Sidechain Free Vst
Last Updated on December 15, 2020 by
Looking for an easy to use sidechain emulator? Armando Montanez has you covered! Available to download free in VST and AU plugin formats for PC and Mac. Download free VST plugins without having to spend a dime or waste time trawling the internet. SimpleSide is a volume automation plugin by Armando Montanez. It features an edible curve that changes volume over a tempo-synced period. Use it to simulate sidechain compression or create complex LFO effects.
Good mastering plugins can be hard to come by, and they candefinitely be expensive!
This is why I created this list of the best free masteringplugins which should help you get your mixes to a new level while not spendinganything!
Table of Contents
- Youlean Loudness Meter 2 (Windows/Mac)
- mvMeter 2 by TBProAudio (Windows/Mac)
- SPAN by Voxengo (Windows/Mac)
- LoudMax by Thomas Mundt (Windows/Mac)
- Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound (Windows/Mac)
- Voxengo Marvel GEQ (Windows/Mac)
- Stereo Tool v3 by Flux (Windows/Mac)
- IVGI by Klanghelm (Windows/Mac)
- Ferric TDS By Variety of Sounds (Windows)
- A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton (Windows/Mac)
- Baxter EQ by Variety of Sounds (Windows)
- ClipShifter 2 by LVC Audio (Windows/Mac)
- Bitter Sweet V3 by Flux (Windows/Mac)
- Stereo Buss by Minimal System Group (Windows)
- Wider by Polyverse Music (Windows/Mac)
Youlean Loudness Meter 2
One critical aspect of proper mastering, and also mixing, isbeing able to monitor properly.
Youlean Loudness Meter 2 is a free loudness metering pluginthat features four metering modes; LUFS, LRA, DR and true peak.
It’s one of the most accurate loudness metering plugins outthere, even when compared to other premium ones, and a lot of producers use it…
Which is a clear testament to its overall quality.
Even though you can get it for free, it does have a Proversion which comes with additional features.
This is an essential tool for any producer, especially ifbudget is an issue, since it will help you determine the proper amount ofloudness without sacrificing quality or dynamics.
The great thing is that it’s also a very visual plugin…
You can not only hear, but see what is going on… and this isalways a plus!
Not only this, but it includes loads of presets so you canmake sure to sound great on all the streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube,etc.
You can download it here.
Related: Are you looking for free reverb plugins? Here’s a list of 14 of them!
mvMeter 2 by TBProAudio
This is a simple and easy to use plugin which is better thansome of its premium counterparts.
It is a multivariable meter including RMS, EBUR128, VU andPPM measurement.
Additionally, it has multi-channel metering…
This means that you can see what’s happening on the stereo,left, right, mid, or side channels.
You can even choose between five different themes, if youdon’t like the look of a particular one…
The mvMeter2, compared to the previous version, comes with acouple upgrades which are:
- single and dual meter display
- adjustable reference level for all meter modes
- adjustable meter delay
- preset management
You can download it here.
Related: If you’re looking for a free DAW, then here’s anarticle for you on that exact topic.
SPAN by Voxengo
SPAN is a free spectrum analyzer plugin which is absolutelyessential for mastering if you want your mixes to end up sounding loud but notcrushed.
It has a fairly simple Interface which, in my opinion, doesn’treally look that great… but it’s still customizable to some extent.
However, it’s very accurate and useful, plus it’s compatiblewith almost any DAW available right now.
It comes loaded with features such as being able to routemultiple tracks into SPAN and then comparing their frequency content.
Applications
- Fast Fourier transform spectrum analyzer
- Stereo, mid-side, surround spectrum analyzer
- Stereo correlation meter
- EBU R128, K-system meter
- RMS, true peak level and clipping detector
You can download it here.
LoudMax by Thomas Mundt
LoudMax is a Loudness Maximizer Plugin with a clean andtransparent sound.
It is designed to retain the original character of the musicas much as possible even at high compression levels.
It’s a very simple yet powerful tool.
It has two sliders which are: Threshold and output.
