The top five FREE PLUGINS for Metal Production SpectreSoundStudios REVIEW. Taking a look at the top 5 free plugins I use in my day to day productions. Sound Proofing My Drum Studio With. That’s why these drum VST plugins are so great. They impose some limitations to help you corral the creative juices a bit. So here’s the 10 best free drum VST plugins for making your drums pop. The name says it all. The T.REX 606 is a compact rompler modelled after the iconic Roland TR-606 drum machine. 808 Drum Kit contains WAV samples that can be imported directly into your DAW, sampler or audio host of choice (FL Studio, Ableton, Logic, Reaper, Cubase, Studio One, Reason, Pro Tools, Native Instruments MASCHINE, Akai MPC Renaissance, MPC1000 to MPC 5000 etc). Multi Layer Drum Sampler AU / VST Instrument. The MT Power Drum Kit is a free drum sampler offering the powerful, high-quality sounds of an acoustic, realistic drum kit. Samples have been specially recorded and processed to make them ideally suited for use in pop, rock and metal productions.

1. Best Free Drum Plugins For Reaper
2. Best Free Drum Vst For Reaper
3. Free Drum Vst Plugins For Reaper
4. Free Drum Plug-ins For Reaper
5. Best Drum Vst For Reaper
6. Free Drum Vst Plugins

Multi Layer Drum Sampler AU / VST Instrument. The MT Power Drum Kit is a free drum sampler offering the powerful, high-quality sounds of an acoustic, realistic drum kit. Samples have been specially recorded and processed to make them ideally suited for use in pop, rock and metal productions. The drum kit was sampled by Scott Mclean, aka SMM, the same kind and generous REAPER user who brought us the brilliant Free 1960s Ludwig Oyster Blue Pearl Drum Kit not that long ago. Once again, the mappings were created by Suleiman, aka Burzukh, who did an outstanding job at turning this enormous drum sample library into a playable REAPER instrument.

These are the best free VST plugins you can download right now. What you’ll find below is a directory of high-quality freeware instruments and effects in VST plugin format for digital audio workstations on Windows and macOS.

Unlike some other websites with similar content, BPB only features freeware VST plugins that are 100% legal and safe to use. We highly respect the developers who spend time creating free music making tools, and we never host their software without permission.

To browse VST plugins based on their category, scroll down to the next section. You will find an up to date selection of the best free virtual instruments and effects for your DAW. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions if you think that any part of our VST plugin directory should be improved.

Alternatively, you can browse through all the freeware music making tools (including software plugins, mobile apps, digital audio workstations, freeware audio editors, etc.) which have been featured in our news section by visiting the Free Software Archive on BPB. The archive will take you all the way back to 2009 when BPB was launched!

Free VST Plugin Directory

Host Applications

A selection of free audio editors, digital audio workstations, and other applications that host VST plugins:

• Audio Editing Software – Audio editing programs which can host VST plugins.
• Digital Audio Workstations – The best free DAW software.
• Free Mastering Software – Freely downloadable VST plugins for mastering.
• Free Video Editing Software – Edit your music videos for free.
• VST Host Applications – Directory of VST plugin hosts for music production and live performance.

VST Effects

Freeware effects in VST plugin format:

• Auto-Tune (Pitch Correction) – Free alternatives to Auto-Tune by Antares.
• Bitcrusher – An extensive collection of freeware bitcrushers.
• Chorus – A selection of the best free chorus effects.
• Compressor (Bus/Channel) – Compressor effects for bus and channel use.
• Compressor (Multiband) – A collection of multi-band compressor effects.
• Compressor (Sidechain) – A collection of compressor effects with side-chain input.
• Delay/Echo – Add depth to your mix with these excellent freeware delay effects.
• Distortion – Distort and saturate your audio with these freeware plugins.
• EQ (Graphic) – Free graphic equalizers in VST format.
• EQ (Linear-Phase) – Linear-phase equalizers in VST plugin format.
• EQ (Parametric) – Standard parametric equalizers for mixing and mastering purposes.
• Filter – A collection of filtering effects.
• Flanger (coming soon)
• Gate (Noise Gate) – Freeware VST plugins for removing noise from recordings.
• Granulator – A collection of granular effects to really mess up your audio.
• Guitar Amp – Large collection of virtual guitar amplifier VST plugins.
• Guitar Cab (coming soon)
• Limiter – Free limiter effects for mastering and mixing (although that’s mostly a no-no).
• Phaser – The best freeware phaser plugins in the world. Swoooosh!
• Reverb (Algorithmic) – Reverb VST plugins which rely on mathematical algorithms to simulate space.
• Reverb (Convolution) – Reverbs which use impulse responses.
• Saturation (Console/Tape/Tube) – Get a warmer sound using free saturation tools.
• Stereo Enhancer – Enhance the stereo separation in your mix with these freeware effects.
• Transient Shaper – Make the drums more prominent in a mix with these free transient shapers.
• Vocoder – Become the next Daft Punk with these free vocoder VST plugins.

