##UPDATED## 25 Free Mastering and Mixing VST plug-ins

There is some very expensive and sophisticated hardware and software out there that these plug-ins cannot possible come close to in terms of quality.

In my limited experience though, what they can do though is give a helping hand with a mix. Also, and perhaps more importantly, by seeing how the controls are set when the various presets are selected, we can maybe start to learn a little more of the various processes that are going on and begin to understand more about mixing and the challenging subject of mastering.

We've attempted to show a preset on each screenshot, and wherever possible, we've snapped the VST in action, so you get to see all the pretty lights!

Click on the product name to go direct to the download page.



1. ANTRESS MODERN 'CHANNEL'



This has a limiter, compressor and equalizer, plus an Analog setting to warm up the sound. The presets are aimed more at individual instruments but with some tweaking the unit can be quite useful.



2. ANTRESS MODERN 'DEEP PURPLE'



This has a default flat setting, plus 7 [un-named] presets.



3. VOXENGO 'OVERTONE GEQ'



Very nice stereo EQ VST which can subtly widen and separate a mix by applying slightly different EQ settings at identical frequencies to the left and right channels. This has a few presets to get you going.



4. PUSHTEC '5 1A LEFTOVER LASAGNE'



Loads of presets, mainly for instruments but there are 12 specific mix options.



5. BOOSTY 'RESCUE'



Nice unit with an analog option, plus controls for 'punch' and 'width'. The presets are quite limited for mastering but there are some useful set ups to be had with a bit of experimentation.



6. SWEETBOY 'T-SLEDGE'



This is a fantastic piece of kit - there are loads of mastering and mixing presets and for my money, the best unit here.



7. TESSLA 'SE 1.1'



Nice saturation VST - I've just updated from my original but haven't had much of a play yet - if it's anything like the previous version, this is a nice bit of kit indeed.


8. TESSLA PRO



Updated version of the SE 1.1 - has a 'Pro' tag but it's still free!



9. TLS 'SATURATED DRIVER'



Emulated tube saturation with some very good presets - with a little experimentation, this is a very capable unit.



10. ELOGOXA 'X-CITA'



In my opinion, second only to the T-Sledge, this cracking little tool only has three controls - 'exiters' for low and high contours and an output level. It has a few presets, but it's so simple to experiment with, these act only as starting points. I've also tried this in conjunction with the T-Sledge for some very nice results - I found the X-Cita placed after the T-Sledge in the chain gave the best sounds.



11. C3 'MULTI BAND COMPRESSOR'



I haven't had this very long so I'll edit in a report when I've had chance to give it a bit of use - there do seem to be some decent mastering presets in there though.



12. BLOCKFISH



Great compressor with characteristics.



13. KJAERHUS CLASSIC SERIES


Classic Compressor pictured

Really good vintage style auto-filter, chorus, flanger, phaser, compressor, eq, delay, reverb and limiter



14. TAL-TUBE



Tube saturator with additional amplifier mode.



15. LMC-1



SSL's own free replication of the original listen mic compressor.



16. GVST GCOMP



RMS/Peak and soft knee compressor. Also check out GClip, a clipper with free soft knee setting.



17. ELECTRI-Q (Posihfopit)



Flexible graphic parametric EQ. Also don't forget to check the Electri-Q manual out about different filter types and how they work.



18. JB FEROX



Tape Saturation plugin. JB also has lots of other great plugins, amongst them a psychoacoustic compressor...



19. STARDUST



Channel/mastering processor.



20. BASSLANE



Tightens bass stereofield without affecting other freq's.



21. YOUWASHOCK



Multiband limiter based on four Maximus presets, pretty much the same as FL Studio Soundgooderizer.



22. WOW & FLUTTER



Speed imperfection emulator.



23. COLORTONE FREE



Analog signal path emulator.



24. NEBULA 3 FREE



Vintage gear emulator multi-fx containg compressors, eq's, saturation etc... CPU hog, but really great sound!



25. LinearPhaseGraphicEQ 2



Great mastering EQ VST - thanks to Daniel Rumley [rumleymusic] for the link.

I've been using the blue series as well as just the old cakewalk fx1 and 2 bundles and have been pretty happy with them. How much of a step up are these from the old directx stuff? Also, do the graphics work with the vst wrapper as well because with most of the effects I've tried you only get the basic slider type interface after it's been wrapped? Thanks!

I don't use blue for mastering but then again I don't think that waht I do qualifies as such. Right now I only run an eq then the FX2 tape sim with either med or light saturation at 30ips. I do any compression on individual tracks as needed, usually bass and sometimes vox. I'm in the middle of downloading all these programs so I have something to play with this weekend!!

Actually Z, until you mentioned the High Pass filter in one of the Blue VST's in the other thread, I'd never heard of them.

For free stuff, it's a very impressive collection.

T.H.A.N.K.S. for the tip off mate.

Good links Steve. I like the TLS-Saturated Driver, that one (on the 'warmer' setting) usually finds it's way to the Master Bus on my stuff.

Wow, some actually useful info from Steve!
I wonder which one JamzOr uses to compress the crap out of the free mastering he does.

Not Godsmacked?


But really so how does it feel to be completely astounded?

Did I just read a compliment from Pete? Thanks for all this Steve I will try them out.

Sobriety implies a previous state of inebriation. Which I don't think existed in the first place.

moocher! Right, you'd take a free Guinness where ever you can get it! Actually you'd take anybody's Guinness. Now where are the three kegs you owe me, Strummy?

Thanks Vernon - kind words.

I was only trying to sort out what was and wasn't worth keeping in my ever expanding VST list when I had the idea to share these.

Hopefully, I'll add a few more categories of free VST's when I get the time.

Steve

ORIGINAL: jamesg1213

Wow..Steve, you got moved..so the Mods do go to GT now and again!

LOL - I said the same thing to Doc earlier on James!!

I reckon he must have got lost looking for somewhere far more important - still, it got moved for the right reason I guess - only problem is there's two of 'em in here now!

Outstanding list Steve. To bad the mods did not pin it.

Thanks
Shad

ORIGINAL: foxwolfen

Outstanding list Steve. To bad the mods did not pin it.

Thanks
Shad

Thanks for the kind words Shad.

BTW, I haven't forgotten getting you involved on HOTMK - I just haven't got around to arranging the bits and bobs into a coherent song yet. I'll let you know when I finally get there if you're still up for it.

ORIGINAL: joshhunsaker

ORIGINAL: pistolpete

Wow, some actually useful info from Steve!
I wonder which one JamzOr uses to compress the crap out of the free mastering he does.

trying really hard to make friends today i guess huh pete? lol.

LOL - it took me two or three hours to put the post together Josh - that's probably three times how long it's taken the pisstol man to rattle up his 800 odd posts of puerile drivel. I still appreciate him though, he makes me feel functional!

Hi there Legion.

There's some great stuff here - I've linked your post direct from mine.

Many thanks for your time and research.

Best wishes

Steve