LoudMax is a plugin which I’d recommend to beginners sinceits simplicity will better help you understand how to properly use a limiter.
But, even though it’s extremely simple, it’s still a greatplugin!
Features
- True Peak Limiting (Further information for ISPbelow)
- Supported Samplerates: 2kHz – 384kHz
- Latency: 1.25ms (+ 6 samples with ISP)
- Look-Ahead and Attack Time: 1.25ms
- Release Time: Automatic – depending on the inputsignal
- No audible distortion
- Possible overdrive: 740dB
- Very low CPU usage
You can download it here.
Interested in free Synth vst plugins? Here’s an entire post on that topic.
Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound
Remember I said that LoudMax is a very simple plugin withjust two controls?…
Well, Limiter №6 is far more complex and also versatile…
This is why I wouldn’t recommend it to absolute beginners.
It offers more control than LoudMax, meaning that it allowsyou to do more detailed tweaking, but it’s a bit harder to use.
It has five modules which include: RMS compressor,peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter.
Even some premium plugins don’t come with such featuresincluded…
So, definitely give it a try!
Features
- 5 modules: RMS compressor, peak limiter,high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter
- high-quality signal processing to use formastering purposes
- brickwall and soft limiting with differenttiming settings
- M/S and multiband modes
- optional 4x oversampling
- true inter-sample peaks (ISP) limiting
- analog-style indication
- 2 different GUIs
You can download it here.
Looking for free guitar VST plugins? Here are the 15 best ones.
Voxengo Marvel GEQ
Voxengo is a very well-known company that creates excellentfree plugins…
And Marvel GEQ is no exception.
Having a good EQ is essential for any mixing and masteringengineer.
This is a linear-phase 16-band graphic equalizer which youshould definitely give a try.
It comes with an “undo/redo” function which can be quitehelpful.
Marvel GEQ offers extensive internal channel routingcapabilities, and supports mid/side channel processing.
Supporting mid/side channels is a fantastic feature since itallows you to treat the information in the center in a different way than theinformation on the sides.
Marvel GEQ allows audio engineers and musicians to applyquick EQ shape adjustments, both to audio tracks and full mixes.
Applications
- Track graphic equalizer
- Voice streaming equalizer plugin
- Mastering graphic equalizer
- Stereo, mid-side, 5.1 surround equalizer
- Transparent graphic equalizer
You can download it here.
Related: Looking for free compression plugins? Then here’s a list I wrote just about that topic.
Stereo Tool v3 by Flux
StereoTool is a free plugin that offers precise control ofinput gain and individual pan for left and right channels.
It also comes with an accurate visual feedback, reflectingthe content with;
A vector scope, PPM meters for inputs/outputs, phasecorrelation meter permanently monitoring the signal and individual left andright polarity reversal.
In some cases, mixes require some balancing of theinformation between the channels, and if your mix has some balance or phaseissues, then StereoTool can be quite helpful.
Features
- Input Gain controls for adjusting the level forleft and right channels before processing
- Phase inversion of the incoming signal on leftand right channels
- Individual panning control for left and rightchannels
- Vector Scope Display providing accurate visualfeedback reflecting the signal stereo image content graphically.
You can download it here.
Interested in free Auto-Tune VST plugins? Here’s a post about the best ones.
IVGI by Klanghelm
I love Klanghelm. I use a couple of their compressors andthey all work great!
So, it’s no surprise that this saturation and distortionplugin is also excellent!
Adding a bit of saturation to your final mix can completelychange the way it sounds, and in a good way!
One of the issues in todays music industry is that we allrecord using digital gear, which is fantastic in its own way…
But some of those older sounds that we love came from theimperfections of recording with tape and analog gear.
This is why adding a bit of warmth, using a saturationplugin, can do wonders!
Not only can IVGI add warmth, but it can also be used tocompletely distort tracks, and it also lets you alter the frequency dependencyof the saturation with the RESPONSE control.
You can download it here.
