Who doesn't love a free plugin? From humble bedroom beatmakers to big-time pop producers, an appreciation of quality free music software is the great leveller that unites us all.
That's why here at MusicRadar HQ, we keep a watchful eye on the online music production world, regularly seeking out the most phenomenal freebies with which to line your channel strips and stuff your hard drives.
Here, we present our discoveries in a conveniently formatted monthly round-up. Without further ado, lets explore some free plugins...
1. Brady Boettcher gRainbow
Platforms: Mac/Windows/Linux | Formats: VST/AU | Download
gRainbow is an open-source granular synthesizer that's been designed to overcome shortcomings that the developer has identified in conventional granular synths.
Developer Brady Boettcher says that the traditional design of most granular plugins produces inharmonic tones and unwanted artifacts, and notes that the process of manually pitch-matching the source audio that this kind of software uses can be difficult and time-consuming.
Brady's addressed these issues by producing a granular synth that automatically scans longer chunks of source audio for segments that will be harmonically suitable for each note in the chromatic scale; these are then distributed across the keyboard, and can be customized before being saved as presets.
This results in a better-sounding granular synth that's quicker and easier to use than many alternatives. We love the charmingly retro interface, too: this one's a winner.
2. Igorski HomeCorrupter
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/VST3/AU | Download
HomeCorrupter is a free effects plugin that reduces sampling rate, bit depth and playback speed to reproduce the sound of a broken PC. This achieves a gritty, crunchy form of digital distortion that's great for everything from lending texture to drum loops to venturing into experimental sound design.
Igorski is behind a ton of other excellent free plugins that are worth a look. While you're over at their website, check out Darvaza, Rechoir and FogPad too.
3. Fors Romb
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: Max for Live | Download
Fors are making some of the coolest software instruments going at the minute, but there's a catch: their products are only available to Ableton Live users as Max for Live devices.
If you own a Max for Live-equipped version of Ableton (it comes bundled with Suite, the DAW's top tier, but can be purchased as an add-on separately for use with Standard and Intro), we'd recommend giving their software a try, and Romb would be an excellent place to start.
Romb is a simple reverb device that has a lush, expansive and smooth sound. Inspired by the 'vast spaces' heard in '90s electronic music, Romb pairs perfectly with synth sounds, as demonstrated beautifully in the video above. It's only got four basic controls, but what Romb lacks in tweakability, it makes up for with that gorgeous sound.
4. King of FM
Platforms: iOS | Formats: Standalone/AUv3 | Download
Back in 2017, AudioKit Pro’s Matthew Fecher released FM Player, an iOS app packed with samples of a Yamaha DX7 from a famous studio. This ended up in the hands of some pretty serious players, including Herbie Hancock and producers for the likes of Drake, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
Now we have a new and improved sequel - King Of FM - and the very pleasing news is that it’s being given away for free. It now runs on the iPhone and Silicon Macs, too, so it’s not just iPad owners who can have all the ‘80s-inspired fun. You can run it as a plugin within Logic Pro for iPad, too.
King Of FM lives up to its name by including presets from not only the DX7, but also the DX7II, TX81z, and SY77. More than 300 presets, in fact, which are derived from more than 10,000 samples. There are effects, too - Phaser, Chorus, Reverb, Ping-pong delay, Crush and Stereo Fatten to name just a handful.
5. TAL Software TAL-Vocoder 3.0
Platforms: Mac/Windows/Linux | Formats: VST/VST3/AU/AAX | Download
The generous folks at TAL Software have updated this free vocoder for its third iteration, adding a new preset browser and improved audio engine. Using analogue modelling to recreate the sound of vintage vocoders, TAL-Vocoder is the best free vocoder plugin that we've ever used.
TAL-Vocoder 3.0 has been bolstered by the inclusion of new and flexible sidechain routing possibilities that allow you to feed your own carrier signals into the plugin. If you want some help getting started with TAL-Vocoder, check out our guide on how to use it.
6. nakst Regency
Platforms: Mac/Windows/Linux | Formats: AU/CLAP | Download
Pioneered by Casio in the ‘80s in its CZ keyboards, phase distortion synthesis can still be found in software plugins today. In fact, it’s inspired a new free one by nakst, known as Regency.
Promising a “multi-tiered phase distortion system,” this features two generator layers, each of which has three editable multi-segment curves. These can be applied to distort the phase of each generator in series, in modulatable amounts.
Those are the headlines - dive down a bit and you discover that there are quite a few modulation options on offer. As well as the the four envelopes and three multi-segment LFOs, there are two math modulators, which can be used to shape and warp other modulation sources. Regency also has three FX slots and six onboard effects, including a pattern delay.
7. Sampleson OverHeat
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU | Download
Saturation is the aurally satisfying, harmonically flavoursome byproduct of pushing analogue signals just a little too hard. This is something offered by a variety of plugins, but if you don’t yet own one that’s giving you the warmth you require, Sampleson’s OverHeat is a new, free option for you to try.
You can use OverHeat for both subtle and more extreme saturation, and on individual tracks or across an entire mix. You can adjust the input/output gain and drive level, and there are a couple of tone-shaping controls, too, including Color and a low-pass filter.
8. unplugred CRMBL
Platforms: Mac/Windows/Linux | Formats: VST3/AU/CLAP | Download
Billed by its developer as "delay for insane people", CRMBL is a curious delay plugin with some super interesting features. The onboard pitch-shifter and filter can transform the delay's feedback over time, making for textured and evolving sounds. CRMBL is also equipped with a unique effect called 'chew' that's said to "eat up the sound", distorting it with each repeat. Tasty.
In addition to standard, bread-and-butter delay effects, the plugin is also capable of reverse delays (something not enough delay plugins offer, in our humble opinion) and asymmetric ping pong delay. Not bad for a free plugin.
CRMBL is available as a free download or a paid version: as unplugred is an independent developer, we recommend snagging the paid-for option if you can afford it.
9. HoRNet Magnus Lite
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST/AU/AAX | Download
The loudness war may be over (apparently), but there are still plenty of producers who want to find ways of wrangling a few extra decibels out of their mixes. Praise be, then, for HoRNet's Magnus Lite, a combined clipper and limiter plugin that promises “complete control over the loudness of your audio”.
In order to download Magnus Lite, you’ll need to share it to either Twitter or Facebook via the HoRNet website, but otherwise it’s completely free.
10. 2Rule TugMultiEffect
Platforms: Mac/Windows | Formats: VST3 | Download
TugMultiEffect is a modular multi-effects plugin delivering a whopping 11 different effects: the complete list includes reverb, delay, phaser, chorus, distortion, decimator, vibrato, tremolo, pitch shifter, filter and comb filter.
What's more, the effects found in TugMultiEffect can be chained up in any configuration you please, through the use of a modular routing system. While we'll admit that the plugin's GUI looks about two decades old, we have to applaud 2Rule for serving up so much sound-processing versatility entirely free of charge.
- Read more: The best free music software and VST plugins
