20 Best Free VST Plugins For Cakewalk
1. Slate Digital Fresh Air (Vintage Exciter)
Fresh Air from Slate Digital will help add clarity and brilliance to your vocals and mixes without harshness…
We often want to take the blanket away from our mixes, giving them more presence and spark. For many years this was possible thanks to exciters, special studio units that added content in the upper frequencies. The good news is that now you can achieve this for free.
Slate Digital’s Fresh Air plugin will help you do just that. It’s a dynamic processor that affects the mid and high frequencies, bringing them to life by adding air. The great thing about this software is that it’s as simple as possible since you’ll only have the two main knobs. So let’s take a closer look at it.
Key Features:
- A Simple Operation
- Trim Control
- Simple Metering
- Based On Vintage Exciter Technology
Compatibility:
Slate Digital Fresh Air is available for Windows 8 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST2/3, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
Fresh Air is a great plugin for adding presence to your sound. The best part is that you can use it on vocals and other instruments and mix buses. In addition, it’s unusually easy to use. The software especially comes in handy for pop vocals, but you can also use it for any other genre, including metal.
2. Valhalla Super Massive (Pro Delay/Reverb)
Valhalla’s Super Massive is a delay and reverb plugin that will surprise you with its versatility.
Adding spaciness is standard practice in almost any music production, be it EDM, pop, or rock. The two main effects that make this possible are delay and reverb. What if we told you you could get both of them in one plugin?
Such is the software Super Massive from the famous company Valhalla, which specializes in effects plugins. Advanced settings here help you sharpen the effect as you like.
In addition to all this, you also get an array of presets. It will be useful if you don’t want to spend much time with the settings and want to get the more or less ready sound of the effect.
But the real cherry on the cake here is the presence of mods. They all feature different attacks, decay, and density. So, you can find an option that suits your creative situation.
Key Features:
- Delay & Warp Control
- Adjust Mix and Width
- Sharpen Your Effect Even More
- 16 Different Modes
- Vast Number Of Presets
Compatibility:
Valhalla Super Massive is available for Windows and macOS, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST2/3, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
If you learn how to use the Valhalla Super Massive plugin well, new possibilities will open up in your music production. In addition, you’ll be able to get sound effects that you haven’t heard before. All these thanks to a huge number of mods and advanced settings. Overall, it’s a great software for musicians and sound designers alike.
3. Integraudio & Sixth Sample Deelay (Delay, Reverb, Granular FX, Sound Design Tool)
Deelay is a wonderful plugin from Integraudio and Sixth Sample that will surprise you with its many features.
There are stock delay plugins in almost every DAW. But sooner or later, the time may come when their functionality is not enough for you, especially if you want to look for a new sound or are engaged in sound design. In this case, the Deelay plugin will be especially useful. And the good news is that it’s completely free.
The number of different presets here is simply mind-boggling. All of them have a very different sounds. So you can glide through them until you find what you need.
One of the main features of this software is the presence of different types of distortion. Such a variety will be difficult to find even in the well-known paid plugins.
And, of course, the different types of mods. The Deelay plugin has as many as 5 of them. That’s enough for you to get the sound you want. Let’s now look at the features in more detail.
Key Features:
- Balanced Control Layout
When you first look at the settings of this plugin, they may seem a bit complicated to you. But in fact, everything is well-balanced here. For example, in the center, you’ll have the basic parameters that are responsible for the effect’s operation, like the Delay Time, Ping-Pong and Mono switches, and the Ducking settings. You’ll have Feedback, Spread, Lo, and Hi Cut Filters on the sides.
- 5 Different Modes of Operation
The mod choice will be fundamental to the operation of the delay. The plugin will give you options such as Normal, Reverse Forward, Pure Reversed, Chaos, and Reversed Chaos. For example, Reverse Forward can produce an inverted echo every second, and Pure Reversed every time. As for Chaos, it changes every echo’s pitch interval.
- 11 Shades of Distortion
The number of Distortion types here is also quite extensive. These include Saturation, Asymmetrical, Clip, Tube, Rectify, Crackly, Lightning, Amp, Bumpy, Razor, and Pixelated. Each one sounds appropriate to its name. So, for example, if we say Lightning, you get harshness and white noise. And Tube will give the effect of tube amplifiers.
- Extensive Number of Presets
If you don’t want to bother with the settings, you can always choose from many presets. The plugin team created them. For example, they are divided here into subgroups Color, Design, Non Delay, Normal Delay, and Reverb. Of course, you will also have the opportunity to save your custom presets.
