9 - FREE Plugin Archive for Metal Production [ongoing...]
97 plugins and countingā¦
I keep getting questions about plugins from people starting out with guitar or generally in digital, and I wanted to have a single archive of pieces of software I love.
So, hereās the list. Iāve split them into the following categories:
PEDALBOARD - Processes that traditionally go before the amp or insert in the āpre-amp out/power amp inā section.
(Pre-)AMP - Pre-amp and/or Power-amp
CAB / SPEAKER - IR loaders and IR files
MIXING - This will be further split into categories like compression, etc.
PRE-PRODUCTION - writing tools and instruments like drums, orchestrals, etc.
Starting point for audio samples - These four recordings are what I fed through plugins. Example: The guitar riff is going through NeuralDSP Nolly X on its default pre-set. Any pedals you hear will be put in-front of the amp sim, and Mixing stuff will be after.
Pedalboard
Mercuriall Overdrives + Chorus - Just download all four āpedalsā.
Ignite Amps ProF.E.T. - narsty high distortion
(Pre-)AMP
Neural Amp Modeller - Amazing tool to model any non-linear process (like the saturation of a pre-amp, distortion of a pedal, etc. There are tons of models out there, hereās one Ola Englund made of his Randall Satan, you can get all others on ToneHunt
Bogren Ampknob MLC - Check in with Bogren for free products, especially around sale/promo. Iāve seen the Ampknob MLC go for free which is an absolute beast.
AmpliTube 5 Custom Shop - Most models are paid for, but the free ones are great.
STL Tones - Ignite Emissary and NadIR - the modern classic (there are also four other free amps by Ignite)
Sample with the Wilkinson Audio IRs, below.
LePou amps - if digital amps could be vintage, these would be that. (only because these are some of the first metal-specific amp sims that didnāt sound like ass)
AuroraDSP Goblyn - nasty pre-amp, cool as a distortion into an amp.
ML Sound Lab Amped Roots and Steveie T - these are free, man. Wild.
Bass-specific
AuroraDSP Unified - great for thick, clean bass
TSE BOD - as above, but a little more tone shaping possibilites
CAB / SPEAKER
IR loaders (the software that convolves the IR, reverb-specific IR convolution under Mixing):
AuroraDSP Fenrir - comes with great IRs, a handy visualizer where you can align multiple IRs and also export them - super handy.
Ignite Amps NadIR - has very handy and powerful tone-shaping knobs. (the resonance knob is extremely powerful)
Just the Speaker/Cab IR audio files:
Bogren IR pack - sick.
Lichtlaerm LCFR-150 speaker - you could buy the speaker, but they allow you to just download the free IR which is awesome
Wilkinson Audio - Extremely in depth digitalization of a Mesa OS 4x12 cab with 700+ IRs.
Redwirez - Marshall 1960 cab
My mixed Mesa IR https://tinyurl.com/666TonsOfDownloads (under Sample Libraries/IR Issue 1/IR_6160iii_MesaLead.wav) I personally think itās a pretty sick Lead type speaker.
MIXING
Plugin suites / Channel strips
Acustica Audio - Their plugins are the equivalent of āmake shit goodā for analog-heads running tracks through their gear for the coloration. Their EQs are sick (COFFEE, CORAL, TITANIUM), great compressors (ARCTIC, TAN, JET). Also a sick saturator for guitar bus (FIRETHEPUMP). Iām extremely impressed at these.
Analog Obsession CHANNEV - This is their channel strip. Analog Obsessions also have tons of other vintage-style plugins EQ, compressors, saturationsā¦ just download them all. They donāt mess with reaperās wet:dry blend feature which is super awesome; It means thereās very little phase incoherence so itās great for parallel processing
Bonus: Since this one has so many plugins I also added a guitar bus sample because I specifically want to show some love to their GrapHack EQ which is also a band-specific saturator. Itās really fucking cool and a powerful tone shaper.
