+ Producers, Synth Heads and Sci-Fi Nerds, our new course with synthwave pioneer, Com Truise: Mid-Fi Synthwave Slow-Motion Funk, is out now!
Music production can be a daunting financial undertaking. But it doesn’t need to be as bad as you might think.
To keep the bank unbroken, let’s talk about a few (10, let’s say), great free or affordable music production tools that can greatly help your creative side explode.
Audacity (free)
Audacity is a robust, free DAW that enables audio recording and editing. Its user-friendly interface, along with a wide array of built-in effects and support for VST plugins, makes it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced producers. Even if you have a bigger, badder, DAW, Audacity is a great tool to have lying around for easy one-off utility tasks.
Helm Synthesizer (free)
The now-famous Helm synthesizer is a versatile, free software synth renowned for its sound design capabilities. With a wide range of oscillators, filters, and modulation options, it’s perfect for crafting unique sounds, from lush pads to edgy leads. It comes in standalone and plugin form, which makes it cool for live performance as well as recording. What’s also awesome is Helm is open source, so if you’re a developer or simply intrepid, you can go crazy with the code.
+ Learn more on Flypaper: “A Brief History of Synthesizers (Video).”
Spitfire LABS (free)
Spitfire LABS offers a treasure trove of free virtual instruments and soundscapes. Whether you need realistic strings, ethereal textures, or expressive pianos, LABS provides professional-quality sounds accessible to all music makers. This bad Larry is an intensely useful library akin to the likes of Eastwest Sounds or Komplete, without the hefty (or any!) price tag.
Reaper (not free but cheap)
Reaper, an affordable DAW, packs professional-grade features. Its flexible routing, extensive plugin compatibility, and generous free trial make it an appealing choice for those seeking a powerful yet budget-friendly solution. People often wrongly claim Reaper is free – it’s not, there’s no real enforcement. Kind of like a digital honor system. If you take this candy, you should probably go ahead and pay – it’s insanely cheap for what it is. In fact, many producers who can afford whatever they want prefer Reaper.
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TAL-NoiseMaker (free)
TAL-NoiseMaker is a free virtual analog synthesizer that excels at creating warm, vintage tones. Its intuitive interface, rich oscillator options, and customizable presets make it an excellent tool for adding analog character to your tracks. Just a cool, badass synth. You need at least one of those in your arsenal.
Dexed FM Synth (free)
You know what, you need two of those in your arsenal. So also grab Dexed FM Synth, a free FM synthesizer (more on what that is here) plugin that lets you dive into the world of classic digital synthesis. Recreate iconic ’80s sounds and experiment with FM modulation, all within your favorite DAW, thanks to Dexed’s user-friendly interface. Well, ahem, it’s user friendly to synthy people. If you’re new to synthesizers of this nature it could be kind of daunting, but it’s super worth it, and the presets are an easy and awesome start.
Valhalla plugins (some free, some cheap)
Valhalla offers affordable, high-quality reverb and effects plugins (like $50, no subscription). Again, even though they’re so cheap, many producers reach for the Valhallas before other, more expensive units. With a variety of reverb algorithms and creative effects, it’s a go-to choice for adding depth and character to your mixes. The user interface is dope, and the three free plugs they offer are super must-have.
+ Read more on Flypaper: “How to Get Louder Bass (and Avoid Over-Compressed Muddiness!)“
M1 Limiter Lite III (cheap!)
A personal favorite put out by Rob Chiarelli’s Final Mix Software, this little guy is sooooooooo easy to use it’s ridiculous. It’s really quite the perfect limiter for throwing up and relying on it to keep everything in check, with character and pizazz. And it’s only $19 (with no subscription) which is ridiculous.
Kilohearts Essentials (free)
Kilohearts Essentials is a collection of affordable audio plugins. These creative effects and sound manipulation tools offer flexibility and a modular approach. They’re perfect for shaping your sound and adding unique textures to your music. Kilohearts is kind of a can of worms, but that’s a good thing because you can do about any crazy thing you want here, from normal stuff like compression or saturation to absolutely bat guano effects and changes. At a price tag of zero for Essentials and $9.99 for “subscribe to own”, it’s another must-have tool.
TDR Nova (free)
Spoiler alert: This plugin makes it onto every single mix I do, both to sidechain bass to kick and as a “vocal pain filter” to reign in errant 2-3k on belty vocals. If you want a proper description, here it is: TDR Nova is a dynamic equalizer and parallel processing tool. Its advanced EQ features and AI-driven options make it a valuable tool for enhancing clarity and balance in your audio tracks. Nova’s intuitive interface ensures ease of use in your productions. Blah blah blah get it. It’s the only dynamic EQ I even have.
Don’t stop here!
Continue learning with hundreds of lessons on songwriting, mixing, recording and production, composing, beat making, and more on Soundfly, with artist-led courses by Kimbra, Com Truise, Jlin, Kiefer, and the new Ryan Lott: Designing Sample-Based Instruments.
