VST Plugins

Hardware sampling was invented in the 1940s by Harry Chamberlain and rose to popularity with 80s and 90s hip-hop and dance music. Today, sampling is used in a variety of musical genres, be it R&B, rock, country, classical music, or otherwise.

Samplers are first and foremost used to trigger different sounds. But there are also a lot of producers that think of them as instruments unto themselves.

Not surprisingly, as “in the box” digital recording grew in popularity, software samplers also became more commonplace. Today, you can even get them as free VST plugins, and as you’re about to see, there are even some samplers with unique features out there!

In this guide, we’ll look at the best free sampler VST plugins.

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13 Best Free Sampler VST Plugins 2021, Capture Great SoundsRead More »

Every sound engineer, music producer, composer, and beatmaker needs access to powerful tools to be able to enhance and bring their music to life.

These days, recording is mostly done “in the box,” with VST plugins. And in recent times, even the free ones are starting to sound better and are quite versatile besides.

There are different categories of VST plugins you’re going to need to build out your library to handle the many things you want to be able to do. So, whether you need to build from scratch, supplement, or augment your toolkit, you’ve come to the right place.

In this guide, we look at the best free VST plugins of all time – essential instruments and effects.

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41 Best Free VST Plugins EVER 2021 – ESSENTIAL Instruments & EffectsRead More »

So, you want your vocals to sound pitch perfect.

You can either spend a near eternity recording dozens of takes, editing, and gluing together the best takes, or…

You can make corrections using autotune.

Naturally, autotune is the more efficient, preferred way, especially in pop music, where some producers and artists even use it as an effect (Cher and T-Pain, for instance).

But can you get autotune for free? What is the quality of a free autotune VST plugins like?

Here you will find the best free autotune VSTs to improve the pitch of your vocals.

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6 Best Free Autotune VST Plugins 2021 – Greatly Improve Vocal PitchRead More »

Music producers, sound engineers, beat makers, and home recordists use them often. Most composers consider them essential.

What are we talking about?

Strings.

Strings are perfect for traditional and even modern compositions. They can create atmosphere and vibrance. They can create or enhance the mood of a song, whether it’s happy and cheerful or haunting and ambivalent.

In this guide, we’ll look at the best free string VST plugins.

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11 Best Free Strings VST Plugins 2021 – Free Orchestral Sample LibrariesRead More »

There are so many ways to record guitar these days.

You can go “old school” and mic up an amp (or even multiple amps).

You can take a line out of an amp.

You can record directly through a DI or multi-effects processor.

You can record a guitar direct, and “re-amp” it later to achieve your ideal tone.

You can even do a combination of the above!

But it’s never been more popular to do your recording “inside the box,” which is exactly what free guitar VST plugins allow you to do.

Using these, you can shape your tones during recording and even after recording, right from inside your DAW.

Let’s look at the best free guitar VST plugins. Every producer needs these!

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33 Best Free Guitar VST Plugins 2021 – Essential For Any ProducerRead More »

There’s one instrument that appears in most songs.

No, it’s not guitar. Not piano either. Although these instruments are incredibly popular.

It’s the drums.

Drums and/or percussion – real, artificial, or some combination thereof – are often considered vital to a song, because they form the rhythmic foundation. They provide the backbone.

Whether you’re a music producer, sound engineer, composer, or beatmaker, drums will prove essential to your ongoing music creation efforts.

In this guide, we’ll look at the best free drum VST plugins with super realistic sounds.

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11 Best Free Drum VST Plugins 2021 With Super Realistic SoundsRead More »

The more sophisticated your mics and inputs, the more nuances your microphones will pick up. Which is why pricier gear can be like a double-edged sword.

This is where audio sweetening comes in. But novice sound engineers don’t know where to start, and even intermediate producers don’t always have a firm grasp of all that’s involved.

A de-esser is an essential tool – not just for taming harsh consonants in the vocals (the “s” sounds or sibilants), but also for unruly hi-hats, cymbals, and more. You might even utilize a de-esser at the mastering phase.

So, in this guide, we’ll look at the best free de-esser VST plugins to sweeten your audio, achieve more clarity in your mixes and masters, and compress your vocals to perfection.

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7 Best Free De-Esser VST Plugins 2021 – Get Perfectly Compressed VocalsRead More »

Nexus is awesome for making beats. But you knew that already.

With its librarian, arpeggiator, effects, sequencer, and fast workflow, there’s just so much you can do. It’s efficient, and they just keep updating it and adding more features too.

But if you want to unlock the full power of Nexus and achieve more in less time, you’ve got to get your hands on some expansion packs and presets. And there are a ton of them out there.

Which can make Nexus incredibly addicting. Let’s just say it can become an expensive habit very quickly (be forewarned).

Fortunately, there are plenty of free Nexus expansion packs, and in this guide, you’re going to find some of the best free presets available. Let’s get into it.

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13 Best Free Nexus Expansion Packs & Presets 2021Read More »

So, you’re looking to thicken up some sounds in your mix.

There are many ways of accomplishing this. You could use some chorus. You could try a stereo widening VST. Maybe a bit of overdrive would work if you don’t mind the signal breaking up.

Another worthwhile option is harmonizer plugins. Not only do they instantly beef up sounds – they also provide harmony (as the name would suggest).

In this guide, we’re going to be looking at the best harmonizer VST plugins to help you create amazing mixes.

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5 Best Free VST Harmonizer Plugins 2021 – Produce Stand Out Vocals & SoundsRead More »

Every music producer, sound engineer, or home recordist needs access to EQ (equalization) plugins.

Many Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) have EQ built into them but can sometimes leave a little something to be desired.

Maybe they don’t allow you to apply high- or low-cut pass filters, or maybe they don’t feature the full spectrum of frequencies you need to be able to alter, maybe the effect isn’t overly pronounced.

Whatever the case, it’s perfectly normal to go hunting for tools that can ease the burden of production.

In this guide, we look at the best free EQ VST plugins that’ll help you draw the best out of every track in your mix.

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19 Best Free EQ VST Plugins 2021 – For Vocals, Mastering & MoreRead More »