Filteq Vst Free
The FAT Filter plugin is completely free and always will be, so download your copy today and get your transitions sounding great. FILTEQ; VST Video player; OSL Chorus; VHL-3C Pultec eq; Moppelsynths Sonitarium; Thump2 sub bass enhancer; Wavesfactory SK10 Subkick Generator febrero (8) enero (1) 2016 (128) diciembre (11) noviembre (7) octubre (8) septiembre (14) junio (3) mayo (20).
Filters have become some of the more familiar tools in the studio these days, due in large part to their ubiquitous use in dance music.
Even if you aren’t especially fond of resonant sweeps and acid basslines however, there are still many good reasons to stockpile a handful of filter plug-ins.
So in this article we’ll take a look at some of the best free filter VST and AU plugins you can use to get your feet wet.
Find more great gear here:
Introduction
About Filters
Filters are actually similar to equalizers, in that they cut or boost certain frequencies of sound. The now-familiar swooshing “wow-wow” sound heard on thousands of dance tracks is typically the result of cranking the resonance and sweeping the cutoff frequency, either by hand, via ADSR envelope control, LFOs, or automation.
There are more utilitarian applications for filters as well. Steep high-cut filters can tighten up the low-end of a mix by eliminating sub-bass frequencies that eat up headroom and cause bottom-end flab. Low-cut filters for their part can reduce harshness in the high-end.
Many producers agree that analog filters produce the warmest, most vibrant, and most satisfying sounds. But filter plug-ins have come a long way since the advent of the earliest software effects. Some of them can even replicate analog circuitry to an astoundingly accurate degree.
As you will see from these free filter plug-ins, you can get those wonderful swirling and wooshy sounds right on your computer.
Best of all, you can do so without having to cough up the cash for an expensive analog device.
Free Filter Plugins
The List
Plugin Roundup
Stillwell Audio’s Oligarc Filter is a midi-controllable plug-in emulation of the ladder filter design found in classic Moog analog synthesizers.
The same filter utilized in the company’s own Olga virtual analog synthesizer and Oligarc effects suite, the standalone Oligarc Filter has pretty much all the tonal and response qualities of vintage designs.
Like classic analog filters, the Oligarc Filter is non-linear in its response and performance, which lends a bit of desirable instability and loads of character.
And like the filter employed in the Minimoog, it gives off more than just a hint of unpredictability and danger in its sound.
In deference to those with more fragile sensibilities, the Oligarc Filter comes with a soft-clipping limiter that helps keep things from getting too out of control.
Nevertheless, this is one filter for which the word “restraint” doesn’t apply. This is apparent by its readiness to go into self-oscillation with no apparent resonance limit.
TAL’s Filter 2 is a much less rambunctious filter, although it’s perfectly capable of tiptoeing dangerously close to the edge of aural assault. It syncs quite nicely with your host DAW’s tempo, enabling you to produce rhythmic filter effects and wobbling modulations that would be right at home in your next dubstep track.
Those that have used TAL’s excellent NoiseMaker virtual analog synthesizer plug-in will recognize the wide array of filters in the Filter 2. From multiple flavors of low-pass and high-pass to band-pass and notch, they’re all here in all their 4x oversampled glory.
Like all respectable filter plug-ins, the Filter 2 can be pushed into saturation, in this case, by cranking the input control. You can also modulate the panning or volume level of an incoming signal, so this filter can do triple-duty as a tremolo or gate effects device.
Tekit Audio 8kut 2 is an eight-band frequency cutter plug-in that isn’t quite like your typical filter plug-in. Intended specifically for DJs and live performers, it probably isn’t the first plug-in that most would think of when looking for a studio mix tool. Nevertheless, its ability to cut frequencies via eight pads could make for some interesting sonic experiments.
8kut 2 provides control over the bass, mids, high mid, and treble ranges. Although it is a fairly simple plug-in, the assortment of presets that it comes with gives you a good idea of the vast range of sounds possible.
The biggest strength of 8kut 2 is its ability to cut frequency bands via the eight pads, all of which can be mapped to a MIDI controller. Even though you might prefer a more “traditional” filter plug-in for most other tasks, the 8kut 2 could be very useful as an idea generator.
Now in its second version, Brainworx’s bx_cleansweep is a duo of high and low-pass filters that are better suited to subtle tone shaping than dancefloor-friendly filter freak-outs. Designed to filter out excessive low- and high-end, it draws inspiration from the onboard filters found in classic studio mixing consoles.
You could say that the bx_cleansweep is the odd one out in this roundup, which is mainly populated by more resonant and sweep-y filter plug-ins. Nevertheless, its ability to tighten up the bottom end and eliminate top-end brittleness makes it a useful addition to any plug-in collection.
