For this article, I looked at both acoustic and electric guitars but left out guitar amps and other effect plugins (I will cover these in an upcoming article). Free Acoustic Guitar Plugins Ample Sound: Ample Guitar M II Lite. Format: AU, VST, AAX, RTAS / 32 bit + 62 bit OS: Mac, Windows. Kontakt’s huge collection of virtual instruments and effects is the gold standard when. 12 Best Synth VST Plugins 2020/2021 – What Are The Best Synth Plugins? TAL Bassline 101 Review – Better Than Roland’s Own Emulation? Recent Comments. The Guitarist’s Guide to Home Music Production on The 250 Best Free Vst Instruments: 2020 Edition; whippedsounds on The 250 Best Free Vst Instruments: 2020 Edition.
You may face several scenarios while mixing and mastering which may include the use of an equalizer, having a transparent display to analyze what you are adding or subtracting with the EQ, multiple EQ bands, and proper CPU usage is what to look for in an EQ.
But with that said every piece of software and hardware alike creates and outputs a slightly different sound meaning they all have unique timbres and uses. Alongside that, there are some rather expensive plugins we may see online, which aren’t out of our reaches but we don’t know what we need until we need it right? Well, this is why its best to try some free EQ’s first to see what it is you like within an EQ and what it maybe you are looking for.
We become ever so comfortable with our stock plugins, they do the simple tasks for us (sometimes), they don’t run our computer into the ground, and they for sure are pretty basic. Well, this is the issue most people come to, they want a better EQ, or they want a change of visuals.
EQ History – ‘The first EQ was first used by John Volkman working at RCA in the 1920s”
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Colour EQ is a 64-bit EQ plugin that offers 5 ”super parametric” bands to manipulate the frequency range. This is exceedingly handy when wanting to use more than one band in one instance; the intuitive gain knobs on the five bands allow for perfect mixing of these bands when mixing and mastering.
Using the two different types of curves, Colour EQ offers a warm sound that you just wouldn’t get from your stock EQ.
Having a bright visual display helps you to craft and mould your bands to preference.
A great way to use this plugin is when you are not getting enough warmth in your low, mid/mids, Colour EQ will add a great sense of warmth throughout the selected bands. Another cool way to use this plugin is to use two different setups with two different curve types; you can use modified versions of the EQ for selected times in your mixdowns to add the feeling of a change in energy in a breakdown or drop.
Colour EQ is a great tool to have in your arsenal for mixing and mastering, plus you may find many uses in your day-to-day production.
Compatibility:
Windows VST (32/64 bit), Windows/Mac RTAS, and Mac VST/AU format (Intel, OSX 10.5 and higher)
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With a sleek, minimalistic design Free Ranger is a powerful EQ.
With a mid-band (150Hz – 7kHz), fixed high (10kHz), low shelf (80Hz) SPL have kept things very simple so anyone can EQ with ease.
Free Ranger gives the feel of the world-renowned API 560 EQ but offers this all for free!
Free Ranger is a bodybuilder for your sounds while mixing and a gentle touch when mastering, this plugin makes EQing fun, quick and easy.
You may find yourself using the four different EQ settings and incorporate them into your mixdowns. Using them to create different feels and vibes can give your masters that final touch you’ve been looking for.
This is a must-have!
Compatibility:
macOS 10.9 through 10.15, Windows 7-10
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Simplicity is key with EQ work in the mix or master, and this plugin keeps that in mind through and through.
With a very easy to use GUI STEQ 2 has a powerful but simple way of delivering a small form factor EQ to your DAW.
This EQ gives off old school retro vibe, precise, clean, and adds a lot of detail to the mid-range.
STEQ 2 is excellent for tonal rebalancing due to the broadness of the three bands creating a pure blend between the frequency ranges.
Using this to add punch to claps and snares is also a good use. But be careful when adding to full bus groups.
This EQ from Analog Obsession is an excellent tool to keep at your disposal when thinking about doing some tasks during your mix, or why not change up those stock plugins for free.