Ferric TDS By Variety of Sounds
Ferric is a tape dynamic simulator which was inspired by thedynamic shaping capabilities of some high-end reel-to-reel tape recorders.
It simulates three of the most distinctive sonic effects ofthese devices:
- Dynamics: gently shaping the overalldynamic response.
- Saturation: adding extra harmonic-relatedcontent.
- Limiting: controlling peak performance.
Since most people don’t have access to vintage tapemachines, they would need some sort of plugin to achieve the same effect…
And this is where Ferric TDS comes in!
It simulates dynamics for shaping the overall dynamicresponse, adds extra harmonics and saturation effects, and controls outgoingpeaks.
You can download it here.
Looking for free Distortion VSTs? Here’s a post I wrote about the best ones.
A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton
Often times you’d want to give your mixes a wider andexpansive sound…
This is where A1Stereo Control comes in.
One issue can arise which is “widening the bass end”, sincethe bass should always be in the center.
https://picoentrancement489.weebly.com/blog/spotify-manual-download-mac. This plugin comes with the “Safe Bass” algorithm whichcenters everything below a user-configurable value.
This gives your tracks the solidity and definition you want whilepreserving maximum transparency and sharpness.
Simply turn on “Safe Bass” and adjust thefrequency if needed and that’s it… It’s really that simple.
You can download it here.
Baxter EQ by Variety of Sounds
Like I mentioned earlier, EQ is an absolutely critical elementof the mastering process…
And it is used for very gentle accentuation of specificfrequencies which affect the whole mix.
BaxterEQ was designed to be used for this specific purposewhich is why is has a full dual channel layout as well as mid/side encodingsupport, and per-channel level for easy A/B matching.
Features
- lowripple and distortion filter implementations
- 64bitfloating point internal processing
- oversampledfor superior impulse response
- naturaland accurate bass response
- authenticanalog style HF curve rendering
- smoothestshelving operation
You can download it here.
ClipShifter 2 by LVC Audio
ClipShifter is a wave-shaping audio plugin that functionslike a clipping-style limiter.
It provides enough user controls to be useful in all mixingstages: from distorting basses and drums, to maximizing mix buses andwarming-up overall mixes.
The distortion can be altered from a hard, brickwall-styleclipping, to softer saturation with compression.
ClipShifter can be used in static or dynamic mode.
Also, there is an independent left/right or mid/sidecontrol.
Most of the features of this plugin are free, but if youwant to access all of them, you’ll need to purchase the premium one…
Or you can purchase Clipped-Max which is an updated version of the software, plus it includes a key for ClipShifter as well.
Features
- Clipping style limiter
- Controls for Clip Shape (hard to soft) andharmonics
- Low CPU usage
- Standard LVC-Audio metering, including VU-style,PPM-style, and loudness meters to easily monitor input and output levels
- Scalable waveform history view
You can download it here.
Looking for free Drum VST plugins? Here are the best ones.
Bitter Sweet V3 by Flux
Flux is a well-known and respected company that createdhigh-quality plugins…
Bitter Sweet is basically their free version of a sweeteningplugin.
At its core, this is a tone and transient shaper pluginwhich with just one turn of a knob can reduce/magnify the transients, makingthe sound sweet or bitter.
By turning the knob to the sweet side, you get a very smoottransient which brings a silky tonal character with it.
On the other hand, turning it to Bitter, you get a much moreaccentuated and aggressive tonal characteristic.
Since this plugin is so easy to use, I’d say that evensomeone who is a complete beginner should download it!
Features
- Upto 8 channels Input/Output
- OutputGain
- Controlsthe Output Gain at the end of the processing (-/+ 12 dB).
- Linkto Output Gain – Compensates the Output Gain depending on the Transient Amountin order to achieve unity gain.
You can download it here.
Stereo Buss by Minimal System Group
This is a free compression plugin specifically designed specifically for Master Bus compression.
Compression helps glue all the tracks together to createthat sense of congruency in the mix, and while this is certainly doable withmost compression plugins…
Stereo Buss does it better!