Furthermore, Brainworx’s Anti-Crush technology gives it a very musically pleasing sound that will find a welcome place in your productions.
Top Pick
For the familiar filter sweeps and resonant effects that have become indelible parts of the dance music lexicon, the Oligarc Filter is the one to beat. Thick, chunky, and satisfying, it still isn’t quite a Moog filter…but it does come close.
The TAL Filter 2 is no slouch either. With the ability to modulate the filter cutoff, the volume, and the pan, it definitely has a bit of an advantage in the rhythmic department.
As for the 8kut 2, you could very well use this as an idea generator, even if you have no plans of playing out. And if you need a quick and simple mix-assist tool that sounds great and is easy to use, you could do a lot worse than the bx_cleansweep.
This is a guide for both aspiring producers and the experienced studio worker. After spending countless hours, or let's be honest - years, learning about audio production and different hardware and software options, reading on the www.gearslutz.com forum, discussing with colleagues, and spending tens of thousands on gear, I feel like saving other people some valuable time and money. So I decided to write this entry-level guide, with relevance for pros also. I’ll actually use this guide myself too, to find and install all the free software I still use(even though I have a lot of expensive stuff also), after a format, or when I buy a new computer.
Feel free to send me tips, if you think I left out something. And also, please note, I use OS X, so the list below is meant for Mac users primarily. And btw, for the pro user, who already has a lot of good commercial plugins, I've added a little ⭐️ to the plugins that I feel have extra value, and that you might want to check out even though you've already spent lots of money on software.
DAWS
(DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION)
There is no such thing as a free DAW, or is there? The truth, as always, lays somewhere in between. But my personal recommendation is you spend a few bucks on Ableton or Logic. They will enable you to do whatever you want. But the alternatives below however, will at least get you started for free. And maybe even, depending on what you want to do, take you all the way.
Presonus Studio One is quite similar to both Ableton and Logic/Pro Tools.It is meant for people who want to make beats and record instruments.Their smallest version of the program is free, but you can't use third party plugins like VST or AU(external instruments and effects) with this free version. The bigger version of Studio One is a good way to start if you are on a budget.
Ableton Live Intro will be yours for 79 EURO. With Intro you’ll get everything you need to make your first songs. But you’ll probably feel like upgrading quite soon because of the limited 16 tracks available in Intro. This is my personal favourite for everything except mixing really, really big projects(with like 100+ tracks).
Cockos Reaper is mademostly for people who record real instruments and hardware synths I feel like. Programming beats and using plugins in Reaper is still a bit of a struggle, if you compare to say Fruity Loops or Ableton. But it is an AMAZING DAW, and you can customize it for your purpose. Reaper is not free, but you can download it for free and it has great value at an affordable price. It’s always a good idea to support what you like, and this is a very fairly priced, 100% professional DAW. I know several professionals who swear by Reaper.
I also want to give Apples Logic a mention here. It’s full version is a powerful and intuitive DAW, that is cheaper than most of it’s competition. Theres is no free version of Logic unfortunately.
PLUGINS
(VST/AU 4 OSX)
Preamp Emulations:
When recording with a microphone, you amplify the microphone through a mic-preamp. A high end micpre will cost $1000-$4000, and they make the sound you record juicy, fat and defined. Software has come a long way in imitating what they do though, and Airwindows has a free plugin that does this almost just as well as the plugins that will cost you hundreds! Don't let the somewhat poor looks fool you. This is pure gold!
Airwindows Channel 7 ⭐️Airwindows Tubedesk (they even have a tube version, that imitates how a tube mixer sounds)
EQ:
Equalizers enables you to boost what sounds cool, cut what sounds bad, and/or make space in the mix for other sounds in the same freq range. These are my free favourites:
Luftikus ⭐️ (Free VERY NICE Maag-inspired EQ)
Analog Obsessions MPReq ⭐️ (like a simplified mix of a Pultec and Decapitator VST)
Analog Obsessions Filteq
Slickeq
Tokyodawn Tdr-nova (dynamic equalizer)
Airwindows Cstrip (full channelstrip from Chris)
Elysia Niveau Filter ⭐️ (brilliant for focusing things)
Filterizor Q
Marvel Graphic EQ (16-band graphic eq)
Voxengo Overtone GEQ (7-band harmonic EQ)
Vladgsound Nova67p
Slate Revival (bass & treble boost)
Xfer DJMfilter ⭐️ (Really handy DJ-filter from the producers of Serum)
Rare How awsome! A free Pultec!