Compatibility
WiN, OSX AU VST, VST3
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Nova is a parallel dynamic EQ; each band has a dedicated, dynamic section giving the user full flexibility.
Giving the option to drag and move bands in the visual GUI individually or group, this provides a natural form factor way to get results.
Using the multiband compression built into Nova your be able to manipulate your EQ even further, this will be displayed in the visual GUI with real-time feedback of the compression process. (subtly decrease the threshold to hear the difference)
In mix and mastering, you can use Nova to visually see where you may have audio issues to fix and makes it very easy to apply these changes with the drag and change feature.
The dynamic EQ is a handy tool to have in practice when mixing down full compositions – use it to bring down or up frequencies only when they reach a specific volume.
Nova is a heavyweight EQ with a lot under the hood all for free!
Compatibility:
Win XP SP2 or above, Mac OS X 10.7 or above.
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ReaEQ may look basic, but under the hood, there is a lot to offer.
Being able to have as many bands as you wish is a massive bonus, you also have the ability to change all of these bands to one of the following (shelves, bands, LPF, HPF, notch, bandpass, allpass).
With a stripped-back GUI, it keeps you focused on the task at hand, not over complicating things but giving you the power of an audio god at your fingertips.
With a tremendous real-time visual display, this gives you the eyes and ear focus that you need when EQ in the mix.
Phasing is a big issue when mixing, ReaEQ gives you a ‘Show Phase’ button which will show you in your display what frequencies are being affected by the band.
When mastering you may wish to keep all bands in one EQ patch, with ReaEQ you can do this.
Stripped back and powerful ReaEQ is a favorite among many producers across a wide range of genres.
Compatibility:
WIN 32, WIN 64
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The Triple EQ is a three-band semi-parametric equaliser.
With a simple and easy to read visual display of the frequencies in real-time, you will have a clear display of the EQ in front of your eyes.
Alongside the huge +/- 40 dB range, Triple EQ has a bandwidth of .01 to 5 Octaves!
An exciting feature with Triple EQ is that you can link two bands together using the ‘Link Channels’ feature. This will allow you to use them in unison; combine this with the automaton support to create quick and easy modulation. This is a great way to change an EQ while in the mix with complex automation.
Using the linking feature to create movement and progression within your mixdowns makes Triple EQ a threat.
Fully customisable shapes make this a different tool when deep in the mix or master, you will find many uses for the dynamic bands you can create—having dynamic bands that you are able to manipulate helps when visually your EQ and how it may affect the whole frequency range.
Check this one out for a small form factor powerful EQ!
Compatibility:
Windows 7 to 10, Mac OS 10.7 or newer.
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We have another FREE plugin from Analog Obsession!
This time is bringing you Merica an emulation of the API 550A console equaliser.
A simple three-band EQ delivers a lot of power to your mixes and masters. Selectively choose which frequency your band boosts or cuts with the option to the right of the knobs.
All bands kept simple and easy to get to grips with.
Meica also has a nifty and very much needed output knob, there will be no issues with clipping in the digital domain when mastering with this plugin.
A larger than appearing sound Merica is an excellent EQ plugin to use when in the mixdowns and masters.
Given that the EQ it emulates is an industry-standard plugin this small form, powerful, easy to use, and was coded by one man! Merica is a must grab for all audio creatives looking to upgrade their stock EQ plugins.
Compatibility:
VST Win, VST3 Win, VST Mac, VST3 Mac, AU Mac
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TinyQ is a small form factor EQ.
Giving the user a stripped-back interface TinyQ offers a solution to a simple job.
Having too many settings can become overwhelming; TinyQ does what it says on the tin and doesn’t make your job any harder.
Keeping things simple when mixing down whole groups is essential – finding yourself using CPU heavy EQ, or a stock plugin just might not cut it for you. TinyEQ is excellent for doing those necessary but straightforward EQ tasks!
With the recent addition of built-in frequency analyzer, it makes EQ even easier when getting stuck into your mixes or masters.
Create awesome sounding band curves.