Basically, if you’re looking to add some finishing touches toyour mixes, then Stereo Buss might be the compression plugin you need!
Tip: Try introducing the Stereo Buss Compressor earlyin the mixing process.
This all depends on how you like to mix, but it often timeshelps with gluing the tracks together faster…
And this means faster mixes!
Features
- AnalogueModelled Buss Compressor.
- TheXStudioToolz stereo Buss Compressor can be used on the Master Buss and also onsub-groups (Drum Groups etc).
- Greatvisual feedback.
- Greatsound.
- Presets.
- ProfessionalGUI Design.
- Verylow CPU usage.
You can download it here.
Wider by Polyverse Music
This is a simple free plugin that widens your stereo signal…
The added benefit of Wider is that it does this withoutcausing phase issues when you listen to the mix in mono because any widenedsignal will always remain in phase.
It’s extremely easy to use because you can only control oneparameter; the width.
And that’s it!
It creates a much wider stereo feel and it doesn’t mess withthe phase at all!
Excellent plugin that I absolutely recommend!
You can download it here.
Conclusion
I hope I was able to provide the information you neededhere.
I believe that all of the plugins on this list areabsolutely amazing considering that they are free!
Wider is fantastic, and I also love Youlean Loudness Meterand mvMeter 2.
Give them a try and see how you like them!
Have a great day!
BEST FREE VST COMPRESSORS
FREE VST COMPRESSOR PLUGINS
Below you will find a list of free compressors with links to the respective download sites. If you scroll down further you will find descriptions of the listed compressor vst plugins.
The vst plugins mentioned may be working either on PC or Mac or on both and a few are 32-bit only. However, by the use of a bit bridge and / or a plugin-adaptor (like jBridge, 32 lives, DDMF Bridgewize or Blue Cat’s Patchwork) you should be able to use these vst plugins in almost any DAW. In Klangheim Studio we use Cubase in combination with jBridge and that works like a charm without any hickups. You can read more about bit bridging in our article About Bit Bridging
MCompressor by Melda Production
DC1A by Klanghelm
MJUC Jr. by Klanghelm
Molot by VladG
Free Sidechain Vst Reddit
Tan by Acustica Audio
TDR Kotelnikov by Tokyo Dawn Records
RoughRider3 by Audio Damage
ReaComp by Cockos
SAFE Compressor by Semantic Audio
Leveling Tool by AdHd Audio Tools
jsCompShaper by JS Audio
FRComp87 by eaReckon
GComp by GVST
LA Thrillseeker by Variety of Sound (Windows)
Density mkiii by Variety of Sound (high quality buss and mastering compressor) (Windows)
Thrillseeker VBL by Variety of Sound (Vari-Mu compressor – this is primarily a saturation tool but it also has a simple compressor that works very well on bass) (Windows)
Nasty VCS by Variety of Sound (channelstrip with opto style compressor) (Windows)
Older vst compressor plugins – but good:
Compressive Pro by Martin Eastwood (Windows)
FL4TT3RY 2 by platinumears (Windows)
Side Chain Compressor by slim slow slider (Windows)
Sidechain Compressor by Christian Budde (Windows)
dlm Sixtyfive by de la Mancha (Windows)
Kjaerhus Compressor by Kjaerhus (Windows)
Blockfish by Digital Fishphones
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MCompressor by Melda Production (Windows and Mac)
MCompressor is a very nice and very versatile vst compressor plugin. It has a good graphic user interface (GUI) that gives you good visual feedback about what you are doing both in terms of how you are compressing (soft knee, linear, or hard knee) and how much gain reduction you are employing.
You have full control over attack, release, ratio and threshold and you can target either the audio peaks or the average loudness (RMS) of the incoming signal – or set up the MCompressor to target the audio signal somewhere in between these two.
MCompressor also has a sidechain and a highpass and lowpass filter which makes it extraordinarily flexible. It comes with the Melda Free Bundle that includes quite a few other nice vst plugins. Highly recommended.
