Your Recommended Free PC Software

[Scope]

Presonus Studio One
A fab free sequencer for Mac & PC.
Comes with a rompler. & a "get you started" library for the synth and numerous instrument and drum loops.
The PC version rompler can access sound fonts - so there is an unlimited library out there, all for free.

There are higher versions offering more features @a £££.
But for sheer fun for free, studio one gets my vote
(& I am a long term cubase & logic user !!)

[Shonn Frank]

IDK..Is it just me? I have a hard time with free plugins. I think it's because I'm old (40 ) and I'm stuck thinking BEFORE the renaissance of computers when there was a canyon between professional/acceptable gear and non-professional/ "cheap" stuff and forget about free! lol

It's the old "you get what you pay for" mentality, where you're thinking there's no way some shmuck can throw a compressor together that can rival these million dollar companies who can pay top programmers and collaborate with engineers and designers and have access to vintage gear and all that.

I know there are plenty of reasons why I'm wrong to think this way. I'm also a sucker for a cool GUI. idk

Although, when the freebie is from a bonafide developer with those resources, and I can understand that they are showcasing their stuff..my mind acts more inviting.

For example:
Camel Crusher by Camel Audio (thumbs up)

[Matt Houghton]

Tokyo Dawn Labs Feedback Compressor II is in beta for both Mac & PC now. Bit of a resource hog, so more suited to mastering or occasional use in a mix - not something for every channel! - but it offers things most other dynamics plug-ins (whatever the price) don't and sounds superb.

[annaangel]

VlC

[OneWorld]

I haven't spent much time with it myself really.

I've just switched over from using Ableton Live onto Cockos Reaper and needed a sampler and came across this.

All I've really done is load a few vocal samples and had a quick play, so don't really have anything much to contribute just yet.

But from the little I've used it, it seems to do the same sort of functions that I was using Ableton's 'Sampler' for.

And the website says that a future update will bring alongside the freeware version a professional version that will provide a few more extra features, but that takes it into 'Budgetware' rather than freeware but I think I'll be happy to pay a little bit for something I'm making use of.

Came across what?

[Matt Houghton]

Tokyo Dawn Labs Feedback Compressor II is in beta for both Mac & PC now. Bit of a resource hog, so more suited to mastering or occasional use in a mix - not something for every channel! - but it offers things most other dynamics plug-ins (whatever the price) don't and sounds superb.

The latest version of this one is much less resource-intensive now.

Also to add to the list (if I haven't missed them in this thread) are Vladg's Molot compressor and Limiter No6. They're both superb — alongside the Tokyo Dawn Labs one, these are probably the best freeware dynamics plug-ins I know of, and much better than many (and arguably most...) commercial plug-ins. Learning to get the best from them can take a while — but there's a button on the bottom to give you English instead of Russian labels, which helps.

• Vladg Limiter No6
• Vladg Molot

[Bluesman979]

Analogue X do a few useful free tools..

http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/audio.htm

Including Vocal remover, Audio Arpeggiator, HDD-time remaining, a delay calculator etc etc

HTH

[Marjeda]

I haven't spent much time with it myself really.

I've just switched over from using Ableton Live onto Cockos Reaper and needed a sampler and came across this.

All I've really done is load a few vocal samples and had a quick play, so don't really have anything much to contribute just yet.

But from the little I've used it, it seems to do the same sort of functions that I was using Ableton's 'Sampler' for.

And the website says that a future update will bring alongside the freeware version a professional version that will provide a few more extra features, but that takes it into 'Budgetware' rather than freeware but I think I'll be happy to pay a little bit for something I'm making use of.

Came across what?

The freeware sampler I put a link to a few posts up.

Anyways here's another couple of freeware plugins that I've tried and work well for me as they're pretty simple.

http://www.klanghelm.com/index.html

[bins]

I really like the FireBird 2 synth:

http://www.tone2.com/html/firebird_vsti_vst_synthesizer_1.html

....it sounds great and you can get some really varied sounds.

Great round up list of 2013 VST's here (Firebird comes in at No. 3):

http://bedroomproducersblog.com/2013/12/26/top-20-free-vst-plugins-best-2013/

[bigcat1969]

Hope its OK to mention here, list of free instruments.
http://bigcatlists.blogspot.com/2014/05 ... -type.html

[Martin Walker]

Hi Joe,

I don't see why not - it's a good list too!

You might want to change the entry from Alchemy to Alchemy Player though (only the Player version is 'free' )

Martin

[Zack Burnet]

I have used Dr Drum Beat Maker !

[Martin Walker]

I have used Dr Drum Beat Maker !

So you have, but you've posted a link to your blog, and if you subsequently make your way to the DrDrum website itself, you'll find that it's currently only $29.95, and therefore not freeware.

Sorry!

Martin

[John_Meekins]

Free PC Software:

Hotstepper
Musink Lite
LMMS
Hydrogen
MIDI FISH

VSTs:

Osiris-XT
SIKA Oriental Scale
Stringer
Synth1

[tea for two]

http://lesitedeburnie.free.fr/lalistedeburnie1-en.html

8 pages : 170 synths

Page 1
Mono synths for leads and bass lines
String synths for pads
Page 2
Analogue sounding poly synths 
Page 3
Synths with techno/trance sounds
Synths for soundesign/ambient/atmosphere
Page 4
Cold and metallic sounding synths
FM synths
Hybrid synths that are not in other categories
Wavetable synths
Phase distorsion synths
Phase modulation synths
Phase morphing synths
Physical modeling synths
Page 5
Step sequencers
Synths for noise
Workstations
Absurd machines
Page 6
Emulations of acoustic and electric instruments :
- Electronic organ
- Electric piano
- Theremin
Sample based emulations :
- Acoustic piano
- Mellotron
- Traditional instruments
- Various intruments
Page 7
Bundles 
- Elektrostudio
Page 8
Commercial virtual instrument bargains
- Synthesizers
- Soundbanks
- Virtual drummers and bassists
Magazineware
- The CM studio

" This list of freeware... is the result of many and long researches, after testing around one thousand intruments.
You will probably think that some instruments, that you like to use in your music, are missing, but there is a reason for that : the only criterion of this list is the musical quality, the beauty of sound. ....

this list is the result of my own choice, necessarily subjective, and open to criticism, like anyone's list... But it remains a unique list, because I hope that the level of quality is high..."

