FILT-R: A Free Filter Modulation VST3 Plugin for Rhythmic Sound Design
FILT-R by Tiago Lourenço, also known as TiagoLr or Tilr, is a free open-source filter modulation plugin designed for producers who want rhythmic movement, animated frequency shaping and detailed envelope control inside a DAW. Rather than behaving like a conventional static filter, FILT-R turns cutoff and resonance into programmable modulation targets that can follow the host tempo, respond to MIDI, react to audio transients or move freely at an LFO rate. The plugin became especially relevant again in July 2026 with version 1.3.0, an update that added 28 filter models from QuadMorphFilter and expanded the collection to 34 filter types.…
TapeMachine 2 by Dusk Audio: A Free Dual Tape Emulation Plugin
Dusk Audio has released TapeMachine 2, a free open-source tape saturation plugin designed to reproduce the colour, compression, frequency response and mechanical movement associated with professional reel-to-reel recorders. Released in July 2026, the plugin provides two distinct tape-machine models, four tape formulations, multiple recording speeds, adjustable bias, wow and flutter, advanced reproduce equalisation and 20 factory presets. It can add subtle cohesion to a mix bus or push individual tracks toward heavier vintage and lo-fi character. What Is TapeMachine 2? TapeMachine 2 is the second generation of Dusk Audio's analogue tape-processing system. Rather than presenting one generic saturation curve, the…
Illthy Wines by Ill Sea: A Free Expressive Wah VST3 Plugin
Ill Sea has released Illthy Wines, a free wah VST3 plugin designed for guitarists, bassists and producers who want the response of a physical expression pedal inside a modern DAW. Released in July 2026, the plugin combines a nonlinear zero-delay-feedback filter, three distinct voicings, MIDI expression-pedal calibration and a second control page for deeper tonal adjustment. It focuses on expressive movement rather than presenting another decorative virtual pedal that looks impressive until a real foot becomes involved. What Is Illthy Wines? Illthy Wines is a free wah audio effect developed by Ill Sea for Windows-based musicians and producers. The plugin…
Grizzly by AOFN Audio: A Free Gristleizer-Style Modulation VST3 Plugin
AOFN Audio has released Grizzly, a free stereo modulation plugin inspired by the unconventional character of the classic Gristleizer circuit. Released in July 2026, Grizzly combines amplitude modulation, rhythmic gating, filter movement, stereo animation and circuit-inspired drive inside a deliberately direct interface. There are no preset browsers, hidden pages or decorative control panels. The plugin provides ten knobs, two processing modes and enough instability to make a perfectly sensible drum loop reconsider its life choices. What Is Grizzly? Grizzly is a stereo audio effect developed by AOFN Audio for producers who want to introduce rhythmic movement and filter modulation into…
VLA-One by Studio9 Plugins: A Free Voice Levelling VST3 Plugin
VLA-One is a free voice levelling plugin developed by Studio9 Plugins for producers who want to bring quieter vocal details forward without relying entirely on conventional downward compression. Released in 2026, the plugin takes inspiration from upward-compression workflows and is particularly useful for vocals, spoken word, podcasts, acoustic recordings and other performances with inconsistent dynamics. What Is VLA-One? VLA-One, short for Voice Levelling Amplifier One, is a dynamics-processing audio effect created by Recording Studio9. The developer began the project after studying the behaviour of Waves MV2 and the discontinued VOLA2 by Sonic Anomaly. The objective was to create a simple…
Niner by Hyperfocus DSP: A Free Kick Drum Synth With a 909-Style Clap
Hyperfocus DSP has released Niner, a free open-source kick drum synthesizer for Windows, macOS and Linux. The instrument combines three independent kick layers with a parallel 909-style clap voice, several distortion stages, master processing, a 16-step sequencer and direct WAV or AIFF export. What Is Niner? Niner is a monophonic virtual instrument designed specifically for creating electronic kick drums. Instead of loading prerecorded samples, the plugin synthesizes each sound through three separate layers named SUB, MID and TOP. These sections can be balanced and processed independently before entering the master effects chain. A separate clap voice inspired by the Roland…
Vocal Gate: A Free AI Noise Gate VST3 Plugin for Voice Cleanup
Vocal Gate: A Free AI Noise Gate VST3 Plugin for Voice Cleanup Vocal Gate by Dan K is a free open-source audio plugin designed to remove coughs, sneezes, keyboard clicks, heavy breathing and other sudden microphone artifacts from spoken-word recordings. Released in 2026, the plugin uses a lightweight machine-learning model to distinguish clean speech from unwanted interruptions. It is particularly useful for podcasts, YouTube videos, livestreams, voiceovers and other forms of spoken content. What Is Vocal Gate? Vocal Gate is a free noise-gate effect created for speech rather than conventional musical instruments. A standard gate usually reacts only to signal…
RMS LEVEL LIMITER: A Free RMS Limiter Plugin for Smooth Dynamics
Push and Groove has released RMS LEVEL LIMITER, a free dynamics plugin designed to control average signal energy rather than reacting only to short transient peaks. Released in July 2026, the plugin combines an RMS-based gain-reduction stage with independent Safe Level peak control. It can be used on vocals, podcasts, drum buses, synthesizers, loops and stereo master outputs. What Is RMS LEVEL LIMITER? RMS LEVEL LIMITER is a free stereo audio effect developed by Push and Groove. A conventional peak limiter reacts to instantaneous level spikes. This plugin instead measures average RMS energy over a selected period and applies smoother…
Phlegetron by Igorski: A Free Dual-Band Distortion VST3 Plugin
Phlegetron by Igorski is a free dual-band distortion plugin released in 2026 for Windows and macOS. The effect separates incoming audio into two independently processed sections, allowing producers to apply different types and amounts of distortion across selected parts of the frequency spectrum. Its crossover and harmonic splitting modes make Phlegetron particularly useful for synthesizers, basses, drums and experimental electronic sound design. What Is Phlegetron? Phlegetron is a free audio effect developed by Igor Zinken under the Igorski name. Instead of applying one distortion algorithm to the complete signal, the plugin divides the audio into two bands named Lower and…
