Plugins and other Resources:
Free and/or open source resources including a curated list of cross-platform plugins
Introduction
I started this list of free and/or open source resources, including a curated list of cross-platform plugins, for my students as an exploration of options to to make Reaper more comparable to substantially more expensive software packages. I thought other people might find it helpful.
This list is in no way intended to be comprehensive, but curated to focus on mostly free and/or inexpensive resources for professional computer-based music production that are:
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- High quality (plugins that work well and as expected, do not crash, reputable companies).
- Cross-platform (MacOS and Windows, at least).
- Resources to be used by my students.
It began as multiple course documents and part of my Why Reaper? discussion—which has as stated one of the goals of adding free, cross-platform functionality to Reaper out of the box to make it more comparable with other more expensive commercial digital audio workstation (DAW) packages. At the same time, to create awareness of options that might make it more accessible for students to work at home (or coffeehouses, libraries, parks, breaks on their night jobs, etc.) with differing OSs, new or old laptops, and differing levels of discretionary income.
Some notes are from my ensembles, programming, composition, and other courses teach or have taught. I have also drawn from an instructional resources document I helped develop with my colleague Dr. Eric Honour in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden movement to online instruction.
This page continues to be updated regularly, so check back.
Also: please feel free to contact me if any plugins on the list are deprecated, or if there are some (professional quality, cross-platform, free) that you recommend.
Sections:
Synths, Samplers, Komplete Start
Equalizers (EQs) and Channel Strip Utilities
Metering, Spectrum Analysis, and Imaging
Compressors, Limiters, Dynamics, Gates, Transient Shapers
Choruses, Filters, Flangers, Doublers, Vocoders, and more
Mastering and Collections/Suites of general plugins
DAWs and Production
Reaper
Reaper is my go-to DAW. It is professional, cross-platform, fully functions in demo mode, and is reasonably priced. To continue using in demo mode you just need to click the “Still Evaluating” button. They are a very generous company: the demo does not expire. We love it. If you do as well, and are financially able, please buy a license after you've used the demo for a while.
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- I put together a list of reasons to use Reaper at this link.
- Check out our combination of text and video-based tutorials, Two-Minute (Or So) Tutorials For Reaper DAW
- For more extensive longer form tutorials, if you have more time on your hands, we highly recommend This is REAPER 6
- And download Reaper DAW at http://reaper.fm/
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is required for my Tech Performance students and New Technology Ensemble members. There is a free “lite” version that works great and comes bundled with MIDI controllers and other hardware. Focusrite, Novation, Akai, Native Instruments, and many others include a free bundled license for Ableton Live Lite.
- Ask around, a friend who purchased a controller might have an extra license on one of their accounts.
- Academic pricing is available for Standard and Suite, 40 percent off. No educational price for the Intro version.
- I love Ableton Live and use it regularly, check out my M4L plugins under Max/Software and KaiGen.
Synths, Samplers, Komplete Start
Komplete Start
Komplete Start is a free production suite with 2000+ sounds from synths, sampled instruments, essential effects, and samples.
- Highly Recommended, and FREE. Includes:
- Reaktor Player
- Host for all Komplete Instruments powered by Reaktor.
- Blocks Base
- A free modular synth setup for Reaktor 6 Player – includes a selection of essential Blocks.
- Traktor Dj
- Free DJ app for iPad and desktop, made for everybody to mix. With SoundCloud integration and powerful tools for creative DJing.
- Kontakt Player
- An application [sample player and more) that runs all Native Instruments’ Kontakt instruments, as well as a large number of instruments from other companies
- Mikro Prism
- Fully-playable instrument based on the synthesizer Reaktor Prism.
- Supercharger
- Tube compressor emulation
- Guitar Rig Player
- Free, expandable effects engine with one amp, 17 cabinets and 13 effects and modifiers. Super-easy to use.
- Reaktor Player
- https://www.native-instruments.com/en/catalog/free/
Synths and Instruments
- Reaktor Player - Host for all Komplete Instruments powered by Reaktor.
- Blocks Base- A free modular synth setup for Reaktor 6 Player – includes a selection of essential Blocks.
- Mikro Prism - Fully-playable instrument based on the synthesizer Reaktor Prism.
