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Best FREE Effect Plugins. Free effect VST Plugins, VST3 Plugins, Audio Units Plugins (AU), AAX Plugins and Rack Extension Plugins for Windows and Mac OS X. The results are sorted by most popular with KVR members (Data from MyKVR 'Favorites' Group). You can amend the search above. Direct link to. Download VST Plugins for MacOS. In this page you can find many instruments, synths with ready presets and variety of effects to make quality music. Many free Mac OS plugins.
Good mastering plugins can be hard to come by, and they candefinitely be expensive!
This is why I created this list of the best free masteringplugins which should help you get your mixes to a new level while not spendinganything!
Table of Contents
- Youlean Loudness Meter 2 (Windows/Mac)
- mvMeter 2 by TBProAudio (Windows/Mac)
- SPAN by Voxengo (Windows/Mac)
- LoudMax by Thomas Mundt (Windows/Mac)
- Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound (Windows/Mac)
- Voxengo Marvel GEQ (Windows/Mac)
- Stereo Tool v3 by Flux (Windows/Mac)
- IVGI by Klanghelm (Windows/Mac)
- Ferric TDS By Variety of Sounds (Windows)
- A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton (Windows/Mac)
- Baxter EQ by Variety of Sounds (Windows)
- ClipShifter 2 by LVC Audio (Windows/Mac)
- Bitter Sweet V3 by Flux (Windows/Mac)
- Stereo Buss by Minimal System Group (Windows)
- Wider by Polyverse Music (Windows/Mac)
Youlean Loudness Meter 2
One critical aspect of proper mastering, and also mixing, isbeing able to monitor properly.
Youlean Loudness Meter 2 is a free loudness metering pluginthat features four metering modes; LUFS, LRA, DR and true peak.
It’s one of the most accurate loudness metering plugins outthere, even when compared to other premium ones, and a lot of producers use it…
Which is a clear testament to its overall quality.
Even though you can get it for free, it does have a Proversion which comes with additional features.
This is an essential tool for any producer, especially ifbudget is an issue, since it will help you determine the proper amount ofloudness without sacrificing quality or dynamics.
The great thing is that it’s also a very visual plugin…
You can not only hear, but see what is going on… and this isalways a plus!
Not only this, but it includes loads of presets so you canmake sure to sound great on all the streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube,etc.
You can download it here.
Related: Are you looking for free reverb plugins? Here’s a list of 14 of them!
mvMeter 2 by TBProAudio
This is a simple and easy to use plugin which is better thansome of its premium counterparts.
It is a multivariable meter including RMS, EBUR128, VU andPPM measurement.
Additionally, it has multi-channel metering…
This means that you can see what’s happening on the stereo,left, right, mid, or side channels.
You can even choose between five different themes, if youdon’t like the look of a particular one…
Mastering Plugin Download
The mvMeter2, compared to the previous version, comes with acouple upgrades which are:
- single and dual meter display
- adjustable reference level for all meter modes
- adjustable meter delay
- preset management
You can download it here.
Related: If you’re looking for a free DAW, then here’s anarticle for you on that exact topic.
SPAN by Voxengo
SPAN is a free spectrum analyzer plugin which is absolutelyessential for mastering if you want your mixes to end up sounding loud but notcrushed.
It has a fairly simple Interface which, in my opinion, doesn’treally look that great… but it’s still customizable to some extent.
However, it’s very accurate and useful, plus it’s compatiblewith almost any DAW available right now.
It comes loaded with features such as being able to routemultiple tracks into SPAN and then comparing their frequency content.
Applications
- Fast Fourier transform spectrum analyzer
- Stereo, mid-side, surround spectrum analyzer
- Stereo correlation meter
- EBU R128, K-system meter
- RMS, true peak level and clipping detector
You can download it here.
LoudMax by Thomas Mundt
LoudMax is a Loudness Maximizer Plugin with a clean andtransparent sound.
It is designed to retain the original character of the musicas much as possible even at high compression levels.
It’s a very simple yet powerful tool.
It has two sliders which are: Threshold and output.
LoudMax is a plugin which I’d recommend to beginners sinceits simplicity will better help you understand how to properly use a limiter.
But, even though it’s extremely simple, it’s still a greatplugin!
Features
- True Peak Limiting (Further information for ISPbelow)
- Supported Samplerates: 2kHz – 384kHz
- Latency: 1.25ms (+ 6 samples with ISP)
- Look-Ahead and Attack Time: 1.25ms
- Release Time: Automatic – depending on the inputsignal
- No audible distortion
- Possible overdrive: 740dB
- Very low CPU usage
You can download it here.
