Best Vst Plugin Program
Since there are so many VST plugins out there, it can be overwhelming to choose from the multitude of great plugins. We’ve done the research for you; this list provides you with reviews of the 30 best VST plugins to have in your arsenal in 2020. Here are the best VST plugins 2020: 1. FabFilter Pro-Q 3. Smart flexibility for all your EQing needs. These are the best VST Plug-ins, Audio Units, AAX Plugin, DAWs, Audio Editors, Notation Software, Dynamics Processors, Reverbs, EQs, and all audio software you can think of for Windows and MacOS. Top 4 Best Free Ableton VST Plugins of 2020 Updated Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation, which is also known as a digital audio workstation (aka DAW). This workstation allows the musicians to create and to mix music tracks by using various tools and sounds.
When thinking of the human voice, we tend to overlook the fact that it is an instrument in and of itself. One which cannot be replicated no matter how hard we try. This unique attribute perhaps explains why there is a fairly limited amount of choir VSTs in the market.
Indeed, the profound vocal range of male Baritones, combined with the heavenly voice of female sopranos, can truly form the very essence of an entire production.
Several companies have now designed exceptional choir plugins with access to extensive collections. From Hollywood choirs, to children’s ensembles, these libraries will surely take any sinner back to church.
Without further ado, we have put together a list of the best choir VSTs available right now!
Top 8 Choir Plugins
1. Soundiron Mercury Boys’ Choir Elements
The first thing that comes to mind when describing Soundiron’s Mercury Boys’ Choir Elements is Pink Floyd. Remember the choir of boys singing in the background? Well that is exactly what this package offers. Think clear, crisp, light, yet rich vocals of a 25-boy professional ensemble, known as the Pacific Boychoir. Recorded in a large hall, the setting accentuates the ethereal sound the boys’ pure voices.
This VST includes sustains, marcatos, and staccatos, in addition to four primary vowels: Ah, Eh, Oh, and Oo vowels. You have the option to select these vowels to be played in piano, or forte with a 2x round robin variation. Also recorded chromatically with automatic tempo-syncing is the multi-syllable sustain or staccato latin words variances.
Again, similar to the other Soundiron elements, we see a multitude of audio elements ranging from built-in sound effects to sound-shaping parameters. These elements are meant to add an additional layer of sentimentality attached to the cinematic performance.
Pros
- Built-in Wordmaster system
- Proficient round-robin capabilities
- Dynamic and true legato vowels
Cons
- Requires significant CPU usage
2. Soundiron Requiem Light Symphonic Choir
Another choir VST option offered by Soundiron is the Requiem Light Symphonic Choir. All the choral sounds that you hear in this software were recorded at the San Francisco Montclair Presbyterian Church, and provide epic soundtrack composition and cinematic scoring. Indeed, the church’s architecture and structure played a huge part in helping the talented performers create a sound that is unique and powerful.
If you’re looking to produce ever-changing melodies that shift from fine and detailed, to rich and loud, then this just might be your golden ticket.
Similar to the Soundiron Olympus Choir Elements, the Requiem Light Symphonic Choir also uses the Kontakt Player engine to host a diverse library of true legato vowels, including but not limited to: single-syllable Marcato words, aggressive Latin staccatos, long poly-syllabic Latin sustains, standard staccatos, and the classic sustain. Additionally, as part of the Requiem Light you gain access to different sound design pads such as choral atmospheres, drones, and polysustains — all of which are considered amazing additions when creating ambiant songwriting pieces.
The way the user interface was built is pretty interesting. As opposed a top-down design method, Soundiron engineered it using a bottom-up method in order to facilitate real-time articulation switching and layering, parameter shaping, and section blending. Cherry on top? The Requiem Light includes a fully integrated phrase step sequencer! Not to mention, they included their modular FX rack — complete with 119 reverb spaces.
Still wondering if Requiem Light is right for you? Let’s simplify it. If your main priority is to create cinematic choral arrangements, then what are you waiting for? However, if your focus lies elsewhere, then it might not be the best match for you, so keep on reading!
Pros
- Solid interface
- Rich and dynamic sound
- Multitude of effects
Cons
- Another CPU Hog
3. EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choirs
The EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choirs is essentially a reformation of the EastWest Sounds Symphonic Choirs VST, with a specific focus on Blockbuster film scoring. Hollywood Choirs includes both male and female choirs, helping to bring about exceptional sounds that are bound to revolutionize any given piece.
Featuring an innovative software called the WordBuilder 2, Hollywood Choirs allows the musician to input phrases, words, or sentences that are then transformed into choral vocals sung by the choir. Amazing isn’t it? What’s more, is if you are not really sure of what you want the choir to sing, no problem! You actually have the option to choose from 781 pre-built and editable WordBuilder phrases in different languages from English, Spanish, Italian and many more.
