Ableton Forum

Instruments

Effects

Thanks, Braj! I always appreciate efforts like yours.

later,
John

Thanks!!!!

Just to be a little more helpful to those on OS X (so you don't have to weed through all the Windows-only plugs and feel excluded), here's the list sorted just for you:

Instruments

Effects

Have fun!

DOUBLE THANKS!! (from a Mac user)

later,
John

are any of those any good?

(note: i haven't looked at the list yet, i just want an oppinion)

There's some good and some bad. Most are OK, if unspectacular. Read the user reviews to get in idea before downloading. Some don't have feedback, bu that doesn't mean they're bad.

Of note, IMO, would be Crystal (Mac and Win) and Synth 1 (Win).

Huge list of effects and instruments.
Considering the effects already included within Live, which of these VST effects would be essential or unique?
Any recommendations of effects to try out?

I carry most of these little freebies around in my plugins folder (except the ones I truly dislike or crash my computer all the time). I also have a bunch of commercial synths, drummachines, and effects as well.

Here's a short list of the ones that keep turning up in my projects (OSX):

digitalfishphones:
Blockfish
Floorfish
Spitfish
(3 gems! except only the AU versions seem to work in Live without crashing)

slim slow slider
C3 Multi Band Compressor
(nice but quite CPU intensive)

Smart Electronix
AnalogDelay
(very nice sounding free tape delay)

Tobybear
Madshifta
(pretty straightforward pitch shifter delay stomp box type of thing w/ a filter)

Arne
Multi Delay
(much more elaborate delay- still working with presets on this one)

----

Green Oak
Crystal
(everybody's favorite-- eats CPU cycles like a pig though)

DASHSignature
daHornet
(nasty little thing)

alphakanal
Buzzer2
(just started playing with this one-- so far so good)

dmi
dmiHammer
(less is more sometimes)

mda
ePiano
(I can't tell you how many times this one's filled in that one last part-- not a world class emulation, but you can't beat the price)

I also like to keep any dynamics & eq type plugs handy at all times. You never know when one of the freebies has a sweet spot where the Vintage Warmer doesn't reach.

92accordlxtuner wrote:are any of those any good?

(note: i haven't looked at the list yet, i just want an oppinion)

:)

Crystal 2.1
Superwave P8
PolyIblit
Ugo's Motion 2.8 / Texture 1.2 / String Theory ( all excellent these 3) - ps :REZ is a great little bass/lead monosynth also.
ODO - Apad and SeeqOne is one Mother of an Acid machine :D

Those mentioned above are definately worth the download IMHO .
The stuff from UGO is damn amazing for what it's worth and holds up against any payware VSTi IMHO (especially Motion and Texture).
I actually prefer Motion and Texture to Crystal myself.

Yeah, Motion and Texture are cool.

There was a really cool Mac multi tap delay that I liked a lot, but I forget which one. I'll need to search it out again.

thanks guys... this place is a friendly forum

I would have to agree with you guys there are alot of really good freeware plugins out there, and they do the job in most cases, but...

heres my but...synthedit... now with the exception of a few, most things made with synth edit to me sound.. how do i say it...

like poos?

going from commercial plugins like moog modular V and absynth 2 & anything Native Instruments and a few others, to the very narrow sound of synth edit plugins, there is a massive sound difference. i dont know what it is, but i can pick it.

its not so bad on effects (delays,reverbs, ect) but most synth edit synths sound not right to me

there are some really good creative ideas with synth edit plugins and i couldnt make anything better, but think if you want good sounding music you need to have good sounding tools. unless you wanna make music that has that sound...

like painting, you need a fine brush, but the fine brush costs alot these days.... (in most cases)

i think the day software sounds better than hardware, real instruments with real components prosessing and generating the sound will be a great day, but until that day... i'll be holding my breath.

but in saying that, i came across these little buggers....
not bad, the GUI is a little bland, but good sounding free VST plugins
(not made with synth edit... that i know of) LOL

http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php

peace
module

I love the VSTs, there are some that sound really nice. But when using the pluggies you can be making stuff up, save it, and then the next time you open up the set, you will not have played a note and you notice you're at 17, 20, 30% CPU util!

I have enjoyed using the mda* plugins. They are generally low CPU users, no user interfaces but focused in their functionality.