Top 11 VST Plugins For Audacity 2023 (And 7 Free Plugins)

In this article, we’ll look into the top 11 VST plugins that would benefit most Audacity users and 7 free ones.

Audacity is a multi-platform audio editing program that has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Despite its archaic-looking user interface, its sheer versatility and efficiency have created hosts of fans, especially those making podcasts or editing their field recordings. Hence, I’ve written this article keeping such users in mind.

Audacity has yet to allow instrument plugins on any platform. It’s a bummer for some, but people use it to limit their choices and move away from the software world! Hence, you’ll find them using Audacity to record their musical instruments and vocals too! So, the list will also include a few selections catered to music production and editing.

Let’s take a look at our list now:

Top 11 VST Plugins For Audacity 2023 (And 7 Free Plugins)

1. Waves SSL EV2

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

SSL EV2 is a channel strip emulation by Waves that covers the most minute nuances of the Solid State Logic’s 4000E mixing console.

The renowned mixing console series, SSL 4000, was introduced in 1976 and continued to be manufactured until 2002. The SSL 4000E, however, was introduced in 1979. During its run, many major commercial recording studios and engineers like Chris Lord-Alge and Bob Clearmountain adopted the SSL series, especially in the 80s. However, it’s far from forgotten — studios like Abbey Recording Company still use the SSL 4000 today.

Thanks to Waves, every aspiring musician and professional mixing engineer can benefit from the respected analog sound of the SSL 4000E console, responsible for many hits and chart-toppers. Furthermore, you’ll find a few features in Waves SSL EV2 that enhance the console emulation further. Let’s have a look at some of its features:

Key Features:

• Input Saturation
  At the top left of the GUI, you’ll find the first module of this plugin — the input module. The SSL 4000E was an analog console, which means its preamps imparted some total harmonic distortion into the input audio. Likewise, Waves SSL EV2 also introduces some saturation into your input when the Analog button is turned on. However, you can also turn off the Analog button to get a clean digital input.
• Dynamics Processors
  The dynamics modules contain a compressor and an expander/gate. The compressor has a fast attack switch to toggle a 1 ms attack. And you can manually dial in the ratio, threshold, and release. Similarly, the expander has threshold, range, and release knobs with a fast attack switch.
  The expander module lowers the volume of signals below a certain threshold, like a gate. Furthermore, the module has a gate button, which makes the processor remove any sound below the set threshold. So, it’s a great tool to remove humming or background noises from your audio recordings.
• Equalizer
  SSL EV2 sports a four-band parametric EQ, which is great for shaping your audio recordings. You can switch between bell and shelf curves in both the high-frequency and low-frequency filters. Likewise, the high-mid and low-mid filters have resonance controls. All four bands have frequency controls.
  However, the original hardware had updates that changed how its EQ sounded. Hence, Waves hasn’t merely stopped at emulating any EQ — they have also designed two types of EQ: brown and black, where brown is the grittier version and black is the smoother one. While the effect is fairly minimal, I recommend switching between the two to see which character better suits your recording.
• Stereo Control
  You will find the stereo control module at the bottom right of the channel strip. The main knob lets you change the audio output from stereo to mono to reverse stereo. Similarly, a button allows you to add extra width to the track, which works wonders for stereo recordings.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.15 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

SSL EV2 is one of the best channel strip plugins available at an affordable price. It features a dynamics section, an EQ, saturation, and stereo control, all of which are basic effects used in mixing. So, whether you’re a singer, instrumentalist, podcaster, or music production enthusiast, Waves SSL EV2 will prove an immediate asset to your workflow.

2. XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

RC-20 Retro Color is a Lo-Fi multi-effects plugin by XLN Audio to add a dated vibe and other creative effects to your audio.

Projects sometimes require you to emulate the sound of a different era, and we’re currently discussing the retro style. The easiest way to create a retro sound is by sending your audio through filters, adding noise, manipulating its pitch and timing, etc. Hence, RC-20 Retro Color combines these features in a single plugin, offering a comprehensive solution for Lo-Fi mixes.

The plugin uses a semi-modular workflow, meaning you can toggle each onboard tool on and off. However, note that you cannot change the order of the modules. Although, various parameters allow you to customize the sound as much as required.

Key Features:

• Modules
  The plugin offers six modules to color your sound. These include noise, wobble, distort, digital, space, and magnetic. Furthermore, most modules offer low-pass and high-pass filters for further selective mixing. Let’s go through the modules briefly:

1. 1. The Noise module offers sonic textures like vinyl crackles, cassette tape noise, VHS noise, and even “Apollo” space noises.
   2. The Wobble module adds pitch and speed fluctuations you often hear on analog music-playing units, like vinyl records and tape players.
   3. Distort allows you to introduce everything from mild warmth to aggressive distortion. The module even offers multiple distortion types.
   4. The Digital module features a bit depth and sample-rate reducer. It allows you to introduce a little digital crush from the 90s and early 2000s.
   5. Space is a reverb/resonator module, which adds retro-sounding reverb.
   6. The Magnetic module simulates the wearing of magnetic particles on a tape after many uses. This degradation causes volume fluctuations and is often crucial in creating a convincing tape effect.

• Straightforward
  RC-20 Retro Color offers all the tools you need on a single page. You’ll find the above-mentioned modules on the upper part of the GUI, and the lower section has an input gain, an input high-pass and low-pass filter with variable steepness, a tone control, output width, and output gain. Furthermore, the magnitude slider at the top right allows you to change the plugin’s mix amount.
• Authentic Emulation
  This plugin is a well-designed tool set for Lo-Fi mix production. While offering many ways to color your sound, it retains some of the realism and warmth of true analog gear. Furthermore, modules like Wobble and Magnetic help add idiosyncrasies you couldn’t recreate easily.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

RC-20 Retro Color is a comprehensive solution for easily adding a retro vibe to your tracks. The straightforward user interface and outstanding sound make the plugin a great choice for any producer/mixing engineer. However, the quality does come with the cost of CPU resources. Still, I highly recommend giving it a try if you’re looking for a Lo-Fi plugin.

3. Antares Auto-Tune Artist

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Not only is Auto-Tune a fantastic tool for singers and producers to smooth out their vocal recordings, but the effect has also become a global phenomenon in modern music since the 90s.