Splurge on the Diamond Edition and are you are looking at 13 microphone user-controllable setups, which make a huge difference for virtual reality and/or surround sound performances, but you are also getting exceptional 3D soundscapes. This combination of elements will make your listeners transcend into another cinematic dimension.
When narrowing it down and comparing it to other VSTs, the EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choir is the perfect blend of flexibility and dynamic range.
Pros
- Wide range of male and female choral vocals
- Ingenious WordBuilder software
- A complete range of dynamics with mod control
Cons
- Lacks portamento Legato transitions
- Not beginner-friendly
4. Soundiron Olympus Choir Elements
Soundiron’s Olympus Choir Elements offers a powerful symphonic bundle of Mars Men’s and Venus Women’s choir collections. These collections were recorded at the San Francisco Montclair Presbyterian Church with groups of choirs made up of 30 men and 33 women. The result: over 45GB of Latin and Slavonic samples!
The fact that these collections are powered by Kontakt, makes it all that more appealing if you are a Native Instruments aficionado. The plugin also uses a wide and close stage microphone blend and covers all eight core vowel articulations.
By using divisi, you can easily rearrange and control the choir dynamics by separating the male and the female parts! Indeed, the combination of the pp-ff dynamic layering combined with the intelligent round robin gives you full command of all articulations including sustain, staccato, and marcato.
Additionally, the plugin’s choir sample library offers a multitude of innovative vocal effects that offer an improvement and/or alternative to the standard choral sounds. Some of these vocal effects include swells, sweeps, whispers, and shouts, among many others. What is more, the library’s performance presets can be configured by using the onboard EQ controls, and/or selecting from the 50 custom convolution reverbs.
All these powerful features make the Olympus Choir Elements VST more suitable for the music industry professional who wants a piece of software that enables them to have complete choral control.
Pros
- Extraordinary choral sounds
- Fully automatable interface
- Customizable
Cons
- CPU hog
5. Big Fish Audio Aeris: Hybrid Choir Designer
One of the main features of Big Fish Audio Aeris is that it meshes the voices of solo singers, with male and female backing choirs. All the performers were multi-sampled, using a range of different voices, including Ah, Oh, and Oo vocals, as well as hums.
Want to customise beyond simple vocal patches? There are a range of sound design tools available to help you build beautiful spaces and customise your choral sound. For a more distinct tone, there are four different LFOs that you can add modulation to. To help spread and mix your different layers, you can also use high pass, low pass, bandpass, volume, pan and pitch. There are dual sequencers that make the creation of complex patterns a breeze, as well as eight unique effects to help you shatter the sound design barrier.
Pros
- Customization features are endless
- Light on CPU!
- Envelope Controls for easy breezy mixing
Cons
- solo and choir vocals cannot be used in one instance of the plugin
6. Cinematique Instruments Interval — Les Femmes
Looking for uniqueness? You’ve come to the right place! Cinematique Instruments is one of the more exceptional choir VSTs out there. The carefully selected female voices of Insa, Mel, and Basiaa have created a detailed and delicately personal piece of software.
The plugin allows you to make use of the layering feature in order to bring about a more intimate choral experience. And while there are only 3 voices in this choir plugin, Cinematique recorded each of the female voices using different articulations — meaning the women use different intonations, inhalations, and intimate notes. However, when combined, the three voices bring into being the true essence of powerful choir vocals.
While you can undoubtedly use this VST within the cinematic, as well as choral circles, we highly recommend it for modern pop backing vocals, experimental mumbling, and/or textured vocal harmonies.
The built-in presets such as EQ, reverb, delay, attack and release, and an LFO make it easy to load up a patch and tweak it to your heart’s content. So if you are looking to compose more intimate, and flexible choral pieces, Les Femmes should definitely be on your list of choral VSTs to explore further!
Pros
- Unique feminine tones
- User-friendly
- High quality vocal recordings
Cons
- Does not work well with forte sounds
7. Strezov Sampling StormChoir Ultimate
While Strezov undoubtedly offers some of the most diverse and professional choral products available in the market, the StormChoir Ultimate is possibly one of our favorite. This 12-piece chamber choir includes six men and six women who were recorded separately in order to allow for greater flexibility during composition. And despite the fact that it is a chamber choir, the absolute intensity of the sound created is mesmerizing. Maybe this can be attributed to the fact that the choir focuses mainly on the Slavonic molto vibrato tone.
In fact, with 24 Slavic syllables to choose from, by accessing key switches or the onboard Phase Builder, you can put together such a unique choral sound that is clearly distinguishable from the standard Latin syllables found on most choir VSTs.
