The internet is consistently exploding with awesome VST plugins.

With the release of all these new plugins and softsynths, it’s easy to get last in the sea of software. That’s why we’re talking about 3 free VST plugins that will improve your mix and give you new sound design opportunities.

Every music producer wants the best free VST plugins, right? Software is expensive, so any plugins that bring great results for free are always welcome. So, shall we start discussing what we think the best plugins you’ll find for free are?

The Best Free VST Plugin: Vital by Matt Tytel

It’s never been easier to generate growls. It’s time for you to shape wavetables in bold new ways to create sounds that don’t adhere to the rules. Experimenting in Vital is effortless, and that’s why we think it’s the best free VST plugin you’ll find today.

Inside Vital are 3 oscillators and a noise/sample oscillator. On top of its oscillators are three filters with a high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, notch, and so many more filter types.

If your mind has been thinking about modulation potential, we got you. Envelopes, LFOs, macros, and a matrix with extensive functionality allow you to route any parameter to (almost) every other parameter.

Vital’s user interface has the electronic artist in mind. The visuals that come with this VST demonstrate what you’re doing clearly, so your ears are only another tool that you can help guide you and not the only tool to do so. All animations in Vital are optimized for efficient GPU processing, so you can say goodbye to over-loading after 5 minutes of use.

Like Serum, you can import and manipulate your own samples into wavetables. Tools such as the vocode wavetable converter allow you to output actual words from a wavetable source which is hellishly fun. I’ve spent a lot of time using it.

preFIX by Variety Of Sound

preFIX is a lot of tools in one free interface! It’s a pre-mixing and audio alignment tool that provides a set of tools for cleaning your audio. You can align phase, undertake frequency correction, and correct spatial stereo field errors with this one tool.

A complete gate/expander solution comes part & parcel too. preFIX features a comprehensive sidechain filtering path as well.

Whole spectrum “tilt style” balancing filter with adjustable centre frequency.

Smooth Butterworth high- and lowpass filter with switchable characteristics (12 and 24dB per octave).

A dedicated parametric peaking EQ.

Internal/external sidechain is switchable.

Sidechain listening option.

DR-910 by MaxSynths

The Roland TR-909 needs no introduction. It’s been used by so many renowned artists Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, and so many more.

Roland’s TR-909 drum synthesizer is known as an iconic piece of gear in electronic music. What can the DR0910 VSTi bring to the table? Does it stand up to the original hardware?

The sound of the DR-910 VSTi plugin is an honest, faithful, reproduction of the original. That’s for sure! Each drum section, from your bass drum, snare drum, and hats, sounds and behaves very similarly to the instrument that inspired this plugin.

Extra features that aren’t on the original hardware version include a reverb module that has independent send controls for each drum. A compressor based on the engine used by MaxSynths DSP-1 and a Lo-Fi FX processor also comes included.

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You’ll find all of the synthesized, well-processed, sounds you’ll need in the MIxxed sample library.

The sampling revolution has risen in popularity and shaped music since the early 1970s. Sample culture continues to transform how millions of artists and producers do their thing in DAWs.

You too can break conventional norms, challenge the status quo, and open Pandora’s box of sound design.

Mixxed works with a growing number of sample labels and contributors to provide you with an affordable sample subscription service that’s more accessible than any before.

You’ll have access to our growing catalogue of loops, one-shots and sound effects that you can browse, download and keep forever for less than $3 a month.

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