VST Instruments

A selection of free virtual instruments in VST plugin format:

• Drum Machine/Synth – Instruments for synthesizing and sequencing drum sounds.
• Organ – A collection of free organ instruments in VSTi plugin format.
• Piano (Acoustic) (coming soon)
• Piano (Electric) – Virtual instruments which emulate electric keyboards.
• Sampler – The best freeware sampler instruments, with SFZ and SF2 format support.
• Sound Module/Workstation – A round-up of virtual instruments which function as romplers.
• SoundFont Player – If you’re feeling old school, load your old SF2 files with these free plugins.
• String Machine – A collection of string ensemble instruments. Jean Michel Jarre will love these!
• Synthesizer (Emulation) – Plugins which emulate hardware analog and digital synthesizers.
• Synthesizer (FM) – Synthesizers based on frequency modulation.
• Synthesizer (Modular) (coming soon)
• Synthesizer (Subtractive/VA) – Synthesizers based on subtractive synthesis.

Utilities

Other useful freeware VST plugins:

• Arpeggiator – A collection of freeware arpeggiator VST plugins.
• Oscilloscope – Free oscilloscope tools.
• Spectrum Analyzer – Visualize your mix with these freeware spectrum analyzers.
• Step Sequencer – Sequence your virtual instruments with these freeware step sequencers.
  

Free VST Plugin Awards

For quick access to the best VST plugins from each year, check out the articles listed below:

Developer Archives

An archive of freeware VST plugins which are not supported anymore. These plugins are hosted on BPB with permission of their developers.

If you’re a software developer interested in hosting your VST plugins on Bedroom Producers Blog’s server, feel free to get in touch!

What Are VST Plugins?

In case you’ve never used VST plugins before, here’s a brief introduction. The acronym VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology. It is a special kind of software interface which allows the user to load 3rd party audio effects and virtual instruments as plugins inside a VST compatible DAW program (Digital Audio Workstation). The technology was first introduced by Steinberg back in 1996 and has made a massive impact on the way we make music today.

A VST plugin is a software effect or a virtual instrument intended for use in a host program which supports Virtual Studio Technology, as most digital audio workstations do nowadays. It allows us to expand our software studio with plugins, the same way we would use hardware effects and instruments in a real studio. There are literally thousands of VST plugins available for free download and use, as well as several quite powerful freeware host applications which can be used to create music with virtual instruments and effects.

Building Your VST Plugin Collection

Your computer is the central part of your digital music production studio. Assuming that you’re happy with your hardware setup, the next task is to install the software which will allow you to record and produce music in the best way possible. Choosing the right audio software and learning how to use it properly will ensure an efficient workflow when producing music. The last thing you want to happen is to have a plugin crash while you’re working on a mix, or to use a complex plugin for the first time during a critical mixing session.

Step 1: The DAW

The first step when building your software studio is to choose the right digital audio workstation for you. Whether you decide to use free software or a commercial program is up to you (and your budget), but I suggest you try the demo versions of all VST hosts which you find interesting before making the final decision. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing your DAW is the workflow. Do you find the application intuitive? Does the user interface seem logical to you? Does the application provide all the recording and mixing features you’ll need during your music production endeavors?

