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The Ultimate List of Free Audio Plugins for Mixing & Mastering
Overall, users found this stereo utility plugin to be efficient, stable, and versatile. And with so many similar stereo imaging plugins available, many still turn to this one. That said, you can use extreme settings to achieve dirty and dense distortion effects on individual tracks too. IVGI reacts dynamically to the input signal, and stereo tracks can benefit from its modeled crosstalk behavior. You can easily dial in your favorite sounds using the drive, output, ASYM mix, and response dials, as well as the VU-mode, trim, and X-talk controls.
Many producers feel Klanghelm is among one of the best developers of plugins, and we find it hard to argue with that. Give IVGI a try! Download: Klanghelm. Mastering software varies from analyzers to de-essers.
TDR Nova. Get TDR Nova. Sonimus SonEQ. Get Sonimus SonEQ. TDR Kotelnikov. Get TDR Kotelnikov. Youlean Loudness Meter 2. As we said , the layout of the settings here is pretty straightforward. You get Sensitivity in the center and a few more controls on the sides. RoughRider 3 from AudioDamage is a rather simple yet versatile plugin. It can be clean , which would be great for mastering, or it can give a certain analog coloration.
As for compression, you can also go in two directions here — from quite slight to extreme pumping. The Molot plugin from VladgSound will give you dynamics control and coloring that you can use for creative purposes. VladgSound did not create the free Molot plugin for any specific studio hardware.
This software has a Soviet-style design and many useful features. In terms of functionality, the developer has packed here quite a lot. In addition to the usual compressor settings , you will also have Mid Scoop , Upsampling , Filter , Limiter , and the ability to influence saturation. Let us tell you about all of this in more detail. If you need a dirty compressor for mastering , the Molot from VladgSound is the right choice. It will help you get that very vintage vibe.
This plugin is versatile because it has many settings related to the compressor and tonal shaping. The only drawback is that it comes in VST format. Suppose you need a single plugin that can provide several processing steps for mastering at once. With it , you can provide fast mastering or dive deeper into the settings to get the most from the sound. All of these components have the necessary settings. At least if you are a beginner and just practicing this craft, this plugin is free and has many settings to complete the record , including a compressor , several limiters , and a clipper.
And such a free plugin is SPAN. It is hard to believe it is freeware because this powerful tool is very powerful. You can use it to compare your master to a reference and check the overall trend of the frequency spectrum.
In addition , you will be able to analyze the track in different modes. In addition, it is a great tool to analyze the frequency spectrum if you work in an untreated room. It has all possible indicators and different types of display to customize it the way you want. Whether mixing or mastering audio production , it is very important to have a tool for monitoring balance and correlation.
These problems can sometimes be unheard of, especially if you are new to the field. Of course, many DAWs already have such plugins built in. In general , this software is pretty straightforward. You get a few indicators as well as buttons. It will show you balance and phase problems and also allow you to monitor the signal from different sides — right or left channels , mono or difference.
The plugin from A1StereoControl will be a great tool for stereo imaging and a pretty good analyzer. Stereo imaging is a common practice in mixing and mastering. The thing is that you can influence the stereo picture by making it a little bit wider. But what if we told you that you could get a free stereo imager and a good analyzer? If you have experience working with stereo imagers, the A1StereoControl will be pretty straightforward.
Here you will see the main Stereo Width knob that will do all the job. Despite that , the software has a few monitoring options and more complex settings in the advanced mode. A1StereoControl is a great plugin that helps you expand the stereo picture during mastering. SonEQ has 3 bands, bass, middle and treble. Also, SonEQ has a pre-amp section. SonEQ Pro is four-band equalizer inspired by various high-end analog equalizers. As such, SonEQ Pro aims to serve as a first choice equalizer for mixing engineers of all genres.
It’s a very versatile classic analog VCA compressor which offers a lot of sound shaping options with a gorgeous graphical user interface. This is a shape control for the attack curve of the compressor: it allows you to fine-tune the attack shape so that you can really optimize the attack behavior for any kind of audio source! SAFECompressor is a semantic compressor, it can load settings by typing descriptive words. The SAFE plug-ins are a series of audio plug-ins which allow the user to provide timbrel descriptions of the audio they are processing with them.