- Additional Unique Features
The plugin also has many other unique features that make it very versatile. In particular, you can control Echo Offset and Deff Quality. In addition, you can apply a distortion before the output itself. And, of course, there is a separate Randomize button that gives you a random set of settings every time.
Compatibility:
Deelay is available for Windows 8.1 and higher (both 32 and 64-bit) and macOS 10.9 and higher (64-bit only). It comes in VST3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Deelay by Integraudio & Sixth Sample is one of those plugins that is hard to believe that they are free. You get a huge number of different features that help you achieve a unique sound of delay and reverb. And it’s all thanks to the advanced settings, different operation modes, and lots of types of distortion.
4. Analog Obsession FRANK 2 (Analog EQ)
The FRANK 2 plugin from Analog Obsession is a tonal shaping EQ that is based on well-known studio hardware equalizers.
The tonal shaping equalizer would be a great tool to give some color and expressiveness to your instruments. It is exactly the plugin of the famous company Analog Obsession, which creates its software based on analog gear. All products are free, but you can support the developer on Patreon.
Overall, there are three bands of EQ, Low and High Pass filters. So by the plugin’s name, you can understand that it is a kind of Frankenstein. And it is not strange because each parameter is taken from a separate studio equalizer, whether API, Neve, or Pultec. So let’s take a closer look at the plugin.
Key Features:
- High and Low Pass Filters
- Adjust The Lows
- Mid Control
- Add Some Highs
- Input and Output Knobs
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession FRANK 2 is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
The FRANK 2 plugin can be your to-go equalizer for working with any instrument. It can be vocals, guitars, bass, and drums. Yes, the plugin is a kind of Frankenstein, but that’s how it’s designed to give you a unique sound. So experiment with it to see for yourself.
5. Analog Obsession Room041 (Reverb)
The Room041 plugin by Analog Obsession gives you room reverb and plenty of tonal shaping options.
If you need to add spatiality to your tracks, namely room, the next item on our list might do the trick. It is Room041, the first reverb plugin created by Analog Obsession. It is not modeled from any unit, but you will find here settings of one of the famous plate reverbs.
Overall, you get enough settings for the reverb effect itself, but a few extra features are packed here. For example, you’ll be able to add saturation as well as tonal shaping thanks to the Post EQ section. And now about all of it in more detail.
Key Features:
- Sharpen Your Reverb
- Preamp Section
- Add Some EQ
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession Room041 is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Analog Obsession Room041 is an excellent plugin that will give you a quality sounding room reverb. It has everything you need to get the effect you want and also sharpen its tonal features. You can use this software on any instrument, but it will sound the coolest on drums, guitar, and vocals.
6. iZotope Vocal Doubler (Vocal Enhancer)
If you need an easy-to-use solution to enhance vocals, iZotope’s Vocal Doubler plugin may be a good option.
Recording vocal doubles is standard practice in music production. It helps enhance the vocals and gives them more width. But what if you don’t have these tracks pre-recorded? In that case, software like doubler can easily achieve this effect.
Such is the Vocal Doubler plugin from the company iZotope. And the good news is that you can get it completely free. Its main advantage is that it is as easy to use as possible because you will only have a few controls. So let’s take a look at what’s here.
Key Features:
- Add Some Separation
- Choose The Variation
- Effect Only Button
- Doubling Amount
Compatibility:
iZotope Vocal Doubler is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.8.5 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST2/3, AAX and AU formats.
Summary:
iZotope’s Vocal Doubler is an extremely easy-to-use software that quickly provides width to your vocal tracks. You can use it to add dimension to choruses or to highlight individual phrases on verses. It’s perfect for voice, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try it on other instruments.
7. Analog Obsession Distox (Multi-Mode Distortion)
Analog Obsession’s Distox plugin will help you add grit to guitars, drums, and other instruments.
A slight addition of saturation or distortion is a major technique to make tracks a little more expressive and audible in the mix. On the other hand, smashing instruments with the distortion can also be a good creative idea. It is exactly what is possible thanks to the next item on our list.
It is Distox by Analog Obsession, which is a multi-mode distortion plugin. You get as many as seven distortion mods here and all the settings you need to bring this into the mix at its best. Also deserving of special praise is the plugin’s rack-unit design. Let’s break it down in more detail.
Key Features:
- 7 Distortion Types
- Adjustable In and Out
- Mix The Right Amount
- High & Low Pass Filters
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession Distox is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Analog Obsession’s Distox is a great emulation of the distortion that op-amps and tubes provide. For example, you can use this for a guitar to add some crunch. On the other hand, it might be a good idea to crush drum room tracks with this software. It can be used however you want if you need to get grit in your sound.
