Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Drums Week 25
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Guitar Amps
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Artist news
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Santana on Beck
  • Friday, I'm in Love
  • Knopfler's 4-note secret
  • 95k+ free music samples
Recommended reading
Plugins Future owns
Plugins Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
linux
Digital Audio Workstation 14 of the best plugins and DAWs you can use on Linux
Plugins
Plugins To mark Plugin Week, here’s our pick of the most out-there sound design plugins you should grab now
Sonic Charge Synplant 2
Software & Apps "This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
API
Plugins Our pick of the very best VCA compressor software emulation plugins for any music project
Plugins
Plugins Our go-to plugins for adding flavour to our sounds
Pluginweek logo
Plugins Plugin Week 2025: Exhibitor A-Z
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps
  3. Plugins

6 of the best free VST/AU plugin utilities and tools

News
By Computer Music ( Computer Music ) last updated 20 September 2022

Not synths or effects, but other good stuff

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Plugins of practicality

Plugins of practicality

Some of the best free software out there is aimed not at generating or processing sounds, but aiding the process of making music.

This selection of plugins may not be as glamorous as a new synthesizer or compressor, but each and every one is a must-try!

• The best free music software and plugins: DAWs, synths effects and more

For more on making music with freeware, check out the March 2015 issue of Computer Music (CM214). Also be sure to browse our round-ups of the best free plugin synths, free mixing plugins, free sampler plugins and free creative effect plugins.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Voxengo Span

Voxengo Span

Span is a free spectrum analysis plugin that's designed to let you see exactly what’s going on in your tracks, frequency-wise.

Superb for mixing and mastering, you can use it to locate conflicting frequencies between tracks or to match the frequencies of your mixes to commercial tracks that you admire.

Download Voxengo Span

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Expert Sleepers Clocker and Latency Fixer

Expert Sleepers Clocker and Latency Fixer

Clocker provides MIDI clock signals for outputting to your external hardware, giving you independent control over said hardware’s clock rate, while Latency Fixer reports latency to the host, enabling any DAW with latency compensation to adjust its timing accordingly. Ideal for DAWs that don’t compensate for the latency introduced by hardware processors.

Download Expert Sleepers Clocker and Latency Fixer

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Bram/Smartelectronix s(M)exoscope

Bram/Smartelectronix s(M)exoscope

A feature-packed oscilloscope that gives graphical representations of your signals - an awesome audio-monitoring tool!

Download Bram/Smartelectronix s(M)exoscope

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Beyerdynamic Virtual Studio

Beyerdynamic Virtual Studio

Check your mix with this one. It’s a plugin designed to be used in conjunction with headphones to simulate different speakers in various listening environments.

Download Beyerdynamic Virtual Studio

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Mdsp/Smartelectronix Miditools

Mdsp/Smartelectronix Miditools

Among this trio of useful MIDI-centric plugins are ::ENV2MIDI::, which analyses the level of incoming audio and spits out MIDI CC data mimicking that curve - sort of a MIDI envelope follower - and. ::MIDICCMAP::, a MIDI CC re-mapper that can be set up to act as a proxy for MIDI learn or hardware controller boxes that lack presets, with the caveat that it only maps one controller.

Download Mdsp/Smartelectronix Miditools

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Blue Cat Audio Gain Suite

Blue Cat Audio Gain Suite

A collection of tools designed to give you control over the volume of any audio track. They’re useful for their many automation features, mid/side ability and interconnectivity.

Download Blue Cat Audio Suite

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Computer Music
Computer Music
Social Links Navigation

Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer. Each issue it brings its lucky readers the best in cutting-edge tutorials, need-to-know, expert software reviews and even all the tools you actually need to make great music today, courtesy of our legendary CM Plugin Suite.

Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects… image
Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects…
…with the latest issue of Computer Music magazine
More Info
Read more
Plugins Future owns
Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
linux
14 of the best plugins and DAWs you can use on Linux
Plugins
To mark Plugin Week, here’s our pick of the most out-there sound design plugins you should grab now
Sonic Charge Synplant 2
"This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
API
Our pick of the very best VCA compressor software emulation plugins for any music project
Plugins
Our go-to plugins for adding flavour to our sounds
Latest in Plugins
the crow hill
"No strings attached": The Crow Hill Company releases Lo-Fi Strings, a free tape-treated string library with a warm and nostalgic sound
ablaze
"Take your pig squeals to the next level": Ablaze's Screamer is a vocal production plugin "crafted for metalheads, by metalheads"
crushstation plugin
Eventide is giving away a killer $99 distortion plugin for free
IK Multimedia
IK Multimedia launches new reverb plugin module
Brainworx bx_pulsar
“Channel the aura of busted pedal delays, dusty tapes, and otherworldly echoes” with Brainworx new bx_pulsar
Neural DSP Mantra
“Provides a quick solution for a wide range of vocal processing and beyond”: Neural DSP Mantra review
Latest in News
Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno
“A strange new land with a human living and feeling its way through its mysterious spaces”: Welcome to Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe’s new album
Josh Homme
What’s on Josh Homme’s to-do list when Queens Of The Stone Age play Sheffield next week?
Pino Palladino and Miley Cyrus
How Pino Palladino turned the demo bassline in Miley Cyrus’s End of the World into something "so much better"
Paul Mccartney Smoking A Cigarette At London In England On June 19Th 1967
“We decided that our audiences would come along with us”: Paul McCartney on how the avant garde influenced the Beatles
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform at Parco Della Musica on July 22, 2025 in Milan, Italy
The Who are forced to postpone Philly date on final US tour due to “illness”
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score a massive $1,000 off Roland V-Drums, up to $320 off a range of Fender guitars, and so much more

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...