The plug-in then analyses the audio and saves the data to the SAFE server. This data is collected from all the users and analyzed to give a general synopsis of what types of sound a given descriptor is used for.
Users will be able to load plug-in settings by typing in descriptive words of how they want the audio to sound. The more people who upload descriptors to the server the better the downloaded plug-in settings will get.
MJUC jr. With its two gain stages and inter-stage transformer simulation, it offers a very deep and lively soundstage. The three-position timing switch not only controls the attack and release times of the unit, but also the slew rate of the transformers and the timing of the other parts of the circuitry, that are directly influencing the generated harmonics saturation.
It’s combining very natural, dense compression characteristics of the early days of this type of compression with a more forward sounding approach and more harmonics creating of the variable-mu comps of the early ‘s. The mkIII version of this compressor introduces quite a lot and deep optimization of the compressor engine especially but not limited for its use in audio mastering situations.
The transient response is spot on now over the entire spectrum and it creates sonic depth and dimension: It renders audio like a three-dimensional image. Density mkIII not only transients are managed in a musical and mastering grade fashion — but it also renders a three-dimensional audio image, which truly supports perceived depth and dimension.
Harness ultra-fast attack time on bass, guitars, vocals and more. Add color, character, and vibe to signals without using compression. Discrete design. Super-fast attack time. Input and output stage distortion. Improved input control. Select-able ratio. Sample Rate support up to kHz. With just a few quick adjustments to its four-knob interface, you can breathe new life into those ‘s that have been muddying your mix. Philteroid is a dual filter effect, suitable for use on various type of rhythmic sounds i.
Beside pure filter work, Philteroid is also capable of FM, AM, and saturation, and can transform plain sound to one with unique character and interesting texture. Filters can be synced in eleven predefined harmonic offsets between filter frequencies and modulated internally by audio signal FM , ADSR envelope, envelope follower, LFO; or through the external input. Philteroid is also armed with various amplitude modulation sources and can be used as envelope sharper, expander, noise gate, ring modulator.
Output audio limiting, stereo link, a release of attenuation and few types of limiting. As you might be able to tell from its appearance, though, it does quite a bit more. This five-module limiter features an RMS compressor, peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, and true peak limiter for unparalleled control. Whether you need to create more clarity in your mix or boost its loudness, this limiter can do a lot to bring your music to life.
Download: Tokyo Dawn Records. Download: Voxengo. Its various features make it great for mixing and mastering — automatic gentle resonances taming, de-essing, and tilt equalizing. The fact that it will help calm brash frequencies and smooth out a mix are what make it so attractive in my mind.
The MAnalyzer is an advanced spectral analyzer and sonogram with features like smoothing, normalization, super-resolution, prefiltering, and deharmonization. Download: MeldaProduction.
Top 10 Free Mastering Plugins — Sage Audio – Compression
Its various features make it great for mixing and mastering — automatic gentle resonances taming, de-essing, and tilt equalizing. The fact that it will help calm brash frequencies and smooth out a mix are what make it so attractive in my mind. The MAnalyzer is an advanced spectral analyzer and sonogram with features like smoothing, normalization, super-resolution, prefiltering, and deharmonization.
Download: MeldaProduction. It gives you the ability to manipulate dynamic ranges to surprising extents while maintaining the original tone, timbre, and punch of the signal. That makes it highly usable for stereo bus compression, among other things.
Users say Kotelnikov is on par with hardware compressors, and some even described it as the most transparent mastering compressor available. Each of these feature distinct EQ curves and behaviors. The auto gain automatically compensates for changes or perceived loudness. The switchable EQ non-linearity and output stage with four saturation models can give your mixes and masters subtle character, personality, and texture.
A1StereoControl comes with a vector-based design. That said, this plugin is kind of magical in what it does. The Threshold will define when your compressor will start working.
For example: at dB, it will only be engaged when your audio is above that level. Now it is time to set the Attack and the Release.
For mastering purposes, try keeping the Attack anywhere from 30ms to ms depending on your song. Shorter settings will smack the transients harder but longer ones may give your mix a little extra impact.
