Here are my most often used #VST #plugins from 2013. It’s not about the hottest new plugins from last year, rather a round up of the ones I really like.
1. TAL (Togu Audio Line) U-NO-LX V2
Roland Juno 60/106 emulation. This one is so easy to use and sounds gorgeous. I love the GUI, looks like a rack Juno 106. Not the most versatile plugin compared to Massive/Sylenth and the like, but perfect fot that authentic vintage sound when you’re after it. My most used synth in 2013 by far.
TAL Website
2. Audio Realism Bassline ABL2
My Roland TB-303 emulation of choice. Oldie but goldie.
Sample track using ABL2:
[soundcloud width=”407″;]https://soundcloud.com/erhalder/work-that-303-original-acid[/soundcloud]
Audio Realism Bassline 2 Website
3. Sonic Charge Permut8
Modulation effect. From simple delay effects to bit crusher and distortion to speech emulation. This one is a real monster processor for geeks.
Sonic Charge Permut8 Website
4. D16 Group Sigmund
Boss looking delay effect with superb sounding distortion. Good presets on board, you gotta try this one. Even if you don’t use any delay effects, it’s a pleasure to watch the oldschool VU meter swing its needles.
D16 Group Sigmund Website
5. Native Instruments Driver
Turbocharged Distortion Filter. This was a x-mas freebie 2012. Can go pretty crazy with high resonance levels.
Native Driver Website
6. D16 Group Decimort
High quality bit crusher and distortion / filter unit. Been using it since years, always a safe bet on any channel that sounds to sterile and hifi or lacking a bit of dirt.
D16 Group Decimort Website
7. D16 Group Toraverb
A space modulated reverb. Forget about natural impulse response reverbs for electro music. What I usually need is an artificial sounding algorithmic verb, and cool looking of course, just like the Toraverb.
D16 Group Toraverb Website
8. Ableton Live Impulse
Not a real plugin but a true workhorse. Been using it for drums / effects / basslines in Ableton since day one and it’s still my most often used drum sampler in Live. Much quicker results than fiddling around with drum racks or the bloated Battery plugin (nothing against Battery, it’s just too slow to work with compared to Impulse) and has a crispy sound and quick lfo mod built in.
9. Ohmforce Hematohm
A frequency shifter with envelope follower and delay. Quite old – but still delivers very unique effects.
Ohmforce Hematohm Website
10. Blue Cat DP Meter Pro
This one doesn’t make any sound at all, but I’m using it in all my Live sets to generate MIDI output for live visual feedback of the channel peak. The ability to generate MIDI CC data from a channels audio signal is pretty unique and that’s exactly what I use this plugin for. I’m gonna post a video what it looks like in action soonish.
Blue Cat Audio DP Meter Pro Website
Conclusion
There are hundreds of new plugins released every year. As much as I love checking out new stuff, there are only a few that stay in the virtual shelf for longer periods of time.