Apr 27, 2016  Autotune; Artist Damso; Licensed to YouTube by UMG (on behalf of Universal Music Division Capitol Music France); LatinAutor, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, UMPG Publishing, LatinAutor - UMPG, SODRAC, and 5 Music Rights Societies. She had weird toddler kind of voice when she sang, today she is just overproduced machine autotune kind of voice mixed with dental drill. She never sings live and Thank God for that. In my opinion one of the worst female 'singers' ever.

If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite singer’s voice sounds like in its purest form, the musical sub-genre of isolated vocal tracks can offer a clue. Here are 12 videos of popular songs stripped of everything but the vocals—some of them strange, others eerily beautiful.

1. “HELLO” // ADELE

Adele - Hello (isolated SNL live vocal feed)by dailyvariations

Adele’s vocals for her new hit single “Hello” are even more powerful without the background music.

2. “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” // NIRVANA

Nirvana kicked off a new era in rock music in the 1990s, but can “Smells Like Teen Spirit” be as powerful without the driving guitars? The song feels more eerie than hard-hitting with only Kurt Cobain’s haunting vocals.

3. “BEAT IT” // MICHAEL JACKSON

One of Michael Jackson’s most iconic songs seems less urgent without the music behind his amazing vocals. Something is lost without Eddie Van Halen’s killer guitar solo, too.

4. “FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL” // THE WHITE STRIPES

Even without the heavy guitars and feverish drum beats, “Fell in Love with a Girl” is still a catchy tune.

5. “BEAUTIFUL” // CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Christina Aguilera’s isolated microphone feed vocals of her live performance of “Beautiful” prove that her voice is just as impressive without the music.

6. “BLACK HOLE SUN” // SOUNDGARDEN

Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” is a haunting song. Even without the benefit of music, Chris Cornell’s vocals are just as stirring.

7. “WONDERWALL” // OASIS

Noel Gallagher’s lyrics and his brother Liam’s vocals for Oasis’ “Wonderwall” seem even more sad without the backing music.

8. “LOSE YOURSELF” // EMINEM

“Lose Yourself” won Eminem an Academy Award in 2003 for “Best Original Song” for 8 Mile. He probably still would’ve won the Oscar even without the music behind his intense rhymes.

9. “NO ONE” // ALICIA KEYS

Alicia Keys’ performance of her hit song “No One” with her microphone feed isolated proves that she’s a genuine talent.

10. “GOD ONLY KNOWS” // THE BEACH BOYS

The acapella and isolated vocals of The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” work just as well as the studio version with musical accompaniment.

11. “BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY” // QUEEN

Freddie Mercury’s vocals and harmonies for “Bohemian Rhapsody” are awe-inspiring. The video also highlights Brian May’s amazing guitar work.

12. “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS” // QUEEN

This stripped-down version of “We Are the Champions” proves, yet again, what made Freddie Mercury one of rock’s most iconic vocalists.

VST plugins are virtual instruments and effects for a digital audio workstation. These are the best free VST plugins to use in your music production studio.

Scroll down to browse the VST plugins based on their category. Each category page features the best free virtual instruments and effects for a specific music production task. Welcome to the internet’s most up-to-date directory of freeware VST plugins.

Free VST Plugins Directory

Free VST Effects

Freeware effects in VST plugin format:

• Autotune – Free alternatives to Antares Auto-Tune.
• Bitcrusher – An extensive collection of freeware bitcrushers.
• Chorus – A selection of the best free chorus effects.
• Compressor – Dynamic range compressor VST plugins.
• 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 the VST plugin format.
• EQ (Parametric) – Standard parametric equalizers for mixing and mastering purposes.
• Filter – A collection of filtering effects.
• Flanger – Free flanger VST effects.
• 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.
• Phaser – The best free phaser plugins.
• Reverb – Algorithmic reverb VST plugins.
• Reverb (Convolution) – Convolution reverb VST plugins.
• 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 vocoder free VST plugins.

Free 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) – Free VST plugins that emulate acoustic pianos.
• Piano (Electric) – Virtual instruments that emulate electric keyboards.
• Sampler – The best freeware VST plugins for audio samples.
• Sound Module/Workstation – A round-up of virtual instruments that 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 – Best free synthesizer VST plugins.

Free VST 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.
  

VST Host Applications

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

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

Free VST Plugins From Each Year

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

Find more music production tools in the Free Software Archive. The archive includes VST plugins, mobile apps, DAW software, audio editing software, and more. Browse our articles all the way back to 2009 when BPB was launched.

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Developer Archives

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

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

What Is A VST Plugin?

In case you’ve never used free VST plugins before, here’s a brief introduction. The acronym VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology. The technology allows music producers to load third-party audio effects and virtual instruments in their digital audio workstation. Virtual Studio Technology was introduced by Steinberg in 1996 and has made a massive impact on the way we produce music today.

A VST plugin is a software effect or a virtual instrument intended for use in a host program that supports Virtual Studio Technology. VST plugins are used to expand a digital music studio, in the same way hardware effects and instruments are utilized in a real studio. There are literally thousands of VST plugins available for free download on the internet. As a result, we have created this free VST directory to help music producers find the right tools.

Using VST Plugins

Choosing the right audio software and learning to use it properly will ensure an efficient workflow when producing music. Therefore, make sure to familiarize yourself with the software available in your VST plugin folder. No one wants to use a complex plugin for the first time during a critical mixing session.

Step 1: The DAW

No Autotune Compilation Songs

First of all, you need to choose the right digital audio workstation. The decision to use freeware or commercial music production software is up to you and your budget. The first thing to keep in mind when choosing your DAW is the workflow. Is the interface intuitive? Does the control layout seem logical to you? Does the application provide all the recording and mixing features you’ll require? And most importantly, can it host VST plugins?

The best free digital audio workstations right now are Tracktion 7 and Cakewalk by BandLab. Both applications can load VST plugins.

Step 2: Downloading Free VST plugins

Now that you’ve picked your DAW, you’re all set to start building your collection of free VST plugins. Remember to always go for quality instead of quantity. The biggest mistake people make when discovering Virtual Studio Technology and the world of free VST 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.

Songs Autotune Vs No Autotune

Stay organized when choosing your virtual instruments and effects. This page is a great place to start because we’ve listed only the best freeware VST plugins in each category.

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What you need is a small but mighty collection of audio software that 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 that best suit your workflow and learn how to use them. Read the manuals, watch the video tutorials, and spend some time experimenting with your free VST plugins.

Step 3: Staying up to date

Finally, 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. Also, 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 huge database over at KVR Audio.

Updated on February 21st, 2020.