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 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & 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
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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