The best free music software

[southpaw]

"The giant free audio plugin database"!http://www.gersic.com/plugins/

[southpaw]

Anyone know if the antress plugs are mac compatible?

[chriscarter]

There are a bunch of free VST plugs I tend to use often or regularly… even on major label projects. They are:1) The Blueline delay. Don’t ask me where to get it, I have no clue. It’s old, but I can dial up delays with that thing faster than anything else on the planet and do some cool tricks with it. 2) Antress “N*ve* EQ. Does it sound like a Neve? No. Do I care? No. Does it sound good? Yes.3) KJaerhause classic compressor. Very good utility compressor.4) SIR. Reverb convolution… this thing is FREE?!?!!!?! 5) Blockfish compressor. Insane for drum buss duties or drum room mics6) Blockfish de-esser. Not glamorous, but easy and fast to use and gets the job done well.7) DDMF EQs. I actually rarely use these EQs because the user interface is a pain which slows me down. They are technically not free, but you pay what you want for them so that’s close enough.

[Mark Kaufman]

I need to learn how to use that SIR convolution reverb. I have it, but I'm still in the baffled stage...like a kid driving an 18-wheeler.

[devin]

Love this thread, btw.(gotta run...18 wheeler heading this way....)

[robbylane]

"1) The Blueline delay. Don’t ask me where to get it, I have no clue. It’s old, but I can dial up delays with that thing faster than anything else on the planet and do some cool tricks with it."This limiter "package" can be found at music-boss.com or just google blueline delay.

[mojobone]

Jan 19, 2009, 8:59am, lyle wrote:I need to learn how to use that SIR convolution reverb. I have it, but I'm still in the baffled stage...like a kid driving an 18-wheeler.Remind me which platform you're on, Mark? I use it in Tracktion all the time, maybe I can help.Chris' list of go to plugs looks very similar to mine, hmmmm. Huge databases of free plugs are maybe less useful than short lists of free ones used by folks who can afford to pay; I probably have too many plugs already, and the time spent evaluating them can get a bit spendy, too.

[Mark Kaufman]

Jan 19, 2009, 11:00pm, mojobone wrote:Remind me which platform you're on, Mark? I use it in Tracktion all the time, maybe I can help.I'm in Cubase (Studio 4) and I have it installed and can pull it up as a VST...but I'm baffled by the interface itself and haven't figured out how to make it amaze me. Suppose I should maybe READ ABOUT IT...

[gburgess]

When Computer Music Magazine (out of the UK) did an article on EQ they recommended the following free plugs.Voxengo Overtone GEQ http://www.voxengo.com They offer several other plugs. I have not used except for the GEQ. Just sharing Computer Music Mag recommendation.Karma FX EQ http://www.karmafx.net They offer several other plugs. I have not used. Just sharing Computer Music Mag recommendation.NyquistEq5 http://magnus.smartelectronix.com/#effects They offer several other plugs. I have not used. Just sharing Computer Music Mag recommendation.If any of you try any of the plugs found on these pages please share feedback on them.GB

[mojobone]

S.I.R. is completely dependent on the impulse responses that you load into it. An impulse response is a processed .WAV file of a reverb tail from an actual acoustic space. (except when it's not) You can find some great impulse responses here. Don't worry about the language, just click the link that says "impulse responses". You'll want 24-bit IRs, if that's the bit depth you record with. These things take forever to download over a dialup connection, but it can be done and it's SO worth it. Some good ones are the "Lexikon 960" snapshots (ambiences.zip, chambers.zip, hall.zip, plate.zip, postpro.zip, rooms.zip.) The E-250 and UAD 140 are cool too. If snapshots of high-end hardware aren't getting it done, there are some more natural IRs here. Find them under "natural spaces". Once you've downloaded the IRs, unzip them into the same plug in folder with S. I. R. You should then be able to load them. S. I. R., like any convo reverb is pretty processor intensive, so I usually set it up as a bus processor, so I can feed it several instruments at once; multiple instances would bog down my machine.Here are a few more, though some of these are also found above:http://www.impulseresponse.org/real_rooms.htmHTH