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Best Audacity plugins

Best Audacity plugins
Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

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Audacity on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems is an excellent open-source audio editor for anybody who needs to do pretty much any task relating to the audio. Audacity puts the power of a music producer recording studio right there in your bedroom and it is fair to say that many of the biggest tracks have been produced in bedrooms by aspiring producers and DJs just like you.

The best audacity plugins

Audacity is a very well-made piece of music software that has been developed by and continues to be maintained by the audacity team, which is a group of volunteer developers all over the world. The nature of the Audacity software is why we’re here today. Its core functions mean it can help you create podcasts or produce tracks that can hit the top of the charts, it is that good. On its own, however, it can be and feel a little limited. This is OK though, as because it does the basics so well, other developers can build their own plugins that augment the music production process. This is what we’re going to look at today, an Audacity-files plug-in directory. These are the best Audacity plugins.

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Best free plugins for Audacity

Audacity VST Enabler

VST effect plugins. This is where all Audacity plugin guides should start. The Audacity VST Enabler plugin manager allows users to take advantage of high-quality Visual Studio Technology (VST). Using VST plugins will give you the ability add all sorts of different recording studio like features to your setup. Think pianos, synthesizers, oscillators, and even guitar rigs or classical instrument inputs and samples and you’ll start to see just how much is possible with VST plugins for Audacity.

There is good news and bad news, however, when it comes to the Audacity VST Enabler. The bad news is that it has been removed from the official Audacity website. The good news is that it has been built-into Audacity itself. If you’ve recently installed Audacity, you already have it and can begin downloading VST plugins. If you installed Audacity a while ago or have an older version like v. 1.3, update Audacity and you’ll be ready to install VST plugins.

Djindrumm LM-1

Djinndrum

Now that we’ve cleared all that up, let’s get into some of the best VST plugins you can add to Audacity. Let’s go through VSTs that’ll help you create and enhance all the sounds you’d get from a band then add some creative powers to your setup too.

First off then, is the Djindrumm VST. The Djindrumm is a digital re-creation of the classic Linn LM-1 drum machine. The Linn has been a stalwart of rock and pop gods for years. Michael Jackson used one and so did Prince. Enough said. You can get the tools they used to make their hits with this free VST plugin for Audacity, which you also got for free. It really is a mad and crazy world we live in.

Piano One

Piano One

Many people think that Piano One is the best free acoustic piano VST plugin you can get your hands on. One of the main reasons for this is because the samples came from a Yamaha C7 Grand Piano, which would set you back about $75,000, if you bought one today. Yep, that’s right, you can get a free acoustic piano that sounds like a $75,000 piano. The free version of this VST isn’t feature rich, but it sounds incredible.

Acon Digital Multiply Chorus

Acon Chorus Multiplier

The Acon Digital Multiply Chorus plugin is great if you want to thicken out your sound and add a bit of depth to your tracks. It offers control over frequency and amplitude modulation and can add minute delays to your vocals. This effects VST is excellent if you’ve already laid down your track and you’re looking to add a little atmosphere and emotion to the sound. It is only a small console, but it can bring so much to your music.

Melda MAutoPitch Auto-Tune

Melada AutoTune

Auto-Tune processes sound and then shifts the pitch to the nearest true semitone. This makes it an invaluable tool for any vocal mixer. If you’re laying down vocals on your track, you need to an Auto-Tune plugin, and the Melda MAutoPitch is one of the best you can get for free. It will fix the pitch in your tracks, correct all the notes that aren’t quite right, and also give you the ability to distort the vocal tracks you’re putting into your songs.

VK-1 Viking Synthesizer

Viking VK-1

If you’re looking to bring some retro electronica into your music, you’re going to want a synthesizer. The VK-1 is a VST plugin emulation of an analog mono synthesizer that’ll bring some real power to your Audacity setup. It comes with oscillators, dual modulation channels and an all-round accurate recreation of a very retro sound. What’s even better about the VK-1 Viking is that it is paid as you like. If you’re just getting started and don’t have much money to invest in your setup you can get this for free or very little.

CamelCrusher

CamelCrusher

CamelCrusher adds distortion control, reverb, compression, and filtering to your Audacity toolkit, giving you powerful control over the sounds and beats you add to your tracks. As well as giving you the control, CamelCrusher also gives you a number of presets to add some instant oomph to your output while also giving you an idea of what the plugin is capable of. The CamelCrusher plugin is so good that Apple decided to acquire the developers that built it. Don’t worry though, you can still download CamelCrusher for free.

Guitar Rig 5

Guitar Rig

Guitar Rig from Native Instruments brings the power of the most epic of rock god recording studios right into your bedroom. With 17 different amps to choose from, 27 cabinets, and 54 effects this VST plugin gives you the power to really take control of the guitar tracks in your audio files. It can even manage effects like tone shaping, different mics, and even the positioning of your setup. This really is some next-level gear.

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney is a news reporter for Softonic, keeping readers up to date on everything affecting their favorite apps and programs. His beat includes social media apps and sites like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Patrick also covers antivirus and security issues, web browsers, the full Google suite of apps and programs, and operating systems like Windows, iOS, and Android.

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