Basically the question.

 

Basically everything free from Voxengo, Melda, Blue Cat and Valhalla. These will keep you busy for quite some time and they're good.

 

Someone even made a list to make it easier to find that stuff.
https://audiosex.pro/threads/best-free-software-for-making-music.14835/

The TDR/VladG, HORnet and Klanghelm stuff is very usable as well.

 

I'd definitely grab the (now free) ToneBoosters bundle: https://toneboosters.com/support.html Scroll down to "Where can I find older (legacy v3) plugins?" The links are there.

 

Yes, but he is asking exclusively about audio work, so it does not include synth and things like that.

A warm reverb, very useful for certain voices: OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov. It's free and you can find it easily on the net.

 

Plugin Alliance always has a few decent free plugins: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products.html?flags[]=free&sort=priceLH

 

Analog obsession

 

The stock plugs that come with your DAW can be great too

 

The plugins that come free with Reaper are good quality and will work with other DAWs.
https://www.reaper.fm/reaplugs/

Also, Dead Duck do a lot of good ones.
https://plugins4free.com/dev/597/

 

https://www.meldaproduction.com/MFreeFXBundle << This will be disabled IF you already have any Melda plugins from the sister site

I forgot to add,, go here to d/l the best free brickwall limiter I've used.

https://lvcaudio.com/plugins/limited-z/

 

Last edited: Oct 28, 2022

Sadly, most of their plugins have a lot of completely unnecessary complete phase tilts. For instance their recent plugin (EQ and compressor), as soon as you switch the EQ on, the phase looks like a zig-zag pattern.

 

Thanks @No Avenger. Ya spotted the errm deliberate mistake did ya :P

All rectified now.

 

Yep, was a nice confusion. I could still see the link to the not so free mastering bundle in your post (before you edited it) but in my quotation there was a link to the free bundle.
F5 cleared the confusion and I removed my post.

 

Last edited: Oct 28, 2022

And TDR

I had no idea that Blue Cat has free plugins lol

Both AO and Airwindows seem cool at first glance but have done some questionable things in the past that'd make me hesitate recommending their plugins.

AO especially. Dude tried to sell his plugins with the biggest "omg analog warmth" marketing scheme whilst asking basic questions in a developers forum so everyone knew he was sus, then he tried selling his entire company and finally he decided to make them free. What a joke of a person, lol.

 

Yes, yes, I'm using it myself, how could I forget it? Shame on me and sorry Fabien.

 

Oh you know by now, me and confusion go hand in hand

I've used a few of their freebies for years. I forgot all about them too..

 

All the above, also check out Acustica Audio's free stuff

 

It is difficult to mention a plugin, if you do not know what specific task you are going to do, when a track has a particular problem there is a tool to solve it but first you have to know what the problem is. Basically what I can tell you is that you learn Using the fabfilter proq is the only thing I can recommend that is always used. I am not going to recommend compressors or more advanced tools because I do not know what your level is and doing processes without knowing what you are doing ruins mixes

 

Valhalla Supermassive for sure. And most definitely the Spitfire Labs free stuff. I recently did a horror movie soundtrack and used a ton of it - the director loved it.