The Best Free VST Plugins

VST Plugins are an essential aspect of mixing music, as they help bring countless ways of editing, tweaking, and creating sounds that transpose across numerous DAWs. There are a lot of plugins that require a purchase to access, but there are also a plethora of amazing free plugins. These plugins coupled with a passion for mixing music can enhance a hobby into a passion and possible career.

While there are a seemingly limitless number of plugins available both free and for a fee, there are obviously many that function better than others. In this post, we will be going over some of the top free plugins that we’ve uncovered that can enhance your music production skills and capabilities. We’ll go through a few different categories and provide our pick for that specific category, ensuring that you gain insight into the powers and range that these free plugins can provide.

Best Free Synth VST

Spitfire Audio LABS

This plugin packs a large number of creative sounds into an interface that is user-friendly for musicians of all skill levels. It comes with unique libraries of modulated pianos, windswept strings, and creative percussion sets to bring something entirely new to you for free.

Best Free Drum VST

Sample Science Vintage Drum Elements

This plugin gives you the authentic sounds of the Yamaha RX5 drum machine with exact sampling and true-to-tone sound. If you’re itching for some vintage lofi drums in your mixes, look no further!

Best Free Guitar VST

Native Instruments Guitar Rig Player

Native Instruments is a highly reputable brand in the industry, so the fact that they’re offering a free plugin of this caliber is worth celebrating! Use this plugin to create your own tones and sounds that enhance the feel and satisfaction of your guitar playing.

Best Free Effect VST

iZotope Vocal Doubler

Doubled vocals help fill out the empty spaces and enhance the character and richness of your vocals and tracks. This free vocal doubler from iZotope can create a natural double-tracked sound with human-like ambiance, variation, and controllable stereo separation.

Best Free Utility VST

Melda MNoise Generator

This simple plugin is very powerful when used properly. It is a simple pink-and-white noise generator that serves the purpose of testing, analyzing, or adding to audio signals. One of the more important tools for an audio engineer and master.

Honorable Mention

Waves StudioRack

This plugin is one of the most versatile and useful plugins in the entire game. It enables the creation of plugin chains that can be edited, saved, and based on templates through StudioRack itself. The only reason this is an honorable mention is that to get the most out of it, you will need to have numerous other paid plugins from waves.

Plugged In, With Mike’s Mix & Master

At Mike’s Mix & Master, almost every plugin comprehendible has been utilized, downloaded, or stored in our studio. After dedicating decades to the craft and learning of these plugins and the different applications possible, Mike is eager to help transform your recordings into completed records. Be sure to contact our office today to see how we can assist your music’s capabilities through plugins and dedication!