Altiverb 7 is the industry standard convolution reverb plug-in for Mac OS X and Windows. It features top quality samples of real spaces to create reverb, ranging from Sydney Opera House to the cockpit of a Jumbo Jet. Pluginboutique is the place where the best music software companies come to sell their VST Plugins, Virtual Instruments, Synth Presets and Music Plugins to Producers, Musicians and DJs worldwide. Customers can browse Best Selling and Top Rated plugins and can download Free VST Plugins, Demos and Trial Versions before purchasing. For the broadcast mix, a team member will sit in a separate room listening to the live stream on a laptop, running in our case the free GLD editor, whilst making small adjustments to the live mix. There is a delay in the sound heard in the broadcast (round trip delay and deliberate buffering) of around 10 seconds but once you're used the slight.
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It's the end of the month, and your bank account is empty…
…again.
Oops.
And as much as you might feel like buying that new Waves plugin…
(You've had your eye on it for months, right?)
It's probably not a good idea.
But if you're still looking to expand your plugin library, don't worry.
Sometimes, the best things in life are free…
Here are 7 of my favorite free plugins. Each of them offers something new and unique (no boring EQs or compressors). Download them all to extend your sonic palette and ultimately, craft better-sounding tracks.
And if you're looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of five plugins I use on every mix. If you're wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you've got my top tools for the job.
1. iZotope Neutrino
Neutrino is the baby brother of Neutron—iZotope's newest channel-strip plugin. While Neutron has a number of innovative features, Neutrino spins off the best of them.
Neutrino tames undesirable resonances caused by poor room acoustics, cheap gear, and heavy-handed processing. iZotope calls the effect 'spectral shaping,' and it can sound similar to gentle, low-ratio multiband compression. This can make tracks sound smoother and more polished—like sanding the rough edges off a freshly cut piece of wood. I find Neutrino particularly useful on electric guitar tracks, which often have lots of harsh resonances.
2. Voxengo SPAN
People say 'don't mix with your eyes.'
Meh.
The truth?
Tools that provide visual feedback, when used properly, can help you make better mixing decisions.
A spectrum analyzer is one of these tools. It plots the frequencies of sounds out on a graph, which allows you to 'see' what tracks are comprised of.
SPAN is my favorite spectrum analyzer. You can control the ballistics and response of its graph, which makes it flexible enough for a wide variety of tasks. You can even route multiple tracks into SPAN and compare their frequency content.
(P.S. Voxengo has a few other free VST plugins. They're worth checking out too, but SPAN is my favorite.)
3. Brainworx bx_solo
Bx_solo is a no-frills, stereo-imaging plugin. While it's the least sexy of this bunch, it can still be pretty useful.
I like to add bx_solo to my mix bus. While I rarely push the stereo width past 100%, collapsing it to zero is an easy way to check for mono compatibility. The mid and side solo buttons are also useful. It's great to have this one around—you never know when you might need it!
4. HOFA 4U Project Time
Mixing is a race against time.
The more time you spend on a mix, the more attached you become to what it sounds like. This makes it progressively harder to make good mixing decisions. Given enough time, even the worst mix will start to sound decent.
This is one reason I recommend mixing quickly and impulsively. You'll get to the finish line faster, retain more objectivity, and ultimately, craft better mixes.
The first step towards more efficient mixing is to track how much time you spend doing it. Without this information, it's easy to get lost in a black hole of endless tweaking.
Project Time makes this easy. Add it to a track, and it will start counting. The timer automatically stops when you close the session, and starts when you open it up again.
Keep an eye on Project Time, and you'll train yourself to mix faster and more efficiently. It's also an invaluable tool if you bill by the hour! https://holyrenew.mystrikingly.com/blog/playtime-plugin-vst-looper.
5. MeldaProduction MFreeFXBundle
MeldaProduction makes some great plugins. They've earned the praise of many notable engineers, including mastering guru Ian Shepard.
The MFreeFXBundle contains 30 free VST plugins. They range from workhorse tools like a compressor and EQ, to less common effects like a ring modulator, flanger, and oscilloscope.
If you're looking to fill some holes in your plugin library, this is a great place to start.
6. Flux BitterSweet
BitterSweet is among the best transient shapers out there. It can produce results on par with studio mainstays like SPL's Transient Designer and Waves' Trans-X.
This simple plugin can achieve a wide variety of effects. Turn the knob to the right to add punch to drums, enhance the pluck of an acoustic guitar, or boost the consonants in a vocal performance. Turn the knob to the left to soften tracks and push them back in the soundstage.
7. iZotope Vinyl
Sometimes a little crackle is a good thing.
