AI provided aggregate scores for what is most "highly rated"

DAW: CockOS Reaper

EQ: FabFilter Pro-Q (4)

* Includes saturation options

Compressor: FabFilter Pro-C (3)

* Includes saturation options and various compression characteristics

Clipper: SIR Audio Tools StandardCLIP / Kazrog KClip (3)

* StandardCLIP is wideband and known for transparency. KClip offers both wideband and multiband.

Limiter: FabFilter Pro-L (2)

* Wideband. Low distortion. Various limiting characteristics. Integrated loudness metering and dithering options.

Honorable mentions, each of which offer entire plugin suites

* DMG Audio
* TDR Tokyo Dawn Labs
* Toneboosters

 

Fabfilter will probably get recommended by almost everyone, so that should tell you that this is a great choice if you had to choose just one thing. Thankfully, if you don't mind riding the rough seas, the sister site has that, plus plenty of other quite good stuff like Izotope Ozone/Neutron. Valhalla's stuff is great for reverb/delay.. they even have some good freebies.

I also own a whole lot of UAD's plugins, and they didn't cost me a lot of money, cause you can buy these in bundles on great sales, and they also give out freebies from time to time if you pay attention. But yah, you can stockpile on a bunch of their plugins just watching for sales. I think their plugins sound pretty good, whether it be their channel strips, compressors, space echo, tape emus or other stuff,.. But you can demo them and decide for yourself.

As for DAW, I'm on Reaper now because i got tired of paying so much for a DAW upgrade so often, but the DAW I used before it was Cubase. If I had a lot more money, I would have stuck with it. I'm pretty content with Reaper too, just some things are easier in other DAWs, but Reaper is stupidly powerful, has great (top?) performance, and is cheap.


If you're in need of a VSTi, the genre you produce definitely matters, but Diva IMO is the best of the best and will fit just about everything.

 

Last edited: Feb 7, 2026 at 4:59 AM

This is a good list of digital mixing plugins to add to UAD analog plugins. Then you need some specialist items and you are almost done.
Soothe2, Gulfoss, as examples of them. This is where you are more into personal preference and workflow.

Daily driver stuff:
EQ: Fabfilter Pro-Q4,
Compressor: Fabfilter Pro-C3
De-esser: Fabfilter Pro-DS
Gate: Fabfilter Pro-G
Reverb: Valhalla Vintage Verb
Delay: Fabfilter Timeless 3
Limiter: Fabfilter Pro-L2, DMG Limiless
Clipper: Kazrog Kclip3, Sir Audio Standard Clip
Bus Compressor: U-He Presswerk, Cytomic The Glue
Saturation: Soundtoys Decapitator, Fabfilter Saturn 3
Tape: U-He Satin or other

 

Since you are used to Cubase, I see no reason to switch except maybe if you are fed up with its workflow.

As of the plugin bundle for mastering, there are too many options available so briefly, I would name:

Waves, Slate, UAD, Fabfilter or Softube.

Any (or a mix) of these should get you covered.