With so many plugins out there, it’s sometimes easy to forget that some of the best ones are actually free! A few of these have become my go-to tools for mixing and music production. In this blog/video, we take a look at 5 of my favorite plugins that you can download right now.
1. TDR Kotelnikov
One of the best free compressors out there, and I enjoy using it especially as a parallel compressor for drums, and also use it for mastering. The plugin comes with 4 presets for mastering, 3 for drum bus processing, and two for vocal bus processing. The visual aids on the plugin help to make sure you’re compressing just the right amount.
It’s a simple and effective compressor that you can download it here: https://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-kotelnikov/
2. iZotope Vinyl
As the name suggests, this plugin makes your tracks sound like you’re playing them on vinyl. You can simulate the amount of dust, scratches, and wear of the vinyl disk, and the results sound fantastic! I can pretty much guarantee you’ll end up using the spindown function at least once in one of your songs. Give it a listen in the video above
Download iZotope Vinyl here: https://www.izotope.com/en/products/vinyl.html
3. Overloud Gem Mod Dimension
The go-to modulation unit of the 80s and 90s, the Dimension was often used on vocals. It has been faithfully recreated as a plugin, and besides using it on vocals, you can use it on the full mix to increase the perception of space without adding reverb.
Overloud has been giving away Gem Mod Dimension licenses every Holiday season for the past 2-3 years, so keep your eyes on their website.
Overloud: https://overloud.com
4. Valhalla supermassive
Valhalla Supermassive might be my favorite plugin ever. I use it on pretty much every mix I do. From John Mayer style jams to creating worship band live mixes, epic power metal… it works on everything! You can use it as a subtle reverb that you don’t even notice is there, or you can go absolutely crazy with synth reverbs, bouncing repeats, and make your track gigantic. To this day, I struggle to understand how they can just give this plugin out for free.
Download Valhalla Supermassive here: https://valhalladsp.com/shop/reverb/valhalla-supermassive/
5. Spitfire audio – labs
Spitfire Audio LABS is not a virtual instrument; it’s a huge collection of strings, horns, ambience library, vintage drum set, choir, and so much more. Among other things, I used it to orchestrate my first EP’s songs. There’s so much stuff to explore! You can also combine several instruments and play them at the same time, as you can hear in the video above.
Download Spitfire Audio LABS here: https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/?sortBy=prod_products_labs_latest
Are the free plugins good?
We live in a golden age of digital products, and as you might have guessed, the ones mentioned here are all amazing. Not only do they sound good and help you create better mixes, but some of them have also inspired me to write music that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
So go grab those plugins and see what they inspire you to write!
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