Nowadays, Antares offers multiple flavors of Auto-Tune, each catering to a different type of user and priced accordingly. However, almost all their products feature the core auto-tuning feature we’re looking for. Among them, Auto-Tune Artist fulfills most requirements of natural pitch correction and the heavier, modern effect while staying fairly affordable.

Furthermore, Auto-Tune Artist provides additional features that help you create polished vocals. For example, you can modify the frequency of each scale degree you use for auto-tuning. However, before we dive further into the features, I want to mention that Auto-Tune is also available in a subscription format, which gives you access to all of Antares’ plugins. So, I recommend you take a look at it as well!

Key Features:

• Accommodation
  Auto-Tune Artist offers you multiple input types so that you can set the plugin up depending on your audio recording. The types include three for vocals and two for instruments: soprano, alto/tenor, low male, instrument (guitar, violin, etc.), and bass instrument (bass guitar, tuba, etc.). Hence, Auto-Tune can modify its input detection algorithm to fit your needs, resulting in more reliability.
  Likewise, Auto-Tune Artist features twenty-nine scales in all twelve keys. Once you’ve set the input type, you can then tailor the tuning algorithm to your needs by selecting the scale and key matching your song. Furthermore, if your song is in an accidental scale or uses something unavailable in the presets, you can set Auto-Tune Artist to chromatic scale and bypass the unwanted notes on the keyboard at the bottom of the user interface.
• Formant Mode
  The plugin provides three modes for tuning: default, classic, and formant. The classic mode changes the momentary pitch of the entire audio, creating the classic auto-tune effect. On the other hand, the formant mode identifies and ignores non-pitched sounds in the human voice, like plosives, sibilance, and consonants. This process produces a far more natural and artifact-free sound than the traditional auto-tune effect.
  Furthermore, Auto-Tune Artist offers throat control, which changes the formant loudness. In this case, “formant” means vowel shapes and the performer’s face, throat, and nose structure. This control lends heaps of creativity to voice sound design, especially when combined with the transpose controls.
• Humanize, Flex-Tune, and Natural Vibrato
  These are some of the parameters available on the main user interface of the plugin. Humanize slightly reduces the speed of the auto-tuning algorithm on longer notes, retaining some character of the singer. Similarly, Flex-Tune modifies the detection pattern of the plugin, creating better results when it comes to deep vibratos and bends. And finally, the Natural Vibrato knob adds some vibrato to your recording according to the singer’s performance. There’s more on vibratos in the following point.
• Advanced Mode
  Clicking on the Advanced button at the top right of the plugin opens the advanced view. You’ll find two main sections on this page: Create Vibrato and Edit Scale.
  As you might have guessed, the Create Vibrato section allows you to add vibrato to audio recordings where no vibrato existed. You can choose the vibrato’s shape (sine, square, saw), speed, variation, pitch amount, volume amount, and formant amount. Further, you can delay the vibrato and change how fast the vibrato reaches full strength, allowing you to tailor the effect to your needs.
  The Edit Scale section allows you to modify the selected scale preset to your needs quickly. For example, you can enable or disable each scale degree. Furthermore, you can even enable Target Notes to use a MIDI keyboard and input to what note you want Auto-Tune Artist to tune your recording. Although this feature isn’t available in Audacity, it’s worth knowing if you decide to switch to a DAW.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 11 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Auto-Tune Artist is an important plugin if you are a singer or producer. Furthermore, unlike the other editions that are either too expensive or too primitive, the Artist edition offers the most value by providing enough features to accommodate any style of auto-tuning, natural or modern. Features like formant shifting and transposition even allow you to mangle your recording into chipmunk or giant sounds without losing resolution.

4. Softube FET Compressor MK II

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Softube’s FET Compressor MK II is the second iteration of the Universal Audio 1176 hardware compressor emulation.

The most prominent feature of the original hardware was its lightning-fast attack and release times, which immediately made it the go-to compressor for many engineers. Whether you’re mixing drums, vocals, or guitars, the compressor gives breathtaking results.

Softube’s expert modeling captures the subtlest of characters in the original hardware, offering modern musicians and mix engineers the ability to utilize the iconic compressor. Furthermore, they’ve added various modern features to make the compressor even more capable. Let’s check out its main features:

Key Features:

• Fixed Threshold
  One of the most notable things about the hardware and FET Compressor is that it doesn’t have a threshold knob. Instead, it uses a fixed threshold and allows you to change the input and output levels. This workflow ensures the compressor gets enough payload to introduce its analog character.
• Ratio Mode & British Mode
  The original Universal Audio 1176 compressor offered four ratio options: 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 20:1. Staying true to the model, Softube’s FET Compressor also features these ratios. However, they are categorized under the High ratio mode. Switching to Low ratio mode allows you to use the following ratios: 1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1, and 3:1. The first disengages the compressor, but it’s great if you only want to add some analog saturation to your recording.
  Furthermore, many engineers used a trick on the original hardware, where they pushed all of the ratio buttons to create a slamming compression effect that made drums and vocals sound massive. Softube has authentically emulated this effect, which you can activate by pressing a button called British Mode, referring to the popularity of the trick among British bands and engineers.
• Drive
  The analog saturation of the 1176 unit is partly why it’s become iconic. So, it’s only natural that FET Compressor should also emulate it. However, Softube goes further by allowing you to control the transformer drive level (or disable it) and toggle the FET drive. The FET drive refers to the transistor component distortion. If you disable both, the compressor becomes pristine and clinical.
• High Speed
  The attack speed of the compressor ranges from 20 microseconds to 800 microseconds, making it insanely fast. However, the release speed can be set between 50 ms to 1.1 seconds. Hence, while the quick attack catches even the shortest transient in your recording, the compressor can still sound smooth with its reasonably long release time.
• Side-Chain & More
  FET Compressor sports a side-chain high-pass filter (an input filter) with a variable frequency knob that you can set from 20Hz to 2kHz. This feature helps keep your audio clean and avoid extreme distortion, especially with the British mode engaged. Furthermore, you can also input an external side-chain for ducking your audio, but you wouldn’t be able to do that in Audacity.
  Furthermore, the compressor allows you to unlink the stereo channels to create a dual-mono setup, which can be handy for stereo recordings. Similarly, the dry/wet knob allows you to adjust the amount of the effect. Lastly, the HF Makeup toggle helps you retain your recording’s high frequencies and clarity.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 11 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Compressors can make or break a recording. Different types of recordings can require a different compressor. So, while FET Compressor is not appropriate for every use case, it’s an ideal choice for vocals that require some grit, powerful drums, hard-hitting SFX, sustaining guitar, etc. It helps bring your audio front and center, separating it from the mix.