ReaPlugs Suite - REAPERās stock plugins now work with any audio software (including video editors that allow .vst inserts like Davinci Resolve). ReaFIR is a super powerful noise remover / gate / linear phase EQ, itās stupidly flexible, ReaComp can oversample and ReaXComp has been my go to for controlling chugs forever.
TDR Nova - My favorite multiband for controlling chugs (also get all their other freeware)
Baby Audio - Four easy to use, single-knob -type plugins
Dynamics
Sonic Anomaly Unlimited - My favorite free limiter
TDR Kotelnikov - mastering compressor
D16 Frontier - Limiter
LoudMax - Super easy to use limiter
LVC Limited-Z - Limiter thzatās good for learning, with gain-reduction visualizer
Techivation T-De-Esser 2 - de-esser
Native Instruments Supercharger - very colored/saturated compressor
EQ
TDR SlickEQ - parametric, good way to force you to use your ears
TDR PTEq-X - Pultec-style EQ
KiiveAudio Warmy EP1A - WARM-audio inspired, which is a Pultec-style EQ (plug-in, of a knock off, of a knock off haha)
Other (imaging, temporal effects, ā¦)
Klanghelm - Get all, but IVGI (saturator) is a must. I love it on a guitar bus to tame distorted guitar sizzle.
Vocal Menace - All in one vox processor by Chris Liepe
Softube Saturation Knob - as above, also for saturation in mastering for more loudness or to tame cymbals.
Valhalla Super Massive and Space Modulator
iZotope Ozone imager (widener / stereo width control) and Vocal Doubler
Polyverse Music Wider (claims mono compatibility, with a high-pass)
MeldaProductions MConvolutionEZ - convolution (IR-based) reverb
Lexicon 480L - reverb IRs (as .aif, but thatās also lossless so who cares)
BL Denoiser - if ReaFIR doesnāt do enough, could give this denoiser a go.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Bass
IKMultimedia MODO Bass 2 - 1 free model
Drums
Bogren Krimh Drums Free - you donāt need anything else for metal (stereo out only in the free version)
MIDIRemap (tool) - for when your friends use Toontrack and you use Bogren drums, for example
Orchestras / Choirs / Other
Sidenote: get them all and combine them. Where one lacks, the others make up, which is the whole point of why an orchestra/choir is so big (composition also plays an enormous role, but thatās a different story)
Spitfire BBC Orchestra and LABS - Get both, and download ALL the LABS libraries because theyāre ALL seriously amazing
ProjectSAM - get both v1 and v2. My favorite here are the horns and choir
Decent Sampler - very unique instruments, especially excellent for texture
Aegean Music Pitchproof - SUPER USEFUL. Itās here because I use it all the time as a tool to help figure out vocal harmonies. The pitch algorithm is a bit dodgy at certain timbres/pitches so itās more of a tool for my use case.
Honorable mentions
These are either:
[1] part of indirect purchases (like if you own a Focusrite interface you get RedSuite for free), or
[2] may become free or very cheap during promotions.
Purafied - he put his plugins at 99% off recently. The everything bundle cost me ā¬2 instead of 400+.
If you own a Focusrite (these change a lot, also depends on interface model)
FLUX:: Analyzer, Focusrite Red Suite, Brainworx bx_console
If you own an SSL
SSL Native VocalStrip 2 and Drumstrip, IKMultimedia Amplitube 5, Melodyne 5 essential
UAudio Century Tube Channel Strip
Thatās all iām putting here because itās such a variable section depending on promos these companies run, also BedroomProducersBlog has a pretty exhaustive news feed with deals / promo. Also, check your interfaceās bundled software (!!!!!!), thereās probably lots of really excellent stuff in there.
Thanks to Ola Englund Discord members āSerƶgaā for suggesting and reminding me of MT Power Drumkit and Aegean Pitchproof, and āml78ā for BL Denoiser.