Download link: MCompressor
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DCA1 by Klanghelm (Windows and Mac)
The DC1A compressor from Klanghelm is a simple yet powerfull free VST compressor plugin. If you are a beginner this could be a good compressor to learn by since it is very easy to tweak plus you are forced to use your ears and not rely on numbers.
The DC1A is resembling an OPTO compressor. Its attack and release timings are program dependant although you have the choice between a faster response (which is the default mode) and a slower response with the ”relaxed” mode engaged. It has a fixed threshold and the more you gain the input the more compression you will get.
Use the output knob to match the compressed level to the uncompressed. This way you will not be fooled by differences in loudness between the unprocessed and the processed audio.
The DC1A can add a nice saturation effect to the audio. The saturation is stronger with higher gain reduction. You will have less saturation when the ”relaxed” mode is enabled. If you use it for just a few db of gain reduction in ”relaxed” mode it will work in a much more transparent way.
On stereo tracks you can compress the left and right side separately by enabling the ”dual mono” mode and Klanghelm has also given us an internal sidechain high pass filter which comes in handy when you want to keep the low end more intact (for instance on the drum bus). Finally you have the option of using negative compression ratios.
So, even though the DC1A looks simple at a first glance it is quite surprisingly versatile and can work well on many different types of audio material from drums and percussion to vocals, guitars, and keyboards. It is a very good sounding free VST compressor and should you want even more flexibility you should check out its ”big brother”, the DC8A, which is a high quality compressor with a lot of tweakability for just a little more than 20 US Dollars.
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MJUC jr by Klanghelm (Vari-Mu compressor) (Windows and Mac)
Yet another simple but powerful vst compressor plugin by Klanghelm. MJUC jr is a scaled down version of the amazing MJUC compressor plugin by Klanghelm. However, the MJUC jr still gives you a little of the flavour that you will find plenty of in its bigger sibling. Both plugins are emulations of the Vari-Mu compressors type and thus they add quite a bit of tube coloration / saturation.
With just a few controls – compress, make up gain, and a choice between three time constants (fast, slow, and auto) – the plugin is very easy to operate and you may be surprised about how much you can get out of this scaled down version. If you need more control and would enjoy playing with a lot of extra parameters you can buy the full version for very little money.
Download link: MJUC jr
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Best Free Sidechain Vst
TDR Kotelnikov by Tokyo Dawn Records (Windows and Mac)
TDR Kotelnikov is a free VST compressor designed primarily for mastering purposes. It can function in a very transparent way and will definitely also find it’s use as a channel compressor or a group bus compressor.
The developers have added control features that you will not find on many compressors such as separate control over peak and RMS release values and a way to balance the importance and influence of each of these release times on the processing (through the peak crest knob and of course through the peak release knob and the RMS release knob).
You can also control the stereo sensitivity and chose whether the compressor should work on the full stereo audio or on the mid (”sum”) alone or the ”side” (”diff”) alone. If you want to dial in both mid and side compression and control these individually then you can simply use two instances of TDR Kotelnikov.
TDR Kotelnikov offers an internal sidechain function which gives you the option of relaxing the way the compressor responds to low end frequencies. There is also a mix option for parallel compression.
Timingwise the TDR Kotelnikov is capable of very fast settings. The attack time can be as low as 0.02 milliseconds and the release time can be as fast as 10 milliseconds for the peak release and 20 milliseconds for the RMS release. Of course you can choose slower settings as well since the attack time is fully adjustable up to 250 milliseconds and the release time likewise fully adjustable up to 2 seconds. All in all a very versatile tool for transparent compression.
TDR Kotelnikov is a fabulous free VST compressor plugin and it is amazing that you can get this quality for free. For mastering it is one of the best free vst compressors around. Highly recommended.
Should you want even more options there is a ”Gentleman’s Edition” at a very affordable price.
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Thrillseeker LA by Variety of Sound (Windows only)
This is definitely one of my favorite free VST compressors and probably the one free VST compressor that I use the most. The Thrillseeker LA is a very versatile compressor. In many ways it works like an OPTO compressor but although some people on the internet describe it as a free version of the LA-2A it is much more flexible than that.
