Boost Plugin Vst
This simple plugin can achieve a wide variety of effects. Turn the knob to the right to add punch to drums, enhance the pluck of an acoustic guitar, or boost the consonants in a vocal performance. Turn the knob to the left to soften tracks and push them back in the soundstage. ➥ Download Flux BitterSweet.
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It’s the end of the month, and your bank account is empty…
- EQ plugins are one of the most used plugins in music production. The reason for that is because EQing is the most invasive action that you can apply to your audio signal, whether you need to boost or cut the frequencies or just add some warmth to your audio.
- Boost can get the most out of any audio signal thanks to Trajectory Technology. Placed at the detection stage of the signal path, this algorithm ensures that the plugin is always achieving the maximum possible gain increase, while keeping the signal transparent and avoiding non-linearities. READ TEST RESULTS PAPER.
…again.
Oops.
And as much as you might feel like buying that new Waves plugin…
(You’ve had your eye on it for months, right?)
It’s probably not a good idea.
But if you’re still looking to expand your plugin library, don’t worry.
Sometimes, the best things in life are free…
Here are 7 of my favorite free plugins. Each of them offers something new and unique (no boring EQs or compressors). Download them all to extend your sonic palette and ultimately, craft better-sounding tracks.
And if you’re looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of five plugins I use on every mix. If you’re wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you’ve got my top tools for the job.
1. iZotope Neutrino
Neutrino is the baby brother of Neutron—iZotope’s newest channel-strip plugin. While Neutron has a number of innovative features, Neutrino spins off the best of them.
Neutrino tames undesirable resonances caused by poor room acoustics, cheap gear, and heavy-handed processing. iZotope calls the effect “spectral shaping,” and it can sound similar to gentle, low-ratio multiband compression. This can make tracks sound smoother and more polished—like sanding the rough edges off a freshly cut piece of wood. I find Neutrino particularly useful on electric guitar tracks, which often have lots of harsh resonances.
2. Voxengo SPAN
People say “don’t mix with your eyes.”
Meh.
The truth?
Tools that provide visual feedback, when used properly, can help you make better mixing decisions.
A spectrum analyzer is one of these tools. It plots the frequencies of sounds out on a graph, which allows you to “see” what tracks are comprised of.
SPAN is my favorite spectrum analyzer. You can control the ballistics and response of its graph, which makes it flexible enough for a wide variety of tasks. You can even route multiple tracks into SPAN and compare their frequency content.
(P.S. Voxengo has a few other free VST plugins. They’re worth checking out too, but SPAN is my favorite.)
3. Brainworx bx_solo
Bx_solo is a no-frills, stereo-imaging plugin. While it’s the least sexy of this bunch, it can still be pretty useful.
I like to add bx_solo to my mix bus. While I rarely push the stereo width past 100%, collapsing it to zero is an easy way to check for mono compatibility. The mid and side solo buttons are also useful. It’s great to have this one around—you never know when you might need it!
4. HOFA 4U Project Time
Mixing is a race against time.
The more time you spend on a mix, the more attached you become to what it sounds like. This makes it progressively harder to make good mixing decisions. Given enough time, even the worst mix will start to sound decent.
This is one reason I recommend mixing quickly and impulsively. You’ll get to the finish line faster, retain more objectivity, and ultimately, craft better mixes.
The first step towards more efficient mixing is to track how much time you spend doing it. Without this information, it’s easy to get lost in a black hole of endless tweaking.
Project Time makes this easy. Add it to a track, and it will start counting. The timer automatically stops when you close the session, and starts when you open it up again.
Keep an eye on Project Time, and you’ll train yourself to mix faster and more efficiently. It’s also an invaluable tool if you bill by the hour!
5. MeldaProduction MFreeFXBundle
MeldaProduction makes some great plugins. They’ve earned the praise of many notable engineers, including mastering guru Ian Shepard.
The MFreeFXBundle contains 30 free VST plugins. They range from workhorse tools like a compressor and EQ, to less common effects like a ring modulator, flanger, and oscilloscope.
If you’re looking to fill some holes in your plugin library, this is a great place to start.
6. Flux BitterSweet
BitterSweet is among the best transient shapers out there. It can produce results on par with studio mainstays like SPL’s Transient Designer and Waves’ Trans-X.
This simple plugin can achieve a wide variety of effects. Turn the knob to the right to add punch to drums, enhance the pluck of an acoustic guitar, or boost the consonants in a vocal performance. Turn the knob to the left to soften tracks and push them back in the soundstage.