Vinyl will make tracks sound like they're being played on a turntable. You can vary the intensity of the effect by controlling the volume of different types of noise, the degree of wear and tear, and the decade your sound is from. The results range from subtle filtering to Edison phonograph.
This plugin is great for special effects, like filtering down a vocal or making an intro sound tiny.
Moving Beyond Free Plugins: My Favorite Plugins
I hope these 7 free plugins help you craft tracks that sound fresh and unique.
If you're looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of 5 plugins I use on every mix. If you're wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you've got my top tools for the job.
Before you go—what's your favorite free VST plugin? Share your pick in the comment section below.
Bonus: 3 More Free Plugins for Mixing
3 Free Plugins I Use in Every Mix
It's the end of the month, and your bank account is empty… …again. Oops. And as much as you might feel like buying that new Waves plugin… (You've had your eye on it for months, right?) It's probably not a good idea. But if you're still looking to expand your plugin library, don't worry. Sometimes,
FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets
Downloaded Over 19,455 times!
Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!
If you're a Facebook Live producer, you're probably wondering: What is the best solution for encoding the broadcasts you stream to Facebook and distribute to viewers? There are many alternatives, some of which are driven by event-specific requirements; some by budget; and others by the gear you currently own.
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feed Online
All encoding options present a unique blend of strengths and weaknesses. This article will present the most commonly considered solutions.
The Goal of a Facebook Live Broadcast
Let's start by briefly exploring the concept of the ideal Facebook Live event. The event should start and stop crisply; stream at the highest possible resolution; and on-screen talent should promptly respond to comments and reactions. Under the hood, the stream should be resistant to changes in bandwidth from the event location, and should recover smoothly from catastrophic losses, such as complete bandwidth drops or power failures.
Though these concepts are simple in theory, few encoders achieve them. The difference is the level of integration with the Facebook Live application programming interface, or API. Most products in this review offer the simplest layer of API support, which simplifies logging onto Facebook and choosing a destination for your stream. The deepest layer of API support, which is only available in the final product category discussed, provides most of the features identified in the ideal broadcast.
Environmental Factors in Choosing a Facebook Live Encoder
Sometimes, encoder selection is driven by environmental factors relating to your event. For example, at events such as press briefings where you only have the physical space for a camera and tripod, your only option is an in-camera or on-camera device. Going one step further, you may be going live from a location without power or a local network connection, requiring an encoder with both power and 4G connectivity.
Some cameras—most notably, several manufactured by JVC—offer both encoders and 4G connectivity. So you may already have what you need for these types of remote shoots.
If your camera doesn't come with encoding capabilities, Teradek is the most prominent brand of on-camera encoder, with two relatively inexpensive encoder-only units to consider: the VidiU ($699) and VidiU Pro ($999), which both support Ethernet and Wi-Fi. You configure and operate both devices with an iOS app that also allows you to add a graphic overlay or scoreboard over your live video.
The VidiU Pro comes with a dedicated encoder central processing unit (CPU), which helps ensure stream stability, and an SD slot for recording the encoded video, which is useful for archival or uploading to a video on demand (VOD) service, such as YouTube or your Facebook page. VidiU Pro also supports Sharelink, which lets you combine output signals from Wi-Fi, Ethernet and several iPhone LTE connections to increase the outbound bandwidth of your video stream, which can help improve the quality of your video.
Figure 2. The LiveU Solo is a battery-powered encoder that can support two 4G modems.
If there's no Ethernet or Wi-Fi at your event, the least expensive alternative is 4G connectivity. Here, look for a device that supports multiple 4G modems from different service providers, rather than a single 4G service or USB modem. That way, if one 4G service isn't available from your shooting location, or is swamped with other traffic, another might be open.
When multiple 4G services are available, you can combine the signals for the highest possible bandwidth. One popular product in this category is the LiveU Solo, which can support two 4G signals (plus Wi-Fi and Ethernet) and costs $995.
If you're not affected by these or similar environmental factors, you have multiple options. Here are the most common categories.
Video Mixers for Facebook Live Encoding
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feed Plugin
Video mixers are products that can input multiple audio and video feeds; mix and switch between them; add graphics, titles and other overlays; and output one or more streams. Some products in this class are sold as hardware/software appliances, such as:
- The popular NewTek TriCaster line of products.
- Lecture-capture systems, such as the Epiphan Pearl 2.
- BlackMagic Design's ATEM live production switchers.
Others are sold as software-only, including:
- Telestream Wirecast.
- Studiocoast vMix.
- The open-source Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).