If you’re looking for a freeware DAW to get started, take a look at the free digital audio workstations article. You will find that our preferred choices at the moment are Tracktion 5 and Sonar Platinum, both of which are capable of hosting third-party VST plugins. Again, our advice is to install several digital audio workstations and try them out for a few days before deciding on which one to keep.

Step 2: Choosing the right VST plugins

Now that you’ve picked your DAW, you’re all set to start building your collection of VST plugins. Remember to always go for quality instead of quantity. The biggest mistake people make when discovering VST technology and the world of freeware plugins is to download hundreds of freebies and to hoard them on the hard drive. This is bad for your workflow and productivity. Imagine all the clutter and chaos in a real-world studio stacked with hundreds of hardware instruments and effects that no one will ever use. You don’t want such a mess in your virtual studio, either.

Instead, be patient when choosing your virtual instruments and effects. This page is a great place to start, as we’ve listed only the best freeware VST plugins in each category.

What you need is a small but mighty collection of audio software which will cover all of your music production needs. Take the time to examine the plugins on offer and keep only the ones that you really need. Keep your mixing toolbox lightweight and efficient. Limit yourself to no more than three virtual compressors, equalizers, synthesizers, etc. Install only the tools which best suit your workflow and learn how to use them. Read the manuals, watch the video tutorials, and spend some time experimenting with your freeware VST plugins.

Step 3: Staying up to date

Also, keep your plugins up to date. Developers often release updated versions of their freeware plugins, which include essential bug fixes and additional features. Keep an eye on our news section to stay informed about the latest updates of popular VST plugins. Consider subscribing to our email newsletter to receive the latest freeware news straight to your email inbox.

If you’re looking for even more freeware plugins for your DAW, check out the colossal database over at KVR Audio.

Updated on June 12th, 2019.

Drums and percussion are the backbone in most of the musical tracks. Choosing the right drums and percussion in music production is crucial and can make the difference in the end. If you do not have the necessary experience to play drums, a drummer friend or money to hire one, then you must use drum sounds from a free drum library or use a free virtual instrument plugin.

We have compiled for you a list with some of the best free drum VST plugins you can find on the Internet. Some of them are more complex for the most advanced and require some knowledge about synthesizing, others are very easy to use and intuitive, but all offers very good drum sounds and can be applied in a wide variety of musical genres. And best of all, they are free!

SL Drums 2 by Beatmaker

SL Drums 2 is the newest version of Beatmaker‘s freeware drum VST, AU plugin available for Windows and MAC OS. Featuring over 450 drum samples, 118 new drum kits, new controls and new GUI design, SL Drums 2 is a great virtual drum machine to have into your DAW. Best part…it’s free!

Free Download: SL Drums 2

Impakter by de la Mancha

Impakter is a powerful drum tool and one of the best free drum plugin tested and used by us, featuring over 300 drum samples generated by analogue synths like Korg MS20, Roland Juno60, Kakken SX-150 and drum machines such as Yamaha MR-10, Korg KPR-77, Mattel Synsonics and Antonelli Organ 2377 rhythm box.

Impakter comes with 4 modules for kick, snare, hats and percussion sounds, 52 presets covering a range of sounds and styles plus more.

Compatibility: VST 32-bit plugin format for Windows.

Update: No Link Available

MiniSpillage by AudioSpillage

MiniSpillage is a professional quality drum synth plugin featuring 6 oscillators and open Hi-Hat Generator with a noise source and dual resonant filters. Besides this, MiniSpillage also features 3 fully editable drum pads and 3 exclusive AudioSpillage drum synthesis models – BassDrum, WoodDrum and ElectroHiHat. It is very flexible and capable of creating a wide variety of original drum and percussion sounds.

MiniSpillage is a free percussion synthesizer plugin only for Apple Mac OS X music apps.

Free Download: MiniSpillage by AudioSpillage

EXD-80 by Third Harmonic Studios

EXD-80 is a free Drum VST instrument plugin for Windows, featuring 8 drum modules, 4 stereo output pairs (each has its own stereo effects section) and also featuring 128 drum kit patches with 16 preset drum kits. EXD-80 can be used in any EDM music style from Electro, Industrial, Dubstep to Ambient, Bass, Hip Hop and more.