7. iZotope Vinyl
Sometimes a little crackle is a good thing.
Vinyl will make tracks sound like they’re being played on a turntable. You can vary the intensity of the effect by controlling the volume of different types of noise, the degree of wear and tear, and the decade your sound is from. The results range from subtle filtering to Edison phonograph.
This plugin is great for special effects, like filtering down a vocal or making an intro sound tiny.
Moving Beyond Free Plugins: My Favorite Plugins
I hope these 7 free plugins help you craft tracks that sound fresh and unique.
If you’re looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of 5 plugins I use on every mix. If you’re wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you’ve got my top tools for the job.
Before you go—what’s your favorite free VST plugin? Share your pick in the comment section below.
Bonus: 3 More Free Plugins for Mixing
3 Free Plugins I Use in Every Mix
It’s the end of the month, and your bank account is empty… …again. Oops. And as much as you might feel like buying that new Waves plugin… (You’ve had your eye on it for months, right?) It’s probably not a good idea. But if you're still looking to expand your plugin library, don't worry. Sometimes,
FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets
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You may face several scenarios while mixing and mastering which may include the use of an equalizer, having a transparent display to analyze what you are adding or subtracting with the EQ, multiple EQ bands, and proper CPU usage is what to look for in an EQ. But with that said every piece of software and hardware alike creates and outputs a slightly different sound meaning they all have unique timbres and uses. Alongside that, there are some rather expensive plugins we may see online, which aren’t out of our reaches but we don’t know what we need until we need it right? Well, this is why its best to try some free EQ’s first to see what it is you like within an EQ and what it maybe you are looking for. We become ever so comfortable with our stock plugins, they do the simple tasks for us (sometimes), they don’t run our computer into the ground, and they for sure are pretty basic. Vocal preamp vst free. Well, this is the issue most people come to, they want a better EQ, or they want a change of visuals. EQ History – ‘The first EQ was first used by John Volkman working at RCA in the 1920s” More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: Colour EQ is a 64-bit EQ plugin that offers 5 ”super parametric” bands to manipulate the frequency range. This is exceedingly handy when wanting to use more than one band in one instance; the intuitive gain knobs on the five bands allow for perfect mixing of these bands when mixing and mastering. Using the two different types of curves, Colour EQ offers a warm sound that you just wouldn’t get from your stock EQ. Having a bright visual display helps you to craft and mould your bands to preference. A great way to use this plugin is when you are not getting enough warmth in your low, mid/mids, Colour EQ will add a great sense of warmth throughout the selected bands. Another cool way to use this plugin is to use two different setups with two different curve types; you can use modified versions of the EQ for selected times in your mixdowns to add the feeling of a change in energy in a breakdown or drop. Colour EQ is a great tool to have in your arsenal for mixing and mastering, plus you may find many uses in your day-to-day production. Compatibility: Windows VST (32/64 bit), Windows/Mac RTAS, and Mac VST/AU format (Intel, OSX 10.5 and higher) More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: With a sleek, minimalistic design Free Ranger is a powerful EQ. With a mid-band (150Hz – 7kHz), fixed high (10kHz), low shelf (80Hz) SPL have kept things very simple so anyone can EQ with ease. Free Ranger gives the feel of the world-renowned API 560 EQ but offers this all for free! Free Ranger is a bodybuilder for your sounds while mixing and a gentle touch when mastering, this plugin makes EQing fun, quick and easy. You may find yourself using the four different EQ settings and incorporate them into your mixdowns. Using them to create different feels and vibes can give your masters that final touch you’ve been looking for. This is a must-have! Compatibility: macOS 10.9 through 10.15, Windows 7-10 More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: Simplicity is key with EQ work in the mix or master, and this plugin keeps that in mind through and through. With a very easy to use GUI STEQ 2 has a powerful but simple way of delivering a small form factor EQ to your DAW. This EQ gives off old school retro vibe, precise, clean, and adds a lot of detail to the mid-range. STEQ 2 is excellent for tonal rebalancing due to the broadness of the three bands creating a pure blend between the frequency ranges. Using this to add punch to claps and snares is also a good use. But be careful when adding to full bus groups. This EQ from Analog Obsession is an excellent tool to keep at your disposal when thinking about doing some tasks during your mix, or why not change up those stock plugins for free. Compatibility WiN, OSX AU VST, VST3 More Info & Download Specifications: Great for: Features & When To