Great emphasis on keeping things simple goes a long way with TinyQ; the team has made a great EQ that does everything it needs to in one small package. With four bands plus high pass/low pass filters, you won’t be looking any further for your day to day EQ needs.
Compatibility:
Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.7 or later (both 64 bit)
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SonEQ has 3 bands, low (20 Hz – 100 Hz), mid (150 Hz – 4 kHz), high (6 kHz – 15 kHz). Combined with a high pass and low pass filter, plus a ‘Mid-high Q’ this means when it’s on your band its narrow and when deactivated will cause it to be wider. This indicated by the red light.
Giving the user a lot of ways to EQ but keeping things user-friendly is what SonEQ does best.
Having the volume meter is very hand when mixing with any EQ, it gives the visual display of when things are getting a bit heated for your output.
SonEQ also gives you the full control of your input and output levels. This comes in handy when you are mixing your tracks with heavy effects, causing the overall levels to become louder than 0.0dB; this is where adjusting both the input and output parameters will solve the issue.
With this plugin being free for all to use we don’t see any reason why this shouldn’t be ready to deploy at the click of a finger, whether it’s beefing up the mix with the built-in bass boost preamp staging or adding a touch of colour to the highs this plugin has you covered.
Compatibility:
Mac OSX 10.6 or newer – Windows XP or newer
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PTEq-X is a digital emulation of three famous vintage EQ.
Equipped with three EQ modules comprised of mid-range (2kHZ – 7 kHz), low-frequency (20Hz – 150Hz), high-frequency (3kHz – 16kHz).
Using the mid-range module, you can use the low, mid parameter (top left) to effect the lower mid frequencies. Alternatively use the high mid setting (top right) to cause-effect to these frequencies.
Moving down the EQ, we have our second module, which is PEQ1A EQ (Low & High). This comes with a bunch of parameters to mould your EQ patches perfectly to your source.
Finally, this is all topped off with the HL3C module; this is a low-cut accompanied by a high-cut.
You can also use the ‘Oversampling’ feature to reduce aliasing.
Use the “Tube” switch to apply or deactivate the tube amp.
Using the input and output levels will give you the ability to control any nasty peaks brought in or out of the EQ.
PTEq-X is a combination of some of the best analogue EQ’s to exist, plus its FREE!! We recommend this one for a great addition to your EQ arsenal.
Compatibility:
Windows 7 – 10 32 and 64 bit. OS X 10.7 64 bit
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Pushtec 5+1A is a versatile mid-range program EQ that has mixing and mastering at its heart.
This plugin offers six bands, all offering a fantastic sounding boost through all parameters.
A vast selection of plugins makes it easy for users to start with something super effective and tweak to their liking.
“B/W” stands for bandwidth, this allows you to tweak the selected band and adjust to your preference.
A friendly and straightforward GUI keeps this EQ a smaller form factor but with a lot of power. Being designed for mixing and mastering be assured that this plugin delivers best when applied to a whole group or a master channel.
Giving instant sparkle to a mix or a very much needed bass boost this FREE plugin has you covered!
Compatibility:
Win 7 or higher only
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QRange is a very straight forward, user friendly, and effective EQ for mixing and mastering.
Giving the user an intuitive click and drag feature makes EQ work easy and more controllable.
With a choice of twelve bands, there is excellent room for doing additive plus subtractive EQ all in one plugin patch. Each band has. Selection of up to five different types (peak, low-shelf, high-shelf, low cut, and high cut).
Built into the frequency spectrum, you have the power to change it to pre or post. ‘Pre’ will let you see what the frequency range looks likes before the EQ is applied, whereas ‘Post’ will allow you to see it after the EQ has taken effect.
Offering the ability to users to save and load their own presets makes it easy to bring back some of your favourite patches while working on a mix or master.
It has to be said lkjb QRange is a must-have FREE EQ plugin.
Compatibility:
Win 7 or higher, macOS 10.7 or higher
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TDR’s Slick EQ provides a recognizable analogue sound.
