Related: Here’s a huge list of the Best Free VST Plugins ever. Krush by Tritik (Windows, Mac) Krush combines the crispy taste of the digital realm with the warmth of its drive stage and analog modeled resonant filters. A modulation section allows you to quickly add extra life to the sound by modulating any parameter. Pedals is a VST effect plug-in for Windows, designed forprocessing electric guitar and bass. It is also possible to process other audio sources for a variety of artistic techniques. For more convenience, Pedals’ GUI simulates real devices for sound processing: guitar pedals, amplifiers, speakers, etc.
Distortion is one of those effects that can have a use in any recording or music production setting. Even if you aren’t particularly into brash and dirty sounds, distortion plugins will have value for warming up sounds and introducing a bit of analog-style tone and response to your productions.
Here we rundown some of the best free distortion VST plugins available. Whether you are looking to give your tracks a slight edge or you are after total industrial mayhem, these plug-ins will deliver at a price that your wallet will love.
Find more great gear here:
Introduction: About Distortion Plugins
Distortion plug-ins replicate the sound of analog circuitry being pushed to the limit.
With tube amps or op-amp circuits, feeding excessively high levels early on in the chain results in a warm, gritty, and present sound that sounds bigger, louder, and more exciting.
Distortion is used to marvelous, effect by guitarists, but it can also add life to synth parts, drums, and even vocals. In fact, if you work in a studio long enough, you would be hard pressed to think of a sound source that wouldn’t benefit from varying degrees of distortion in some way.
Free Distortion Plugins
The List
Distortion Plug-in Roundup
Creative Intent’s Temper Distortion is a distortion plug-in that has a rich saturation stage.
The variable saturation curve helps produce a warmer and edgier sound than most distortion plug-ins are capable of.
It also employs phase distortion that helps enhance clarity and produces a more characterful drive. A resonant lowpass filter and a feedback control further aids in tone shaping.
One of the best qualities of Temper is how it can be pushed to extreme levels of distortion while still retaining clarity.
As far as digital distortions go, this is one of the few that manages to be pleasant sounding even as it mangles your sound.
TNT by Ourafilmes was originally intended as a drum and distortion plug-in that is also useful for creating special effects.
It is actually a suite of distortion plug-ins consisting of a single band and a multi-band unit, each of which come in mono and stereo versions. The single band version is further enhanced with the addition of a tone knob.
Later versions of the plug-in come with a 6dB crossover filter that enables the separation of the low and high bands.
With the ability to set different saturation algorithms for each band, TNT is quite a bit more versatile than your typical distortion plug-in.
Audio Damage is well known for its quality plug-ins, and FuzzPlus 3 holds up the company’s reputation admirably.
An updated version of the company’s original FuzzPlus pedal emulation, the FuzzPlus delivers the same great-sounding fuzzy distortion and enhances it with a filter modeled after the filter on Korg’s classic Microsoft-20 analog synthesizer.
Along with the ability to feed the processed signal back to the distortion circuitry, this results in increased sound-shaping possibilities.
The FuzzPlus 3 works amazingly well for processing drum loops and synths, transforming them into weird and wonderfully bizarre rhythms and textures.
But it is also quite capable of restraint, producing subtle saturations and tonal coloration when adjusted to moderate settings.
Distorque’s Plusdistortion is a plug-in emulation of the MXR Distortion+ pedal, which is favored by guitarists for its wide range of tones.
From light grit to all-out fuzz, the Distortion+ pretty much covers all the bases, and Plusdistortion is every bit as versatile.
The secret to the Distortion+ is the germanium diode clipping circuitry and the lo-fi op amp that produce the pedal’s distinctly characterful tone. The Plusdistortion somehow manages to capture the spirit of the pedal, with the added tweakability afforded by software.
Also from Distorque is Rangebastard, which is an emulation of another classic guitarists’ tool, the Dallas Rangemaster.
Like the Plusdistortion, the Rangebastard builds on the tone-shaping capabilities of the original with added features and tweakability.
With 2x oversampling, stereo and mono modes, and controls for input filtering, transistor, and even grid current, the Rangebastard is pretty much the Dallas Rangemaster on steroids.
More mangled textures are in the offing from Distorque, by way of the Face Bender.
Fans of classic fuzz pedal circuits will recognize the name as a combination of the Fuzz Face and Tone Bender MKII, both of which are still highly regarded in the guitar world.
Like those two pedals, the Face Bender delivers nasty, spitting distortion that walks the fine line between musicality and all-out sonic mayhem.
Full-on, retro-style fuzz is the primary domain of this plug-in, but it can also be dialed back for more tasteful saturation.
Finally, DistoCore’s Disto::FX is every bit the “Dirty Sound Destructor” as the marketing copy so proudly boasts.
Designed for all-out sonic assault, this is a loud and proud distortion plug-in that specializes in a surprising variety of distortion flavors.
Top Pick
Creative Intent’s Temper Distortion is the clear winner in this roundup. With the ability to get as down and dirty as any of them, it also cleans up nicely for more sedate and sensible saturation.
This is not to say that the rest of the entrants are slouches. Ourafilmes’ TNT and Audio Damage’s FuzzPlus 3 are certainly quite capable of delivering everything from a slight touch of grit to end-of-the-world sonic devastation.
Distorque’s pedal emulations for their part are all potentially useful for more traditional, stomp box flavors. And you just gotta love Disto::FX’s ability to make a heaving, bristling mess out of anything.