Use: Nova is a parallel dynamic EQ; each band has a dedicated, dynamic section giving the user full flexibility. Giving the option to drag and move bands in the visual GUI individually or group, this provides a natural form factor way to get results. Using the multiband compression built into Nova your be able to manipulate your EQ even further, this will be displayed in the visual GUI with real-time feedback of the compression process. (subtly decrease the threshold to hear the difference) In mix and mastering, you can use Nova to visually see where you may have audio issues to fix and makes it very easy to apply these changes with the drag and change feature. The dynamic EQ is a handy tool to have in practice when mixing down full compositions – use it to bring down or up frequencies only when they reach a specific volume. Nova is a heavyweight EQ with a lot under the hood all for free! Compatibility: Win XP SP2 or above, Mac OS X 10.7 or above. More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: ReaEQ may look basic, but under the hood, there is a lot to offer. Being able to have as many bands as you wish is a massive bonus, you also have the ability to change all of these bands to one of the following (shelves, bands, LPF, HPF, notch, bandpass, allpass). With a stripped-back GUI, it keeps you focused on the task at hand, not over complicating things but giving you the power of an audio god at your fingertips. With a tremendous real-time visual display, this gives you the eyes and ear focus that you need when EQ in the mix. Phasing is a big issue when mixing, ReaEQ gives you a ‘Show Phase’ button which will show you in your display what frequencies are being affected by the band. When mastering you may wish to keep all bands in one EQ patch, with ReaEQ you can do this. Stripped back and powerful ReaEQ is a favorite among many producers across a wide range of genres. Compatibility: WIN 32, WIN 64 More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: The Triple EQ is a three-band semi-parametric equaliser. With a simple and easy to read visual display of the frequencies in real-time, you will have a clear display of the EQ in front of your eyes. Alongside the huge +/- 40 dB range, Triple EQ has a bandwidth of .01 to 5 Octaves! An exciting feature with Triple EQ is that you can link two bands together using the ‘Link Channels’ feature. This will allow you to use them in unison; combine this with the automaton support to create quick and easy modulation. This is a great way to change an EQ while in the mix with complex automation. Using the linking feature to create movement and progression within your mixdowns makes Triple EQ a threat. Fully customisable shapes make this a different tool when deep in the mix or master, you will find many uses for the dynamic bands you can create—having dynamic bands that you are able to manipulate helps when visually your EQ and how it may affect the whole frequency range. Check this one out for a small form factor powerful EQ! Compatibility: Windows 7 to 10, Mac OS 10.7 or newer. More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: We have another FREE plugin from Analog Obsession! This time is bringing you Merica an emulation of the API 550A console equaliser. A simple three-band EQ delivers a lot of power to your mixes and masters. Selectively choose which frequency your band boosts or cuts with the option to the right of the knobs. All bands kept simple and easy to get to grips with. Meica also has a nifty and very much needed output knob, there will be no issues with clipping in the digital domain when mastering with this plugin. A larger than appearing sound Merica is an excellent EQ plugin to use when in the mixdowns and masters. Given that the EQ it emulates is an industry-standard plugin this small form, powerful, easy to use, and was coded by one man! Merica is a must grab for all audio creatives looking to upgrade their stock EQ plugins. Compatibility: VST Win, VST3 Win, VST Mac, VST3 Mac, AU Mac More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: TinyQ is a small form factor EQ. Giving the user a stripped-back interface TinyQ offers a solution to a simple job. Having too many settings can become overwhelming; TinyQ does what it says on the tin and doesn’t make your job any harder. Keeping things simple when mixing down whole groups is essential – finding yourself using CPU heavy EQ, or a stock plugin just might not cut it for you. TinyEQ is excellent for doing those necessary but straightforward EQ tasks! With the recent addition of built-in frequency analyzer, it makes EQ even easier when getting stuck into your mixes or masters. Create awesome sounding band curves. Great emphasis on keeping things simple goes a long way with TinyQ; the team has made a great EQ that does everything it needs to in one small package. With four bands plus high pass/low pass filters, you won’t be looking any further for your day to day EQ needs. Compatibility: Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.7 or later (both 64 bit) More Info & Download Features & When To Use: SonEQ has 3 bands, low (20 Hz – 100 Hz), mid (150 Hz – 4 kHz), high (6 kHz – 15 kHz). Combined with a high pass and low pass filter, plus a ‘Mid-high Q’ this means when it’s on your band its narrow and when deactivated will cause