Who doesn't love a free plugin? From amateur bedroom producers to big-time pop hitmakers, a penchant for free music software is the great leveller that unites us all.
That's why here at MusicRadar HQ, we maintain a watchful eye on the world of music-making software, taking note of the latest and greatest freebies that we deem worthy of lining your channel strips and filling up your hard drives.
Here, we present a monthly round-up of this month's discoveries. Without further ado, let's dive into some fantastic free plugins...
1. Baby Audio Beat Slammer
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download
Beat Slammer is a compression plugin geared towards applying heavy dynamic control to drums and mix buses, giving you a "pumping and bouncy compression sound that slaps you in the face".
Based on the compression algorithm from Baby Audio's paid-for IHNY-2, a plugin Baby Audio describes as "the industry's hardest-hitting compressor", Beat Slammer delivers the same punchy compression without the majority of IHNY-2's controls.
Both plugins are parallel compressors, which means that you can take advantage of a technique where a heavily compressed 'wet' signal is blended with the original, uncompressed 'dry' signal to produce a hybrid sound that benefits from aspects of both.
While Beat Slammer lacks much of the tweakability of its bigger brother, it still features controls for the dry/wet mix and compression amount, which can be handily manipulated on a XY grid, alongside sliders for make-up gain and output level.
2. Rhodes V-Pan
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download
Available until the end of January, the new V-Pan freebie is essentially the Vari-Pan section from Rhodes' V-RACK multi-effects plug-in, and also emulates the Vari-Pan effect found on the hardware Rhodes MK8.
You can adjust V-Pan's rate to create varied synth and ring mod effects. There's a Depth control for added drama, and Waveform Slew and Smooth controls to customise the panning waveshape. A BPM Sync option keeps everything in check, so you can go wild with rhythmic effects.
3. Arturia _Efx Refract
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download
Refract is a multi-effect with a unison-based architecture, meaning that the sound or note is multiplied and subsequent effect processing takes place in parallel. This results in that rich, phasing chorus-like effect you get when multiple signals drift out of phase, effectively meaning a bigger sound. We're liking the sound of Refract so far.
The first process, then, is the Refraction, whereby Refract takes your input and duplicates it to up to eight stereo voices. This spread of sound is then passed through Refract's multi-effect chain... and here's where it gets even more interesting. You get five effects – BandPass Filter, Comb Filter, Bitcrusher, Distortion and Harmonizer – which can be added to each of those (up to) eight voices and processed individually, before being summed back together.
The company believes that some of the results you get with Refract's effect combinations are quite surprising, telling us that it's easy to create metallic-style reverbs, surreal shimmers, melodic bit crush effects and monster basses.
4. iZotope Ozone 11 EQ
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download
Ozone 11 is a highly regarded suite of mastering software from iZotope that features a number of powerful tools for adding the final touches to your releases. iZotope has decided to give away the EQ from Ozone 11 for free, offering up a road-tested, feature-packed equalizer that'll help you shape frequencies with ease and precision.
The plugin is equipped with some useful features, including a Mid/Side mode for sculpting the stereo image and a Transient/Sustain mode for processing the transients and sustained portions of a signal independently of each other, much like Eventide's SplitEQ.
Ozone 11 EQ is part of Komplete Start, a bundle of free plugins from iZotope's parent company Native Instruments that's also worth a look.
5. Fuse Audio Labs VPRE-72
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download
VPRE-72 is a software emulation of the V72, a classic '50s preamp that paved the way for the V76 and REDD.47 preamps heard on several Beatles records.
The plugin captures the warm and characterful sound of V72's tube-based design by recreating its input and output transformers and dual EF804 pentode valve circuit in software along with a heavy output choke that lends a "subtle touch of air" to a signal.
VPRE-72's controls are limited but make it easy to use; simply dial in some saturation with the Drive control to taste, adjust the high and low-pass filters and you'll be basking in analogue warmth in no time.
6. Rainbow Circuit Crush
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: Max for Live | Download
Crush is a nifty little drum synth for Max for Live, which means it's only available to owners of Ableton Live Suite. The plugin brings together FM synthesis with physically modelling to create strange, glitchy percussive sounds.
Crush's two-operator FM synth can be manipulated with the "untunable" Ratio control to produce experimental and inharmonic tones, before being sent through a physically modelled plate resonator.
Ideal for those operating in the more adventurous corners of IDM and electronica, the plugin's capable of generating warped percussion, abstract textures and all manner of sonically mangled bleeps and bloops.