5. Toneboosters Equalizer 4

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Toneboosters is known for developing some of the most full-featured plugins at an incredibly low price, and Equalizer 4 is no different.

An equalizer is one of the necessary plugins for editing audio. It allows you to cut or boost various audio frequencies to increase clarity or create artistic effects. And while Audacity does have a few EQ effects, they’re destructive and not real-time. A real-time EQ allows you to listen to the changes as you set the various parameters without affecting the audio.

Toneboosters Equalizer 4 is a parametric, dynamic EQ with a resizable GUI, built-in spectrum analyzer, and AI guide. Various other features, like an extensive collection of filters, automatic level make-up, surround support, etc., make it an ideal choice for beginners and veterans alike. Let’s take a look at some of the most relevant features:

Key Features:

• Dynamic EQ
  Unlike regular parametric EQs that cut or boost frequencies based on the values you dial in, a dynamic EQ can cut or boost a section of frequencies depending on the loudness of the section. For example, if you want to reduce a certain humming sound that comes and goes in the audio, you can’t simply cut the humming frequency and hope it works out. Doing so would affect the audio in its entirety. Instead, you could have Equalizer 4 cut the unwanted frequency only when it goes above a certain level, ensuring the rest of your recording isn’t affected.
  Furthermore, Equalizer 4 goes beyond typical dynamic EQing by introducing upward expansion, variable attack/release time, analog circuit drive, external sidechain, upward/downward compression, etc. Here, upward expansion increases the volume of the selected frequency instead of lowering it, which can be helpful to add clarity to noisy outdoor voice recordings.
• Audition
  Once you add a filter in the EQ, you can press the headphone icon or A on your keyboard to enable audition mode. This feature allows you to listen only to the frequencies that the filter affects. So, you can use the audition mode to find offending frequencies fast.
• Filter Variety
  The plugin features over thirty types of filters. These have been categorized into bell, low-shelf, high-shelf, low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch, and spectral tilt. Furthermore, each filter allows you to modify the Q-factor or resonance of the frequency, which makes the selected frequency louder or softer while still imparting the shaping effect of the filter.
• 16 Channels
  Equalizer 4 can process up to 16 channels per instance, making it a viable EQ for surround mixing, including a 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup. However, since Audacity only supports 2 channels per track, mixing any kind of multichannel audio is out of the question. Still, this feature may be valuable if you intend to enter the world of surround audio.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.10 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3 and AAX formats.

Summary:

A real-time EQ is essential for mixing music. So, Equalizer 4 can fill the huge gap in Audacity at an extremely low cost. Furthermore, its dynamic features, AI Assist, and excellent sound quality make it a brilliant choice for any user. Even if you have never touched an EQ, this plugin should be easy to master within an hour of messing about.

6. AudioThing Fog Convolver 2

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Fog Convolver 2 is a true stereo convolution reverb plugin with over 660 impulse responses or reverb characters.

An impulse response is a special recording made in a real-life space or through processing hardware, which allows you to reapply the sonic character of said space to any audio recording. For example, if I had an impulse response of my stairwell, I could make it seem like any audio recording was recorded in the stairwell using a convolution reverb. Although, you’re likelier to find famous orchestral halls or studio chambers in a convolution reverb than my stairwell!

Fog Convolver 2 uses such impulse responses to generate hyper-realistic reverb sounds and other creative effects. These include changing the mic, applying strange modulations, making your recording sound like it’s playing from a radio, etc. Likewise, it provides various parameters and tools to shape the reverb sound further.

Key Features:

• Huge Library
  Fog Convolver 2 sports a diverse library of impulse responses (IRs). AudioThing has categorized the collection into eight banks: Craft Spaces, Old Times, OpenAIR, Organic Compounds, Polarity, Test Equipment, Unusual, and Vintage Mics. Craft Spaces features the most common IRs you’d expect: real spaces, digital reverb processors, and even vintage synth noises. Next, Old Times features IRs derived from old public domain recordings to emulate 78 RPM vinyl records, radio, NASA recordings, and Wax Cylinders.
  OpenAIR features some IRs from the OpenAIR database, including churches, chambers, halls, and an old Nuclear Reactor. Interestingly, the Organic Compounds bank features the IRs of molecules scanned using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Finally, Polarity features IRs made by the sound designer Polarity, and the final three banks all feature various hardware IRs.
• Routing
  Each instance of Fog Convolver 2 can load up to two impulse response files. Hence, the plugin offers five routing modes, determining how the two impulse responses interact with the input audio. These include Single, Serial, Parallel, Parallel Mix, and True Stereo.
  Most of these are fairly straightforward if you are used to audio plugins. The serial mode processes the audio with one impulse response after another, whereas the parallel mode processes the audio with both IRs simultaneously. However, True Stereo allows you to process each channel of your stereo recording by a stereo impulse response, resulting in a quad-channel reverb mixed down to stereo.
• Impulse Response Generator
  The Generator page allows you to create custom IR files by dialing in the early reflections, late reflections, room type, equalization, and filter parameters. You can also export the generated IR as a WAV file to load in Fog Convolver 2 or any other convolution software. So, the plugin also functions as a digital reverb.
• LFO & Effects
  The first page of the plugin features a parametric EQ with five bands. This EQ allows you to shape your impulse response to fit your mix. Similarly, the third page features two LFO units. Each LFO has ten waveform types and eighteen destinations. Furthermore, you’ll find a multi-mode filter with Pre, IR, or Post modes.
  The Effects page features four effects units: chorus, phaser, compressor, and waveshaper. You can apply these to the impulse response you’ve loaded or generated to polish them further.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher, macOS 10.9 or higher, and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or higher, all 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, CLAP, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Fog Convolver 2 is a full-featured convolution reverb that doubles as a handy digital reverb thanks to its impulse response generator. Furthermore, its varied collection of IRs and tools offer you creative ways to manipulate your audio. Its price, efficiency, and features make Fog Convolver 2 an outstanding reverb for any use.

7. iZotope RX 10 Elements

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

iZotope’s RX 10 plugins are collections of audio recovery/repair tools, and the Elements edition offers the tools necessary to clean up most recordings.