However, in our opinion, the stand out feature of the StormChoir Ultimate is the ferocity of the staccatos, suitable for composing eipic trailers. Lest we forget the sustain, which comes with an innovative “tighten” dial that proves to be quite useful for shortening samples, or strengthening the attack.
Although the StormChoir Ultimate user interface isn’t anything special, it is easy on the eyes and simple to operate. In other words, the way in which the tabs and buttons have been designed, helps in cutting down the time needed to find the adequate spaces for each of the layers. You can easily add additional samples to notes that are already played by using the “stack” button, which works well to thicken your tone.
We recommend this choir VST plugin to those seeking to compose more distinguished and intense masterpieces, that do not necessarily require the usage of softer sounds.
Pros
- Massive sound for a chamber choir
- Intuitive and practical GUI
- Unique Slavic sounds
Cons
- Vibrato on pianissimo samples can be distracting
8. Strezov Sampling Wotan Male Choir
Another choir VST we would like to highlight from Strezov is the Wotan Male Choir. This VST is considered to be one of the most revered sounds in the film industry — the Khazad-dum male choir, inspired by the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Made up of ten tenors and ten basses, this VST is bound to add a touch of choral intensity to any movie score.
One of the features of Wotan is that it combines sample recording of phrase building for convenience with the fully customizable functionality of word building. This option simplifies the creation of new sample content allowing you to build choral patterns, as well as connect different syllables, which can then be used to modify your very own choral compositions.
If that wasn’t enough: the Wotan Male Choir enables you to use the Agile Legato technique to play each and every syllable in the provided library using legato articulation — also known as Syllabuilding.
And the icing on the cake you ask? You can create polyphonic arrangements using intelligent voice leading. All you have to do is press a chord down on the left, and simultaneously play a melody on the right. You’ll notice that the legato transitions will immediately start to connect.
Pros
- Intense cinematic sound
- True legato for smooth and melodic movement
- Excellent word building features
Cons
- Limited syllabic range
- Manual is a bit too technical
Do I Hear Angels From Above?
Want to trick your listener into thinking that you spent thousands of dollars recording a hundred person choral ensemble? Then get one of the high quality choir VSTs on our list — that should do the trick!
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.
For this reason, we picked 17 Best Free EQ VST Plugins, so you can choose your most favorite one and use it for mixing as well as for mastering.
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. 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”
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17 Best Free EQ VST Plugins In 2020 For Mixing And Mastering
- DDMF Colour EQ | info & download
- SPL Free Ranger | info & download
- Analog Obsession STEQ v2 | info & download
- TDR Nova Parallel Dynamic Equalizer | info & download
- Cockos ReaEQ | info & download
- Blue Cat’s Triple EQ | info & download
- Analog Obsession Merica | info & download
- TinyQ lkjb | info & download
- Sonimus SonEQ | info & download
- Ignite Amps PTEq-X | info & download
- Leftover Lasagne Pushtec 5+1A EQ | info & download
- lkjb QRange | info & download
- TDR Slick EQ | info & download
- Manda Audio 7Q | info & download
- Mellowmuse EQ1A | info & download
- Voxengo Marvel GEQ | info & download
- Kuassa BASIQ | info & download
1. DDMF Colour EQ Review
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Specifications:
- 64-bit processing
- Low-CPU Usage
- Customizable GUI
- Great warm sound
- 5 Bands
- Resizable Window
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)
2. SPL Free Ranger Review
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Specifications:
- Four useful bands
- Volume knob
- Great sound
- Four buttons to switch between EQ settings
Features & When To Use:
With a sleek, minimalistic design Free Ranger is a powerful EQ. V-machine desktop vst vst plugin player.
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
3. Analog Obsession STEQ v2 Review
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Specifications:
- mid-band (150Hz — 7kHz)
- fixed high (10kHz)
- low shelf (80Hz)
- Optical compressor knob
- Added preamp
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
4. TDR Nova Parallel Dynamic Equalizer Review
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Specifications:
Great for:
- Parametric equalization
- Dynamic equalization
- Frequency selective compression
- Multi-band compression
- Wideband compression
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.
5. Cockos ReaEQ Review
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Specifications:
- Low CPU & RAM
- Fast and highly configurable
- Portable — copy & run
- Resizeable GUI
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
6. Blue Cat’s Triple EQ Review
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Specifications:
- Semi-parametric EQ
- +/- 40dB Range per band
- MIDI control and automation support
- Real-time display
- All sample rates supported
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.
Best Professional Vst Plugins
Check this one out for a small form factor powerful EQ!
Compatibility:
Windows 7 to 10, Mac OS 10.7 or newer.
