Top Free Vst Delay Plugin

19-05-2021 admin

Free quality plugins 2020

Home News Software Free Plugins/ iOS Best FREE Delay Plugins For PC & Mac With 64-Bit Support May 9, 2020 Synth Anatomy Free Plugins/ iOS, Software 0 SYNTH ANATOMY uses affiliation & partner. Here’s our list of the top 50 best VST plugins (2021): It’s a table with a search function, so search for what you’re looking for, & it’ll come up! ‘delay’, ‘mastering’, ‘compressor’ (if you want more in-depth info, use the table of contents to navigate past the table).

The price of software plugins has dropped a lot over the last 10 years. The market is flooded and the amount and quality of free plugins have never been higher. Today almost all audio plugin developers use some of their marketing budgets on downscaled versions of their products for promoting the brand and plugins.

But can you make 'professional' sounding mixes with free plugins? The answer is yes!

What makes a good free plugin:

It does not sound 'free'
It is competing with expensive plugins on at least a few features
CPU usage not too high
- Free plugins might not be as optimized as selling plugins
VST 3 format is a plus but not a must

Here are a few of the best free high-quality plugins that we have tested for this article:

Valhalla Supermassive from Valhalla DSP - NEW plugin
Voxengo SPAN
OrilRiver Reverb
Softtube The Knob
TAL Chorus LX
Xfer Records OTT Multiband Compressor

The plugins explained

The plugins are list in random order and not by rank. They are all good plugins for different sounds and mixing purposes.

Valhalla Supermassive

Valhalla Supermassive is a new free reverb plugin from Valhalla DSP. It is a new design with delays and reverbs and has a unique Warp feature for interesting sounds. It has fewer controls than the plugins from Valhalla for sale.

Valhalla Supermassive delay and reverb plugin

This is quality-algorithms for free! Try it.

This plugin is built on valuable knowledge and probably a tested framework used in the products for sale which gives the user a lot for the zero money.

Like in Vintageverb and Room the modes have names

OrilRiver Reverb

This is one of the better sounding free reverbs. No low quality ringing and it has a nice diffusion. It does not quite have the pro feel of Supermasssive but still a good free tool for a good reverb.

The GUI looks ok though 'free' but it still easy to dial in what you want.

The early reflection and variations- and reverb variation names are just 'Variation x'. In Supermassive at least they have names.

Voxengo SPAN

This is one of the best free metering plugins there is. It is frequently updated and has the metering you need for a modern music production setup.

Voxengo SPAN free analyzer and metering plugin

This metering plugin has all the basics:

Analyzer display
RMS
Peak
Correlation
MS spectrum analyzer
Crest factors
Different scales like K-12 and K-14

The contesters on the expensive pro-market are:

Izotope Insight 2
Flux Pure Analyzer
Steinberg Wavelab

The Knob saturation plugin

The knob is a simple one-knob saturation plugin with 3 modes. It creates pleasant saturation to distortion for different kinds of material.

Softtube The Knob plugin

This is a loud plugin and an output control would have been nice but like most free plugins, there often is a nag. The missing output control can be overcome with a trim plugin after in the plugin chain.

Xfer Records OTT Compressor

ITT is a different plugin. It is a multiband upward / downward compressor.

Xfer Records have more free plugins here

An alternative to this plugin is Waves MV2 which also has upward and down compression and limiting.

TAL Chorus LX

TAL Chorus LX is a plugin emulating the famous Juno 60 chorus from the vintage analog Roland synthesizer. A defining effect from a hardware synth.

Download the free TAL LX and get a high-quality effect.

The plugin

This plugin has a sweet wide sound. It is simple with 2 mode buttons and a stereo width control giving it 3 stages of effect. 1, 2, and both 1 and 2.

Free TAL Chorus LX

Other Juno 60 chorus units

TC Electronics JUNO-60 pedal
- A hardware pedal from TC Electronics
Oblivion Sound LAB
- Another free hardware chorus emulation VST
- Down load it here

IZotope Ozone Imager

Izotope has released a simplified version of the imager component from the full Ozone mastering plugin. This is probably part of the marketing budget collection website profile members and setting focus on the full mastering plugin.