Using three bands that bring together four different EQ models.
Both low and high bands are coupled with a cut and bell feature allowing for comfortable band changing.
Auto gain estimates the gain change caused by the current EQ settings; this makes it great to compare your EQ setting during the mix. There is also an ‘EQ Sat’ button; this will activate the saturator which is very intelligently paired to your EQ bands. This will add harmonics when boosting and remain passive when cutting.
Being able to save your favourite EQ settings for a later mix or master can be done within the plugin. Coupled with a undo/redo button you never miss that sweet spot for your bands, alternatively set up two different EQs with the A/B switch.
Slick EQ gives a very stripped back interface meaning you don’t get caught up with the visuals when doing equalising, providing a focus on what your hearing. This EQ shouldn’t be overlooked, with great coding, algorithms, settings, and excellent sounding types SlickEQ delivers more than you would expect from a FREE plugin.
Compatibility:
Win 32 bit VST2, VST3, Win 64bit VST2, VST3, AAX
Mac VST2, VST3, AU, AAX 64 bit
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Manda Audio brings us 7Q.
7Q is an emulation of the beloved ‘Classic EQ’ which became discontinued, the team came together and brought the community back a redesigned version.
7Q takes off all the fancy parts and gives you the bare basics; this is what gives this a place on our list. With 7Q giving you the ability to apply your EQ to the left or right or both channels, you can independently EQ both sides of the stereo field.
Each band can be additive or subtractive. Keeping easy to use format is what this plugin does best; it doesn’t over-complicate the task at hand but assists your needs along the way wether mix or master.
Low memory and CPU usage make it easy to have multiple instances in your projects without having your computer meltdown.
7Q is a nifty EQ that is awesome for giving your sounds a little crisp boost before running into your other plugins within the chain.
Compatibility:
Win VST 32/64 bit, AAX 32/64 bit
Mac VST, AU, AAX
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EQ1A is a FREE analog-style EQ with a clever algorithm giving you minimal phase coloration.
This plugin has initially been paid to use the plugin, but the developers have decided to give it to us all for FREE!
EQ1A allows you to use broad bands to shape your sounds or outputs in a clean, crisp and phase-corrected way.
Being able to save you presets within the plugin makes it very easy to pull back that EQ you made on the last mix. 4-band parametric equalizer with an additional HP filter with variable resonance gives a wide range of settings to play with while keeping everything simple and user friendly.
EQ1A does what it says on the tin for FREE!
Using this within mixing or mastering may help you when wanting to add a hefty highpass or when looking to give some warmth to your mid ranges.
It has to be said with a great look, and low CPU usage EQ1A is an excellent addition to your plugins.
Compatibility:
Win, Mac
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Voxengo is notorious for doing some excellent free plugins.
This addition is the Marvel GEQ, which is a fifteen band linear phase EQ.
There is a routing tab that allows you to affect the signals mid/sides independently. (orange slides)
Also giving full independence to the mid/side output level, becoming very useful when mixing and mastering.
Bypass feature makes it simple to hear what your EQ is doing to your sound source. Alternatively, decide between two EQ setups with the A/B mode.
For quick EQ drawing, you can hold ‘Ctrl or Cmd’ and click across the EQ drawing in your fader settings with the click of a mouse.
Having a stripped back form factor with enough controls to complement your mixing tasks this plugin has to be our list today.
Compatibility:
VST Win, VST3 Win, VST Mac, VST3 Mac, AU Mac
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BASIQ is a three-band EQ.
It keeps in mind that EQ work for mixing and mastering doesn’t have to be a headache or over complicated.
BASIQ is a design similar to the classic ‘Baxandall Equalizer’ which is knowns for its natural-sounding shelves and HiFi quality responses.
Adding a smooth, gradual shimmer or warmth instead of a surgical sharpness is what BASIQ does best. Use on groups or a master chain to subtly but significantly add character with the turn of a knob.
With some added presets you be able to get a quick change in tone with the click of a button.