[sig-ex]

I've relied constantly on these. They're really good and reliable for what they do and are fairly updated.

MuseScore
Best free music notation software in my opinion.

Sekaiju
Minimal but advanced/dedicated MIDI editor. (Windows only)

Plogue sforzando
Enables you to play many nice SFZ sample libs. Free alternative to Cakewalk's SFZ plug-ins.

Audacity
Been using this for over a decade. Very well known & no need to explain .

Wavosaur
Supplement audio editor to Audacity. (Windows only)

Mp3gain
So you don't have to change the volume when your media player changes track. Not as updated, but doesn't have to be because it has a very well defined function. (Windows only)

[OneWorld]

Does anyone know how to get the activation key from MT Power Drumkit 2. It is now free but I have installed it, clicked the 'activate' button but it keeps returning with Invalid, as if it is not going to the activation link and thus not pulling down the required key

[alexis]

Melda has a bunch of useful free plugs, thirty of them at last count!

https://www.meldaproduction.com/effects?kw=free

(If the link doesn't work, can just go to the main site and migrate from there).

[Kostas_99]

Check out free Softube Saturation plugin - one knob + one lever, but still good!

For a limited time, Sie-Q from Soundtoys is free (offer ends October 13).

Some NI Reaktor synths are free - highly recommended. Even if it's Carbon 2 it's still great. Loving sound it can make.

Aand... Steinberg VB-1. A bass guitar. Never thought I would use it - seems so old but sounds good, and works. deep bass.

[JamesKitcher]

One I discovered recently... https://www.izotope.com/en/products/mas ... mager.html

I've tried a lot of stereo imaging plugins and they usually cause more harm than good; often collapsing to mono or 'adding stereo depth' results in artifacts or poor quality. This one is excellent however, and it's freeeeee.

[Living Room Rocker]

The ultimate giveaway...

Cakewalk by BandLab:
https://www.bandlab.com/download/assistant/windows

http://forum.cakewalk.com/Cakewalk-By-B ... 43935.aspx

Kind regards,

Living Room Rocker

[forumuser918214]

HOFA System Freeware is an entire mastering/fx suite with lots of good presets and 20+ modules. It sounds just fine to me. You may not need much else.

[banterbanter]

https://www.spitfireaudio.com/labs/?utm ... 542336c16f

Lots of quality VSTi's for free from Spitfire Audio

Gav

[Drew Stephenson]

https://www.spitfireaudio.com/labs/?utm ... 542336c16f

Lots of quality VSTi's for free from Spitfire Audio

Gav

Yep, I've been pulling these down when they come out. Haven't used anything in anger yet but they do look interesting.

[kieransi]

I didn't see this mentioned so far, Caustic is actually a rather brilliant mobile DAW which is free for Windows. It reminds me a lot of Reason and I've seen it used to create some fantastic sounds.

It lacks a lot of the features that would make it desirable to people who already use more professional DAW software (I don't think the instruments work as plugins), but when I was first starting making music, I used it a lot. It's very intuitive and easy to use.

http://www.singlecellsoftware.com/caustic

[imjustabilly]

Have any of you used Reaper audio? It's paid, but you can 'evaluate' it for free forever it seems. Thinking about using this.

also, has anyone had any experience using any of these free audio tools for recording multi-track podcasts?

[James Perrett]

Lots of us use Reaper - it is very well written, stable and does pretty much everything you'd expect a DAW to do. But it isn't free although the cost is very reasonable for most people.

[R_A]

DMG TrackControl is excellent. I use it on every track in my DAW.

https://dmgaudio.com/products_trackcontrol.php

Fully equipped stereo toolkit
M/S encode and decode
M/S and L/R Panning
Stereo Width control
Channelstrip input controls for Phase and LR Swap
High-pass filter with adjustable frequency and slope

[Guest]

Fully equipped stereo toolkit
M/S encode and decode
M/S and L/R Panning
Stereo Width control
Channelstrip input controls for Phase and LR Swap
High-pass filter with adjustable frequency and slope

Thanks for your share,it is so great.

[shmuelyosef]

Lots of us use Reaper - it is very well written, stable and does pretty much everything you'd expect a DAW to do. But it isn't free although the cost is very reasonable for most people.

I completely agree...I was a Cakewalk user for >20 years (starting with the MIDI sequencer products through SONAR!). Probably spent $2000 over the years updating and adding things. After Gibson bought them and then shut them down, I demoed a number of solutions, and ended up with Reaper. It was better in every way. You can get away with using it for free, but I was so immediately impressed with it's superiority over SONAR (and Pro Tools) that I'm all in and was glad to pay the $60 and support the community. Two years in now and still thrilled...not least is the availability of tutorials (the best of them from KENNY GIOIA)

I would suggest that you go look at a few of the videos before you decide...this educational piece is a great bonus