Free Ozone Imager from Izotope website

Faking stereo always has a downside so do not overdo it. but it can make the individual sound more interesting or widen a whole mix a but.

Flux Stereo Tool

A free stereo imaging and analysis plugin with a nice GUI.

The free Flux Stereo Tool

Features:

Input gain for left and right channel individually
Pan
Phase inverse
Vector Scope Display
Parameter morphing between presets

CPU usage

The CPU usage is not directly comparable since the processing is very different but here is a list:

As shown in the CPU usage table only Saturation knob and OTT Compressor has latency and most of them have insignificant CPU load. Supermassive has surprisingly low CPU usage.

Free synth presets

A free Bass Demo Package

Classic Delay Vst Plugin

9 great patches
Basses for different genres

Delay is a crucial audio effect for creating space while mixing music.

Alongside reverb, delay plugins are key tools for crafting the ambience of your songs.

But there are so many different delay plugins out there. Searching for the best one for your session can take you out of your creative flow pretty quick.

Luckily, If you know a bit about the different types of delay and the classic hardware that they’re modelled on, it’s much easier to choose the right one at the right time.

In this article I’ll go through the 4 main types of delay, where to use them in your mix and the best delay plugins for every mix scenario.

But first…

How does delay work?

All delay effects are based on the same time-based principle.

The input of a delay effect goes to a recording medium that makes a copy of the signal. That signal is then played back later in time after a variable duration or delay time.

A portion of the delayed signal is routed back to the input (feedback) and the two signals are blended together (wet/dry mix) to create the illusion of cascading echoes.

No matter how complex a modern delay plugin might be, all delay effects are based on this simple concept.

Here are the 4 main delay types:

Tape Delay

Engineers realized early on that tape based recording systems could be adapted into echo units.

Delay was originally intended to mimic the natural reflections of acoustic echo. But tape delay effects didn’t exactly get it right.

To save space, the tape passed by the heads in a closed loop instead of spooling on a reel. That left limited delay time available and caused the tape to wear out faster.

The “wow and flutter” or subtle speed fluctuations of the tape caused the delayed signal to have a subtle, natural modulation.

The “wow and flutter” or subtle speed fluctuations of the tape caused the delayed signal to have a subtle, natural modulation.

Worn tape and improper biasing added saturation and blurred the repeats together slightly.

What were considered imperfections at the time are highly sought-after today. Engineers jealously covet tape delays for their warm, musical repeats.

Tape Delay Uses

Tape delay is perfect wherever you need a warm but detailed delay with subtle modulation.

There’s something magical about the way a great tape delay sits in a mix. Try out hi-fi studio tape models on vocals and grittier, worn tape styles on electric guitar.

Best Tape Delay VSTs

Free Plugin: E-phonic Tape Delay

E-phonic Tape Delay is a simple but effective plugin for getting started with the sound of analog tape.

Cheap Plugin: IK Multimedia Tape Echo

Tape delay is perfect wherever you need a warm but detailed delay with subtle modulation.

IK Multimedia’s Tape Echo is a quality tape emulation from a respected brand.

It’s a great option If you’re looking for a simple, good-sounding tape echo at an affordable price

Pro Plugin: Soundtoys EchoBoy

Soundtoys EchoBoy is an industry-standard delay for classic tape sounds. It’s a super versatile and incredible sounding delay.

The various tape models are spot on in terms of accuracy and sound—great in any mix.

Delay Plugin Free

Analog Delay

As analog technology advanced in the mid-seventies, non-tape based delay alternatives began to appear.

Tape delay units sounded good but they were bulky, impractical and required lots of maintenance.

Musicians wanted a compact delay solution that was consistent and easy to work with live…

So engineers pioneered electronic delay with BBD chips.

The dark, murky repeats of analog delays were an instant hit and the much smaller form allowed delay to make it into guitar pedal format.

A “bucket brigade device” works exactly how you’d imagine. A voltage is passed along a series of capacitance sections like a line of people dumping water into the bucket of the person next to them.

Just like in the analogy, the process works well enough, but there’s inevitably some loss down the line.

The repeats of an analog delay are already fairly dark and indistinct. But each successive feedback pass further degrades the integrity of the signal until it blurs into feedback.