Many Audacity users record podcasts, field recordings, karaoke singing, voiceovers, etc. However, many may not have properly treated and noise-proofed environments to get ideal results. Hence, cleaning up background noises, removing hums, and removing reverb/echo becomes paramount.

RX 10 Elements allows you to do all of these and beyond. Furthermore, iZotope has designed the plugin to be intuitive and straightforward.

Key Features:

• AI-Powered
  While every module or tool in RX 10 is intelligent, one standout tool is the Repair Assistant. This plugin can detect noise, clipping, clicks, etc., and help you solve the problems with a few clicks. So, all you have to do is select the type of recording you have (voice, harmonic instruments, percussion, or sound effects), and let Repair Assistant generate a module chain automatically.
• Cleanup
  RX 10 Elements features six efficient cleanup tools. These include dynamic de-hum, static de-hum, de-clip, voice de-noise, de-click, and de-reverb. Let’s talk briefly about each:

1. 1. Dynamic De-Hum
      This tool removes any humming sounds that come and go over time. These could include trains, computer PWM fans, gadgets moving over audio cables, etc.
   2. Static De-Hum
      Unlike the previous tool, this one only works on static hums that last throughout the audio. These could include the A/C, ceiling fans, lights, guitar amps, etc.
   3. De-Clip
      When the input level is too loud for your microphone or audio interface, it will cause a distorted or clipped signal. De-Clip can remove typical clippings found in audio recordings of singing loudly, laughing, a mic moved too close to the mouth, etc.
   4. Voice De-Noise
      This tool analyzes your audio for the voice and uses spectral filtering to remove any background noises. It’s invaluable for most home recordings and field recordings.
   5. De-Click
      Clicking and popping sounds occur when the vocalist smacks their lips, touches the microphone, moves the wire, etc. De-Click can effortlessly get rid of such noises.
   6. De-Reverb
      If your room isn’t acoustically treated, chances are your recordings have some reverb in the background. De-Reverb removes the reverb to help make your audio drier. However, if you haven’t already, I recommend you introduce some furniture, thick curtains, and carpets to your recording room.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.15.7 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

RX 10 Elements is a budget-friendly entry into the RX library of plugins. Of course, you can check out the Standard and Advanced editions as well. However, the Elements edition should prove perfectly adequate for most recordings and work people will likely do in Audacity. The varied tools and AI-powered Repair Assistant make this plugin a highly efficient and convenient audio repair solution. Also, RX 10 Elements often goes on sale, so make sure you keep an eye on that for extra savings!

8. IK Multimedia Amplitube 5 Standard

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

IK Multimedia was the first brand to introduce a complete simulated rig for guitars, starting from amps to stomp effects.

With over twenty years of experience, IK’s fifth version of Amplitube is truly a beast in sheer functionality, quality, and comprehensiveness. Whether you’re looking for a simple amp simulator for your guitar or a complete mixing rack that you could utilize in any other track, Amplitube 5 has you covered.

Amplitube 5 is available in three flavors: CS, Standard, and MAX. CS is the free version, where you can buy each effect and amp separately to build your rig from scratch. Conversely, Standard and MAX are paid collections with a variety of tools. Before we get into the features, let’s talk about what you receive in the Standard edition:
You’ll own 35 amp simulations, 28 cabinet simulations, 15 speaker designs, 11 mic simulations, 46 stompbox effects, 40 rack effects, and 8 room simulations.

Key Features:

• Realism & Quality
  Software emulations rarely sound anything like the hardware units. However, when the actual hardware manufacturer certifies the software emulation for accuracy, you know something’s different here! And that is exactly the case with Amplitube 5’s official Fender, Leslie, Orange, Slash-Marshall, Mesa Boogie, ENGL, Jet City, Dr. Z, Galien-Krueger, etc., emulations.
  Whether you’re looking for a clean jazz amp, a soulful blues amp, or a gorgeously aggressive lead amp, Amplitube 5 has you covered. Two of my favorites are the Fender Twin Reverb and Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. Furthermore, while not all of the amps are officially certified (yet), they sound just as outstanding as any. How does Amplitube 5 manage to sound that accurate, you ask? Here’s the answer:
• DIM & VIR Technologies
  Dynamic Interaction Modeling models the interactions and influence of each component within the circuitry. It captures the non-linear behavior of analog hardware by creating a virtual circuitry inside the software plugin. Hence, the emulated guitar amp sounds and feels exactly as expected.
  Similarly, Volumetric Impulse Response is IK Multimedia’s proprietary technology that takes “snapshots” of a speaker cabinet in various positions and angles. Unlike basic impulse response programs that feature one or a few IR files, Amplitube 5 uses over 600 impulses per speaker. So, each speaker cabinet could have up to 2,400 impulses! The benefit of this technology is that you can move the virtual microphones in 3D space, altering the sound exactly as you would in real life. Furthermore, the technology captures the interaction of speakers in a multi-driver cabinet and floor reflections.
• Mix
  Each amp simulator goes through a cabinet installed in a virtual room. Then, the cabinet is recorded by two microphones alongside two room mics. You can add stomp and rack effects before the amp, between the amp and cabinet, after the mics, and at the master stage (final output). Furthermore, a mixer allows you to change the volume and pan of each mic, the direct input, the FX bus, and the master. You can also add effects on this page. These effects include multiple reverb types, delay, chorus, distortion, compressor, phaser, tremolo, octaver, EQ, overdrive, etc.
• Match
  When you select an amp, Amplitube 5 automatically selects a paired cabinet. However, if you enjoy experimenting, you could replace the cabinet with a different model to create new sounds. Furthermore, you can even change the speaker design of the cabinet to customize your sound. Similarly, Amplitube 5 offers 11 mic simulations you could use to record your cabinet virtually. However, you cannot change the mic model of the room mics.
• Multiply
  Amplitube 5 allows you to load up to three amps simultaneously. And each amp goes through a cabinet installed in a different virtual room. Head over to the mixer page of each amp/cabinet to change their volumes (two mics, DI, room, bus).

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.10 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Amplitube 5 is a complete solution for creating custom virtual guitar rigs. It offers outstanding quality and a variety of tones. Furthermore, beyond what I’ve discussed previously, Amplitube 5’s standalone mode features an excellent tuner, an 8-track recorder, a 2-track looper, and a live mode for easy interaction. You can drag and drop WAV, FLAC, MP3, AIFF, etc., format files into the recorder straight from the File Explorer or Finder. Overall, the vast effect collection, perfectly suited for tracks with or without a guitar recording, makes Amplitube 5 an excellent investment for any guitarist/bassist using Audacity.