In all cases save OBS, which is primarily used for consumer streaming, video mixers are powerful programs, used worldwide for productions ranging from casual to professional. All of these programs should be able to connect and send a stream to Facebook Live.
However, if you're planning to stream to Facebook Live via one of these products, remember that encoding is a very CPU-intensive process that can drain resources from other system tasks.
Figure 2. The TriCaster Mini: a popular video mixer that can deliver a stream to Facebook Live
If you purchased a streaming appliance with both hardware and software, chances are the manufacturer considered this, and configured a sufficiently robust CPU and other components to handle the load. However, if you installed a program such as Wirecast, vMix or OBS on an existing computer, you don't have the same assurance.
Before using a self-configured system for an actual event, you should test streaming to Facebook Live under a realistic production load, and make sure CPU utilization—which all products display—stays under 60 percent or so. Levels above 60 percent can lead to instability and crashing. To promote stable operation, you should uninstall as many extraneous programs as possible and disable non-essential services. This will reduce the risk of transient CPU-related stoppages, as well as outright crashes.
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feeds
If you're considering pairing an existing system with OBS as an inexpensive encoding station, factor in the cost of a capture device to connect your camera to the computer. Again, for stable operation, you should strongly consider retiring the host computer from other general-purpose tasks, and uninstalling all unneeded programs and services to increase the total system cost.
Beyond stability and total cost, recognize that most products in this category are not that easy to use. Nothing onerous, but if you're looking for a system that your marketing assistant or social media manager can use, you probably should choose one from the following category.
In addition, remember that though these products are highly functional, they're video mixers first—not purpose-built programs for streaming to Facebook Live. While connecting with Facebook Live will be simple, these products lack the deeper functionality discussed in the final category.
Facebook Live Encoding Appliances
Encoding appliances are devices that input a signal from a camera (or video mixer) and send a stream to a video service. Some are low-cost units built specifically for sending a stream to social media sites, such as the Epiphan Webcaster X2 ($299). Others are general-purpose streaming devices that can also send a stream to Facebook Live, such as the Matrox Monarch HD ($995).
Figure 3. The Epiphan Webcaster X2.
Keep an eye on Project Time, and you'll train yourself to mix faster and more efficiently. It's also an invaluable tool if you bill by the hour! https://holyrenew.mystrikingly.com/blog/playtime-plugin-vst-looper.
5. MeldaProduction MFreeFXBundle
MeldaProduction makes some great plugins. They've earned the praise of many notable engineers, including mastering guru Ian Shepard.
The MFreeFXBundle contains 30 free VST plugins. They range from workhorse tools like a compressor and EQ, to less common effects like a ring modulator, flanger, and oscilloscope.
If you're looking to fill some holes in your plugin library, this is a great place to start.
6. Flux BitterSweet
BitterSweet is among the best transient shapers out there. It can produce results on par with studio mainstays like SPL's Transient Designer and Waves' Trans-X.
This simple plugin can achieve a wide variety of effects. Turn the knob to the right to add punch to drums, enhance the pluck of an acoustic guitar, or boost the consonants in a vocal performance. Turn the knob to the left to soften tracks and push them back in the soundstage.
7. iZotope Vinyl
Sometimes a little crackle is a good thing.
Vinyl will make tracks sound like they're being played on a turntable. You can vary the intensity of the effect by controlling the volume of different types of noise, the degree of wear and tear, and the decade your sound is from. The results range from subtle filtering to Edison phonograph.
This plugin is great for special effects, like filtering down a vocal or making an intro sound tiny.
Moving Beyond Free Plugins: My Favorite Plugins
I hope these 7 free plugins help you craft tracks that sound fresh and unique.
If you're looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of 5 plugins I use on every mix. If you're wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you've got my top tools for the job.
Before you go—what's your favorite free VST plugin? Share your pick in the comment section below.
Bonus: 3 More Free Plugins for Mixing
3 Free Plugins I Use in Every Mix
It's the end of the month, and your bank account is empty… …again. Oops. And as much as you might feel like buying that new Waves plugin… (You've had your eye on it for months, right?) It's probably not a good idea. But if you're still looking to expand your plugin library, don't worry. Sometimes,
FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets
Downloaded Over 19,455 times!
Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!
If you're a Facebook Live producer, you're probably wondering: What is the best solution for encoding the broadcasts you stream to Facebook and distribute to viewers? There are many alternatives, some of which are driven by event-specific requirements; some by budget; and others by the gear you currently own.
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feed Online
All encoding options present a unique blend of strengths and weaknesses. This article will present the most commonly considered solutions.
