u-He Amazona Tyrell N6

With premium plugins dominating the music software market, we often forget that there are tons of incredible VSTs our there that don’t cost a penny. The Tyrell N6 is precisely one of those. Tyrell N6 is a freebie from Amazona in collaboration with German developers U-he, who create the well known Zebra and Diva.

For a free VST plugin, Tyrell N6 sounds incredible – just listen to the amazing presets that come with it if you’re in any doubt about the possibilities of this seemingly simple synthesizer. The oscillators can be set to any shape and the filter also sounds terrific. The Tyrell N6 is definitely a must download for anyone’s free VST plugin collection.

iZotope Ozone 6

Since we published our last list of must-try plugins, iZotope’s flagship mastering suite, Ozone, has seen not one but two major releases – a milestone that most music plugins don’t meet in their entire lifespan. Like its predecessors, you would be hard-pressed to find a more complete and polished mastering solution than Ozone 6. It has both the depth and precision that seasoned engineers require as well as an intuitive interface and loads of unique presets for more entry-level users.

Regardless of what else you are currently using on your master-chain, Ozone 6 provides a wealth of potential with unique sonic treatments. What really makes Ozone stand out is the fact that it can be used as much more than a mastering suite and the individual components can be used on everything from busses to individual tracks with incredible results.

Cableguys Kickstart

Sometimes the simplest tools are the most useful ones. Sidechain compression is an essential technique in nearly every modern dance music track, and while it has traditionally been accomplished by employing use of a compressor, modern plugins have been designed with the sole purpose of sidechain compression in mind.

These plugins make it a lot easier for entry level producers to visualize how the sidechain envelope will affect their track. Cableguys’ Kickstart is one such plugin, developed in collaboration with Nicky Romero. It provides the ability to apply a variety of sidechain curves to any instrument or audio file. Additionally, it includes a very useful mix knob, allowing you to determine exactly how much of the ducking effect you want to apply. Kickstart opens our list, as it serves as the perfect solution for a repetitive but necessary task.