This introduction to 10 free plugins curated by Reverb SYNC was written to empower musicians to record their own tracks by taking advantage of easy access to the musical software revolution.
This week, Reverb launches a satellite into the digital realm with Reverb SYNC, a new section of our website dedicated to keeping you updated on the latest developments in the expansive world of software plugins, computer music production, and other digital content. Our journey begins with a handpicked selection of 10 totally free plugins that increase your workflow by providing intuitive access to powerful effects and precise utilities.
Take a look below for Reverb SYNC’s introduction to modern plugins.
So What’s a Plugin?
Plugins are individual software items that are easily installable on most computer and mobile operating systems to add specific sound functions to an existing Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Musicians can view plugins as downloadable instruments, effects, and production utilities that are quickly connected to a computer recording project without the space constraints and power requirements of a physical studio.
Making Music: Made Easier with Plugins
Plugins are quickly loaded within a DAW to create instrumental and vocal recordings, equalize sound frequencies, and apply effects such as distortion and delay. Take a look below for our curation of 10 free options that will benefit any musician interested in becoming their own recording engineer.
Ample Guitar M Lite II - The Ample Guitar M Lite II by Ample Sound is a convincing instrument plugin that authentically recreates the tone and action of a Martin D-41 acoustic guitar. This plugin emulates the playing style of a live session guitarist through a sound engine comprised of over 800 samples. You can use the plugin’s keyboard-to-fretboard visual interface to accurately transpose riffs in your DAW and recreate playing techniques like palm mutes, hammer-ons, and pull-offs.
Ample Bass P II Lite - The Ample Bass P II Lite by Ample Sound is the ideal instrument plugin to begin creating a virtual rhythm section in a DAW. Designed to recreate the sound of a Fender Precision bass, this plugin delivers accurate low-end tone, natural harmonics, and playing techniques like bass slaps. You can also transpose a bass riff to your track using the plugin’s intuitive keyboard for notes and jam along with any other virtual instrument in your DAW.
Symptohm PE - Rigorous keyboard melodies and supportive synth pads can be added to any track with Ohm Force’s Sympotohm PE synthesizer plugin. This expansive plugin comes with 1,200 presets, enabling rapid shifts in tone from floor-shaking bass to scorching treble with a single click in the visual interface. In addition, the customizable oscillators enable you to manipulate the preset waveforms and create your own synthesized samples.
MNotepad - The helpful MNotepad plugin utility by MeldaProduction allows thoughts to be quickly typed and archived into a simple interface located in the DAW, resulting in minimal delay and providing maximum efficiency during engineering sessions.
MAutoPitch - MeldaProduction’s essential MAutoPitch utility plugin automatically catches and fixes mistakes in vocal performances during recording. This plugin also smoothly harmonizes singing voices with the frequencies from instrumental tracks. Finally, with the formant shift function, you can make subtle or extreme adjustments to the timbre of any voice or instrument.
MWaveFolder - The high-gain fuzz of the MWaveFolder effect plugin by MeldProduction dynamically launches instruments to the front of a crowded mix. This plugin creates complex harmonic distortion by pushing an instrument’s amplitude beyond its natural threshold, and can also produce subtle overdrive sounds. Completely new distortion effects are created instantly each time you activate the plugin’s random function.
Multiply Chorus - The Multiply effect plugin by Acon Digital bolsters solo vocal and instrumental recordings by emulating the sound of additional musicians simultaneously playing a single tone. The plugin’s software circuit is precisely crafted to reduce unpleasant harmonic effects while blending sounds. Plus, you can use the flexible voice count function to create up to six additional voices on a single track for immediately lush sound expansion and resonance.
MEqualizer - The MEqualizer utility plugin by MeldaProduction is ideal for effectively balancing various instruments and voices in a complex mix. This standard yet essential plugin provides control over the bass and treble frequencies of individual instruments as well as complete tracks. The visual interface represents recorded sound as a modulating spectrum of color accentuated by precise frequency readouts and can be controlled by clicking directly on the interface and manually adjusting a recorded instrument’s frequency.
MCompressor - The MCompressor utility plugin by MeldaProduction prevents extreme spikes in track volume from damaging both speakers and eardrums. This essential plugin provides a cutoff point on the track’s highest and lowest frequencies to reduce the audible differences between loudest and softest sounds. The straightforward visual interface and custom shape function give you the ability to set the precise point at which the plugin reduces track volume.
PanCake Auto-Panner - The black sheep of the bunch, the PanCake Auto-Panner effect plugin by Cableguys bounces instrument and vocal performances between the left and right speaker channels in fascinating ways. This plugin can be applied to individual instruments as well as complete tracks, delivering stereo field modulations that emulate the evocative sound of echoes traveling throughout winding caverns. As an added bonus, you can create customized auditory illusions by clicking directly on the visual interface and dragging the direction of sound into wild shapes.
Ample Guitar M Lite II
Ample Bass P II Lite
Symptohm PE
MNotepad
MAutoPitch
MWaveFolder
Multiply Chorus
MEqualizer
MCompressor
PanCake Auto-Panner
Bonus Reverb Exclusive: The Reverb SOLO is an exclusive effect plugin custom-designed and developed for the launch of Reverb SYNC by our friends at Acon Digital. This immediately interactive and musically rich plugin provides any instrument with the natural sound decay of a large or small vintage studio space, as well as the lush ambient depths possible only with plugins. Use the intuitive visual interface to quickly dial in your ideal reverberation while adjusting the amount of effect in your instrument signal with the wet/dry slider.
The plugins above deliver a varied introduction to the powerful recording and editing capabilities of music software. They’re also a great resource for home engineers looking to dramatically enhance the efficiency of their own recording workflows.
Stay connected with Reverb SYNC as we continue to orbit the digital world and deliver cutting-edge content and powerful new plugins to you, our fellow explorers in the universe of empowered electronic music production.
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