You may have just upgraded to Ableton’s latest version, or perhaps you’re still using Ableton 11 (like me), but can’t spare the cash for those plug-ins you’ve been eyeing. However, amidst the sea of plug-ins out there, some hidden gems are effective and completely free—perfect for anyone looking to level up their music production without the budget to match.
Bedroom producers don’t always have a spare £144 to drop on FabFilter’s Pro Q-3 (myself included), and you may see your favorite artists and content creators using impressive yet pricey plug-ins. For those who can’t afford many plug-ins, I’ve found that using what you have—and exploring free options—can really surprise you!
Here’s my list of the best free plug-ins and VSTs for Ableton Live!
(P.S. Click on the names of the plug-ins highlighted in red to visit their websites.)
Audio Effects Plug-ins
While DAWs like Ableton (depending on which version you have) offer a substantial library of audio effects with a vast array of presets, third-party free plug-ins can provide something different and exciting. Here’s a list of free audio effects plug-ins that really shouldn’t be free!
Kilohearts Essentials
You may have come here for a list of individual plug-ins, but to start, we have an entire free audio effects pack that could become the heart of your production workflow.
Kilohearts Essentials is a collection of plug-ins ranging from EQ, Compression, Distortion, Delay, Reverb, Gates, and even a Tape Stop. Essentials includes just about everything you need for audio effects.
With 33 audio effects in total, Kilohearts Essentials is a great addition to the stock effects included in Ableton Live, or whichever DAW you may be using. The Trance Gate is a fun effect in this bundle—a gate sequencer that adds interesting rhythms to your leads or pad textures, creating that addictive stutter effect.
In addition to Trance Gate, you get effects like Transient Shaper, Formant Filter, Haas, and Pitch Shifter, as well as your standard reverb, delay, EQ, and compression. These effects are easy to use, feature a consistent UI, and deliver fantastic sound manipulation. It’s a great addition to your plug-in bank and saves you cash!
To get Kilohearts Essentials, you’ll need to sign up to Kilohearts, but it’s completely free. If you’re concerned about their email marketing, you can opt out.
List of plug-ins included:
- 3-Band EQ
- Bitcrush
- Channel Mixer
- Chorus
- Comb Filter
- Compressor
- Delay
- Distortion
- Dual Delay
- Dynamics
- Ensemble
- Filter
- Flanger
- Formant Filter
- Frequency Shifter
- Gain
- Gate
- Haas
- Ladder Filter
- Limiter
- Nonlinear Filter
- Phase Distortion
- Phaser
- Pitch Shifter
- Resonator
- Reverb
- Reverser
- Ring Mod
- Shaper
- Stereo
- Tape Stop
- Trance Gate
- Transient Shaper
Cymatics Origin
Need to make your samples sound like they’re straight out of a tape machine? Cymatics Origin does just that. It’s a fantastic tool for adding a vintage touch to your samples and sounds. From movement and noise to saturation, Origin transforms your sounds with ease.
Origin comes with five control knobs, the main one being the resampler/bit crusher for that underwater effect. You can also toggle between pre/post modes for a bit-crushed sound. The other controls include:
- Tape Saturation – Adds tape saturation modeled from vintage machines with Tube and Drive modes.
- Noise – Adds realistic vintage noise with 13 modes, including reel-to-reel, vinyl, and cassette.
- Movement – Adds a wobble/pitch drift effect using a randomizer algorithm for pitch wobbles.
- Chorus – Replicates the Juno 106 chorus with fast and slow modes.
Origin is a great alternative to the RC20 plug-in, a renowned lo-fi tool many producers use. While Origin may not have as many features, it still delivers that classic vintage sound. Plus, it comes with many presets you can tweak to your liking.
Voxengo SPAN Spectrum Analyzer
While Ableton Live and other DAWs come with a built-in spectrum analyzer, Voxengo’s SPAN Spectrum Analyzer offers more flexibility in terms of audio analysis.
What’s particularly useful in SPAN is the correlation meter, which is essential for ensuring mono compatibility. Unlike Ableton’s stock spectrum analyzer, SPAN includes this feature, making it invaluable for monitoring your master signal. Features include mid/side analysis, A/B comparison, true peak statistics, multiple output metering (including LUFS), and customizable spectrum smoothness and colors.
With such a wide range of features, SPAN is an excellent and feature-rich alternative to stock tools.
Full features include:
- Output signal power statistics
- Spectrum smoothing
- User interface window resizing
- True peak and clipping statistics
- Correlation meter
- EBU R128 LUFS/LU metering
- K-system metering (unweighted)
- Stereo and multi-channel analysis
- Mid/side analysis
- 64-bit floating point processing
- Internal channel routing
- Channel grouping
- Preset manager
- Undo/redo history
- A/B comparisons
- Contextual hint messages
- All sample rates supported
- User interface color schemes
- Retina and HighDPI support
Valhalla Supermassive
Any list of free plug-ins you find online is bound to include Valhalla Supermassive, and for good reason. It’s simply brilliant for those looking for massive ambient reverbs.
