Table of Contents
For fun I will share my current setup of all the (mostly free) audio plugins/software I personally use. You can use this list a guide if you are looking to build up your own arsenal.
I also believe in not giving yourself too many options. I try to have just one or two plugins for a specific task. Note my focus is on electronic music (DnB, Breakbeat, House, etc), so these plugins may not be the best choice for other types of genres.
Also note that I only use paid plugins/software that have unintrusive DRM. Namely the majority of paid software I still use is from u-he.
Each section I will list a specific use case, and the plugins I use for that use case.
Mixing & Mastering FX
"Colorful" Compressors
These are the compressors I reach for when I want to compress a single instrument to give it more "color"/"beefiness".
Airwindows Pressure4 (FREE and open source)
Awesome for fattening up individual drum samples and stuff. There is no GUI, but there are so few controls that I don't find it a problem.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
TDR Molotok (FREE)
Another nice colorful compressor. It also has a paid version with more features called TDR Molot GE.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
Clean Compressors
These are the compressors I use when I want to do clean and transparent compression on instruments.
TDR Kotelnikov (FREE)
It also has a paid version with more features called TDR Kotelnikov GE.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
x42 Compressor (FREE and open source)
An easy to use "bread-and-butter" compressor with a nice sound.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Bus Compressors
These are the compressors I use for "gluing" multiple tracks together, including sometimes on the master track.
Presswerk (Paid)
An incredible sounding bus compressor with an analogue sound.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
TDR Kotelnikov (again) (FREE)
This plugin is also great as a bus compressor. It has a cleaner, more transparent sound than Presswerk.
It also has a paid version with more features called TDR Kotelnikov GE.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
Multiband Compressors
These are the compressors I use for increasing the loudness of instruments or as a mastering compressor.
ZaMultiCompX2 (Open source)
This one works well as a mastering compressor.
Note though while this plugin is open source, it is only free if you build the plugins yourself from source (or use Linux). Otherwise it's $25 USD for the full suite of Zam's plugins.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
OTT (Free)
This kind-of goes without saying. This is pretty much a staple in every electronic music producer's toolbox.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run under yabridge.
Dynamic EQs
I use these when I want to tame a frequency in a sound, but I still want that frequency to come through at times. Dynamic EQs also work as a de-esser for both vocals and hi-hats.
TDR Nova (FREE)
It also has a paid version with more features called TDR Nova GE.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
ZamDynamicEQ (Open source)
Note though while this plugin is open source, it is only free if you build the plugins yourself from source (or use Linux). Otherwise it's $25 USD for the full suite of Zam's plugins.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
"Colorful" EQ
I use this when I want to boost a certain frequency while giving the sound a bit more "character" around that frequency. This is especially useful when boosting the high-end on stuff to increase brightness or boosting the mid-range on pads to increase warmth.
TDR VOS SlickEQ (FREE)
It also has two paid versions with more features called TDR VOS SlickEQ GE and TDR VOS SlickEQ Mastering.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
Limiters
I use these for taming the peaks on transient material such as drums and plucked sounds, as well as for mastering.
Limiter No6 (Free)
A very versatile limiter. Great for mastering.
Tokyo Dawn has also made a paid version of this plugin with more features called TDR Limiter 6 GE.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
ZaMaximX2 (Open source)
A nice sounding and easy to use "bread-and-butter" limiter.
Note though while this plugin is open source, it is only free if you build the plugins yourself from source (or use Linux). Otherwise it's $25 USD for the full suite of Zam's plugins.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Parametric EQ
While I generally just use the parametric EQ built-in to my DAW, if I were to recommend a good free EQ plugin, it would be this one:
x42 EQ (FREE and open source)
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Gate
Just a standard "bread-and-butter" gate plugin. This doesn't need to be too fancy imo, especially if you are making electronic music.
ZamGateX2 (Open source)
Note though while this plugin is open source, it is only free if you build the plugins yourself from source (or use Linux). Otherwise it's $25 USD for the full suite of Zam's plugins.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Distortion/Saturation Plugins
Wolf Shaper (FREE and open source)
A great and versatile "bread-and-butter" waveshaper.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Airwindows ToTape5 (FREE and open source)
Awesome tape saturation plugin. There is no GUI, but there are so few controls that I don't find it a problem.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Reverbs
Room Reverb (FREE and open source)
A nice-sounding a versatile "bread-and-butter" reverb.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Aether (FREE and open source)
An incredible sounding "shimmering" reverb. This plugin is based on the open-source reverb Cloudseed.
This plugin is only available on Linux (although you can in theory build it from source yourself for other platforms). If you are on Windows, you can use the aforementioned Cloudseed plugin instead.
TAL-Reverb-2 (FREE and open source)
A nice sounding plate reverb.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Delay
TAL-Dub-3 (FREE and open source)
A nice sounding delay plugin.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Chorus
TAL-Chorus-LX (FREE and open source)
A great-sounding chorus plugin. Useful as a stereo-widening effect.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Synths
Vital (FREE and open source)
An incredibly powerful and industry-shattering synthesizer.
It is available for free, although the paid versions come with additional wavetables and presets.
I personally use the GPLv3-licensed fork called Vitalium (must be built from source).
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Surge XT (FREE and open source)
A very versatile subtractive synth with an active community around it.
I've personally been trying to use this one more often since it is so open-source friendly. (Although the UX could use an overhaul IMO. I may make my own fork with an overhauled UX someday.)
Zebra2 (Paid)
A very versatile modular synth. It is especially great for pad/atmosphere sounds. There also exists thousands of great free presets you can scavenge around for.
There is also a free version of this plugin called Zebralette.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Hive 2 (Paid)
A fantastic "bread-and-butter" synth with a very fast and streamlined UX.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Samplers
Carla (FREE and open source)
While this plugin has a lot more features, I mainly just use it as a soundfount (SF2) player.
(Note while Carla can play SFZ files, it doesn't always play them correctly. (It doesn't loop the samples for example.))
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Sforzando (FREE)
A powerful sampler that plays the open-source SFZ multi-sample format.
Although I have tried other open-source SFZ sampler plugins, this is the only one I found to be stable.
The plugin is available natively for Mac and Windows. Unfortunately it doesn't have a native Linux binary, but it does run flawlessly under yabridge.
Analyzers
Spectrum Analyzer
I personally prefer spectrum analyzers that use color to signify loudness of a given frequency. I feel that the standard "line graph" model of spectrum analyzer can give a false impression of how humans actually hear the loudness of the given frequencies.
Wolf Spectrum (FREE and open source)
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Loudness Meter
Useful to monitor loudness while reference mixing/mastering.
LUFS Meter (FREE and open source)
This plugin is available for Linux only. However, there is a paid version of this plugin called LUFS Meter 2 that is available on all platforms.
Goniometer
Useful to monitor the stereo phase correlation of your track to make sure it will still sound good when played in mono.
LUFS Meter (FREE and open source)
This plugin is available natively for Linux and Windows.
Other
Bitwig Studio (Paid)
Bitwig is the DAW I'm currently using at the time of this writing, solely because it's by far the best experience for creating music on Linux right now (emphasis on "for now" wink wink). I hardly ever use the built-in plugins aside from the multi-band splitter and the EQ.
This program is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
PaulXStretch (FREE and open source)
An cool plugin that can stretch samples an absurd amount, to the point where they become usable pad and atmosphere samples.
This plugin is available natively for Linux, Mac, and Windows.