The Goal of a Facebook Live Broadcast
Let's start by briefly exploring the concept of the ideal Facebook Live event. The event should start and stop crisply; stream at the highest possible resolution; and on-screen talent should promptly respond to comments and reactions. Under the hood, the stream should be resistant to changes in bandwidth from the event location, and should recover smoothly from catastrophic losses, such as complete bandwidth drops or power failures.
Though these concepts are simple in theory, few encoders achieve them. The difference is the level of integration with the Facebook Live application programming interface, or API. Most products in this review offer the simplest layer of API support, which simplifies logging onto Facebook and choosing a destination for your stream. The deepest layer of API support, which is only available in the final product category discussed, provides most of the features identified in the ideal broadcast.
Environmental Factors in Choosing a Facebook Live Encoder
Sometimes, encoder selection is driven by environmental factors relating to your event. For example, at events such as press briefings where you only have the physical space for a camera and tripod, your only option is an in-camera or on-camera device. Going one step further, you may be going live from a location without power or a local network connection, requiring an encoder with both power and 4G connectivity.
Some cameras—most notably, several manufactured by JVC—offer both encoders and 4G connectivity. So you may already have what you need for these types of remote shoots.
If your camera doesn't come with encoding capabilities, Teradek is the most prominent brand of on-camera encoder, with two relatively inexpensive encoder-only units to consider: the VidiU ($699) and VidiU Pro ($999), which both support Ethernet and Wi-Fi. You configure and operate both devices with an iOS app that also allows you to add a graphic overlay or scoreboard over your live video.
The VidiU Pro comes with a dedicated encoder central processing unit (CPU), which helps ensure stream stability, and an SD slot for recording the encoded video, which is useful for archival or uploading to a video on demand (VOD) service, such as YouTube or your Facebook page. VidiU Pro also supports Sharelink, which lets you combine output signals from Wi-Fi, Ethernet and several iPhone LTE connections to increase the outbound bandwidth of your video stream, which can help improve the quality of your video.
Figure 2. The LiveU Solo is a battery-powered encoder that can support two 4G modems.
If there's no Ethernet or Wi-Fi at your event, the least expensive alternative is 4G connectivity. Here, look for a device that supports multiple 4G modems from different service providers, rather than a single 4G service or USB modem. That way, if one 4G service isn't available from your shooting location, or is swamped with other traffic, another might be open.
When multiple 4G services are available, you can combine the signals for the highest possible bandwidth. One popular product in this category is the LiveU Solo, which can support two 4G signals (plus Wi-Fi and Ethernet) and costs $995.
If you're not affected by these or similar environmental factors, you have multiple options. Here are the most common categories.
Video Mixers for Facebook Live Encoding
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feed Plugin
Video mixers are products that can input multiple audio and video feeds; mix and switch between them; add graphics, titles and other overlays; and output one or more streams. Some products in this class are sold as hardware/software appliances, such as:
- The popular NewTek TriCaster line of products.
- Lecture-capture systems, such as the Epiphan Pearl 2.
- BlackMagic Design's ATEM live production switchers.
Others are sold as software-only, including:
- Telestream Wirecast.
- Studiocoast vMix.
- The open-source Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).
In all cases save OBS, which is primarily used for consumer streaming, video mixers are powerful programs, used worldwide for productions ranging from casual to professional. All of these programs should be able to connect and send a stream to Facebook Live.
However, if you're planning to stream to Facebook Live via one of these products, remember that encoding is a very CPU-intensive process that can drain resources from other system tasks.
Figure 2. The TriCaster Mini: a popular video mixer that can deliver a stream to Facebook Live
If you purchased a streaming appliance with both hardware and software, chances are the manufacturer considered this, and configured a sufficiently robust CPU and other components to handle the load. However, if you installed a program such as Wirecast, vMix or OBS on an existing computer, you don't have the same assurance.
Before using a self-configured system for an actual event, you should test streaming to Facebook Live under a realistic production load, and make sure CPU utilization—which all products display—stays under 60 percent or so. Levels above 60 percent can lead to instability and crashing. To promote stable operation, you should uninstall as many extraneous programs as possible and disable non-essential services. This will reduce the risk of transient CPU-related stoppages, as well as outright crashes.
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feeds
If you're considering pairing an existing system with OBS as an inexpensive encoding station, factor in the cost of a capture device to connect your camera to the computer. Again, for stable operation, you should strongly consider retiring the host computer from other general-purpose tasks, and uninstalling all unneeded programs and services to increase the total system cost.
Beyond stability and total cost, recognize that most products in this category are not that easy to use. Nothing onerous, but if you're looking for a system that your marketing assistant or social media manager can use, you probably should choose one from the following category.