8. UJAM Finisher Micro (Multi Effect)
UJAM’s Finisher Micro helps you quickly apply the effect and get a little extra inspiration.
Imagine a situation where you feel that a certain instrument needs to add an effect, but you don’t know which one. It can happen especially with beginners. However, UJAM has created a free plugin to help you quickly and easily solve this problem.
This software is called Finisher Micro and is essentially a multi-effect plugin. You get 25 different effect chain Modes and the Amount knob, thanks to which you can determine exactly how much effect you need. The plugin is very simple and interesting. Let’s talk about it more substantially.
Key Features:
- Select The Desired Effect
- Choose The Proper Amount
- Input And Output Adjustment
Compatibility:
UJAM Finisher Micro is available for Windows 8 or higher and macOS 10.12 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST, AAX and AU 2 formats.
Summary:
Thanks to UJAM’s Finisher Micro plugin, you can quickly find the effect you want. There are many of them here, and they all sound pretty good. This software will be a great solution to provide your mixes with ear candy. In addition, it’s extremely easy to use.
9. Analog Obsession BUSTERse (SSL Compressor)
Analog Obsession’s BUSTERse plugin can be your main tool for “gluing” mixes.
Now, what do you use the bus compressor for anyway? First, it allows you to shape transients, and second, to get the effect of “gluing” the mix as a whole. The SSL Bus Compressor is a very popular equipment for this, which was part of the console. But now, there are enough plugins that emulate its operation.
Such is the free software BUSTERse from Analog Obsession. Its main feature is that, in addition to the compressor settings, it has many additional features that will help you affect the character and dynamics even more. Let’s now try to take them all apart.
Key Features:
- Familiar Compressor Settings
- Additional Mods
- Sidechain Filter
- Transients Shaping
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession BUSTERse is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Analog Obsession’s BUSTERse plugin may seem a bit complicated at first. But if you learn how to use it, it can become a powerful tool for bus compression. This software will allow you to “glue” the mix and influence the transients in the best way. And the fact that it’s free is wonderful.
10. Imaginando DLYM (Chorus/Flanger/Delay Modulator)
Imaginando’s DLYM plugin can be your main tool for getting light and extreme sounding effects.
DLYM from the Portuguese company Imaginando is quite powerful free software. You can get extra width by applying it to all kinds of instruments. In general, there are chorus, flanger, and delay effects.
As for the settings, they are quite straightforward. You’ll have the basic effect controls, a choice between two modes of operation, and a few more features. So let’s try to analyze what’s hidden here.
Key Features:
- Choose Your Waveform
- Usual Effect Settings
- Spread It Across The Picture
- Crossover Function
- A Lot Of Presets
Compatibility:
Imaginando DLYM is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST, AU, AUv3, and AAX formats.
Summary:
It is an easy yet powerful plugin that gives you great-sounding delay, chorus, and flanger effects. That’s how we can characterize Imaginando’s DLYM in a few words. There are enough settings to get the sound you want and a number of ready-made presets. This plugin can also run on devices like iPhones or iPad, as it supports the AUv3 format.
11. Analog Obsession VariMoon (VariMu Compressor)
Analog Obsession’s VariMoon plugin will give you the character of the famous tube compressor.
The tube or variable mu compressors are some of the most expensive audio equipment. They provide smooth compression and enough harmonic distortion. In general, they are most often used as tools for mastering or drum buses. And now, we will look at one of the emulations of this hardware.
The VariMoon plugin is based on the famous Vari-Mu compressor and limiter. But in addition, the creators have laid here a few more features. For example, you can change the release, ratio, dry and wet balance, and apply a sidechain. Now about all of this in more detail.
Key Features:
- 6 Release Positions
- DC Threshold
- AC Threshold
- In, Out, and Mix
- Sidechain Section
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession VariMoon is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Analog Obsession VariMoon is a great plugin best suited for material with slow transients. For example, you can use it for vocals, bass guitar, drums, or mix bus. The sound can become a little fatter and more expressive thanks to this software. At least you’ll have a full arsenal of options to provide that.
12. Caelum Audio Tape Cassette 2 (Saturation/Tape Emulation)
Caelum Audio’s Tape Cassette 2 might be handy for producers who make lo-fi music.
We all remember that warm cassette sound from our childhood. But, remarkably, now we can achieve it directly in our DAW to create lo-fi music. Caelum Audio’s Tape Cassette 2 plugin will help you do just that.