The Release setting is gonna determine how early or late the compressor will stop working. Start with a setting of ms to ms and work your way up. A great tip is to pay attention to kick and the snare when setting the release since they are the instruments that will impact the transients the most.
It is worth noting that the most important thing when setting your master compressor is using your ears. Here is a video from In The Mix to help you hear the subtle nuances of compression , both in mixing and mastering:.
You can also use the Multipressor for even more control over your sound. The plugin allows you to use different settings of compression for different frequencies. The plugin is very simple to use. It is divided into four sections and you can tune the frequency using the main upper panel. Below that, you will see the same controls that you would find in a standard compressor. Just as with the compressor, you should use the equalizer very subtly when mastering.
The Channel EQ is parametric and more surgical. It will give you more control over your frequencies. However, the added functionalities make overdoing it much easier so be careful. The Vintage EQ Collection semi-parametric plugins are modeled after famous real units. The benefit of using them is that they add a little bit of analog color to your sound and the stripped-down style makes them less prone to exaggeration — perfect for mastering.
Also, make the Q range as broad as possible so the result is smoother and more consistent. Compare your song to your reference and check for any frequencies that would benefit from an extra boost. A slight boost at around 8kHz using a high-shelf setting should add a little bit of brightness to your master; As well as one using a low-shelf at kHz for bringing attention to your bass sound.
In particular, the Valhalla FreqEcho can do wonders with its feedback knob. When cranked, the knob allows audio to feedback into itself, creating an infinite, ever-building signal.
This signal can be manipulated in real-time, resulting in some trance-like, perhaps nightmarish loops. The plugin also features delay sync, meaning the signal will repeat at different note lengths. The simple visual display makes it easy to see how these parameters play out in real-time.
The KR-Delay is surprisingly useful and versatile. In fact, when recording, delay latency can be a great adversary. Latency is often caused by a lack of processing power. When too many plugins are running at once, latency enters the equation, making recording difficult at times. Voxengo has another trick up its sleeve with this Latency Delay plugin.
Without getting too technical, it allows you to trick the DAW into compensating for its own latency, by either milliseconds or samples. In other words, it artificially eliminates any potential lag while recording. This comes in handy for most producers. Most guitarists love their effects pedals and various tones. This free amp modeler offers 17 different cabinets to play with, along with 13 effects.
If you want to plug and play, the plugin also comes equipped with 50 effects presets. For a free version, the Guitar Rig 5 Player has a lot to offer. The FuzzPlus 3 is a nifty little digital fuzz pedal with tons of control options. Its interface allows you to tweak frequency, response time, distortion, feedback, and level. Additionally, the screen shows you the waveform output in real-time, so you can clearly see the level of distortion. This is an impressive free plugin that can hold its own compared to physical fuzz and distortion pedals on the market.
Few software developers are more skilled or generous than Poulin Amplification. The LePou Plugins are a series of amp simulators that run the gamut of rock and metal tones.
Every single one is free, though you can donate if you want to return the love. You might be compelled to after seeing how much Poulin has to offer. While a limiter is a type of compressor, compression and limiting are not to be conflated. Limiters are defined by their high ratio and attack time.
In other words, limiters completely block a signal from exceeding a certain threshold. Limiting can be a useful tool for mastering and when dealing with extremely hot signals that risk clipping or distorting. There are quite a few Mac-free plugins out there for limiting purposes. Take a look. This might be the most popular free limiter plugin out there, and for good reason.
The No6 by Vladislav Goncharov can compete with any paid-for limiter on the market. It provides spectral analysis, correlation metering and clipping detection, as well as displaying RMS and max crest factor. The interface is simple, clear, and even somewhat customizable. This is a more complex and versatile take on limiting. It offers more control than LoudMax, which can be helpful if your program material requires detailed tweaking.
Its five modules include: RMS compressor, peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, and true peak limiter. Each of these modules have extremely flexible controls.
5 Best Free Mastering Plugins (UPDATED: ).
Нет! – рявкнула. – Пойду я! – Ее тон говорил о том, что возражений она не потерпит. Стратмор закрыл лицо руками. – Хорошо. Это на нижнем этаже.