Yes, indeed, the Thrillseeker LA can work very much like an LA-2A but you have many extra options on this Variety of Sound plugin. First of all you have faster attack times (both attack and release times are dependant on the incoming audio material – just as is the case with the LA-2A – but you can tweak and control the timing to some extend with the attack and release knobs).
This means that it is possible to tweak the Thrillseeker LA to work very much like a dbx 160 when it comes to timing – or a Tubetech CL-1B as well as a Fairchild or an LA-2A compresor.
Variety of Sound has also given us control over the total harmonic distortion (THD) with the interstage section. Once you have found the right amount of compression and adjusted the attack and release to your liking you can turn on the interstage section and add 2 order harmonics. If you want to go further than that you can use the slider to add even more THD and obtain thicker saturation effects.
Finally you have the ability to colour the saturation effect to your needs and even switch on a transformer circuit simulation to fatten up the sound even more.
Sidechain Free Vst
Thrillseeker LA has internal and external sidechain options and in the top left corner you will find a little knob that calibrates the plugin to a conservative (and advisable) mix level of -18 db.
In other words Thrillseeker LA can work as a clean compressor or as a more vintage sounding unit. It can work with much faster attack times than an LA-2A and it has its own little colour tool box in the interstage section.
You can use it as a channel compressor or indeed as a bus compressor. And last but not least: it sounds amazingly good. It proves that free plugins can sound as good as commercial plugins – and be more innovative than most of them! That is just one good reason to dive into free VST compressors and other free VST plugins. Highly recommended.
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SAFE Compressor by Semantic Audio (Windows and Mac)
The SAFE Compressor is special in the sense that it allows you to type in more intuitive or descriptive terms or words into the plugins textbox – such as for instance bright, warm, punchy etc. – and if the word or term is on the developers server the compressor will be set to parameters that can bring forward the wanted and described effect.
You can save your own suggestions for semantic terms that represent a compression effect and it can then be shared with other users via the server. In other words SAFE Compressor is a unique intuitive compressor that may be of special interest to beginners.
Download link: SAFE Compressor
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FRComp87 by eaReckon (Windows and Mac)
FRComp87 is a delightfully simple vst compressor plugin. It only has a few controls: threshold, makeup gain, and three timings (fast, medium, and slow). Finally, you can switch in a limiter to tame peaks after the compression. Because of the simplicity FRComp is very fast to use and may be just the right starting point if you are a beginner when it comes to compression.
Download link: FRComp87
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dlm Sixtyfive by de la Mancha (Windows)
The developer de la Mancha has created a really good free VST compressor plugin inspired by the dbx 165 A compressor. However, de la Mancha’s Sixtyfive gives you several extra options compared to the hardware which inspired his work.
If you are looking for a dbx-style compressor plugin Sixtyfive is a good choice. It sounds very good and adds a little, nice coloration and character to the audio material you run through it.
De la Mancha has given you extra features like a dry/wet knob which makes it easy to dial in ”New York” or parallel compression. While the fastest attack on the original hardware is 1 millisecond de la Mancha lets you dial in even faster timings. Like the dbx 165 A de la Mancha’s Sixtyfive also has an auto attack and release button which activates a program dependant attack and release response. It also features a peak stop option for hard limiting on the final output.
Sixtyfive is a soft knee compressor. You can tweak it to give you smooth, musical compression or to work in much more agressive ways. So if you need a vintage style VCA compressor plugin with extra features you need look no further.
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GComp by GVST (Windows and Mac)
With the GComp vst compressor plugin you have full control over attack, release, threshold, hard knee or soft knee or anything in between as well as dialing in the balance between how the compressor should react to audio peaks versus RMS (the average loudness of the program material). On top of that it also includes a limiter.
You can adjust the input and output volume and GComp gives you a good visual feedback of what is going on and how much compression you are applying.
GComp has a sibling called GComp2 with a few different parameters that you could check out as well.
Sidechain Free Vst Plugin
Download link: GComp