The dark, murky repeats of analog delays were an instant hit and the much smaller form allowed delay to make it into guitar pedal format.

Analog Delay VSTs

Free Plugin: Smartelectronix AnalogDelay

Smartelectronix AnalogDelay is a simple, no-nonsense analog delay plugin.

It’s a great way to get started with analog style delay.

Cheap Plugin: Waves H-Delay

Waves H-Delay is a great workhorse delay that features highly tweakable analog styles great for getting the characteristic murk and feedback of BBD delay.

Pro Plugin: Soundtoys EchoBoy

Soundtoys EchoBoy wins again here for its fantastic analog models. With presets for specific classic units like the Boss DM-2 and EHX Deluxe Memory Man, you can’t go wrong with EchoBoy.

Analog styles can work great for gritty distorted vocals or dirty percussion sounds.

Free Tape Delay Vst

Analog Delay Uses

Use analog delay wherever you need a stylish lo-fi delay with lots of character. Analog styles work great for gritty distorted vocals or dirty percussion sounds.

Digital Delay

You’ve arrived at digital delay—sounds like the end of the line right?

While modern digital delays are nothing short of pristine, it hasn’t always been this way. The first digital delays had severe limitations due to the high cost of processing power in the early digital era.

Effects designers had to resort to programming tricks to cram everything in, giving early digital delays a distinct character.

The first digital delays delivered a character that’s especially evocative of classic records from the 1980s.

The subtle compression and artifacts of the early AD/DA converters used in the first digital delays delivered a character heard often on classic records from the 1980s.

Best Digital Delay VSTs

(Almost) Free Plugin: HoRNet Deelay

HoRNet Deelay is fully functional delay plugin with a satisfying model of the early digital units. At 4,95 € it’s not quite free, but it’s close enough to make it to our list.

Cheap Plugin: Native Instruments Replika

The Native Instruments Replika series is new to the delay plugin scene.

The basic (and most affordable) version of the plugin packs some powerful features including a great vintage digital model.

Pro Plugin: D16 Repeater

D16 Repeater is another fantastic full-featured delay plugin.

It has two separate stereo delay lines for interesting multi-tap effects and has convincing emulations of early digital designs.

Digital Delay Uses

Use digital styles when you want a clear, realistic delay that fits nicely into a mix but still has recognizable character.

The modulation parameters on these types of delays can help you create a depth-enhancing, slightly chorused sound that’ll take you straight back to the best sounds of the 80’s.

Plugin Delay

In today’s DAW era, hardware effects units aren’t the only option anymore. There are a staggering amount of delays that aren’t based on any classic gear at all.

The best thing about pure plugin delays is how powerful and flexible they are. Plugins are capable of creating almost any kind of delay you can imagine—and some that you can’t!

Free Echo Vst Plugins

Here’s the best ones…

Best Delay Plugins

Best Plugin Delay VSTs

Free Plugin: ValhallaDSP FreqEcho

ValhallaDSP FreqEcho is a simple but powerful free tool for creating off-kilter delay sounds.

With just high/low cut filters and a pitch-shifter on the repeats, the FreqEcho can conjure a inspiring amount of delay weirdness.

Cheap Plugin: ValhallaDSP UberMod

ValhallaDSP UberMod is the full realization of the FreqEcho (see above).

With 32 modulated delay taps and extensive modulation and diffusion options, there’s no shortage of interesting textures you can create with UberMod.

Pro Plugin: FabFilter Timeless 2

FabFilter—The reigning champs of modern DSP engineering—are back with this sophisticated plugin delay.

The filter and modulation options available in Fabfilter Timeless 2 are incredibly versatile and creative.

Plugin Delay Uses

The sky’s the limit for how to use plugin delay. Modern delay plugins are outstanding sound design tools. So get creative and come up with something new and exciting.

Delay time is a flat circle

Delay is an incredibly musical effect for creating atmospheres and ambience. It’s an essential mixing tool for every engineer.

Best Free Vst Delay Plugin

Picking the right delay plugin out of sea of options can be a daunting task. But knowing a bit about the kinds of delay that are out there will help you get there faster.

Best Professional Vst Plugins

So, to recap:

The 11 Best Delay VSTs