MusicRadar

Quality freeware for Mac is now plentiful

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Above (click to enlarge): Multiband compression can be tricky to use, but C3's clean interface helps

digitalfishphones Blockfish
Format: VST, AU
Blockfish is a compressor that operates in either VCA or opto mode and, with only four knobs, it's encouragingly easy-to-use. As an added bonus, you can 'pop the hood' to adjust the trim pots on the circuit board. Superb.

Flux Bitter Sweet II
Format: VST, AU, RTAS
Transients are one of the primary identifiers of any sounds. They're the attack portion, the initial burst of frequencies such as a pick scraping across guitar strings or the reed kicking into life on a saxophone. These first few milliseconds trigger our recognition of a sound, so messing with them can create some really interesting effects. Flux's Bitter Sweet II let's you do just that - it's essentially a transient volume control.

Real instruments

Yellow Tools Independence Free
Format: Standalone, VST, AU, DXi
It might be a cutdown version of Yellow Tools' incredible Independence sound module, but this still has a massive 2GB of content – making it bigger than any other free module. There are no time or save restrictions, but you can't import your own samples.

Native Instruments Kore Player
Format: Standalone, VST, AU, RTAS
Kore Player is based on NI's powerful Kore 2 system, and features a great library of high-quality sounds. Compared to Yellow Tools' Independence Free, its lacking in editing features, but makes up for this through ease of use. Each sound has eight editable parameters, making it easy to get stuck-in and get on with making music.

Above (click to enlarge): Kore Player is based on NI's famous Kore 2

Bick Tick Ticky Clav
Format: VST, AU
Ticky Clav is a high-quality Hohner Clavinet emulator - the keyboard instrument that was made famous by Stevie Wonder's Superstition. Rather than employing samples, Ticky Clav instead uses physical modelling to generate its top-notch tones. Throw into the equation a very usable wah-wah effect and you have a great plug-in; Ticky Clav is simple but very effective.