New freeware plug-ins
Uwyn
MIDI Tape Recorder
MIDI Tape Recorder is a free open source software that emulates a multitrack tape recorder - but not for recording audio signals, but MIDI data. This sounds a bit crazy, at first. After all, MIDI recordings can be edited much more flexibly in the DAW, whether in pitch, length or speed. And for decades, developers have been tinkering with the ability to post-process audio recordings in as much detail as MIDI.
But the extensive processing possibilities of MIDI data, especially quantization, have a price. That‘s because it requires that data to be squeezed into a specific grid. And if you‘re improvising freely over a track in your DAW, you‘ve probably noticed that even with quantization turned off, the recording doesn‘t always have exactly the same timing and groove as a live audio signal.
Verdict
Limiting a tape recorder to a handful of tracks without much post-processing can encourage creativity. This is where developer Geert Bevin, who has been involved in such excellent Moog apps as Model 15, Model D, and Animoog Z, comes in with his project. At the touch of a button, the app records MIDI data exactly as you record it, and plays it back exactly as you record it - with no timing changes, no quantization options, but with a highly expressive MPE controller.
Developer: Uwyn Web: uwyn.com Price: Freeware Format: AUv3
Heavyocity
Foundations Piano
Heavyocity is known for high-quality sample libraries with epic and cinematic sounds and is correspondingly popular with producers in the film and game sector. It is equally popular with musicians for that special ambience in a track. Foundations Piano addresses the same target group, as here a classical grand piano has been interwoven with atmospheric sounds and textures to create a hybrid fantasy instrument.
The basis is a very detailed recording of a Kawai Grand Piano. As a second layer, a „creative texture“is available to you for further sound design in order to supplement the time-honored instrument with a modern variant and bring in the special ambience - be it cheerful, emotional or dystopian-destruction. Accordingly, Foundations Piano is also suitable for all kinds of film, commercial, game or other music. The included presets give a good impression of the instrument‘s flexibility. In addition to mixing the piano and texture components, you have access to an arpeggiator and volume control via the ADSR envelope. Effects are also built in, including a Gate and Space effect.
Verdict
Foundations Piano is a cinematic piano library for the free Kontakt player. The combination of excellent classical piano multisample and modern texture for ambience and feeling works in almost any context.
Developer: Heavyocity
Web: heavyocity.com
Price: Freeware
Format: VST, AU, AAX, Standalone
Chowdhury DSP
BYOD
BYOD is an extensively customizable free distortion effect. BYOD is modular, so you can build and configure your Distortion from scratch - like a synthesizer sound with a modular system! Accordingly, there is an audio input and an audio output, which serve as an interface to the DAW. You can then link the input signal to the included modules, which can be linked in any selection and order. The output of the last module in the processing chain is then connected to the audio output.
There are currently 16 drive modules available, ranging from classic tube and diode distortion, rectifier and clipper to radical waveshaper. For further sound shaping, there are 11 tone modules like filters and equalizers, as well as 9 utility modules like Mixer, Oscilloscope and Splitter for separate processing of frequency ranges. And finally, there are 7 modules with classic effects like Chorus, Reverb, Delay and Compressor.
Verdict
BYOD is more than just a distortion effect. The modular design allows you to create your own effect chains; the possibilities range accordingly from subtle saturation to complete alienation of the audio signal. The simple operation, the good selection of modules and, last but not least, the impressive sounds make the plug-in a real recommendation!
Developer: Chowdhury DSP
Web: chowdsp.com
Price: Freeware
Format: VST, AU, AAX, LV2, Standalone
1 Drumloop
Load BYOD as an Insert Effect on an audio track with a dry, clean drum loop, such as an unprocessed TR-808. If the loop is in stereo, select stereo below instead of mono. If the computer‘s processor allows it and the DAW can handle latency compensation, select the highest factor 16x at the bottom right for the best sound. 1
2 Distortion
Press on the virtual Input socket of the Output Module. Right-click or click + to select a module (Drive-Tube Screamer). Connect the output of the Input module with the input of the Tube Screamer and its output with the input of the Output module by Drag & Drop. Now the drum loop is distorted with the virtual tube. 1
3 Customize
If you don‘t like the sound, you can adjust the distortion using the sliders. Or you can click on the cogwheel icon and select a different distortion module with Replace. With dry/wet in the lower section, you can mix the unprocessed audio signal with the distorted sound. Or you can add an equalizer before or after the distortion to shape the sound. 1
4 Equalizer
In our example, we load Tone Graphic EQ. To connect the equalizer behind the distortion module, move the mouse over the input socket of the output module until a circle appears and click to cut the connection. Then, drag and drop the output of the distortion module onto the input socket of the Graphic EQ and connect its output to the output module. 1
5 Module
Add more modules and connect them like in a modular system. Tone modules like the Bass Cleaner or the Multimode Filter can thin out the input signal before the distortion and, thus, reduce the more powerful basses before the distortion. Under other, you will find various effects such as Reverb and Chorus, which are usually connected after the distortion. 1
6 Mid/Side
Another interesting module is the Stereo Splitter, which you can find under Utility. It splits the audio signal either into right and left channel or into center and side signal. Now you can switch different effects behind the two outputs and, for example, distort the left and right hi-hats and percussion differently from the center bass drum.