Compatibility: VST 32-bit plugin format for Windows.

Free Download: EXD-80 by Third Harmonic Studios

Drumatic 3 by E-Phonic

Drumatic 3 is a great virtual analog drum synthesizer with all sounds completely synthetic: bass drums, snare drums, hand claps, two tom drums, hi-hats, and bells. Uses graphical envelopes for amplitude and modulation, featuring 6 Stereo outputs, assignable for each sound. Drumatic 3 is a simple but effective drum virtual instrument great for any producer or sound designer.

Although the E-Phonic has released a new commercial version, Drumatic 4, the previous version is still available for download and is 100% free.

Compatibility: VST 32-bit plugin format for Windows.

Free Download: Drumatic 3 by E-Phonic

Drum Boxx by SonicXTC

Drum Boxx by SonicXT is another great freeware VST drum synthesizer with which you can create thousands of unique synthetic drum sounds for your musical productions. Drum Boxx features 12 individual signal channels, each with an individual drum synthesizer that can be tweaked, pitched, filtered, equalized, and distorted independently offering an extensive range of sound modulation and drum sound design. Also, 10 custom preset kits/128 user kits are available.

Compatibility: VST 32-bit plugin format for Windows.

Best Free Drum Plugins For Reaper

Free Download: Drum Boxx Synth by SonicXTC

Drum Pro by StudioLinked

Drum Pro by Studio Linked is a freeware virtual drum machine designed for Windows and Mac OS and features a collection of 20 drum kits which can be expanded by purchasing new commercial drum expansions from the developer website. The graphical interface has 16 drum pads, and ADSR envelope for the volume and pan controls for each drum pad. Besides this controls, Drum Pro also includes a reverb mix control and a global volume control. You can easily play drum using your MIDI controller and Drum Pro plugin.

Compatibility: VST, AU 32-bit/64-bit plugin format for Windows and Mac OS.

Free Download: Drum Pro by Studio Linked

TS-808 by Tactile Sounds

TS-808 is a VSTi virtual instrument that emulates the legendary drum machine Roland TR-808 and is one of the best plugins of this kind tested by us. Using full schematics for each voice and more parameters this plugin is even an advanced drum machine than his predecessor.

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Unfortunately, TS-808 is only available for Windows.

Free Download: TS-808 by Tactile Sounds

MDrummer Small by MeldaProduction

MDrummer Small is the little brother of the MDrummer Large, and is one of the most complex and versatile free virtual drum machine plugin from this list. Even this plugin is the “little brother” still lets you create some very good drum sounds and comes with more than 500 MB of samples, multisamples, rhythms and other data.

Best Free Drum Vst For Reaper

MDrummer Small also features MIDI Command Method, Integrated Arrangement Sequencer, Jamming Functionality and many other useful features.

Free Drum Vst Plugins For Reaper

Compatibility: VST, AU plugin format for Windows and Mac OS. A standalone version is also available (only for Windows).

Free Download: MDrummer Small by MeldaProduction

Line of Legends by VST4FREE

Line of Legends is a free drum plugin created by VST4FREE specifically for Hip Hop beat makers, using free drum samples released by RealDrumSamples.com. The GUI is divided in 8 sections: Kick, Snare, Clap, Snap, Toms, Hi-Hat, Ride and Crash, each using its own individual output. Also features punch knobs for attack sculpting and Release, Pan knobs. In total Line of Legends comes with 47 high-quality drum samples.

Compatibility: VST, AU plugin format for Windows and Mac OS

Free Drum Plug-ins For Reaper

Free Download: Line of Legends by VST4FREE

I think you have already noticed that there are only 9 free drum plugins, not 10. We left this spot open so if you have a recommendation please use the comments section. Depending on your comments we’ll choose the tenth plugin for our list.

Best Drum Vst For Reaper

We have thought about these plugins:

Free Drum Vst Plugins

• Beat Factory Drums by Beat Skillz
• MT Power Drum Kit 2 by Power Drum Kit

You might also like to check our list with Best Free VST Synth Plugins of 2015