9. SoundToys FilterFreak

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

FilterFreak is a dual filter plugin with a thick analog sound and a visual rhythm tool to add motion to your tracks.

Filters are some of the most useful tools for sound designing, whether you’re manipulating an existing sample or creating a new one using electronic means. You could record an instrument like a keyboard through a filter and completely change its sonic qualities. However, analog filters often sound much smoother and warmer, making them a fantastic choice for most people.

FilterFreak by SoundToys is a plugin with two analog-modeled filters, each offering four shapes and slope steepness. You can route the two filters in serial and parallel modes. Furthermore, it can generate rhythms or even follow your audio to create auto-wah effects.

Key Features:

• Two Editions
  When you purchase FilterFreak, you receive two plugins: FilterFreak 1 and 2. The prior is the simpler iteration with only one filter, whereas the latter is a dual-filter design with a detailed rhythm-editing feature. So, if you only require a simple filter, you can opt for FilterFreak 1 to save CPU and simplify your workflow. However, I’ll be talking more about FilterFreak 2 from here on out.
• Powerful Filters
  FilterFreak is a highly-customizable filter plugin that combines the sound of iconic hardware units with modern flexibility. It’s main UI features two filter units with frequency, resonance, gain, shape, and pole controls.
  Frequency, resonance, and gain are fairly straightforward. The shape knob morphs the filter between low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, and band-reject/notch modes. Similarly, the pole knob changes the filter slope steepness between 2, 4, 6, and 8-pole, translating to 12 dB/oct., 24 dB/oct., 36 dB/oct., and 48 dB/oct. Furthermore, the filters are self-resonant, meaning they can generate a sound when you turn the resonance high.
• Modulation
  FilterFreak offers six ways (sources) to modulate various plugin parameters. The modulation sources include LFO, Rhythm, Envelope, Random, Step, and ADSR. For example, if you wanted to create an auto-wah effect, you would use the Envelope source to modulate the filter according to the input audio level.
  You can employ one of the above sources to modulate the frequency, resonance, and level parameters. You’ll find the modulation controls in the modulation section of the main UI. Furthermore, you’ll find more options by clicking on the button below the modulation source’s name. For example, in the LFO mode, you can change the LFO shape and even create custom shapes using a node editor. Similarly, in the envelope mode, you’ll find the threshold, attack, release, etc., to control the modulator’s behavior with the input audio.
• Tweak
  The Tweak menu has several parameters that you can modify to get even more control over your sound. Most of these are related to the modulation sources. For example, the Tweak page lets you assign a different modulation value for each filter unit instead of modulating both with the same amount. You could even modulate the filters in opposing directions to create interesting effects.
  Similarly, you can change the analog saturation style to better suit your taste. These styles include clean, crunch, fat, shred, squash, pump, and dirt.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.12 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

While EQs can cover the most common uses of filters, sound designers and music producers might require special filters that do not create artifacts when automated. FilterFreak offers an artifact-free workflow alongside creative modulation tools difficult to find in similar plugins. So, if you require a dedicated filter, you can’t go wrong with this plugin.  

10. UVI Relayer

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

UVI Relayer offers virtually every feature you could require to create any delay effect.

The delay effect is an essential tool in almost any mixing session, especially for music production. However, finding one delay plugin that fits all your needs is rare. Relayer is one of the few delay effect plugins that offer deeply customizable sound with an intuitive user interface.

Relayer is a variable multi-tap delay plugin capable of everything from basic delays and rhythmic multi-effects to complete sonic decimation. While setting the repetition or “tap” to 1 will make Relayer behave like a typical stereo delay, using multiple repetitions allows you to change each repetition’s gain, pan, time, etc. So, you could create something as simple as the ping-pong delay effect or complex rhythms that bounce around in the stereo field in swinging grooves using the multi-tap feature.

Key Features:

• Multi-Tap
  Relayer allows you to add up to 32 delay lines, which act like individual delay engines. Any tap or the last one can send a feedback signal to increase the delay length beyond the taps. However, despite the complex mechanism, Relayer is actually surprisingly light on the CPU, making it an excellent choice for both studio use and live performance.
• Per-Tap Modulation
  Unless you use feedback, a “tap” or delay line generates each repetition of the delay effect in Relayer. It allows you to have precise control over various parameters of each tap. Furthermore, you can set the plugin to sync with Audacity/host or use real-world time (in milliseconds).
  Relayer features five tabs, each with a different modulation editor. These include the following: time, gain, pan, and two FX tabs. Furthermore, the FX tabs allow you to select one of these effects: biquad, comb, vowel, wah-wah, redux, and waveshaper. Most are self-explanatory, but biquad is a state-variable filter (high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, notch), and redux is a bit-crusher. You can even modulate these effects using an LFO on each FX tab.
  If you’ve used a sequencer, you’ll be instantly familiar with the layout of these editors. Each column represents a tap of the delay, and you can set the amount of modulation per tap. Furthermore, you’ll find visual representations of how each modulation affects the delay effect at the bottom of the user interface.
• Effects & Filters
  Beyond the effects described above, Relayer sports several other tools to help you shape your sound. First, pitch modulation adds natural movement to the delay effect. Similarly, you’ll find a diffusion section, which blurs the delay effect, essentially turning it into a reverb-delay hybrid. It’s handy when you don’t want the delay to be obvious.
  The Feedback/Dynamics page allows you to select which tap sends the feedback audio. Similarly, you can select from three drive taps for the delay effect: analog, tape, and tube. You can also change the drive amount and add a high-pass and low-pass filter on the feedback.
  Furthermore, you’ll find a MIDI-controlled input gate and a Ducker section. The latter is handy to keep the effect from muddying your mix. And finally, you’ll find a Color section and a Master Filter. The Color section lets you add an impulse response on the delay effect to change its sonic character. The IRs include many hardware reverb units, cassette tapes, an old phone, a walkie-talkie, toy speakers, television, real-world spaces, guitar speaker cabinets, experimental effects, etc.
  Similarly, the Master Filter allows you to add a low-pass and a high-pass filter on the delay. Note that this filter is different from the one on the Feedback/Dynamics page. The Feedback filter only affects the feedback loop, whereas Master Filter affects everything except the dry sound.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 32-bit and 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Whether you’re looking for a typical delay unit for a little slap-back on your vocals or a sonic mangling extraordinaire, Relayer is an inimitable fit. It’s filled with unique features and tools to let your creativity run free. Furthermore, despite its complicated nature, its straightforward user interface and low CPU usage make Relayer a crucial tool in any setting, live or studio.

