander with simple to use options. 
xferrecords.com/freeware

Best Compressor vst plugin and effects

SSL G-Master Buss Compressor by Waves – A classic must have compressor.
waves.com/ssl-g-master-buss-compressor

Comp FET 76 by Arturia – A really solid compressor.
pluginboutique.com/arturia-compressor

Drawmer S73 Intelligent Master Processor by Softube – Smart Mastering plugin with many options.
pluginboutique.com/Drawmer-S73-Intelligent-Master-Processor

Stereo VST

 

A Stereo Plugin VST is used to widen or narrow the sound.

Best Free Stereo Widening VST Plugins and Effects

Wider – Great stereo widening effect with no phase.
pluginboutique.com/wider

Best Stereo Widening vst Effects and Plugins

S1 by Waves – Stereo imager for making sounds wider or narrow.
waves.com/s1-stereo-imager

BX Control V2 – Mono Maker and Stereo Width control.
plugin-alliance.com/bx_control_v2.html

Mastering VST Plugins

 

A Mastering Plugin VST is used to enhance, correct and or sweeten the final mix sound.

Best Free Mastering Tools and VST Plugins

Youlean metering and level checking – level and volume monitoring tool.
pluginboutique.com/Youlean-Loudness-Meter
or
youlean.co/youlean-loudness-meter

Hornet – Italian vst plugin maker:
hornetplugins.com/free-vst-plugins

Best Mastering Tools and Plugin VSTs

Waves – Industry standard with loads of plugins.
waves.com/mastering

Softube – One of our favorites offering analogue vst plugins.
pluginboutique.com/softube-mastering

Mastering – Top Rated VST Music Plugins

pluginboutique.com/mastering

Samples and Loops

 

Music Samples and Loops are used inside your DAW for midi and the sampler.

Best Free Loops and Samples

Goldbaby – Great selection for free samples.
goldbaby.co.nz/freestuff

Legowelt – Creative free sample selection.
legowelt.org/samples

Samples from Mars – Very interesing samples.
samplesfrommars.com/free

Bandlab – Big selection of samples.
bandlab.com/sounds

Best Loops and Samples

Loopmasters – Super big library of top level quality samples and loops.
loopmasters.com/samples

Loopcloud – Samples and loops in the cloud, inside your DAW.
loopcloud.com/samples

Splice – Great selection of samples and loops for many genres.
splice.com/samples

Register for Free Samples and Loops at Loopmasters.com

Microphones

 

Microphones are used for recording audio such as voice, intruments, sounds, etc.

Best Microphones for Audio and Music Recording

Shure SM58 Microphone – A classic that works, with high quality results.
shure.com/sm58-microphone

Audio Interfaces

 

An Audio Interface  is used for recording vocals, intruments and also playing midi such as a keyboard or midi controller.

Best Audio Interface

Arturia Minifuse
arturia.com/Minifuse

Focusrite Scarlett
focusrite.com/Scarlett

Music Producing Courses

 

Music courses, tutorials and Masterclasses help you develop and improve your music production game.

Best Free Music Producing Tutorials, Masterclass and Course

Waves music tutorials tips and tricks.
waves.com/videos/tutorials

Youtube – FireWalk (short, simple and straight to the point music production tutorials).
youtube.com/FireWalkMusic

Youtube – In the Mix (simplifying the recording, production, mixing and mastering process).
youtube.com/inthemix

Youtube – Inflight Muzik (music theory, sound design, mixing and mastering).
youtube.com/Inflightmuzik

Best Music Producing Course, Masterclass and Tutorials

Loopmaster music course.
loopmasters.com/Music-Courses

Electronic Music Production Courses from Loopmasters.com

Worth Mentioning

 

Here are some more good VST Plugin freebies.

Bonus Free Music Producing VST Plugins

Hornet – Italian vst plugin maker:
hornetplugins.com/free-vst-plugins

Nemrini Audio – Specializes in digital reproduction of analog saturation vst plugin circuits:
nembriniaudio.com/free

Analog Obsession – A super cool and amazing plugin developer with quality analog plugin effects:
patreon.com/analogobsession

Get an extra 10% off Waves VST Plugins via this link:
10% off Waves Plugins

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