Interested in free Synth vst plugins? Here’s an entire post on that topic.
Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound
Remember I said that LoudMax is a very simple plugin withjust two controls?…
Well, Limiter №6 is far more complex and also versatile…
This is why I wouldn’t recommend it to absolute beginners.
It offers more control than LoudMax, meaning that it allowsyou to do more detailed tweaking, but it’s a bit harder to use.
It has five modules which include: RMS compressor,peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter.
Even some premium plugins don’t come with such featuresincluded…
So, definitely give it a try!
Features
- 5 modules: RMS compressor, peak limiter,high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter
- high-quality signal processing to use formastering purposes
- brickwall and soft limiting with differenttiming settings
- M/S and multiband modes
- optional 4x oversampling
- true inter-sample peaks (ISP) limiting
- analog-style indication
- 2 different GUIs
You can download it here.
Looking for free guitar VST plugins? Here are the 15 best ones.
Voxengo Marvel GEQ
Voxengo is a very well-known company that creates excellentfree plugins…
And Marvel GEQ is no exception.
Having a good EQ is essential for any mixing and masteringengineer.
This is a linear-phase 16-band graphic equalizer which youshould definitely give a try.
It comes with an “undo/redo” function which can be quitehelpful.
Marvel GEQ offers extensive internal channel routingcapabilities, and supports mid/side channel processing.
Supporting mid/side channels is a fantastic feature since itallows you to treat the information in the center in a different way than theinformation on the sides.
Marvel GEQ allows audio engineers and musicians to applyquick EQ shape adjustments, both to audio tracks and full mixes.
Applications
- Track graphic equalizer
- Voice streaming equalizer plugin
- Mastering graphic equalizer
- Stereo, mid-side, 5.1 surround equalizer
- Transparent graphic equalizer
You can download it here.
Related: Looking for free compression plugins? Then here’s a list I wrote just about that topic.
Stereo Tool v3 by Flux
StereoTool is a free plugin that offers precise control ofinput gain and individual pan for left and right channels.
It also comes with an accurate visual feedback, reflectingthe content with;
A vector scope, PPM meters for inputs/outputs, phasecorrelation meter permanently monitoring the signal and individual left andright polarity reversal.
In some cases, mixes require some balancing of theinformation between the channels, and if your mix has some balance or phaseissues, then StereoTool can be quite helpful.
Features
- Input Gain controls for adjusting the level forleft and right channels before processing
- Phase inversion of the incoming signal on leftand right channels
- Individual panning control for left and rightchannels
- Vector Scope Display providing accurate visualfeedback reflecting the signal stereo image content graphically.
You can download it here.
Interested in free Auto-Tune VST plugins? Here’s a post about the best ones.
IVGI by Klanghelm
I love Klanghelm. I use a couple of their compressors andthey all work great!
So, it’s no surprise that this saturation and distortionplugin is also excellent!
Adding a bit of saturation to your final mix can completelychange the way it sounds, and in a good way!
One of the issues in todays music industry is that we allrecord using digital gear, which is fantastic in its own way…
But some of those older sounds that we love came from theimperfections of recording with tape and analog gear.
This is why adding a bit of warmth, using a saturationplugin, can do wonders!
Not only can IVGI add warmth, but it can also be used tocompletely distort tracks, and it also lets you alter the frequency dependencyof the saturation with the RESPONSE control.
You can download it here.
Ferric TDS By Variety of Sounds
Ferric is a tape dynamic simulator which was inspired by thedynamic shaping capabilities of some high-end reel-to-reel tape recorders.
It simulates three of the most distinctive sonic effects ofthese devices:
- Dynamics: gently shaping the overalldynamic response.
- Saturation: adding extra harmonic-relatedcontent.
- Limiting: controlling peak performance.
Since most people don’t have access to vintage tapemachines, they would need some sort of plugin to achieve the same effect…
And this is where Ferric TDS comes in!
It simulates dynamics for shaping the overall dynamicresponse, adds extra harmonics and saturation effects, and controls outgoingpeaks.
You can download it here.
Looking for free Distortion VSTs? Here’s a post I wrote about the best ones.
A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton
Often times you’d want to give your mixes a wider andexpansive sound…
This is where A1Stereo Control comes in.
One issue can arise which is “widening the bass end”, sincethe bass should always be in the center.
This plugin comes with the “Safe Bass” algorithm whichcenters everything below a user-configurable value.
This gives your tracks the solidity and definition you want whilepreserving maximum transparency and sharpness.
