There are hundreds of free VST plugins you can add to your music production setup. However, before going down that rabbit hole, we recommend focusing on a few high-quality plugin bundles and getting the most out of the included instruments and effects.
It’s much better, productivity-wise, to own a small selection of high-quality plugins than to spend your days downloading new software instead of making music.
Komplete Start
Komplete Start is a free music production bundle from Native Instruments. It includes over 2,000 studio-quality sounds and 16 high-quality instruments, accessible within any DAW via the included Kontakt and Reaktor Players.
We love the variety of the included instruments. There are many options, from Analog Dreams for vintage tones to acoustic instruments such as drums, pianos, an Irish Harp, and Yangqin.
This is what makes Komplete Start so ideal for producers on a budget. It lets you explore new instruments and styles in one convenient and completely free package.
Another big plus is the outstanding sound quality because all of this is based on premium Native Instruments products.
The bundle also includes amazing free effects, like the RAUM reverb and the mastering EQ from iZotope’s Ozone collection.
Another big plus is the included Kontakt Player, which gives you access to dozens of free Kontakt libraries. You can expand it with some of the best-sounding virtual pianos, drums, and other instruments.
The only downsides are the large download size and the need to install the Native Access software to manage the installation. Also, Komplete Start runs on Windows and Mac but doesn’t support Linux.
MFreeFXBundle
MFreeFXBundle by MeldaProduction is one of the largest collections of free audio effects plugins available from a single developer. It includes 38 plugins for mixing, mastering, and sound design.
The included plugins include all the effects you need for music production. You’ll get standard effects like EQ, compression, reverb, and delay, along with specialized tools for spectral panning, frequency analysis, ring modulation, and bitcrushing.
One of my favorite aspects of MeldaProduction’s free plugins is the advanced modulation capabilities. In most of their effects, you can modulate multiple parameters via built-in LFOs and followers for creative sound shaping.
The sound quality is excellent, too. MeldaProduction plugins are some of the best on the market, and this is also true for their freeware bundle.
Another advantage is MeldaProduction’s highly customizable interface design. Each plugin comes with multiple skins and color schemes to choose from.
On the other hand, the included plugins offer many advanced features, which add a bit of clutter to the control layout. This isn’t an issue for advanced users, but keep it in mind if you’re a beginner.
Kilohearts Essentials
Kilohearts Essentials is a free collection of 34 audio effect plugins for Windows and macOS.
The collection includes EQ, reverb, compression, delay, distortion, saturation, chorus, and various other effects that can be used individually or inside the modular host plugins from Kilohearts (Phase Plant, Snap Heap, and Multipass).
We love the simplicity of Kilohearts Essentials. Each plugin does exactly what it says on the tin. They are nicely designed and optimized for low CPU usage.
Even though they are designed as modules for creative sound design, these effects work great independently. We use them for handling everyday mixing tasks without straining the computer and slowing down my workflow with unnecessarily complex plugins.