11. UnitedPlugins Orbitron

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Orbitron is a modern multi-effects modulation plugin that features a wide variety of modulation effects.

Whether you want to inject some subtle movements into your recordings or create an alien-sounding sonic reverie, a modulation effect can be a crucial ingredient. Such effects typically include a chorus, flanger, phaser, etc. However, imagine how much more you could do with four such effects running simultaneously!

Orbitron features four modulation engines, although you could set it to run with a solo engine. Each engine has twelve modulation modes or effects. Furthermore, you can use a different modulation effect in each engine or keep them all the same with slightly varied parameters to add richness to the sound.

Key Features:

• Modes
  Each of the four modulation engines or FX sections in Orbitron offers you twelve modes or effects. These include the following: cosmic chorus, vintage chorus, super chorus, tape flanger, future flanger, phat phaser, infinite combs, liquid filter, kinetic resonator, chaos vortex, rotary speaker, and space time.
  Each mode has three common knobs and two custom sliders. The common knobs are depth, rate, and width, and the custom sliders depend on your selected mode. For example, the vintage chorus mode’s custom sliders are Warm and Analog, while the chaos vortex mode offers Spin and Radius.
• Modulate The Engines
  The central section of Orbitron features controls for blending between the four FX sections. You’ll find a circular XY pad as well. Furthermore, the blend modulation can be done in one of the following modes:

1. 1. Sync
      This mode makes the node in the XY pad spin in circles in sync with your DAW or Audacity. It’s useful for generating rhythmic sounds.
   2. Free
      This mode makes the node spin at a constant speed set in milliseconds.
   3. Random
      This mode makes the node move around with smooth random movement. It’s excellent for creating evolving sounds or chaotic movements.
   4. Manual
      This mode lets you drag the node in the XY pad to a sweet spot. It’s static.

• Presets & Randomization
  Orbitron features a massive library of presets that showcase the plugin’s capabilities well. UnitedPlugins has categorized the presets into Solo, Multi, and Hybrid. So, you’ll have an easier time finding a preset that uses a single effect, multiple effects, or strange combinations of effects for creative expression.
  Furthermore, the plugin offers three smart randomization features represented by dice icons at the top right of the user interface. The three dice mean the following:

1. 1. Dice 1 generates sensible changes to your current settings while maintaining your selected modes or effects. This mode is suitable if you like the current sound.
   2. Dice 2 also offers musical changes to your existing settings. However, it also changes the modes and the settings for the mix modulation and feedback.
   3. Dice 3 generates random values for all parameters.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 8 or higher and macOS 10.10 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Advertised as a “revolution in modulation,” Orbitron is a one-stop solution for adding movement to your audio. It features multiple modulation techniques and exclusive features you won’t find anywhere else. However, the fairly high price might make the plugin an unwise investment for those merely looking for, say, a simple chorus plugin.

7 Best Free Plugins For Audacity 2023

1. OrilRiver

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Developed by Denis Tihanov, Oril River is a free algorithmic stereo reverb with a high-quality sound.

Unlike a convolution reverb that uses impulse responses of existing spaces or effect units, an algorithmic reverb generates the reverberation effect using digital calculation. This method allows you to simulate lively small rooms or giant spaces difficult to find in real life. However, finding a good algorithmic reverb that doesn’t sound fake or tinny can be pretty tough.

OrilRiver is one of the few free plugins that genuinely rivals the quality of even famous paid reverb plugins. It has a straightforward user interface and plenty of options for sonic customization. Furthermore, it’s compatible with sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz and processes signals at 64-bit, making it a perfect choice for any project.

Key Features:

• Reverb Variations
  A reverb effect consists of the early reflection and the tail. The early reflection represents the first few reflections of sound on walls or other surfaces, and when they repeat long enough, the sound becomes washed out into a “tail.” Accordingly, OrilRiver offers twelve variations of early reflections and five variations of the reverb tail. The tail or decay can be as long as 20 seconds.
  As you might know, the reverb effect is just a series of delay networks. And the variations I mentioned above slightly alter the delay network, changing the reverb’s density. So, you could use these variations to change the “shape” of your simulated space alongside the room size and diffusion parameters.
• Equalizer
  The plugin features a three-band EQ for the reverb signal, which is handy for keeping your mix clean. The EQ has a low-shelf, a peak, and a high-shelf band. Furthermore, you can change the frequency of each band. Similarly, the damping section features a high-frequency damping filter that helps avoid the accumulation of noisy high frequencies and changes the perception of the environment.
• Two GUIs
  OrilRiver features two user interface designs: a classic look and a darker, industrial design. Both offer the same layout of the modules. You’ll find the pre-delay, width, main reverb parameters, modulation, dry, early reflection, reverb, and wet levels.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.8 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3 format.

Summary:

OrilRiver is an excellent free reverb that offers plenty of customization. You can use its built-in EQ and filters to ensure the reverb blends well with your mix. Furthermore, it has a low CPU footprint, allowing you to use as many instances as you need.

2. Melda Production MAutoPitch

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

As the name suggests, MAutoPitch is an auto-tune plugin with formant shifting.

The plugin allows you to automatically correct the pitch of monophonic audio like vocals, violin, and lead guitar. Furthermore, it allows you to make subtle, natural adjustments as well as extreme, modern effects. Various other features make it a great free alternative to Auto-Tune.