The small form factor makes this BASIQ a powerful tool to be used within the mix or master.
Compatibility:
Win, Mac, VST, AU, 64 bit
With all of that said, grabbing all 17 plugins wouldn’t do you any harm, but we want to break down our top 3 picks!
In our top spot, we have Colour EQ by DDMF.
This plugin brings so many features that you would expect from pay to use plugins but all for FREE! Another fresh point is that the curves you can create with this cannot be done on other EQ plugins, giving Colour EQ a versatile approach.
Low-CPU – Usage Customisable GUI – Great warm sound – 5 Bands
Coming in second is Nova by TDR.
Parametric, dynamic EQ, and multiband compression are all built into an excellent looking FREE plugin.
Nova has a built-in dynamic EQ parameter when mixing, and mastering using a dynamic EQ is crucial sometimes. Having this all in one plugin for free is hugely commendable to the team who developed this plugin!
Parametric equalization – Dynamic equalization – Frequency selective compression – Multi-band compression – Wideband compression
And finally, our last top pick is ‘Triple’ by Blue Cat.
This awesome plugin has so many features you just wouldn’t expect a FREE plugin to have.
With a fresh interface and drag and click feature to make EQing even more natural Triple is a powerful EQ.
Semi-parametric EQ – +/- 40dB Range per band – MIDI control and automation support – Real-time display
Today we have covered a lot of great FREE EQs for mixing and mastering. Amazingly, we have developers putting out all of these plugins for producers/sound engineers to level out the playing field. As we have all seen these ‘not to name’ brands releasing rather expensive EQs that we just can’t fork out for, but with the way, music has progressed today in the digital domain it has become much more accessible for creatives to share their ideas and effects for free.
With that said, they all have their benefits and downsides, but with them all being free, there is no reason you can’t pick them up and use these in your mixes or masters today!
If you’ve been producing music for a while, you probably know that a lot of the commercial guitar VSTs or libraries out there are pretty expensive and not always easy to use. Although I own a few commercial guitar libraries, I also wanted to see what free guitar VSTs and sample libraries are available these days. I have to admit I was surprised by the number of interesting instruments I found. So, I’ve put together this list to talk about the best ones.
For this article, I looked at both acoustic and electric guitars but left out guitar amps and other effect plugins (I will cover these in an upcoming article).
Format: AU, VST, AAX, RTAS / 32 bit + 62 bit
OS: Mac, Windows
Audio examples:
Ample Sound is a Beijing-based company that has been creating guitar and bass VSTs since 2011. The Ample Guitar M II series aims “to bring the Martin D-41 Acoustic Guitar sound to your studio.” Luckily for us, the company also released a free lite version of the instrument, which comes with a reduced sample rate, fewer articulations and features and a lower sample count than the original (by now, version III has been released already).
This doesn’t prevent Ample Guitar M II Lite from being the best sounding (non-Kontakt) acoustic guitar in this list, though. The samples sound full and lively and can be triggered directly through MIDI (or your DAW) as well as through a built-in sequencer, the “strummer.”
The strummer makes it super easy to build patterns out of single notes, up and down strokes and mutes. Additionally, there are a bunch of effects and features available to change the tone. One of my favorite features is the doubling switch, which adds width to the instrument in an instant.
Another particular useful feature of Ample Guitar M II Lite is that it shows you which string corresponds to the note you’re playing. This quickly helped me create more realistic arpeggios.
If you also use Guitar Pro Tab, you can even import your tabs into Ample Guitar M II Lite. Note that you are limited to the first four frets of each string when you’re using the lite version.
There are so many fully functioning knobs and switches in this free plugin that I didn’t manage to get to all of them in my 45 minutes of playing around with it. What more can you ask for in a free guitar?
You can get Ample Guitar M II Lite on the Ample Sound website.
This is a quick introduction to the instrument:
Format: AU, VST / 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Mac, Windows
Audio examples:
This guitar VST has gotten a lot of attention lately, especially since the release of LifeStyleDidIt’s video “I FOUND THE BEST FREE GUITAR VST” (see below). DSK Music is a project by a Spaniard named Víctor who has been making hundreds of free virtual instruments since 2002.