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- 33 Best Waves Plugins of 2020 (Mixing & Mastering)
- Difference Between Active EQ, Passive EQ and Dynamic EQ
7. Analog Obsession Merica Review
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Specifications:
- Low & High Band — Shelf
- Mid Band — Proportional Q Peak
- HP & LP Filter — Constant
- Low CPU usage
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
8. TinyQ lkjb Review
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Specifications:
- Four bands (20 Hz to 20 kHz)
- Small form factor (ability to make larger if wanted)
- High & Low cuts range is 6 and 48 dB/octave
- Included frequency analyser
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)
9. Sonimus SonEQ Review
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Specifications:
- Three-band Equalizer, Low, Mid, High.
- 2 Musical Filters, High-Pass Low-Pass.
- Preamp stage with a bass booster.
- 64-bit floating-point precision.
- Up to 192kHz sample rates supported.
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
10. Ignite Amps PTEq-X Review
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Specifications:
- Three equalisation modules
- Stereo/Mono switching
- Four different tube types
- Global input/output level control
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
11. Leftover Lasagne Pushtec 5+1A EQ Review
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Specifications:
Several Audacity plugins, like LADSPA Plugin, LV2 Plugin, Nyquist Plugin, VST Plugin, Audio Unit Plugin, and Module Plugin are available to amplify the performance of Audacity. The above mentioned Audacity plugins have been used by several people and are very popular. Best Audacity Alternative to Record Music from Any Sites. Best audacity vst plugins.
- 6 Band mid-range EQ
- Presets built-in
- Algorithms based on famous analogue gear
- Designed for mixing and mastering
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
12. lkjb QRange Review
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Specifications:
- 12 bands
- peak, shelf and cut filter
- Cut filters (12, 24 and 48 dB/oct steepness)
- Stereo/Left/Right/Mid/Side routing for each band
- A global gain for loudness adjustments
- Resizable GUI
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
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13. TDR Slick EQ Review
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Specifications:
- Semiparametric EQ layout
- Three bands combined with 18dB/Oct high-pass filter
- Four EQ models: “American”, “British”, “German” and “Soviet” with optional non-linearity
- Five output stages: “Linear”, “Silky”, “Mellow”, “Deep” and “Toasted”
- Saturation algorithms by VoS (“Stateful saturation”)
Features & When To Use:
TDR’s Slick EQ provides a recognizable analogue sound.
When I try to insert a virtual instrument on a new track, I see the TAL plugin, but not the Piano One plugin.I have tried installing the 32-bit and 64-bit installers, and then I installed it one more time, changing the install directory to the same directory that the TAL plugin lives in. Neo piano free vst. I also figured the First Midi Song playlist from the Reaper site would be a good place to start.Unfortunately, I’ve run into a snag pretty early on. I just finished installing the Piano One and the TAL-NoiseMaker plugins, and restarted Reaper. I have acquired an Akai MPK Mini and thought it would be fun to play around with it so I installed Reaper. No dice.I see a large piano1.ins file but I see no direction to do anything with it in the PDF.Any help here for this noob would be great!
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
Mac VST2, VST3, AU, AAX 64 bit
14. Manda Audio 7Q Review
More Info & Download
Specifications:
- Seven band EQ
- Highpass/lowpass
- Stereo/mono options
- Left/right options
- Output level
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
Mac VST, AU, AAX
15. Mellowmuse EQ1A Review
More Info & Download
Specifications:
- HP: 10hz — 1khz / sweepable Q
- Low Shelf: 30hz — 500hz
- Low Mid: 70hz — 2khz / sweepable Q
- High Mid: 500hz — 6k / sweepable Q
- High Shelf: 1.5k — 18k
- Phase switch
- Output level
- 64-bit internal processing
- Formats: 64bit VST, VST3, AU and AAX
- Version: 3.2
- Legacy 32bit installers
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
16. Voxengo Marvel GEQ Review
More Info & Download
Specifications:
- 16-band graphic equalizing
- +/- 12 dB gain range per band
- Channel grouping
- Preset manager
- Contextual hint messages
- Freehand drawing mode
- Stereo and multi-channel processing
- Mid/side processing
- Undo/redo history
- All sample rates support
- Linear-phase equalizing
- Internal channel routing
- 64-bit floating-point processing
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
17. Kuassa BASIQ Review
More Info & Download
Specifications:
- Three-band EQ
- High, mid, low
- Presets tab
- Output level
- Very simple to use
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
Our Picks For Top 3 Free EQ VST Plugins
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!
1. DDMF Colour EQ Review
Best Vst Plugin Programming
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
2. TDR Nova Parallel Dynamic Equalizer
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
3. Blue Cat’s Triple
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
Conclusion
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.
Best Vst Plugins For Reason
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!