- Cherry Audio has a free version of their modular synthesizer environment
- Tal Noisemaker
- OB-XD - Emulates Oberheim OB-X
- Pg-8x - Emulates JX-8P
- Synth1 - Emulates Clavia Nord Lead 2 Red Synth
- Dexed - Emulates DX7, loads original DX7 patch files!
- Helm - Simple, effective.
- Sample Science - Multiple, really interesting instruments. Free samples and plugins with a focus on retro sounds.
- PureMagnetik - Two links, one to free plugins and one to free Ableton packs. Good for percussion sounds and experimental effects processing.
- Full Bucket Music - Free, focus on emulating vintage Korg synths.
- Crystal - Free semi-modular soft synth.
- u-he - Free synths are at the bottom of the page. Tyrell N6 is of particular note!
- VCV Rack: Open source modular emulation. Note: Runs as standalone only.
- Exakt Lite - Excellent FM synth
- Surge: Free and open source hybrid synthesizer. Described by CDM, “Surge is a must-have on Mac, Windows, or Linux, and keeps getting better.”
- Pendulate: An awesome free monosynth
- KV331 Audio - Synthmaster - 550 preset instruments in the free player version
- Metric Halo - Thump - Useful for adding low frequencies to drums and more!
- SoCalLabs - Papu - 8 bit sounds
- Vital - An excellent wavetable synth with a free version available
Equalizers (EQs) and Channel Strip Utilities
- Brainworx - Clean Sweep v2. A fantastic, free, cross-platform, Hi-pass/Lo-pass filter/EQ
- Brainworx - bx_subfilter-
- Brainworx - bx_solo - Solo features; L (Left channel), R (Right channel), M (Mono sum, mid signal) and S (Stereo-Difference, side signal). You can listen to each component of a stereo mix when working in M/S modes.
- DMG Audio Track Control - Free, many of the utilities from the top and bottom of an analog console channel. Also includes MS Panning, time compensation, and others.
- Mellowmuse EQ1A - Inspired by outboard analog equalizers
- Tokyo Dawn - TDR Nova - Dynamic EQ
- Tokyo Dawn - VOS SlickEQ, comfortable on tracks or master
- KiiveAudio - The Warmy EP1A Tube EQ is a modern take on the classic Pultec EQs
- Sonimus - SonEQ - Vintage-style equalizer
- Polyverse Music - Wider - Widens your panorama
- Goodhertz - Midside Matrix
- Audio Thing - Blindfold EQ a four-band eq with no visible numbers/values...requires you to use your ears(!)
- HOFA Systems - More than a channel strip, this is a suite of plugins that can be used individually or within their system.
- TB Pro Audio - sTilt - linear/minimum phase tilt eq
Metering, Spectrum Analysis, and Imaging
- Voxengo -SPAN - Free Spectrum Analyzer Plugin
- TB Professional Audio Tools - mvMETER - VU meter. (Great to use on sends for perspective, so doesn't get rendered.)
- Flux - Stereo Tool v3 - Stereo Imaging And Analysis
- LVC Audio - LVC-Meter
- Youlean - Youlean Loudness Meter
- Audiofb - Wizard - expands the stereo image of any mono or stereo signal
- https://audiofb.com/product/wizard/
Delays and Reverbs
- Valhalla Supermassive - "a variety of feedback delay networks, where each delay in the structure can be up to 2 seconds long...from echoes that slowly fade in, to cascading harmonic echoes, to lush reverbs, onwards to reverbs that decay way over the course of minutes.:
- Zynaptiq - SUBSPACE reverb
- Musical Entropy Spaceship Delay - Good for standard and experimental use. Also includes spring reverb, tube amp, and saturation emulation, as well as modulation, and bitcrushing.
- VREV-666 - Very nice spring reverb
- Convology - Convolution Reverb
- Cymatics - Space Lite - Three reverb modes in one plugin
- BabyAudio - Baby Come Back - Creative delay unit with on-board ducker
- Stagecraft Software - Delay - a solid delay with quantization, filters, etc
Compressors, Limiters, Dynamics, Gates, Transient Shapers
- Supercharger - Tube compressor emulation
- AdHd Tube Leveling Amplifier (emulation)
- Audio Fusion Bureau - SeteChave compressor. No metering, pure fun
- XFER Records - OTT (over the top) multiband compressor. Definitely "over the top," you can create some very interesting effects with it.