DynamicGuitars contains three different instruments: an acoustic guitar, a nylonguitar and a steel guitar. It also offers control over the envelope of thesamples as well as the dynamic range and the voice mode (poly, mono, legato). All the included guitars feel smooth, warm andthick but could use a little EQ action for clarity.
In this video, you can see the plugin in use:
You can download DSK Dynamic Guitars here.
Pettinhouse is a project by Andrea Pettinao. The company sells a wide variety of guitars and also offers a handful of free guitar sample libraries. Let’s take a look at them!
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Free AcousticGuitar is a simple but well-recorded and programmed acoustic guitar Kontakt library. The samples are loaded as a multi and are separated into attack+ sustain, releases and fret noise sounds and come in different velocities. The samples are well mixed and sound wonderfully natural.
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
When you open the free version of Pettinhouse’s Classic Guitar, you’re getting a multi consisting of two instruments: classic guitar and noises. These work well together and offer a realistic and nice warm sound.
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Yummy Beats is a platform for drums, loops and Kontakt instruments. You can also find a few free instruments on this site, including the free Modest Guitar. This Kontakt library delivers a present sound with round robin and three articulations: acoustic guitar, flageolets and fx guitar. Unfortunately, I found that the fx guitar produced noticeable crackle sounds (might have been my setup!). However, my favorite part is the flageolets with their well-rounded tone, anyway.
I found the steps to get Modest Guitar a little complicated. You have to open a Yummy Beats account, go to this page and enter the unlock code that you find here. If you’re looking for a free, quality flageolet sound, this is a good instrument to try out, though.
Here’s an example of a song that uses Modest Guitar (from the Yummy Beats YouTube channel):
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Here are some more acoustic guitar libraries:
Now, let’s talk about electric guitars.
Format: VST2, VST3, AAX, AU; 32 bit + 64 bi t
OS: Windows, Mac
Audio examples:
Looking for a smooth moody guitar that fits into an ambient track or your next film score? Peel Guitar might be it! Originally, the guitar was sampled by Christian Henson in 2006 and, according to him, was used all over his scores. The instrument consists of three presets that differ slightly in guitar tone. Each guitar feels soft and comes with a long release, which adds to the atmosphere of the instrument. The minimalist interface offers control over the volume, velocity, reverb and “tightness” of the sound. To get Peel Guitar, you will need to install Spitfire Labs first (also free).
Format: VST, 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Windows
Audio examples:
The following examples were created with Lethality and Guitar Rig 5:
Lethality was released in 2014 by Iridium Iris. The developer’s website has been down for a while, so it’s not clear if they’re still working on new instruments. However, Lethality is one of their products that you can still come across today.
I wasactually quite surprised to see how many functions are built into Lethality.Besides “regular” single notes, the plugin also has open string and mutedstring articulations. Additionally, you can switch on hammer-ons, pull-offs andportamento articulations, which can be triggered by playing legato notes.
To find theright articulation on your MIDI keyboard, you can take a look in the manualthat comes with the instrument. When you’re as used to Kontakt as I am, it’s alittle inconvenient that the keyboard layout (including articulation zones andkeyswitches) is not displayed visually in the plugin. This means that you’llhave to remember the keyswitches and articulations you’ll need when playing.
If you’renot sure how to program your guitar, you can use the built-in riff patterns.They can be activated directly from the plugin or exported as MIDI clips intoyour DAW of choice. Truthfully, though, it makes more sense to program your ownMIDI clips, if only to create a more dynamic guitar part.
Although Lethality offers a distortion function, to get a good sound you will most likely want to use an external amp simulation or other effects on this instrument.
As the official developer website is down, you can get Lethality here.