Key Features:

• Tuning
  The auto-tune section of the plugin offers the following parameters: depth, speed, detune, and base. Depth controls the efficacy of the effect, while speed alters how fast the auto-tune reacts to pitch changes. Similarly, the base knob changes the tuning frequency. So, while A = 440Hz is the default, you could use another value to fit your project.
  The plugin also contains some settings for the pitch detector. These include threshold, stabilization, minimum frequency, and maximum frequency. While the last two are self-explanatory, the threshold parameter alters how loud the input signal has to be for MAutoPitch to detect. Similarly, the stabilization parameter specifies how quickly the pitch detector notices the pitch changes.
• Formant
  The formant is the characteristic of vocal performance, determining the vowel form (a-e-o-u). It’s an important concept in any plugin designed to shift pitch. Hence, MAutoPitch features two parameters dedicated to vocal formants: Keep Formants and Formant Shift.
  Keep Formants keeps the formant character intact regardless of the pitch change. It helps a vocal recording avoid sounding like a chipmunk when pitched high. On the other hand, the Formant Shift parameter changes the formant character to alter the vocal completely.
• Scale
  It’s crucial for an auto-tune plugin to know what scale to operate in to work properly. If your song is in a minor scale of a certain key signature, the auto-tune needs to know this information to correct your performance to the proper notes. Hence, MAutoPitch sports a separate Scale section, where you can select in what scale your song is.
  The section allows you to select any key in the following scales: chromatic, major, minor, and pentatonic. If you’re an intermediate or advanced musician, you’ll notice that some important scales are missing, like the harmonic minor or the modes of a major scale. However, MAutoPitch also allows you to manually enter the notes of your scale using a piano keyboard on the left side of the scale section.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 8 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

The auto-tune is one of the most demanded modern effects in a studio. So, while Auto-Tune itself may be out of budget, MAutoPitch offers an outstanding free alternative packed with all the crucial features. You can use this plugin for smooth, natural pitch correction or inject the modern vibes of artists like T-Pain, Daft Punk, and Kesha.

3. TDR Nova

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Designed by Tokyo Dawn Records, Nova is an outstanding dynamic, parametric EQ with a polished user interface.

The plugin is perfect for both individual tracks and the master bus. It allows you to shape your sound using dynamic and simple parametric filters. Furthermore, plenty of presets allow you to get started with sound-shaping fast. Let’s check out some of its features:

Key Features:

• Four Bands
  Nova features four dynamic filters or bands. You can set each of them as a peak or a shelf filter. Furthermore, you can solo or toggle each band on and off.
  The dynamic features on each band include a threshold, ratio, attack, and release parameter. Turning the ratio upwards turns the band into a compressor, whereas turning the ratio into a negative value makes the band function as an upward expander.
• Filters
  Nova sports a high-pass and a low-pass filter. You can alter the slope steepness of each filter from 6 to 72 dB/oct., which is rather impressive and handy for mastering! Furthermore, the Wide Band mode lets you control the spectrum between the high-pass and low-pass. So, if you were only to activate the Wide Band, you’d essentially have a simple compressor with side-chain filters.
• Stereo Modes
  Nova allows the following seven stereo modes: Mono, Stereo, Sum, Diff, Left, Right, and Dual Mono. Mono turns any input to mono, while Stereo represents the typical stereo processing. Sum and Diff are the Mid and Side modes. Likewise, the Left and Right modes are self-explanatory, and Dual Mono enables independent processing per stereo channel. Additionally, it has an external side-chain input, which is handy for creating spectral space in your mix. Although, since Audacity doesn’t allow routing yet, this feature isn’t of much use.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows XP SP2 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10.9 or higher 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Nova has always been a favorite among many music producers and engineers, even over some commercial products. Its outstanding quality and efficacy make it an essential tool for your collection. Furthermore, you can also check out its Gentleman’s Edition, a paid version with six bands and even more features.

4. TDR Kotelnikov

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

TDR Kotelnikov is an original digital compressor that is recommended for master and bus compression but equally as useful for track dynamics.

The plugin offers one of the most transparent compression and an outstanding user interface with virtually every feature you might need. It uses complex and intelligent algorithms to achieve its transparency, even separating the peak and RMS signals. So, you couldn’t possibly go wrong choosing Kotelnikov for your projects.

Key Features:

• Input Filters
  Kotelnikov features a high-pass filter ranging from 25 Hz to 500 Hz to help remove rumble from your input signal. The filter has four steepness slopes, including 0 dB/oct (off), 3 dB/oct., 6 dB/oct., and 12 dB/oct. Likewise, you’ll find a stereo sensitivity section that allows you to alter the stereo link of the input detector. So, if you turn it all the way down, the compressor only detects mono (mid) signals, whereas turning it up fully makes it use the aggregate channel loudness for input.
• Threshold
  The plugin features separate threshold controls for the peak and RMS signals. Turning up the Threshold knob controls the RMS threshold amount, whereas the Peak Crest knob sets the peak threshold above or below the RMS threshold. For example, setting a peak threshold above the RMS threshold will make the peak compressor less sensitive. So, if you want to use Kotelnikov as a peak compressor alone, try turning the Peak Crest knob down while leaving the RMS threshold at 0 dB or close to it.
• Stereo Modes
  Kotelnikov sports six stereo processing modes. These include Mono, Stereo, Sum, Diff, Left, and Right. While most of these are self-explanatory, Sum and Diff are mid and side signals.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.10 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Kotelnikov is an outstanding compressor that offers crystal clear sound. Furthermore, it employs oversampling to avoid aliasing and distortion, although you can reduce the oversampling amount and CPU usage by switching to Eco mode. However, the plugin might be slightly too complicated for beginners.

5. Integraudio & Sixth Sample Deelay

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Deelay is an excellent modern delay plugin with a variety of sound-designing features alongside typical workflows.

The plugin is essentially a stereo delay, but it adds various modes of operation and saturation effects. They offer a world of sound designing possibilities, especially if you’re an experimental producer/engineer. However, even if you are after a simple delay plugin to add some space to your vocals, Deelay is fully up to the task.

Key Features:

• Traditional
  Deelay provides most of the traditional features in a stereo delay. These include millisecond and synced modes, ping-pong mode, pitch modulation, stereo spread, dry and wet controls, and input/wet high-pass and low-pass filters. So, you can easily create your favorite type of delay effects without jumping into the more advanced features we’ll dive into next.
• Operation Modes
  The plugin has five modes of operation: normal, reverse forward, pure reversed, chaos, and reversed chaos. The reverse forward mode only reverses the delay sound before feedbacking the sound into the engine. On the other hand, the pure reverse mode also reverses the first echo. The final two modes change the pitch interval, resulting in chaotic sound.
• Diffusion
  Deelay includes a diffusion section, allowing you to essentially turn the delay effect into reverb. It smears or blurs the sound to make the feedback smooth. Furthermore, the plugin allows you to control the diffusion size, speed, and quality to help shape the character of the tail. I find it handy when adding the delay effect to acapella vocals to keep the effect from being too prominent.
• Distortion
  The plugin provides eleven types of distortion or saturation effects that you can apply to the delay’s wet signal. These include saturation, asymmetrical, clip, tube, rectify, crackly, lightning, amp, bumpy, razor, and pixelated. However, not all of them are saturation effects. For instance, crackly emulates jittery wires, while pixelated introduces bit-reduction.
• Tape & Ducking
  Deelay sports a tape knob that adds a tape machine’s wow and flutter effect. This effect can be useful if you’re after a Lo-Fi vibe. Similarly, turning up the duck knob lowers the volume of the delay effect whenever there is an input signal. The ducking feature is particularly useful for vocalists and guitarists performing live to avoid clashing signals.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10 or higher 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

The delay effect is practically bread-and-butter when it comes to mixing. So, it’s important for any audio enthusiast or professional to have a good delay plugin in their arsenal. Deelay is a well-thought-out plugin that fits both beginners and experts. It offers the traditional workflow alongside various sound-designing tools appropriate for a modern engineer. If you’d like to learn more about it, check out my full review here.

