Does anyone have any go to free audio effects they like to use? As an ambient musician I love reverbs and delays, lately I've been favouring the Tal Reverb 2 from TAL Audio and the Kiesel Free Delay. Throw those two on a pedal steel track in Band-in-a-Box and you can get some really lush background sounds. I've even been able to generate some ambient drones using some of our fingerpicking guitar styles! What kind of plugins do you use in your tunes?
Classic pack from Kjaerhaus (spelling?) Compressor, Delay, Reverb, AutoFilter are all decent. Compressor works well on vocals for a lot of what we do.
Ambience Reverb (Magnus worked with PGMusic years ago to fix a bug Ambience had in PT, been a fan ever since. Very powerful reverb.)
ReaPlugs from Reaper
Baxspander
Helian Bass
Glaceverb
A0 Parametric EQ can be effective sometimes
Lots of them, but Classic Compressor and Ambience Reverb are free ones that are used a lot here as 'go to' .. they don't always stay, but they do often enough that I try them early.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Please be careful choosing from where you download free plugins, to avoid malware. Even if the software itself is clean, some of the pages that dispense it are suspect.
/'End of Caution'/
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I used to grab every sort of free plug or VST that was out there. As time went on, I found myself gravitating towards certain plugs and totally ignoring the others due to their sound or whatever.
When I built my own custom DAW many years ago now, I decided to NOT load the myriads of freebee's that had accumulated in my first serious DAW.
Now, I use just a handful of plugs and VST's. Most of those are ones that I paid to get. My go-to plugs are in my Cakewalk Sonar software. That, and Ozone is about all I use.
So, no, I don't have or use much of the free stuff.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
A while back a forum member posted a notice about Waves TruVerb being offered as a free download by the company. I grabbed it and have found it to be full featured and very versatile. I have no idea if it is still available.
FWIW, my "go to" reverb is a EMT 140 Plate sim that is a module of Izotope's Nectar 2. Complete renown albums have been recorded using only the 140.
Cool thread.
Bud
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A while back a forum member posted a notice about Waves TruVerb being offered as a free download by the company. I grabbed it and have found it to be full featured and very versatile. I have no idea if it is still available.
I also got TrueVerb when it was a free download and agree, it is a nice one. I just checked, they are asking $99 for it now.
Btw, today I was really enjoying the Astralis synth that came in a Computer Music DVD. Not exactly freeware, but just about free Edit: sorry this is a synth not an effect.
Here are the free-b's that I just can not seem to lose after all these years / decades...
Kjaerhus Audio Classic Series - You can grab them from the Acoustica site, which is as legit as PG Music. These rock on everything IMHO, but shine on Electric Guitar & Vocals. They are in every production I do.
Tokyo Dawn Records - TDR Feedback Compressor II and the TDR Nova Dynamic EQ are 2 utility plugins that are all over my tracks. These 2 sound fantastic, and are easy to use. All the Free TDR stuff is well worth the time to grab & work with.
Pushtec 5+1A EQ - the Pushtec 5+1A EQ is one of those great finds.....IMHO it is one of the BEST midrange EQ's out there, free or not. It is SO important to have a good EQ to manipulate the critical mid area, and this one delivers in spades.
ALL the above are of a Quality WAY above the Free Price. Again, IMHO.
These, along with my IKMultimedia Total Studio 3, and the Native plugins in Reaper, have covered all my needs for the last 5 years or so. The only other pay-for I have is Breverb 2. With the Reverb's in Total Studio & the free Ambience Reverb, and the delays in Reaper I am pretty much covered...tho I REALLY would like to have Echo Boy... .
Anyhoo, this is just a IMHO, YMMV, yada yada type of post!
i5 3.20GHz, 32gb RAM, 1tb SSD OS, 12tb HDD, 4gb gForce vid card, 32" monitor, Audient id44, Win10 x64, BiaB/RB 2023, Reaper 6,IK Multimedia Total Studio 3.5 MAX, Waves 10
I love them so much I quickly coughed up the measly 24 euros to buy the full version of the MJUC and that is now my favourite PAID plugin. Finally I understand why the pros refer to compressors as musical instruments in their own right.
I'm also loving Izotope's neutrino referred to in a post below. It doesn't do much on already well balanced tracks (eg BIAB realtracks) but it's a sure-fire quick fix for the rest.
Not really an effect but a free alternative to Vocaloid is Alter/Ego by Plogue. I am just playing with this at the moment using the free Daisy voice bank and it seems excellent.
Useful thread to find out what other freebies are being used. Thanks Kallum.
Rec
Last edited by receder; 10/09/1611:35 PM.
BIAB 2022 UltraPAK, CbB, Studio One 5 Pro, Fender USA Tele, Harley Benton Fusion & others.
Owners of Focusrite interfaces have been getting free plugins every first of the month for several months now. It's called the Plugin Collective. Fairly good offers/plugins here.
Also over the past few months, Izotope has been giving away nice ones too. Vinyl and Delay are a couple of the recent ones I've received.
Not really an effect but a free alternative to Vocaloid is Alter/Ego by Plogue. I am just playing with this at the moment using the free Daisy voice bank and it seems excellent.
Useful thread to find out what other freebies are being used. Thanks Kallum.
I find I use Neutrino (Free from Izotope, Inc) more and more. Really punchy tool and seems to add clarity to one's mix. I have it running on all my BIAB Realtracks. I have no idea technically what it is, as I just use my ears. I put in on, come back, listen again and alter as nec.
It's done the trick for me. Next Thanksgiving I'll be buying there Advanced package for mixing and mastering in whatever format has Ozone Advanced etc.
Last edited by lambada; 04/01/1704:22 AM.
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487 BIAB 2021 (Build 818) Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi) VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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