99Sounds – Upright Piano. Upright Piano is a free VST piano plugin based on a set of piano samples recorded by Rudi Fiasco. There are a fairly low amount of features available in this plugin, but the quality is very bright and clean, especially for a free plugin.
In the world of digital music production, there’ a whole universe of VST plugins to choose from.
Most VSTs are really good at one thing, or suited for a specific genre. But there’s a select few out there that are total workhorses.
They do a lot of things really well no matter what your project sounds like.
The VSTs on this list offer heaps of possibilities in a single plugin.
Whether you’re making sweeping ambient drones, experimental prog rock or wall-shaking techno, you’ll find yourself coming back to these plugins track after track—no matter what genre you’re working in.
Here’s our 7 favourite versatile VST plugins that belong in every production toolbox.
Massive is (rightfully) described as a ‘sonic monster’.
It’s an unbeatable synthesizer for basslines and leads. There’s over 1300 presets to choose from and an easy-to-use browser that sorts presets by type and characteristics.
Even though Massive has become known as a popular VST for dubstep and EDM producers, one look through the enormous and diverse library of presets shows that this plugin can do a lot more than create wobble bass effects.
One look through the enormous and diverse library of presets shows that this plugin can do a lot.
Each preset has 8 customizable macro controls to allow you to dramatically change the sound of each preset, and if that wasn’t enough, you can also go in and alter any of the 3 oscillators or their filters and envelopes to further shape your sound. With so much room for customization, you can tweak almost any sound in the plugin to suit your personal preference and work across a variety of genres.
Even though Massive shines for window-shattering basslines, it also has a huge selection of beautiful soundscapes and pads for those softer passages, making it one of the most versatile and widely used VSTs on the market.
NI Massive: $149 USD
What makes this synth really special is the ability to import your own recorded audio or outside samples—making the possibilities truly endless and versatile for any project.
Serum is a 2 oscillator wavetable synthesizer with fully user-editable wavetables. What makes this synth really special is the ability to import your own recorded audio or outside samples—making the possibilities truly endless and versatile for any project.
Serum also features a Remap Mode, which allows for you to draw your own wavetables and customize the presets or your own imported audio.
500 illegal port command. The effect rack also includes 10 different modules making this synth even more useful than most synth VSTs.
Xfer Records Serum: $189 USD
When it comes to saturation effect plugins, Decapitator shows up in a ton of top lists—And for good reason…
With 5 different analogue saturation models, Decapitator lets you create subtle, extreme, or anywhere-in-between hardware-modelled saturation.
With 5 different analogue saturation models, Decapitator lets you create subtle, extreme, or anywhere-in-between hardware-modelled saturation.
Decapitator’s tone control allows you to shape your sound how you want it, and it’s mix control allows you to blend in dry signal without the need to use routing and sub-mixes.
The flexibility of this VST makes it the perfect choice for adding character to every instrument in your mix, no matter what those instruments might be.
Soundtoys Decapitator: $199 USD
When the engineers at D16 Group set out to create Toraverb, they wanted to make a reverb VST that was unlike any other. Marketed as a ‘concept algorithm reverb’, Toraverb has easily accessible parameters for creating your own type of reverb—forget your classic room, hall, etc.
Toraverb has two independent, single band parametric equalizers, one for early and one for late EQ reflections—a feature that allows for full user control.
Toraverb sounds lovely when used on pads, synths, and guitars, but also adds depth to rhythmic patterns.
Doom 3 resurrection of evil cd key steam version. Because the sound shaping in Toraverb is so flexible and high-quality, it’s useful on any component in your track — it sounds lovely when used on pads, synths, and guitars, but also adds depth to rhythmic patterns.
D16 Group Toraverb: $39 USD
CamelCrusher is a free VST (!) featuring two different distortion tones (which can be used separately or blended together), a silky smooth low-pass filter and user-friendly compressor. All of these options combine to make CamelCrusher a go-to VST for all situations and a great place to get started with distortion on any project.
CamelCrusher will beef up any component of your track—but where it really shines is on drums of all types. The infamous ‘Phat Mode’ ensures your kick will cut through even the most heavily-distorted basslines.
CamelCrusher will beef up any component of your track—but where it really shines is on drums of all types.
Unfortunately the company that created CamelCrusher, Camel Audio, does not exist anymore, but CamelCrusher is still available for free here.
Camel Audio’s Camel Crusher: Free!
Movement features over 300 presets and allows you input any sound, instrument, or track—making it the swiss-army knife for effects.
Other highlights of the plugin include analogue modelled effects, 76 modulation knobs, and state-of-the-art sidechain modulation which allows you to modulate up to 38 parameters using a single input source.