- vladgsound - Limiter №6
- Tokyo Dawn - TDR Molotok- "Meaning 'Small Hammer' in Russian, Molotok provides a rich range of exciting compression colors at your fingertips."
- Tokyo Dawn - Kotelnikov - A dynamic processor good for tracks or mastering
- Diablo Lite - Drum transient shaper
- MJUC Jr. - A variable mu compressor, nice looking and sounding!
- DC1A - A nice variety of characters from this compressor
- BitterSweet v3, transient processor from Flux. Simple design, quality work
- Mogwai - M Gate - a multiband gate.
- LVC Audio - Limited-Z - A nice, free, limiter
- Audiofb - Setechave - a compressor with characteristics close to the “pumping” effect
- Techivation - T-De-Esser - a de-esser
- Mia Laboratories - FAT - Unclear what this is categorized as, but does nice things to bass... maybe a bit of saturation/compression? Adds"grease."
Amplifier and Tape Emulators
- Guitar Rig - Free, expandable effects engine with one amp, 17 cabinets and 13 effects and modifiers. Super-easy to use.
- Brainworx - bx_rockrack - wonderful amp emulation
- Klevgrand FreeAMP - free version of their amplifying modeler plugin REAMP
- Caelumaudio - Tape Cassette 2 - emulates the warmth, noise and character of old tape cassettes
- Cymatics - Origin - Origin is a vintage/lofi plugin created to make your samples sound like they’re straight from an old tape machine.
Saturation and Distortion
- IVGI - From subtle saturation to radical distortion
- Nembrini - Clon Minotaur Transparent Overdrive is modeled on a guitar overdrive pedal
- Nembrini - Black - Based on the Pro Co Rat 2
- GT - Several saturation modes, oversampling, VU meters
- KIT- Burier - Saturation AND filtering
Glitch, FSU, Experimental
- Soundhack = awesome creative stuff
- Glitch Machines - Two great plugins for free, Fracture and Hysteresis. Good for experimental sound design via delays, modulation, etc. Also has multiple free sample packs.
- GSi - VariSpeed - A Copicat IC400 software replica
Choruses, Filters, Flangers, Doublers, Vocoders, and more
- Izotope: Free vinyl effects, vocal doubler, more.
- Bedroom Producers Blog - BPB Dirty Filter
- Acon Digital MULTIPLY. Chorus Effect. Each voice is processed with a phase randomizing filter to avoid comb filter effects. Can simulate several performers playing the same tones simultaneously, to widen the spatial image or to create special effects for sound design.
- Valhalla Space Modulator
- TAL-Vocoder
- Full Bucket Vocoder FBVC
- Tal-Filter - host synced filter module with different filter types, panorama and volume modulation possibilities
- Klevgrand - Svep - Phaser Flanger Chorus
- Audio Thing - Filterjam - a multi-band resonant filter, great for ring modulation type effects.
- Audiomodern - Filterstep - a step-based plug-in to generate filter changes
- BabyAudio - Magic Switch - Juno 60 Chorus emulation
Mastering and Collections/Suites of plugins
- Melda Plugins: free audio FX plugins, with analysis tools
- Blue Cat Audio: free suite of plugins including an analysis plugin, flanger, chorus, equalizer, and more.
- TAL Software https://tal-software.com/products
- In addition to the free TAL Noisemaker synth plugin, they also make free effects plugins, including a vocoder.
- Free Mastering Suite: included as part of a book, but can be downloaded free, independent of book
Drum Machines
- MT Power Drumkit 2 is cross-platform, powerful, and free
- Metric Halo - Thump - Not a drum machine, but useful for adding low frequencies to drums and more!
- Steven Slate DRUMS - Scroll down to the free section, and you can get a version...for free!
Samplers, Sample Libraries and Sound Repositories
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- Kontakt Player - An application [sample player and more) that runs all Native Instruments’ Kontakt instruments, as well as a large number of instruments from other companies. Includes many gigabytes of free samples
- Spitfire Labs - free virtual instruments
- Spitfire Labs - BBC Symphony Orchestra. (Be sure to click on the "Free" link next to the paid option.)
- IK Multimedia Sample Tank 4cs is free with 4 GB of content
- Melda Production has a free sample player with piano, scroll to "free" section
- sfizz - An SFZ instrument player, and can also be used to develop SFZ instruments.