it to be wider. This indicated by the red light. Giving the user a lot of ways to EQ but keeping things user-friendly is what SonEQ does best. Having the volume meter is very hand when mixing with any EQ, it gives the visual display of when things are getting a bit heated for your output. SonEQ also gives you the full control of your input and output levels. This comes in handy when you are mixing your tracks with heavy effects, causing the overall levels to become louder than 0.0dB; this is where adjusting both the input and output parameters will solve the issue. With this plugin being free for all to use we don’t see any reason why this shouldn’t be ready to deploy at the click of a finger, whether it’s beefing up the mix with the built-in bass boost preamp staging or adding a touch of colour to the highs this plugin has you covered. Compatibility: Mac OSX 10.6 or newer – Windows XP or newer More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: PTEq-X is a digital emulation of three famous vintage EQ. Equipped with three EQ modules comprised of mid-range (2kHZ – 7 kHz), low-frequency (20Hz – 150Hz), high-frequency (3kHz – 16kHz). Using the mid-range module, you can use the low, mid parameter (top left) to effect the lower mid frequencies. Alternatively use the high mid setting (top right) to cause-effect to these frequencies. Moving down the EQ, we have our second module, which is PEQ1A EQ (Low & High). This comes with a bunch of parameters to mould your EQ patches perfectly to your source. Finally, this is all topped off with the HL3C module; this is a low-cut accompanied by a high-cut. You can also use the ‘Oversampling’ feature to reduce aliasing. Use the “Tube” switch to apply or deactivate the tube amp. Using the input and output levels will give you the ability to control any nasty peaks brought in or out of the EQ. PTEq-X is a combination of some of the best analogue EQ’s to exist, plus its FREE!! We recommend this one for a great addition to your EQ arsenal. Compatibility: Windows 7 – 10 32 and 64 bit. OS X 10.7 64 bit More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: Pushtec 5+1A is a versatile mid-range program EQ that has mixing and mastering at its heart. This plugin offers six bands, all offering a fantastic sounding boost through all parameters. A vast selection of plugins makes it easy for users to start with something super effective and tweak to their liking. “B/W” stands for bandwidth, this allows you to tweak the selected band and adjust to your preference. A friendly and straightforward GUI keeps this EQ a smaller form factor but with a lot of power. Being designed for mixing and mastering be assured that this plugin delivers best when applied to a whole group or a master channel. Giving instant sparkle to a mix or a very much needed bass boost this FREE plugin has you covered! Compatibility: Win 7 or higher only More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: QRange is a very straight forward, user friendly, and effective EQ for mixing and mastering. Giving the user an intuitive click and drag feature makes EQ work easy and more controllable. With a choice of twelve bands, there is excellent room for doing additive plus subtractive EQ all in one plugin patch. Each band has. Selection of up to five different types (peak, low-shelf, high-shelf, low cut, and high cut). Built into the frequency spectrum, you have the power to change it to pre or post. ‘Pre’ will let you see what the frequency range looks likes before the EQ is applied, whereas ‘Post’ will allow you to see it after the EQ has taken effect. Offering the ability to users to save and load their own presets makes it easy to bring back some of your favourite patches while working on a mix or master. It has to be said lkjb QRange is a must-have FREE EQ plugin. Compatibility: Win 7 or higher, macOS 10.7 or higher More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: TDR’s Slick EQ provides a recognizable analogue sound. Using three bands that bring together four different EQ models. Both low and high bands are coupled with a cut and bell feature allowing for comfortable band changing. Auto gain estimates the gain change caused by the current EQ settings; this makes it great to compare your EQ setting during the mix. There is also an ‘EQ Sat’ button; this will activate the saturator which is very intelligently paired to your EQ bands. This will add harmonics when boosting and remain passive when cutting. Being able to save your favourite EQ settings for a later mix or master can be done within the plugin. Coupled with a undo/redo button you never miss that sweet spot for your bands, alternatively set up two different EQs with the A/B switch. Slick EQ gives a very stripped back interface meaning you don’t get caught up with the visuals when doing equalising, providing a focus on what your hearing. This EQ shouldn’t be overlooked, with great coding, algorithms, settings, and excellent sounding types SlickEQ delivers more than you would expect from a FREE plugin. Compatibility: Win 32 bit VST2, VST3, Win 64bit VST2, VST3, AAX More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: Manda Audio brings us 7Q. 7Q is an emulation of the beloved ‘Classic EQ’ which became discontinued, the team came together and brought the community back a redesigned version. 