Format: Kontakt 5.7 or higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
The Shreddage series by Impact Soundworks has been the go-to place for affordable guitar sample libraries for years. Recently, the company made a very generous gift to composers when it released a free version of its Shreddage 3 Stratus guitar. Compared to the commercial version, the free version only offers neck pickup (instead of neck, middle and bridge), 12 frets (instead of 24), a reduced range and fewer articulations. However, this shouldn’t stop you from creating great, realistic electric guitar parts with this library. Up to 24 samples per note, including sustain, palm mute and choke articulations make this an amazingly usable library that will fit into many productions.
Amazingly,the free version of Shreddage 3 Stratus also comes with full mix consolefunctionality. In the mix console you can add effects, whether that’s pedals,amps, cabinets or EQ. The included presets (called “snapshots” by ImpactSoundworks) sound instantly great and are compatible with other Shreddageinstruments (as long as they use the same console). This is definitely the bestand most versatile free electric guitar on the market right now – so if youhave a full version of Kontakt, don’t miss out on this one.
Check outthe following video for an overview on how to use Stratus Free:
Get Impact Soundworks Stratus Free here (you will need to get a free account to download the instrument).
Just as Pettinhouseoffers a few great acoustic guitar libraries, it has also released a fewinteresting electric guitars:
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
The following examples were created with DirectGuitar and Guitar Rig 5:
Using this direct guitar library by Pettinhouse gives you maximum flexibility for sculpting your own tone. It comes with a range of four octaves and also includes a few effects (open the “strum” and “layers” instruments to find out where they are located on the keyboard). Free vst for making gunna beats. Amp and effects are not part of the instrument, so you will need to add one yourself. I used Guitar Rig 5 for the audio examples.
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Mute&Slap is a very specialized instrument: The articulations range from mute tones in the lower velocities to slap notes in the higher velocities and are great for adding some funky notes to your beats and songs. While Free Mute&Slap also contains a couple of effects and amp choices, it might be worthwhile trying out a few different amp simulations with this to have more control over the tone.
Here’s avideo review for Mute&Slap:
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Need more funk in your music? Check out Pettinhouse’s Free FunkyGuitar. Besides regular plucked string sounds, this library also contains strum loops and muted strum loops. These are especially convenient (programming funk guitar rhythms manually is hell) and can be tempo-synced to the host or adjusted manually (in a range of 85 bpm – 130 bpm). The library comes with a built-in reverb, delay and phaser and a selection of amps. The guide tab will help you find your way around this instrument quickly.
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
When I was researching for this article and came across WarmJazz, a realization hit me: There are barely any jazz guitar sample libraries on the market. Apart from the occasional funk library, most current guitar libraries and VSTs are oriented towards rock, metal and blues. If you’re looking for a jazzier sound, though, you should check out WarmJazz by Pettinhouse. In its free version, it comes with seven presets and a range of effects (chorus, reverb, delay, compressor). The quality of the sound is indeed warm and jazzy and hard to re-create with any other library.
Format: SFZ, Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
The next three examples use Guitar Rig 5:
Cute Emily Guitar is originally a project by Karoryfer Samples and was first published in 2014. To quote the creator:
“There area lot of guitar samples out there intended for lots of styles of musicguitarists like, from Latin jazz to metalcore, but this library is for musicguitarists really hate, from hip-hop to EDM. It’s designed to be easy to usefor producers who don’t necessarily know a lot about guitars and don’t need awhole lot of different articulations, control over left-hand position, note offgroups, etc. Instead of all that you get a fat, percussive sound that’s greatfor crisp rhythms.”
Indeed, the instrument, which is a sampled Epiphone Emily the Strange, has a very pronounced, percussive attack. As the samples were recorded directly, it makes sense to run them through an amp simulator of some sort (I used Guitar Rig 5 for my tests).
You have the choice between two versions of this instrument: The original Karoryfer Samples version in SFZ soundfont format or a Kontakt version by Bigcat Instruments. The Kontakt version includes various effects, such as a phaser, chorus, reverb, delay, compressor, distortion and EQ. You can also add tremolo and adjust the velocity curve, as well as the attack and release.
Looking formore options? Check out the following instruments:
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