Tape Cassette 2 is a fairly simple plugin with some great features. Thus, you will have full control over creating your custom tape sound because you can adjust almost all of its components, right down to the noise. So let’s see what the creators have hidden under the hood.
Key Features:
- Add Some Saturation
- Adjustable Low-Pass Filter
- Give It Some Noise
- Wow & Flutter Controls
- IR and Auto-Gain
Compatibility:
Caelum Audio Tape Cassette 2 is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.11 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST3, AU, AUv3, and AAX formats.
Summary:
Caelum Audio’s Tape Cassette 2 plugin will give you plenty of options to give your sound an authentic cassette atmosphere. It has all the required features, including noise, saturation, and special effects. The plugin is easy to use and especially suitable for producers making lo-fi music.
13. Analog Obsession LOADED (Channel Strip)
Analog Obsession’s LOADED plugin gives you everything you need to mix almost any instrument, especially vocals.
Using a channel strip plugin is always great because you have all the main tools for mixing a particular instrument at your fingertips. Think of it as a console that allows you to process an individual track from start to finish. That’s exactly what the plugin called LOADED will give you.
It emulates five studio units of the 500 format and one general. Here you get Preamp, De-Esser, Gate, Compressor, and EQ. The last one in the chain will be a module where you can control the input and output signals. Let’s break it all down in more detail.
Key Features:
- Preamplifier Section
- De-Essing
- Gate
- EQ Section
- Compression
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession VariMoon is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Analog Obsession LOADED is a great choice to get the channel strip plugin flavor of the hardware. You can use this software to mix each of your tracks since everything you need will be at your fingertips. Especially this software is good for those who work on live recordings.
14. TriTik Crush (Bitcrusher)
TriTik’s Krush plugin is a great audio destructive tool to help make your beats more expressive and aggressive.
Bitcrusher is a popular sound effect that involves applying a distortion by lowering the resolution of the audio signal. It allows you to achieve a somewhat warm sound. On the other hand, it can become somewhat harsh. However, providing an aggressive sound is common, especially for beats or other percussive elements.
The free Krush plugin from TriTik is just the thing to help you achieve this effect. Despite the usual bitcrusher settings, you will also get many additional ones, including modulation and filter parameters. Let’s analyze them one by one.
Key Features:
- Drive
- Crush & DWSP
- Filter Section
- Modulations
Compatibility:
TriTik Krush is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST/3, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
The TriTik Krush plugin can give you a nostalgic bitcrusher effect and take it beyond the usual sound. Here you can get both quite minor effects and pretty bizarre creative solutions. Krush is suitable for beats, but you can also use it for any other instrument that needs distortion.
15. Voxengo SPAN (Frequency/Spectrum Analyzer)
Voxengo’s SPAN plugin can serve as a wonderful frequency spectrum analyzer.
We all know how important it is to mix with our ears, not our eyes. But still, in some scenarios, visual analyzers can help you. For example, to see what’s happening with frequencies you can’t hear. It’s also useful for comparing your material with a reference.
Such a plugin is exactly the SPAN from Voxengo. And it is the kind of plugin that is hard to believe is free. You will have a visual interpretation of the frequency spectrum and all the necessary settings to display it as conveniently as possible. So let’s talk about that in more detail.
Key Features:
- Detailed Metering
- Solo The Necessary Frequencies
- Mid-Side Spectrum Analyzer
- Change Block Size
- Change The Display Range
Compatibility:
Voxengo SPAN is available for Windows XP or higher (both 32 and 64-bit) and macOS 10.11 or higher. It comes in VST, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
Voxengo’s SPAN plugin will help you explore the frequency spectrum of individual instruments or a mix in detail. It has all the necessary meters and presets that help you look at the picture from different perspectives. It’s quite light on the CPU and will be a great addition to any DAW.
16. Analog Obsession LOADES (De-Esser)
Thanks to Analog Obsession’s LOADES plugin, you can easily get rid of annoying hisses and esses on vocals and cymbals.
We already mentioned the de-esser as part of the LOADED plugin from Analog Obsession above. But the cool thing is that you can also get this software separately. The developers have created a different version of the de-esser called LOADES, and we can say that the plugin is quite effective.
It also looks like the units of the 500 rack series, but there are only two sections. In the first one, you will have a full set of de-essing settings, and in the second one, you will find general parameters. Let’s take a look at what this plugin can do.