Simply turn on “Safe Bass” and adjust thefrequency if needed and that’s it… It’s really that simple.
You can download it here.
Baxter EQ by Variety of Sounds
Like I mentioned earlier, EQ is an absolutely critical elementof the mastering process…
And it is used for very gentle accentuation of specificfrequencies which affect the whole mix.
BaxterEQ was designed to be used for this specific purposewhich is why is has a full dual channel layout as well as mid/side encodingsupport, and per-channel level for easy A/B matching.
Features
- lowripple and distortion filter implementations
- 64bitfloating point internal processing
- oversampledfor superior impulse response
- naturaland accurate bass response
- authenticanalog style HF curve rendering
- smoothestshelving operation
You can download it here.
ClipShifter 2 by LVC Audio
ClipShifter is a wave-shaping audio plugin that functionslike a clipping-style limiter.
It provides enough user controls to be useful in all mixingstages: from distorting basses and drums, to maximizing mix buses andwarming-up overall mixes.
The distortion can be altered from a hard, brickwall-styleclipping, to softer saturation with compression.
ClipShifter can be used in static or dynamic mode.
Also, there is an independent left/right or mid/sidecontrol.
Most of the features of this plugin are free, but if youwant to access all of them, you’ll need to purchase the premium one…
Or you can purchase Clipped-Max which is an updated version of the software, plus it includes a key for ClipShifter as well.
Features
- Clipping style limiter
- Controls for Clip Shape (hard to soft) andharmonics
- Low CPU usage
- Standard LVC-Audio metering, including VU-style,PPM-style, and loudness meters to easily monitor input and output levels
- Scalable waveform history view
You can download it here.
Looking for free Drum VST plugins? Here are the best ones.
Bitter Sweet V3 by Flux
Flux is a well-known and respected company that createdhigh-quality plugins…
Bitter Sweet is basically their free version of a sweeteningplugin.
At its core, this is a tone and transient shaper pluginwhich with just one turn of a knob can reduce/magnify the transients, makingthe sound sweet or bitter.
By turning the knob to the sweet side, you get a very smoottransient which brings a silky tonal character with it.
On the other hand, turning it to Bitter, you get a much moreaccentuated and aggressive tonal characteristic.
Since this plugin is so easy to use, I’d say that evensomeone who is a complete beginner should download it!
Features
- Upto 8 channels Input/Output
- OutputGain
- Controlsthe Output Gain at the end of the processing (-/+ 12 dB).
- Linkto Output Gain – Compensates the Output Gain depending on the Transient Amountin order to achieve unity gain.
You can download it here.
Stereo Buss by Minimal System Group
This is a free compression plugin specifically designed specifically for Master Bus compression.
Compression helps glue all the tracks together to createthat sense of congruency in the mix, and while this is certainly doable withmost compression plugins…
Stereo Buss does it better!
Basically, if you’re looking to add some finishing touches toyour mixes, then Stereo Buss might be the compression plugin you need!
Tip: Try introducing the Stereo Buss Compressor earlyin the mixing process.
This all depends on how you like to mix, but it often timeshelps with gluing the tracks together faster…
And this means faster mixes!
Features
- AnalogueModelled Buss Compressor.
- TheXStudioToolz stereo Buss Compressor can be used on the Master Buss and also onsub-groups (Drum Groups etc).
- Greatvisual feedback.
- Greatsound.
- Presets.
- ProfessionalGUI Design.
- Verylow CPU usage.
You can download it here.
Wider by Polyverse Music
This is a simple free plugin that widens your stereo signal…
The added benefit of Wider is that it does this withoutcausing phase issues when you listen to the mix in mono because any widenedsignal will always remain in phase.
It’s extremely easy to use because you can only control oneparameter; the width.
And that’s it!
It creates a much wider stereo feel and it doesn’t mess withthe phase at all!
Excellent plugin that I absolutely recommend!
You can download it here.
Conclusion
I hope I was able to provide the information you neededhere.
I believe that all of the plugins on this list areabsolutely amazing considering that they are free!
Wider is fantastic, and I also love Youlean Loudness Meterand mvMeter 2.
Give them a try and see how you like them!
Have a great day!
Free Mastering Plugins For Mac Os X High Sierra Download
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This post is for the Mac users.
When it comes to Mac OS X, the number of freeware plugins is very low, compared to the Windows world.
The popular “Save as VST” softwares (Synthedit and Synthmaker) are Windows only.
