Acoustica User Forums

Some good resources for free virtual synths, samplers, etc.

Plug in Boutique: https://www.pluginboutique.com/categori ... ?free=true

KVR http://http://kvraudio.com/plugins/wind ... st-popular

Bedroom Producers Blog https://bedroomproducersblog.com/free-vst-plugins/

VST4Free: http://www.vst4free.com/index.php?m=VSTi

Some of the popular paid sampler programs are available as free introductory versions with limited instrument samples, but often still offer some great sounds for free.

You might be interested in Sampletank CS Free for example (64 bit only I believe.)
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/sampletankcs/

Another popular platform is Kontakt free player:
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/p ... -5-player/
(Full disclosure, the interface isnt for everyone. Personally I find it very unintuitive and frustrating.)

I'll leave the virtual synth recomendations to others.

Last year, Dead Duck Software took the 4 instruments from the old mda plug-ins line and updated them to have good-looking skins. Since mdaEpiano was long my favorite Rhodes VSTi, I was very happy when they did this.

I've still not found a Rhodes-alike that I prefer, at any price. And this is free!

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/dead-du ... k-software

Ample Guitar. Simple but a good sound.
DSK Guitar. Similar.

I'd un-recommend DSK Brass, however. Poor sound.

I figured I'd post something worthwhile (for a change) in this section so here goes:

MT Power Drum Kit 2

https://www.powerdrumkit.com/

This from Acoustica's very own website (Mixcraft Resource Links which may be overlooked to a large degree).

They are totally unprocessed, everything is (can be) 100% manually controlled, and very easy to use. With some iZotope Ozone 8 "magic" applied to the various pieces of kit I get the same, maybe even better in some cases, sound as I do with BFD3 and Addictive Drums (believe it or not) (at least on my PA system anyway). Was so impressed I actually made a donation!!! LOL!!!

Regards,

Dale.

dpaterson wrote:MT Power Drum Kit 2

MT showed me that I needed EZDrummer2, you'll be blown away even with the simplest of kits. Not free, but worth every penny.

M

Respectfully agree to disagree; I used both and didn't feel EZ was superior enough to merit the purchase. Unless you're doing some serious drum solos or whatever and just need some drums in the background, MT is more than enough IMO.

Meldaproduction's MDrummerSmall may still be found with a bit of poking around and it's got some good-sounding kits in it.

My perennial favorite freebie Sennheiser DrumMic'a is still available to those who can make it through the registration process.

Starship Krupa wrote:I've still not found a Rhodes-alike that I prefer, at any price. And this is free!

Mr. Ray 73 by GSi is most acceptable for a freebie Rhodes:

http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=273

-N

If you're looking for a soft synth, try just about anything from u-he.

mixyguy2 wrote:If you're looking for a soft synth, try just about anything from u-he.

U-HE stuff is a CPU hog and I only know of Computer Music magazine limited versions of 2 of them being 'free'

bigaquarium wrote:

Starship Krupa wrote:I've still not found a Rhodes-alike that I prefer, at any price. And this is free!

Mr. Ray 73 by GSi is most acceptable for a freebie Rhodes:

http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=273

-N

Would be great if it had a 64 bit version

Here's where I will remind people watching this thread to keep checking over at Pluginboutique. Do it at least weekly.

Recently they've run a bunch of their fantastic loss-leader deals where you buy any product and get a license for some other tasty big-name product for free.

The tasty products recently included AAS' Session bundle, which included the most recent (and 64-bit) edition of Lounge Lizard Session as well as Strum, a surprisingly good guitar instrument, and a vintage analog synth emulator.

I think the product I bought in order to qualify for the license was a copy of AIR's Hybrid 3 or Vacuum Pro for $5. Maybe Xpand! 2. All of which are great VSTi's to have around for basses or pads, Xpand! is just the best soft ROMpler. I have 4 computers around the house so I just throw them on everything for noodling.

The previous giveaway was iZotope Neutron Elements and the one before that was Ozone Elements, so my plug-in collection runneth over. The only thing I want any more is for them to do one for iZotope RX Elements and I swear, my collection will be more than complete at that point. Due to watching all the deals and giveaways I already have too many top shelf plug-ins! I need some that do different things, not more great compressors! I got what looks like a really great compressor from Waves' Black Friday giveaway last year and I haven't even tried it on anything. The de-esser they gave away is nice, though.

It seems strange to say that but it's true. I barely spend anything and I'm up to my ass in Native Instruments, Eventide, Soundtoys, Softube, Brainworx, Arturia, iZotope, Waves, Mixcraft says I have 400 plug-ins and I haven't paid a dime for most of it. All of the above were introductory or loss leader.

The only FX I do drop money on are relative unknowns like Meldaproduction, Boz Digital, and Unfiltered Audio.

The only problem I run into with the Pluginboutique buy one get one sales, I've bought up all of the $1-$10 products. There are some great ones that they put on sale in rotation, too, down in the $5 range, like the Soundspot stuff and the AIR synths and sometimes you can snag a Sonivox Orchestral Companion for $20.

I now have the full set of Orchestral Companion Strings, Brass, and Woodwinds all obtained from Pluginboutique because I was watching their site for deals. The UI's are minimal, but the samples are great and they have never crashed on me.

Erik, your story and experience have a mighty strong familiarity.....
In fact, nearly identical...... I missed the Expand offer last time, I'll likely pick it up on the next offer though.
And the other difference, I had been watching for the next deep discount on the iZotopes elements set offer. Held out when it popped up a few times at $99. Almost grabbed it at $79, but the timing wasn't right for me. Then the free Ozone elements offer hit, grabbed it. Then it was a coupon for neutron elements for $9 or something. Then I got a coupon for the set of four titles for $49 so I ended up at $59 for all 4 titles. That made me feel a little better about the complete lack of an attractive upgrade offer from iZotopes to previous owners of Nectar elements. No biggie.
The only negative thing I can say about PluginBoutique is that being on their mailing list means you are also on the Loopmasters mailing list and can't separate the two. And I have no use for the endless offers for urban genre loops.
But yeah, all good points and tips. Watch the sales, get on the right mailing lists, and the goodies come trickling in at deep discounts or even free. More than one can use.

It seems I no more than finished writing that and went to check my email, and there it is- the latest sale offer on Expand.
Almost spooky. Their watching me......

But cool too.