Filterjam a multi-band resonant filter
Blindfold EQ a freq free eq. User your ears only;)
Compressors:
This could be a large chapter, but I’ll only select my favourites here. Compressors make the all the parts of a sound «equally high». For instance, if you play some bass-guitar, and some notes, sounds or frequenzies are much louder than others, a compressor will automatically fix this. Compressors, like preamps and eqs, in the analog world, will colour the sound a lot through trafos and other fancy electronic parts - some of these plugins also model these charming artefacts - but to be honest, the only ones I know who do plugins that sound similar to analog gear, is Universal Audio - but the plugins below will take you far enough to get a professional sound, if you get your levels and settings right!
Clean-style
Airwindows Logical 4
Airwindows Pyewacket
Fairchild 660-style
Vladgsound Molot
Airwindows VariMu ⭐️
1176-style
Other
ATK Colored Compressor
Klanghelm DC1A
Airwindows Swell (Deadmau5 inspired sidechain effect)YALA
Saturation:
Need a fatter, juicier, or more extreme sound? This is the department. «Saturation» is the gentler little brother of overdrive and distortion. The colouring of Airwindows Console could also be seen as something adding very subtle saturation, while the ones below can also make your sound scream like a guitar amp, if that is what you want.Softube Saturation Knob ⭐️
Voxengo Tube Amp
Klanghelm IVGI
Xfer 8BitShaper (Bitcrusher/distortion with very useful filters!)
Freeamp
Airwindows Distortion distortion from the king of free plugins.
Tape Machine:
Recording stuff digitally has come a long way, but there is something extra to recording stuff through a high quality tape-machine. Mastering grade tape machines are huge, heavy, and will set you back quite a few thousand $. I’ll let you in on a little secret though; I’ve stopped using almost all my other expensive tape-emulation plugins, and now I mostly use Totape5 from Chris of Airwindows. In my opinion Airwindows Totape5 alone is worth becoming a Airwindows Patreon over:Airwindows Totape6 ⭐️ !!!
Airwindows Tape ⭐️ alternative Tape machine from Airwindows.
Airwindows Drumslam (Special tape effect inspried by an old Massey plugin)
Airwindows Iron Oxide (a bit grittier)
Reverb:
Reverb is basically the sound bouncing off walls, chairs, windows, whatever you are surrounded by, so it's basically the sound of you being in a room doing stuff. Throughout the history of music production people have tried to replicate this effect in different ways. They've even come up with ways of making sounds resonate in a material in a likeable way(springs or plates). So, some of these tooles have been digital ones(EMT 250++), some physical ones(like re-recording your sound in a box or room) or physical analog ones(EMT 140 or springs). In the legendary studios, they used to have Spring or Plate reverbs(google EMT 140 or AKG BX20 for the most legendary ones). These ones are really hard to imitate, and I’d recommend you to go to UAD for some real plate or spring-sound, but there are a lot of other cool reverb plugs out there:Orilriver ⭐️
Voxengo Oldskoolverb
Airwindows (lots of exiting reverb-like things)
Convology a free convolution reverb.
TAL Reverb 4 ⭐️ a recently upgraded classic!
Teufelsberg Reverb ⭐️
Pocketverbs experimental verb from Airwindows.
Chorus
Acon MultiplyTAL Chorus LX
Blue Cat Audio Chorus
Svep Phaser Flanger Chorus
Valhalla Space Modulator 'free-ish' chorus/flange.
Delay
Valhalla Freq Echo (Really cool free plug!)AAA
TAL Dub
Auto Tune
GraillonMautopitch
Limiter
The limiter is really just the same as a compressor, but it compresses things REALLY hard(at a 1:10 ratio or higher). This is the last tool you use, to make sure your track is loud enough(How loud is loud enough? Read about LOUDNESS WARS! Again, Airwindows wins with another insane FREE product. NC-17 used to cost $50, Airwindows recently made available as free download because of his Patreon.
Airwindows NC-17 ⭐️ (AMAZING limiter!)Airwindows ADClip
Vladgsound Limiter 6
Limited-z
Loudness meter
A loudness meter does exactly what you's expect it to. It measures how loud your sound is, and how close your are to the peak limit.
Youlean Loudness Meter ⭐️ Good to have if you want to master your own tracks.Other:
Voxengo Boogex is a tone-shaping monster actually! It has a guitar amp simulator, and an eq, and a convolution reverb (a reverb where you can load sampled rooms!). Google «Free Impulse Responses» to find files you can load into the reverb. Here you can actually find some really cool spring and plate sounds if you're lucky. In the Boogex they will sound somewhat lo-fi, but it is really awesome anyhow! Crank it!
Metric Halo Thump is legendary Metric Halo's bass boosting thumper that'll make your subs go bump!
ATK Guitar Preamp and ATK Bass Preamp are also two nice amp plugs.