The “upgrade” politic of Apple is a sort of nightmare for developers (and sometimes users!), so many old free plugins don’t work anymore…
I have searched for free MAC plugins over the web and then tested !
– only free synth (not effects), in VST and or AudioUnit (AU) format
– the OS used is Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
– i tested the plugins in Ableton Live 9 / Renoise / some free VST & AudioUnit host softwares (Pedalboard, the JUCE open source plugin host, VSTLord, AULab, Ugly VSTi Interface…)
It’s a selection with free virtual analog synths, organ emulations, epiano emulations, drum synth, bass synth, FM synth, emulation of Oberheim / NordLead / DX 7 synth, chip synth, guitar emulation…
and here a list of 25 free synth plugins for Mac OS X :
1. Synth1 AU/ VST
The must-have free synth plugin is available for Mac since one or two years, it is in beta state, it still have some minor bugs with the UI, but it’s usable and you can benefit from the incredible amount of presets created for Synth1, including these 😀
=>
https://blog.wavosaur.com/synth1-presets-chris-bank-volume-2/Â &
https://blog.wavosaur.com/chris-bank-synth1-reup/
I had some problems for saving preset in Ableton Live.
Synth1 can do an incredible variety of sounds.
The most versatile Synth in this list
2. OBXD AU / VST
OBXD AU
The free Oberheim OB-X OB-Xa OB-8 emulation !
work without any problem in my AudioUnit / VST hosts on Mac.
3. Tyrell N6 AU / VST
http://www.u-he.com/cms/tyrelln6Â
DL here : http://www.amazona.de/amazona-de-freeware-synthesizer-tyrell-n6-v3/
U-He loves the Mac, don’t hesitate to have a look at the other freeware on the Website, all are working without problems in VST or AudioUnit format. I have also selected Triple Cheeze and Zebralette from the same developer. These plugins are good and full featured.
TyrellN6 plugin comes with a big amount of presets, and a deep variety of sounds. It’s powerful and easy to program. It’s rock solid stable and have a nice UI too!
4. FreeAlpha AU / VST
FreeAlpha AU
This freeware from LinPlug sounds very good, it has punch and is easy to tweak. It can do punchy bass, but also nice pads and clean leads. Despite its simple look, it’s powerful and funky!
5. Crystal AU / VST
The old Crystal Synth is still top, and one of the best synth for complex / evolving PADS, with its multipoint envelopes, and the complete modulation matrix.
One of the best virtual synth, for more than 10 years!
6. TAL NoiseMaker AU / VST
TAL Noisemaker
Like U-He, TAL has many freebees for Mac OS X.
I have selected Noize M4k3r and Elek7tro but you also have other interesting plugins.
The “Noise Maker” plugin has two osc + sub, a good filter and the famous Chorus “a la Roland”, so you have all you need for your fat bass/lead. Certainly more agressive than Crystal, it completes well the sonic arsenal.
7. Dexed FM VST
The famous free Yamaha DX7 emulation ! It’s VST only (no AU for the moment).
Use the cart / load / save button to browse or import presets.
It can read / write sysex files for and from the DX7.
Now all your FM needs are fullfilled: you can do pop ballad or Detroit techno, vive la FM !
8. MiniSpillage AU (Drum Synth)
MiniSpillage AU
Now that we have the FM synth, the Pad synth, the Bass synth and Lead capable synths, we need a DRUM synth. The Minispillage plugin has three dedicated algo for bass drum, wood drum and hihat.
I tend to prefer “Drumatic” but Drumatic is Windows only.
9. ComboF organ AU / VST
After all these synths, we now need an emulation of our prefered organ : the Farfisa combo organ!
ComboF gives you the sound of the Italian electric organ we all love. Available for Mac and windows, in AudioUnit and VST!
10. MrTramp 2 e-piano AU / VST
MrTramp2
After the organ emulation, we need the electric piano! MrTramp 2 is the best (free or not) emulation of the Wurlitzer electric piano. It’s raining again ! Now you can sound like Supertramp ! Breakfast in America !! There are not so much controls but you don’t need more, and the sound is excellent.
11. Cheeze Machine AU
A dedicated string synth plugin for Mac ! The Cheeze machine from Big Tick is a kind of Arp Solina emulation. It has this phaser / chorus creamy sound.
it’s AU only and should work with your favorite Mac host software.
12. TripleCheese AU / VST
TripleCheeze plugin
Cheese again !
The U-He contribution to the first KVR Developer Challenge. It’s an original synth with unusual sound generation. Nice for plucked sounds. Works well on my Mac OS X Mountain Lion. Thanks to the comb filter, you can generate very original sounds.