7Q takes off all the fancy parts and gives you the bare basics; this is what gives this a place on our list. With 7Q giving you the ability to apply your EQ to the left or right or both channels, you can independently EQ both sides of the stereo field. Each band can be additive or subtractive. Keeping easy to use format is what this plugin does best; it doesn’t over-complicate the task at hand but assists your needs along the way wether mix or master. Low memory and CPU usage make it easy to have multiple instances in your projects without having your computer meltdown. 7Q is a nifty EQ that is awesome for giving your sounds a little crisp boost before running into your other plugins within the chain. Compatibility: Win VST 32/64 bit, AAX 32/64 bit More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: EQ1A is a FREE analog-style EQ with a clever algorithm giving you minimal phase coloration. This plugin has initially been paid to use the plugin, but the developers have decided to give it to us all for FREE! EQ1A allows you to use broad bands to shape your sounds or outputs in a clean, crisp and phase-corrected way. Being able to save you presets within the plugin makes it very easy to pull back that EQ you made on the last mix. 4-band parametric equalizer with an additional HP filter with variable resonance gives a wide range of settings to play with while keeping everything simple and user friendly. EQ1A does what it says on the tin for FREE! Using this within mixing or mastering may help you when wanting to add a hefty highpass or when looking to give some warmth to your mid ranges. It has to be said with a great look, and low CPU usage EQ1A is an excellent addition to your plugins. Compatibility: Win, Mac More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: Voxengo is notorious for doing some excellent free plugins. This addition is the Marvel GEQ, which is a fifteen band linear phase EQ. There is a routing tab that allows you to affect the signals mid/sides independently. (orange slides) Also giving full independence to the mid/side output level, becoming very useful when mixing and mastering. Bypass feature makes it simple to hear what your EQ is doing to your sound source. Alternatively, decide between two EQ setups with the A/B mode. For quick EQ drawing, you can hold ‘Ctrl or Cmd’ and click across the EQ drawing in your fader settings with the click of a mouse. Having a stripped back form factor with enough controls to complement your mixing tasks this plugin has to be our list today. Compatibility: VST Win, VST3 Win, VST Mac, VST3 Mac, AU Mac More Info & Download Specifications: Features & When To Use: BASIQ is a three-band EQ. It keeps in mind that EQ work for mixing and mastering doesn’t have to be a headache or over complicated. BASIQ is a design similar to the classic ‘Baxandall Equalizer’ which is knowns for its natural-sounding shelves and HiFi quality responses. Adding a smooth, gradual shimmer or warmth instead of a surgical sharpness is what BASIQ does best. Use on groups or a master chain to subtly but significantly add character with the turn of a knob. With some added presets you be able to get a quick change in tone with the click of a button. The small form factor makes this BASIQ a powerful tool to be used within the mix or master. Compatibility: Win, Mac, VST, AU, 64 bit With all of that said, grabbing all 17 plugins wouldn’t do you any harm, but we want to break down our top 3 picks! In our top spot, we have Colour EQ by DDMF. This plugin brings so many features that you would expect from pay to use plugins but all for FREE! Another fresh point is that the curves you can create with this cannot be done on other EQ plugins, giving Colour EQ a versatile approach. Low-CPU – Usage Customisable GUI – Great warm sound – 5 Bands Coming in second is Nova by TDR. Parametric, dynamic EQ, and multiband compression are all built into an excellent looking FREE plugin. Nova has a built-in dynamic EQ parameter when mixing, and mastering using a dynamic EQ is crucial sometimes. Having this all in one plugin for free is hugely commendable to the team who developed this plugin! Parametric equalization – Dynamic equalization – Frequency selective compression – Multi-band compression – Wideband compression And finally, our last top pick is ‘Triple’ by Blue Cat. This awesome plugin has so many features you just wouldn’t expect a FREE plugin to have. With a fresh interface and drag and click feature to make EQing even more natural Triple is a powerful EQ. Semi-parametric EQ – +/- 40dB Range per band – MIDI control and automation support – Real-time display Today we have covered a lot of great FREE EQs for mixing and mastering. Amazingly, we have developers putting out all of these plugins for producers/sound engineers to level out the playing field. As we have all seen these ‘not to name’ brands releasing rather expensive EQs that we just can’t fork out for, but with the way, music has progressed today in the digital domain it has become much more accessible for creatives to share their ideas and effects for free. With that said, they all have their benefits and downsides, but with them all being free, there is no reason you can’t pick them up and use these in your mixes or masters today!
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