Movement features over 300 presets and allows you input any sound, instrument, or track—making it the swiss-army knife for effects.
Movement also allows you to adjust your sound in realtime using Movement’s XY macro pad, which lets you to control up to 152 parameters at the same time.
These features and more let you completely transform any instrument or track, making it an invaluable tool for any producer.
Output Movement: $149 USD
This VST has more than 70 processors and over 500 active presets, each with their own set of processors and controls.
MXXX is pricey but worth it…
It gives you every Melda Productions effect (all 94!) in a simple, user-friendly interface. Echo, reverb, delay, distortion, compression, saturation, flanger—I mean everything.
This VST has more than 70 processors and over 500 active presets, each with their own set of processors and controls allowing you to completely customize and create new sounds.
An especially impressive feature of this VST is the automatic routing matrix: Insert any of the FX processors and the VST will do the routing for you by putting inputs and outputs in the most probable locations. This of course is fully editable, but is definitely a nice feature.
The folks over at Melda Productions really put together the complete package with MXXX that is sure to please everyone.
Melda Productions MXXX: $1218 USD
With an overwhelming selection of VSTs available on the market, it can be hard to know where to even start.
By choosing VSTs that can do a lot for you you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Having a small but solid collection of plugins that can adapt to different tracks, instruments and genres will help you have an effective workflow as a producer, and your RAM will probably thank you too.
Probably the most popular soft synthesizer is Xfer Records “SERUM”.
I will review why Xfer Records “SERUM” is so popular. In addition, I also explain how to use it, so please refer to it.
SERUM is a wavetable type synthesizer software developed by Xfer Records.
Especially attractive is the oscillator. You can create an oscillator.
Xfer Records SERUM
What is a wavetable synthesizer?
First wavetable synthesizer “PPG WAVE”
A method that creates sounds by synthesizing sample data or waveforms. Unlike analog synthesizers, it features a wide variety of oscillators. SERUM allows you to capture your own audio as an oscillator.
SERUM is also available as a monthly payment with Splice Plugins. Click here for articles about Splice Plugins.
There are three advantages when using Xfer Records “SERUM”.
(1)An oscillator that can create a wide range of sounds
Unlike ordinary analog synthesizers, there are many types of oscillators. By default, there are 42 types of Analog, 56 types of Digital, 35 types of Spectral, and 11 types of Vowel.
You can also capture your own audio or edit the waveform to create a new oscillator.
(2)Easy-to-understand GUI
It is a specification that makes it easy to see what changed when you tamper with the parameters, making it easy for synthesizer beginners.
(3)The effect is also attractive
There are 10 types of effects: HYPER / DIMENSION, DISTORTION, FLANGER, PHASER, DELAY, CHORUS, COMPRESSOR, REVERB, EQ and FILTER.
There aren’t many, but I felt that CHORUS and PHASER are very compatible with the sound of SERUM.
However, there is two disadvantages to know before using Xfer Records “SERUM“.
(1)Since it is a digital cold sound, there are some genres that do not fit
Since it is a wavetable synthesizer, it basically produces a digital sound. SERUM is often used in EDM, but I think there are some genres that don’t fit.
If you want to have a complete set of software synthesizers, I recommend that you have SERUM as a digital synthesizer, and separately obtain vintage synthesizer emulation software (analog synthesizer, etc.)
(2)No discount
SERUM offers almost no discount compared to other synthesizer software.
However, it is recommended that you can use SERUM with Splice Plugins for a monthly payment.
There are many SERUM presets at Plugin Boutique, and there is also an Expanded Bundle that includes 1300 presets, and 500 MIDI files.
Xfer Records SERUM + Presets
You can also get presets from the monthly sample service Splice Sounds.
How to add presets
Select “Show Serum Presets Folder” from the upper right MENU.
Put the fxp file in the Presets folder and you’re done.
Installation and activation methods are explained in Plugin Boutique.
It is mainly completed in the following 2 steps.
SERUM uses two oscillators, a sub oscillator, and noise as the basis for sound creation. Each can be turned on and off with the blue button on the upper left.
OSC A/B
Select from 42 types of Analog, 56 types of Digital, 35 types of Spectral, and 11 types of Vowel.
You can display the three-dimensional waveform and the planar waveform by clicking the screen.
OCT, SEM, FIN and CRS on the top change the pitch respectively.
OCT (Octave) : Octave change, -4 to 4
SEM (Semi) : Change by semitone, -12 to 12
FIN (Fine) : 100 to change the semitone, -100 to 100
CRS (Coarse Pitch) : 1.00 semitone change, -64.00 ~ 64.00
CRS can change the pitch most smoothly.