While technically a delay plug-in, Supermassive is widely used for its reverb capabilities. It offers various unique characteristics, from grainy textures to metallic tones. Unlike natural room reverbs, Supermassive takes on an otherworldly vibe, reflected in its celestial preset names.
A standout feature of Supermassive is “Warp,” which lets you control the length of individual delays, resulting in cascading echoes and long decays. If you’re resampling a sound with a prominent transient, adding Supermassive to the chain can transform it into a dreamy drone. With endless possibilities, it’s no wonder this plug-in is so highly regarded by producers.
Features include:
- 14 unique reverb and delay modes
- Flexible controls: delay time, feedback, modulation depth, and mix
- Built-in modulation for chorus-like textures and detuning
- Cross-platform compatibility (Windows/macOS, VST, AU, AAX)
- High-quality sound with advanced algorithms
- Preset browser for exploring ambient and delay textures
VST Instrument Plug-ins
Most DAWs, including Ableton, come with a library of stock instruments, and Ableton stands out with instruments like Operator, Wavetable, and Sampler. But if you’re looking for something different, such as a symphony orchestra or a more user-friendly interface, here are a few free instrument plug-ins worth adding to your library.
Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover
Spitfire has released some incredible plug-ins over the years, though many come with hefty price tags, making them out of reach for bedroom producers and composers. Fortunately, Spitfire’s BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover offers a detailed, realistic symphony orchestra for free!
With 34 instruments, it puts an entire orchestra at your fingertips. It’s a fantastic gateway for anyone interested in scoring for film or personal projects. It also includes 47 techniques (like pizzicato strings, legato, or staccato), reverb control, expression, dynamic sliders, and even a grand piano.
While it may lack some in-depth controls, it’s an excellent introduction to orchestral composition, making it incredibly accessible in a field where larger orchestral libraries are often prohibitively expensive.
Surge XT
Sound design can be exciting, and experimenting with oscillators, effects, and routing can unlock unexpected possibilities. Surge XT is one of those synths where you can truly lose yourself (in the best way).
Surge XT is a free, open-source hybrid synth with 3 oscillators, each with 12 algorithms, plus a noise generator. The classic oscillator is a morphable pulse/saw/dual oscillator and includes a sub-oscillator.
It also features a filter block with 2 filter units and 8 configurations, along with a modulation unit offering 12 LFOs and 16 effects units with 27 effect algorithms. This provides exceptional control over sound design thanks to its extensive modulation and filtering options.
Surge XT is a dream for sound designers, though it may initially look intimidating (I can relate). However, it comes with a wide range of presets—from drone pads to classic synths and percussive sounds—all customizable and savable. Learning Surge XT will enhance your sound design skills and make you a better creator overall.
Features:
- 3 Oscillators: Each with 12 algorithms for sound generation.
- Noise Generator: Adds an additional layer of sound by generating noise.
- Two Filter Units: Includes 8 different filter configurations.
- Feedback Loop: Available in 7 configurations, adding extra complexity to the sound.
- Self-Oscillation: Some filters support self-oscillation for more experimental sound design.
- 12 LFOs (Low-Frequency Oscillators): 6 for voice-level modulation, 6 for global modulation.
- Multiple LFO Shapes: Offers a wide range of waveforms for diverse modulation options.
- 16 Effects Units: A wide array of effects for sound shaping.
- 27 Effect Algorithms: Including standard effects like reverb, delay, and chorus, plus more experimental options.
- MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) Support: Allows for more expressive playing, with per-note modulation.
- Customizable Interface: Offers various skins and UI configurations.
- Preset System: Comes with a large library of presets, plus the ability to create and save your own.
Matt Tytel Vital
Like Supermassive, Vital is a must-have free plug-in for any library. Vital is a wavetable synthesizer offering spectral warping, letting you reshape harmonics and craft new timbres from basic waveforms.
Vital’s success also stems from its incredibly user-friendly interface, making sound customization easy, especially for beginner producers. It’s a visual synthesizer, allowing you to see the synth’s action through waveform modulation, effects, and LFOs. Vital also features a drag-and-drop workflow, letting you preview modulation before assigning an LFO. The LFOs are highly customizable, enabling you to shape sounds with unmatched movement.
Vital includes basic shapes and presets created by other producers. Plus, websites like Preset Share offer endless Vital presets for you to use and tweak.
Decent Sampler
Decent Sampler, created by David Holowitz, is a free sampling plug-in that allows you to play samples in the Decent Sampler format. Primarily designed to encourage users to create their own sample libraries, Decent Sampler also offers a wide range of sample packs and instruments from its website and Piano Book, a platform featuring many compatible packs.
Decent Sampler is widely used to play the available instruments and packs, many of which are free or very affordable. Creating your own samples involves some coding and tinkering, but all the instructions are available on their website. Decent Sampler is a great place to start if you want to explore that!
For more articles on music production, check out the following:
Decoding Audio Formats: A Handy Guide