So while Temper Distortion gets the nod as our “top pick”, we wholeheartedly suggest that you download them all and have all your distortion bases covered.
After all, you can’t beat the price!
Time to update your producer toolkit.
There’s no shortage of innovative VST plugins out there right now. The hardest part is picking from the thousands of available ones.
Don’t worry, we got your back. We’ve hand-picked a selection of plugins to make it easier for you. Oh, and they’re free!
The theme of this selection is effects – they’ll give your mix that extra crunch, oomph or whah.
Here are 10 free VST effects plugins that’ll add flavour to your sound:
1. Best free echo VST: Valhalla Freq Echo
The Freq Echo is a frequency shifter with analog echo emulation. My personal favourite.
It adds chorus, phasing and flanger effects. Go ahead and create some wild glissandos and runaway echos.
It’s great for dub and psychedelic effects. Use it for beefing up basslines.
If you’re a fan of electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire you’ll love it.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU in 32 and 64-bit, AAX 64-bit, RTAS).
Download it here.
2. Best free fuzz VST: FuzzPlus3
Here’s the updated FuzzPlus distortion VST pedal emulation from Audio Damage.
The central knob is the fuzz distortion. There’s also a Korg MS-20 style low-pass filter. And you can feedback the signal for some extra juice.
Amazing on synths and drums for meaty, distorted effects.
Use the presets or save your own.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/VST3/AU 32 and 64-bit).
Download it here.
3. Best free EQ VST: MH Thump
MH Thump adds low end to your track. It recreates that nice thump you get on a vintage TR-808 drum machine.
It’s an audio processor that analyzes an audio input – say your drum track. Then it synthesizes a low frequency signal to add some body.
There are two independent oscillators and many knobs for fine-tuned control.
Go ahead and beef up those beats!
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU/AAX 32 and 64-bit)
Download it here.
4. Best free bitcrusher VST: Krush
Krush is a very interesting bit crusher VST.
It creates that crunchy digital bit reduction effect. But it can also imitate a warmer analog effect with the drive and resonant filter.
If there can be such a thing: the Krush is a very elegant bit crusher.
The Dry and Wet faders allow you to play with how much of original signal and the effect you want.
The modulations can be free form or synced to a rate of your choice. Save and recall presets easily.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU/AAX 32 and 64-bit)
Download it here.
5. Best free overdrive VST: Mercuriall Tube Screamer 808
Meet the Mercuriall Tube Screamer 808 – your new overdrive VST effect plugin.
It’s modeled after the holy grail of tube screamers: the Ibanez TS-808 pedal.
Make your guitar sounds grungier. Flip between the TS-808 and MOD modes with the metal switch.
MOD will give you a slightly darker sound.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU/AAX 32 and 64-bit).
Download it here.
6. Best free tremolo VST: Pecheneg Tremolo
The Pecheneg is a tremolo VST effect. It gives you the power to create rhythmic modulations with your sound.
The Tempo section allows you to play the frequency either by selecting a Note or a Frequency.
Just like when you use LFOs, the Pecheneg Tremolo allows you to change the wave shape.
This effect will improve the groove of your track. It’ll give life to your synth or bassline.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU 32 and 64-bit)
Download it here.
7. Best free chorus VST: TAL Chorus -LX
TAL‘s stereo Chorus-LX is inspired by the Roland Juno-60 chorus. It’s a simple but powerful chorus VST.
It has two different modes (I and II) that you can use separately or together.
Select how much of the effect you want with the Wet/Dry knob.
Use it to give some grit and body to your bass or synth line.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU/AAX 32 and 64-bit).
Download it here.
8. Best free EQ VST: TDR Nova
The TDR Nova is a four-band dynamic Equalizer (EQ). A true workhorse.
It allows you to make a drum track crisper or boost certain frequencies as needed.
Any producer needs a bread and butter EQ VST. This is the one.
It has a built-in spectrum analyzer for precise EQing.
It’s also got a preset manager, A/B comparison, undo/redo functions and more.
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows (VST/AU/AAX 32 and 64-bit).
Download it here.
9. Best free reverb VST: Protoverb 1.0
The Protoverb 1.0 by U-He is a different kind of reverb VST.
The coolest thing about the Protoverb is that you can generate random settings and save the ones you like.
The spirit of this plugin is trial and error – we like that. It encourages users to share their favourite settings from a button on the plugin.
Compatible with Mac OS, Windows and Linux (VST/VST2/AU/AAX 32 and 64-bit).
Download it here.
10. Best free panning VST: PanCake 2
Last but not least: the most flexible panning VST effect you’ll ever find.
PanCake 2 lets you manually draw the curves of your panning modulation. You can also generate one randomly.
It’s easy to use and very visual. The LFO in the PanCake 2 can be synced to your DAW.
Pan your sounds sharply for dramatic effects. Pan them smoothly for subtle variations.
Compatible with Mac OS or Windows (VST/AU in 32 and 64-bit).
Download it here.
Spice up your mix
New Free Vst Plugins
A mix can go from bland to grand with the right effects.
Free Vst Plugins For Windows 10
The good news is that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars for that.
Free Pedal Vst Plugins Download
We’ve selected 10 VST effects plugin that we know you’ll love.
Grab all ten and try them out. Tell us what you think of them in the comment section! Free drum sequencer vst.