In addition, remember that though these products are highly functional, they're video mixers first—not purpose-built programs for streaming to Facebook Live. While connecting with Facebook Live will be simple, these products lack the deeper functionality discussed in the final category.
Facebook Live Encoding Appliances
Encoding appliances are devices that input a signal from a camera (or video mixer) and send a stream to a video service. Some are low-cost units built specifically for sending a stream to social media sites, such as the Epiphan Webcaster X2 ($299). Others are general-purpose streaming devices that can also send a stream to Facebook Live, such as the Matrox Monarch HD ($995).
Figure 3. The Epiphan Webcaster X2.
While specs vary across the board, products purpose-built for streaming to social media are typically the easiest to use, with one-button operation perfect for non-video professionals. They also offer a higher degree of Facebook Live integration. For example, you can connect an HDMI monitor to the Webcaster X2 for a talent view screen that includes incoming comments and other reactions, simplifying viewer/talent interactivity.
Products such as the Monarch may not be quite as simple to use, but offer advanced features, including the ability to record a master-quality stream to an SD card, and an API for integrating into lecture-capture and other systems. With all appliances, you eliminate the need for a separate computer, minimizing the cost of the overall solution.
Though Facebook integration is increasing in products in this category, they typically can't match that offered by professional Facebook Live appliances, covered next. As you'll learn, this impacts quality, robustness and fault-tolerance.
Professional Facebook Live Appliances
There are currently only two products in the category of professional Facebook Live appliances, both from Wowza: the ClearCaster. The encoder offers seamless integration with Facebook Live and Facebook Workplace through the paired encoding API, which ensures the best broadcast quality and highest reliability. Additionally, it supports 1080p60 publishing to Facebook Live and ensures streaming to the optimal Facebook ingest point via an automated network path speed test.
Best Free Eq Vst 2019
What makes this product professional? It starts at the beginning of the broadcast, where a countdown clock helps ensure a crisp, professional start to your event. It also streams at 1080p, the highest resolution allowed by Facebook Live, while most other live encoders only support 720p. The Talent View monitor also offers video preview and the ability for on-screen talent to see comments and reactions to foster interactivity.
When broadcasting primarily to mobile viewers, you can easily switch ClearCaster from 16:9 to square video, improving the visibility of your talent and the real-time comment feed. If your broadcast supports 608 captions, you can flow that through to Facebook Live and your VOD assets, as well.
Leveraging the Facebook API, the ClearCaster monitors outbound bandwidth, and can reduce the data rate of the outbound stream when connectivity slows. While this may drop the quality of the Facebook Live event, it won't cause a catastrophic stop—which can happen with other products without this feature.
If bandwidth is completely interrupted, ClearCaster sends a slate with the text 'Live Video Interrupted' to Facebook Live, but stores the incoming feed to the hard drive. If connectivity is restored in under three minutes, the unit simply starts transmitting the recorded stream, so no content is lost. In the final VOD stream published by Facebook, the interruption is edited out—so while there may be a short interruption, the VOD version isn't ruined.
If power is lost, simply restart the machine, and it will reconnect and restart the broadcast. Obviously, content is lost in the interim, but you're back up and running as quickly as possible. Note that since Facebook ends a live stream if it's down for longer than three minutes, this feature won't help with long stoppages.
This functionality obviously comes at a price, but it's one many producers find well worth paying for the crispness, quality and fault-tolerance the Wowza ClearCaster appliance delivers.
Best Free Eq Vst With Live Feed Free
Want to learn more about creating professional Facebook Live productions? Read the Wowza Ultimate Guide to Facebook Live Streaming. For more information about Wowza ClearCaster, visit the product page.
Transient Shaper ($89) by Softube is a dual-band transient processing plugin capable of focusing on a specific frequency range. This is useful if you want to, say, make a snare sound more 'snappy' without touching its low-frequency content. The plugin also features a distortion module which saturates the signal before it hits the output. Softube's Transient Shaper is a dual-band control unit with a rack mount appearance. The double band feature allows for shaping with more grit and weight, making the processor best suited for beefing up sounds that need that extra spice. Multimode Frequency Dependant Transient Shaper TS-1 is a multimode frequency dependent transient shaper designed to manage the attack and sustain of an incoming audio signal. Thanks to our 'Compression by Saturation' concept, TS-1 works great to add warmth and punch to your drum tracks without losing dynamics. You know you want a transient shaper VST plugin to make your transients much more dynamic in the production process. How the heck are you supposed to choose though when there are so many options? Choosing a transient shaper VST on the lower end of the price and quality spectrum will be quite a risk for your production endeavors. Vst plugin transient shaper.
About Jan Ozer