Key Features:
- Set Up The Threshold
- Use Shelf or Band
- Release Control
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession LOADES is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
The LOADES plugin is a wonderful software that gets rid of annoying high frequencies naturally. There are enough controls to make it work the way you want it to. We don’t know exactly what frequency range this de-esser affects, but we have to admit that it works quite perfectly.
17. Surreal Machines Crack (Transient Shaper/Clipper/Maximizer)
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The Crack plugin from Surreal Machines might be a great option if you need a simple transient shaper.
If you are faced with a situation where your drums lack punch and definition, the transient shaper plugin may be the solution. Thanks to this software, you can personally control the attack and sustain and make the material fit your creative situation as much as possible.
The free Crack plugin from Surreal Machines can help you with this perfectly. It is very easy to use and has only four knobs. Also, you will be able to change the nature of the dynamics, which is also awesome as on freeware.
Key Features:
- Add or Reduce Attack
- Sustain Control
- Change The Dynamics
Compatibility:
Surreal Machines Crack is available for Windows and macOS. It comes in VST and AU formats.
Summary:
Crack is a great free plugin from Surreal Machines to help make your beat or live drums better. You will have control over attack, sustain, and dynamics and the ability to adjust the balance between dry and wet signals. By the way, this company also has a paid version called Impact, with many different settings.
18. Analog Obsession BLENDEQ (Dual-Circuit EQ)
BLENDEQ by Analog Obsession is a plugin in which you get a combination of two legendary hardware equalizers.
It’s no secret that different hardware studio units have different sounds. It is what makes them unique and appropriate for a particular situation. And this applies not only to preamps and compressors but also to equalizers. Fortunately, Analog Obsession has created a plugin in which you can blend two flavors of gear.
The main thing about this plugin is that in addition to the usual EQ bands, you will also have blendable knobs. So you can either go for a specific one or get them 50/50. The same goes for the Input signal. So let’s talk about that in more detail.
Key Features:
- 4-Band EQ
- Blendable Knobs
- Drive Your Input
- Use The Filters
Compatibility:
Analog Obsession BLENDEQ is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.
Summary:
Analog Obsession BLENDEQ is a great plugin for getting the best out of two analog equalizer emulations. The N option will give you a smoother sound, and the A option will give you punchy transients. At first, the large number of knobs might confuse you, but once you figure out how to use them, everything becomes easy and simple. The plugin is suitable for both individual instruments and program material.
19. Chow Tape Model (Tape Emulation)
The Chow Tape Model plugin from Chowdhury DSP will give you the warmth of tape and the ability to achieve a crazy sound.
We all know that tape saturation is an important part of music production, especially if you want to get some warmth and breathe life into your tracks. And all this will be quite possible, thanks to the free plugin Chow Tape Model.
In general, you will have full control over many parameters of the virtual tape machine. Thus, the plugin allows you to recreate your unique version and get the sound just the way you want. All in all, you can either get very subtle effects or achieve unconventional, creative solutions.
Key Features:
- Gain And Filters
- Adjust The Tone
- Loss, Degrade & CHEW Section
- Oversampling And Hysteresis Mode
Compatibility:
Chow Tape Model is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It comes in VST/3, AU, AUv3, CLAP, LV2, AAX formats, and as a standalone host.
Summary:
Chow Tape Model is a powerful film emulation plugin, and it’s pretty hard to believe we can get it for free. It has incredible settings and will help you sharpen the sound of your virtual tape machine in the best way possible. In addition, there’s a Tip Jar button in the right corner where you can thank the developer.
20. Chow Phaser (Phaser)
The Chow Phaser plugin will help bring more excitement and movement to your tracks.
Phaser is one of the quite long-standing and popular audio effects. It involves creating a copy of an audio signal somewhat out of phase. Their amplitudes interact with each other to create a motion effect. It is what makes it possible to get a more exciting sound.
Now we look at another free plugin from Chowdhury DSP called Chow Phaser. It has sufficient settings and can work in mono and stereo. In the latter case, you will be able to set different parameters for both channels and thus get more depth and width.
Key Features:
- Full Control Over The Effect
- Dirt
- Use Mono or Stereo
- It’s Resizable
Compatibility:
Chow Phaser is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It comes in VST/3, AU, CLAP, LV2, and AAX formats.
Summary:
Chow Phaser might be a great option if you want a free phaser plugin. It has everything you need to set up your sound quickly and get the desired results. You will be able to apply this to both mono and stereo material. Plus, the plugin is resizable.
The Integraudio Editorial Team consists of experienced music producers, audio engineers, and plugin enthusiasts dedicated to providing in-depth reviews and guides for music production software.