UNISON, DETUNE and BLEND below the waveform are all parameters that control the unison. The detailed settings for the unison sound are on another screen in GLOBAL above.
UNISON : You can increase the Unison up to 16, but as you increase the parameter, the button will turn red and the CPU load will increase.
DETUNE : Adjust the tuning of Unison.
BLEND : Controls the volume balance between the unison and the central sound.
PHASE : Indicates the starting point of the waveform
RAND (Random Phase) : Adds randomness to the starting point of the waveform.
WT POS : Set which position of the waveform including the sub table. You can check and edit the waveform including the sub table with the pencil mark on the screen. It is easy to understand if the screen has a three-dimensional waveform.
Warp Menu : 22 types of parameters that can be used to modify the waveform. It is off by default. If you look at the flat waveform screen, you will find it easy to understand how the waveform was changed.
SUB
Six types of sub oscillators. OCTAVE, PAN, LEVEL can be changed. You can also bypass the effect by clicking DIRECT OUT.
NOISE
NOISE has 16 types of Analog, 64 types of Attacks_Kick, 54 types of Attacks_Misc, 10 types of FP_Inharms, 16 types of Organics and 27 types of SOR.
The keyboard mark gives noise a pitch, and the → mark becomes noise that does not loop in One Shot mode.
There are 18 types of normal, 21 types of multi, 32 types of flanges, and 25 types of misc.
The knob in the middle bottom will change FAT, FREQ, HL WID, etc. depending on the filter.
It is a knob that adds variation to the filter, but in the case of a dual filter, it controls the frequency of the second filter.
The button on the left side can set whether to reflect to A (OSC A), B (OSC B), N (NOISE), and S (SUB).
When the keyboard mark is turned on, the filter will change according to the key.
MONO is monophonic, and LEGATO is ENVELOPES and LFO is not re-triggered when MONO is enabled, and keys move smoothly.
PORTA can adjust CURVE with PORTAMENT. When “ALWAYS” is turned on, PORTA is always applied, and “SCALED” changes the PORTA time depending on the glide interval.
ENVELOPES, LFO, MOD, and MACRO, which will be explained below, can be assigned to other parameters by drag & drop. It can also be operated with MATRIX.
SOURCE is LFO, ENVELOPES, etc. With AMOUNT, you can adjust how much it moves from the original value to plus or minus.
DESTINATION is an assigned parameter, and TYPE sets how to move (up, down, up and down). You can adjust the speed of movement of the value with CURVE.
There are three envelopes, and ENV1 is dedicated to Amp (volume AHDSR). However, like ENV2 and 3, it is possible to assign other parameters.
Drag ENV 1, 2 and 3 and drop them on the parameter you want to assign. Then the dropped parameter turns blue. The blue range is the range that changes according to ENV. You can change the range by dragging the small parameter in the upper left of the assigned parameter up or down. When assigned, the circle on the right side of ENV will be written as “1”. This is the number of assigned parameters.
Right-click to see the assigned parameter.
LFO is the same as ENVELOPES and can be assigned by drag and drop.
You can select presets from the folder mark, and there are 11 types of Basic, 7 types of Misc, and 7 types of Sidechain.
MODE: TRIG starts LFO note-on, and the LFO always circulates. ENV starts with note-on as well, but only once and does not circulate. When it is off, it orbits with playback.
By slowing RISE, the assigned parameter range will gradually increase. DELAY represents the LFO start time. As its name implies, SMOOTH smoothes the output of the LFO. When set to Max, the depth of the LFO will be considerably reduced.
BPM: If this is on, the LFO will match the BPM.
ANCH (Anchor switch): Effective when BPM is on and determines whether the LFO playback position jumps when the time control is automated.
DOT, TRIP: Effective when BPM is on and changes to dot time and triplet time respectively.
MOD is assigned to the Mod Wheel as its name suggests, and MACRO can be assigned to control Dry and Wet.
There are 10 types of effects: HYPER / DIMENSION, DISTORTION, FLANGER, PHASER, DELAY, CHORUS, COMPRESSOR, REVERB, EQ and FILTER.
You can turn each column on and off by clicking it, and drag it to change the order.
Xfer Records SERUM
SERUM is so popular that it has a lot of parameters that you can play around with, it is easy to use, and its creativity is quite high.
It is recommended for beginners as you can check the changes on the screen. If you would like to purchase SERUM for a monthly payment, you can get it from Splice Plugins and presets from Splice Sounds.
I hope this article helpful for you.
Xfer Records SERUM