6. Cockos ReaFIR

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Developed by the ingenious minds behind the REAPER DAW, Reafir is a multi-effects plugin that uses FFT measurement.

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is a measurement method that converts an audio signal into individual spectral components or frequency bands. The number of bands the signal is divided into determines the quality of the FFT process. Hence, ReaFIR allows you to divide your audio signal from 128 to  32,768 bands, offering extraordinary control over the audio.

What is the use of such an effect, though? ReaFIR offers EQing, compression, gate, and noise reduction. Furthermore, the EQ is linear-phase, making it excellent for mastering and other high-precision tasks.

Key Features:

• EQ & Dynamics
  ReaFIR’s EQs do not have bands or filters. Instead, it uses a graphical node-based workflow allowing you to draw the shape and curve of the EQ to your liking. The same workflow transfers over to the compressor, which uses a single ratio but with each node in the GUI acting as a threshold. So, while it’s not quite a dynamic eq, the precision is unsurpassed.
• Gate
  The plugin also has a gate mode, which allows you to set the gate threshold using nodes in the spectral view. ReaFIR turns down each frequency that does not surpass the level of the particular curve acting over it. So, it’s a fantastic tool to eliminate hums or low rumble with virtually no artifact to the audio.
• Noise Reduction
  Similar to the previous point, the subtract mode gets rid of any frequency that isn’t louder than the displayed curve. However, the difference is that this mode allows you to generate the curve by allowing ReaFIR to listen to a snippet of your recording. So, if you recorded an empty section containing room and electronic noise but not any voice or instrument, the generated curve or “profile” would be of the noise. And if the noise doesn’t change drastically in volume, ReaFIR can eliminate the noise spectrally without causing artifacts to your audio. This feature is crucial for any aspiring singer, podcaster, or musician without a sound-proofed recording environment. Furthermore, the “Reduce Artifact” checkmark can help improve the sound quality even more, albeit with a slightly reduced efficacy.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 98 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit. It comes in VST 2 format.

Summary:

ReaFIR is a multi-effects plugin with a spectral EQ, compressor, gate, and subtractor. The most famous use of this plugin is for noise reduction. However, I highly recommend experimenting with the other effects to learn their uses. Spectral editing can be a highly rewarding subject to learn.

7. Blue Cat’s Freeware Plug-ins Pack II

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

While this entry is a bundle, Blue Cat’s Freeware Plugins Pack II is a collection of crucial plugins for mixing.

The bundle contains seven effect plugins, including three modulation effects, a guitar amp simulator, a spectral analyzer, a gain plugin, and an EQ. These are all helpful for beginners and advanced engineers looking for classic iterations of these effects. Let’s take a closer look at these plugins:

Key Features:

• Modulation Effects
  Blue Cat has included these three effects for modulation: chorus, flanger, and phaser. All three of these are modeled after vintage gear and sound iconic. Furthermore, they all share a similar UI layout with parameters to control the depth, rate, stereo spread, and dry and wet amounts. They also feature a shape toggle to switch between sine and triangle shapes.
• Amps
  The Free Amp plugin features three guitar amp models dedicated to classic clean, classic driven, and modern driven tones. Furthermore, the plugin allows you to load impulse responses of your preferred speaker cabinet or space. You can find impulse responses fairly easily online by searching for them.
• FreqAnalyst
  As the name suggests, it’s a frequency analyzer. It allows you to change the precision level, speed, smoothness, and signal threshold. Furthermore, you can analyze each channel individually or together to understand your audio better.
• Triple EQ
  Blue Cat’s Triple EQ is a three-band semi-parametric EQ with a low-shelf, peak, and high-shelf filter. It can function as a filter since the three bands are linked and can be controlled by changing the center frequency or bandwidth. So, it’s a highly-customizable filter free of artifacts or a simple EQ for generic tasks.

Compatibility:

Blue Cat’s Free Plugins Pack II is available for Windows Vista or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10.9 or higher 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

This bundle covers many needs of most music producers and engineers. The modulation effects are outstanding, and the guitar amp is great for budget guitarists. Similarly, the FreqAnalyst plugin is an indispensable tool for analyzing the frequency spectrum. And the other plugins are also fairly useful and worth keeping. Overall, it’s a generous free package with no surprises or email registration.

Conclusion

As we’ve reached the end of this article, let’s wrap up by recapping what I’ve mentioned so far. My favorite paid plugins on this list include Toneboosters Equalizer 4, IK Multimedia Amplitube 5, AudioThing Fog Convolver 2, and UVI Relayer. They’re some of the best value products on the market. Furthermore, other plugins like Antares Auto-Tune Artist, Softube FET Compressor MK II, and iZotope RX 10 Elements are unmatched when you require such specialized plugins.

If you’re a musician, plugins like Equalizer 4, Fog Convolver 2, Amplitube 5, Auto-Tune Artist, FET Compressor MK II, etc., are likely more important than others. Similarly, sound designers will love the versatility of RC-20 Retro Color and FilterFreak. Finally, if you record podcasts, I highly recommend RX 10 Elements and Equalizer 4 to improve your sound quality.

Among the free plugins, TDR Nova is crucial, although OrilRiver, Kotelnikov, and ReaFIR are also extraordinary. It wasn’t easy to select only seven free plugins to enlist! So, I recommend checking out other valued free gems like the LePou guitar amps, Cockos ReaPlugs bundle, Xfer Records OTT, Slate Digital Fresh Air, TDR VOS SlickEQ, etc.

I hope this article has been helpful for you to discover some useful plugins for Audacity!