13. Zr3 organ VST
We have ComboF for the Farfisa emulation, and for the Hammond B3 organ lovers, there’s Zr3.
It’s VST only and works nice in Ableton Live 9.
The only good free Hammond B3 emulation for Mac OS X.
14. TAL Elek7ro AU / VST
TAL Elektro
A perfect free synth for bass and perc sounds.
Don’t forget to check the other TAL plugins !
15. VST Speek AU / VST
Coming from here ! the funkiest text to speech in plugin format !
The best C64 Sam oldskool text to speech emulator, for all your techno voices.
Available in 32 & 64 bit, VST & AU
16. Zebralette AU / VST
Zebralette plugin
Coming with the demo of Zebra, the famous synth by u-He, Zebralette is a nice synth, with unusual sound, and powerful possibilities and plenty of special waveforms to play with.
17. Model – E VST
The antic VST from Steinberg, now free, and now available in VST format for Mac OSX.
It has been surpassed in all domain by many other synth (freeware included). But it can be useful and you can get some nice sounds out of it if you tweak it with love.
18. VB-1 virtual bass VST
VB1 bass
Another prehistoric virtual synth from Steinberg, this virtual bass plugin is free and available with Model E in the same package (see link above). Very simple sound, can be useful.
Freeware for Mac are rare so we take it!
19. MDA Piano ePiano DX10 & JX10 VST
NO GUI
These free VST work for Mac OS X, they don’t have UI, you’ll have to use the default interface supplied by your host.
– Piano & ePiano are sample based synth, the ePiano is very good, it’s a kind of Rhodes emulation.
– DX10 is a FM Synth, it has only two operators, but you can still get nice bell sounds out of it.
– JX10 is a very nice virtual analog synth, despite some bugs (the Windows version has the same), it can do some very nice leads.
20. 4Front R-Piano AU / VST
Another free electric piano emulation for your Mac!
It’s simple and has a nice clean sound. Perfect for deep house chords.
21. Chip32 AU
Chip 32 AU
This is the URL where you can also find the Cheeze Machine VST, and also the very good Clavinet emulation by Big Tick (TickyClav). Chip32 is a very simple plugin, perfect for your chip tune needs.
22. Spicy Guitar AU / VST
A free Audio Unit / VST emulation of an acoustic guitar ! It’s use a physical modelled synthesis, and is a great emulation. Here are coming the ukulele / banjo / Flamenco guitar !
23. Scythe VST
Scythe VST
A very simple VA Synth (VST only), with two oscillators, a filter, modulation envelope & some embedded effects : bitcrusher / phaser / chorus / delay.
It’s simple but efficient.
You can also generate random presets!
24. Automat AU
A virtual substractive synth with 3 osc, and filter for each osc, + many effects and modulations.
It’s audiounit only, and like Scythe, it has a random preset generator.
Free Mastering Vst Plugins
25. VOPM VST
VOPM VST synth
A VST emulation of the Yamaha YM2151 Chip that was used in many arcade games, and is similar to the chip in the Sega Megadrive. It’s a 4 operator FM synth, with 8 algorithm.
here’s a lot of preset for VOPM : http://truechiptilldeath.com/blog/2010/05/04/opm-patches-out-of-most-genesis-games/
26. Bonus tracks ?
Free Mastering Plugins For Mac Os X 10 12
1) there’s also kickmaker, a free kick drum synthesizer in VST and AU format : http://teragonaudio.com/KickMaker.html
and C700, that can load sample in aiff and wav format :
http://picopicose.com/software.html
2) I also tried other free VST plugins for MAC , but with no luck (no one working in any host on my Mac OS X Mountain Lion), i think these are too old plugins, or maybe ppc plugins (even if they were said to work on Mac OS X).
For example :
the Delay Lama ! http://www.audionerdz.nl/download.htm
AU303 & AirySynth : http://airy.andre.online.fr/AU/index.html#au303
Free Mastering Plugins For Cubase
3) I’m working on a port of Rave Generator VST for MAC, here you can find a beta (x64 only, VST only) :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/149376535107031/835302689847742/
3) I’m also working on a port of CreakBox (the TB303 plugin) for MAC OS X (i already have converted it to VST2.4 then to 64 bit), see link ( @ 6. and in the comments) :
https://blog.wavosaur.com/best-free-tb-303-emulation-sotware-vst-plugins-standalone/
Free Mastering Plugins For Mac Os X 10 11
4) i’ll do another posts with the free effect plugins for MAC ! It seems there are more effects available for free than synths.