NI Guitar Rig 5 Player is a very cool guitar amp plug. This is a limited free version.
iZotope Vocal Doubler ..doubles your vocals, or any other audio - plain and simple.
Paulstretch VST is a timestretching effect. Good for experimental, digital, slowd-down effects. Or if you need to make a Justin Bieber song last for 30 minutes?
Soundmagic Spectral VST in the same category as the above; experimental. Do you like electroacoustic music, does comb filtering and granular synthesis make you feel good? Well, then here you can get a whole suite of effects in .au format!
Voxengo Span ⭐️ lets you see your sound. Nice tool to have, for learning or just to figure out where that annoying frequenzy is, so you can remove it with an EQ.
Stereo Tools are good to have to focus your bass in mono, or to make a room/reverb sound broad and BIG.Flux Stereo Tool V3 ⭐️
Voxengo Stereotouch
Sennheiser's binaural panner plugin AMBEO Orbit⭐️
Transient Designers are tools you can use to make that snare pop a litte bit more, or less, or to make those guitars sound a little less aggressive, or more..Flux Bittersweet ⭐️
An editor/generator for single cycle waveforms for hardware, software and samplers.SCW Editor
SYNTHS & SAMPLERS
Virtual Analogue Synthesizers
VCV Rack ⭐️ (Not a plugin yet, but VERY cool! Makes me regret spending money on modular synths.)U-He Zebralette ⭐️
Tyrell N6
U-He Podolski
OBXD
A WHOLE RANGE OF AWSOME FREE SYNTHS!!! ⭐️ (Most inspired by analogue classics!)
BL-303 ⭐️ (TB-303 inspired VST!)
Other
NI Komplete Start (free Komplete-selection)Sinevibes Atom
Alterego
Dexed ⭐️ (this one loads DX7 presets/sysex!)
Helix
Helm
Tau Bassline! a free 303!!!
SyndtSphere innovative and quick!
Cheeze Machine 2 a vintage string monster!
Samplers
Sforzando (A free library also with good melotron and perc samples)Native Instruments Komplete Player (With free sounds)
SAMPLES
Pianobook Great collection of Kontakt instruments FOR FREE?!!
Spitfire Labs Series One of the nicestsampled pianos I’ve heard, and a whole bunch of other cool sounds FOR FREE?!!
Ample Percussion Cloudrum Really nice steel tongue Drum!
Keyzone Classic Free A free decent pianos in this one!
Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted Philharmonia Orchestra has released this collection of free orchestral samples. Download them here
OTHER PROGRAMS
Audio Editors
Need to cut away or edit the ending of only one sound? Edit the beginning and end of your track prior to mastering maybe? Or just isolate a cool part to sample as a drumsound? Use an audio editor. For recording, editing and even some simple DAW-tasks, you can try Audacity or Ocenaudio . My personal favourite is Sound Forge, but it will set you back some $s (Funfact: Burial made his whole legendary album 'Untrue' in Sound Forge!!).A FEW PLACES
TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON
If I had to start from scratch, these are the first plugins I would add to the free ones above.
You may be asking yourselves; how do I get to sound as cool as all the other contemporary producers? The answer is; you have to get the right sounds! Sign up to Splice for a month or two and knitpick your favourite sounds - combine this with ploughing through the Free Samples section of The Bedroom Producers Blog, and you should be set for the next year, if not the next five.
Filteq Vst Free Plugins
Soundtoys Echoboy If I was to buy ONLY ONE plugin, my choice would be Soundtoys Echoboy.The amount of things you can do with Echoboy is insane - it has a incomprehensible creative palette. Buy through Audiodeluxe.com and get a few dollars off also! Soundtoys also deserves an extra mention for frequently giving away products for limited periods of time - so I can recommend subscribing to their newsletter.
The second one that gets a special mention is Waves CLA-76. This is actually a very good plugin-version of the legendary 1176 compressor. On a good campaign-day you can get it for $29! A bargin!
Abbey Road Reverb Plate. Carefully modeled plate reverbs from the actual Abbey Road studio. These actually sound quite vintage for real, and are in my opinion the second best(after UAD) plugin version of plate reverbs you can get! Also frequently at $29 these days.
Toneboosters! This is an incredible bargain! The bus tools pro pack gives you everything you need to produce some amazing tracks. I’d also like to give a special mention to Barricade 4, which is an amazing limiter, that will make your masters hit HARD and LOUD!
Before you buy anything from a company site - check www.audiodeluxe.com & www.pluginboutique.com for offers. They often have insane campaigns.
Ok, so this was kind of my 'best of'-list, and I'll keep updating it as I find new stuff that is worthwhile my harddrive-space. But you can also follow the feed at Gearnews or Bedroomproducersblog to keep updated on all new free audio software.