- SFZ - a mixture of free and paid sample instruments
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The following are great sources of public domain audio recordings suitable for sampling, processing, chopping, remixing, et cetera:
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The Free Orchestra: Runs inside the free Kontact Player linked above. 1GB of "cinematic sounds taken directly from ProjectSAM’s acclaimed libraries. From orchestral string staccatos and brass clusters to symphonic percussion and dystopian sound design."
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Freesound: A collaborative database of creative-commons licensed sound for musicians and sound lovers
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NASA Space Sounds: https://www.nasa.gov/connect/sounds/index.html
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Archive.org: So much great audio and video
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BBC Sound Effect Library: There are well over 16,000 sound effects. The sound effects are BBC copyrighted but available for personal, research and Educational use.
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Sample Radar (https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/free-music-samples-download-loops-hits-and-multis-627820)
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Over 70,000 royalty-free samples. All very high quality, and easy to search through.
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99 Sounds (http://99sounds.org)
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Notation and Composition
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For mind-mapping and organizing compositions:
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Lucidchart.com formerly my first choice, however their stripping away of free features on the academic version bothers me. I still like it for integration with Google docs et al.
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Milanote.com is very slick! Nice integration across phones, tablets, desktops, web on free version. Good mind mapping features as well: https://milanote.com/product/mind-mapping. The only caveat, limited to 100 cards on free version (which is really quite a few) and pricey subscription to add features.
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XMind and XMind 2020 (formerly XMind Zen) both offer free versions.
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Freemind is excellent and open source, but looks a bit dated.
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Draw.io is nice for integration with Google docs. In addition to mindmapping, good drawing tools as well.
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Musescore is cross-platform and free. It works great for standard notation.
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Flat.io: For purely online, standard notation. Many students use it for collaboration.
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For people interested in more advanced/complex environments that have a higher learning curve, but that are also free:
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Lilypond
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Frescobaldi is a LilyPond text editor. It has the goals of being powerful, lightweight, and easy to use.
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For adding graphic elements, Inkscape is an open source graphic environment offering "a rich set of features and is widely used for both artistic and technical illustrations such as cartoons, clip art, logos, typography, diagramming and flowcharting." Similar to Adobe Illustrator. It is more clunky than Illustrator, but has a nice price point: free.
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Mobile App Synths
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Moog’s Minimoog Model D synth app: The Minimoog Model D App is a mobile version of the world’s first portable synthesizer. Free.
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Programming Environments
Visual Programming Environments
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Max: required for my "Max and MSP" course,
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60 day free demo, $9.99 a month after that, or $59 for a year (student price)
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PD (PureData): Good, free, and open source.
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Text-based Programming Environments
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- ChucK: A programming language for real-time sound synthesis and music creation. Free and open-source. https://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/
- Csound: Sound/music programming language/environment. Originally developed in 1985 at MIT Media Lab. Free and open-source. https://csound.com/
- Supercollider: A platform for audio synthesis and algorithmic composition. Free and open-source. https://supercollider.github.io/
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Online Textbooks, Curricula, Blogs, and So On
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Video introduction to synthesis topics and techniques at SynthBasics.
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Ableton Tutorials/Books:
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learningmusic.ableton.com: Basics of music production
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learningsynths.ableton.com: Basics of synthesis, mostly focusing on subtractive techniques.
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Ableton has also made their book by Dennis DeSantis, Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers, available free!
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The Sonification Handbook (Free online), Edited by Thomas Hermann, Andy Hunt, John G. Neuhoff, https://sonification.de/handbook/
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Miller Puckette’s classic text, Theory and Techniques of Electronic Music, is free online: http://msp.ucsd.edu/techniques.htm
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Nicolas Collins’ first book, Hacking Hardware, is available free from his website: https://www.nicolascollins.com/texts/originalhackingmanual.pdf
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MicParts.com has some great resources for hardware, including video tutorials here
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Austin Mics has some free DIY ribbon mic tutorials at this link.
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Bedroom Producers Blog (https://bedroomproducersblog.com)
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Lists many free plugins, samples, and other tools for musicians.
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Makes an annual, searchable list of the best plugins released each year
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Libraries of free sounds, all recorded at a very high quality.
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Ranges from underwater scuba recordings to garage foley to drones to digitally processed sounds and beyond
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