NOW IN STORE BEAT MAGAZINE #180. Beat Magazine #1 English (PDF) digital edition has arrived in our store and comes with the Nepheton drum machine plugin by D16 Group, over 12Gb of free software and samples, tutorials, interesting articles, reviews and much more cool stuff for you to read. VibroMaster is a sampled vibraphone. It contains 42 stereo samples from the University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios public domain library. You can use a sustain pedal to play with full release notes, but if you don’t have one, you can switch from Short to Full release with the midi notes A2 (57) for short and B2 (59) for full. A VST plugin is a software-based audio effect or a virtual instrument intended for use in a host program that supports Virtual Studio Technology.

In the world of digital music production, there’ a whole universe of VST plugins to choose from.

Most VSTs are really good at one thing, or suited for a specific genre. But there’s a select few out there that are total workhorses.

They do a lot of things really well no matter what your project sounds like.

The VSTs on this list offer heaps of possibilities in a single plugin.

Whether you’re making sweeping ambient drones, experimental prog rock or wall-shaking techno, you’ll find yourself coming back to these plugins track after track—no matter what genre you’re working in.

Here’s our 7 favourite versatile VST plugins that belong in every production toolbox.

Massive by Native Instruments

Massive is (rightfully) described as a ‘sonic monster’.

It’s an unbeatable synthesizer for basslines and leads. There’s over 1300 presets to choose from and an easy-to-use browser that sorts presets by type and characteristics.

Even though Massive has become known as a popular VST for dubstep and EDM producers, one look through the enormous and diverse library of presets shows that this plugin can do a lot more than create wobble bass effects.

One look through the enormous and diverse library of presets shows that this plugin can do a lot.

Each preset has 8 customizable macro controls to allow you to dramatically change the sound of each preset, and if that wasn’t enough, you can also go in and alter any of the 3 oscillators or their filters and envelopes to further shape your sound. With so much room for customization, you can tweak almost any sound in the plugin to suit your personal preference and work across a variety of genres.

Even though Massive shines for window-shattering basslines, it also has a huge selection of beautiful soundscapes and pads for those softer passages, making it one of the most versatile and widely used VSTs on the market.

NI Massive: $149 USD

Serum by Xfer Records

What makes this synth really special is the ability to import your own recorded audio or outside samples—making the possibilities truly endless and versatile for any project.

Serum is a 2 oscillator wavetable synthesizer with fully user-editable wavetables. What makes this synth really special is the ability to import your own recorded audio or outside samples—making the possibilities truly endless and versatile for any project.
Serum also features a Remap Mode, which allows for you to draw your own wavetables and customize the presets or your own imported audio.

The effect rack also includes 10 different modules making this synth even more useful than most synth VSTs.

Xfer Records Serum: $189 USD

Decapitator by Soundtoys

When it comes to saturation effect plugins, Decapitator shows up in a ton of top lists—And for good reason…

With 5 different analogue saturation models, Decapitator lets you create subtle, extreme, or anywhere-in-between hardware-modelled saturation.

With 5 different analogue saturation models, Decapitator lets you create subtle, extreme, or anywhere-in-between hardware-modelled saturation.

Decapitator’s tone control allows you to shape your sound how you want it, and it’s mix control allows you to blend in dry signal without the need to use routing and sub-mixes.

The flexibility of this VST makes it the perfect choice for adding character to every instrument in your mix, no matter what those instruments might be.

Soundtoys Decapitator: $199 USD

Toraverb by D16 Group

When the engineers at D16 Group set out to create Toraverb, they wanted to make a reverb VST that was unlike any other. Marketed as a ‘concept algorithm reverb’, Toraverb has easily accessible parameters for creating your own type of reverb—forget your classic room, hall, etc.

Toraverb has two independent, single band parametric equalizers, one for early and one for late EQ reflections—a feature that allows for full user control.

Toraverb sounds lovely when used on pads, synths, and guitars, but also adds depth to rhythmic patterns.

Because the sound shaping in Toraverb is so flexible and high-quality, it’s useful on any component in your track — it sounds lovely when used on pads, synths, and guitars, but also adds depth to rhythmic patterns.

D16 Group Toraverb: $39 USD

CamelCrusher by Camel Audio

CamelCrusher is a free VST (!) featuring two different distortion tones (which can be used separately or blended together), a silky smooth low-pass filter and user-friendly compressor. All of these options combine to make CamelCrusher a go-to VST for all situations and a great place to get started with distortion on any project.

Best vst effects plugins 2016. CamelCrusher will beef up any component of your track—but where it really shines is on drums of all types. The infamous ‘Phat Mode’ ensures your kick will cut through even the most heavily-distorted basslines.

CamelCrusher will beef up any component of your track—but where it really shines is on drums of all types.

Unfortunately the company that created CamelCrusher, Camel Audio, does not exist anymore, but CamelCrusher is still available for free here.

Camel Audio’s Camel Crusher: Free!

Movement by Output

Movement features over 300 presets and allows you input any sound, instrument, or track—making it the swiss-army knife for effects.

Other highlights of the plugin include analogue modelled effects, 76 modulation knobs, and state-of-the-art sidechain modulation which allows you to modulate up to 38 parameters using a single input source.

Movement features over 300 presets and allows you input any sound, instrument, or track—making it the swiss-army knife for effects.

Movement also allows you to adjust your sound in realtime using Movement’s XY macro pad, which lets you to control up to 152 parameters at the same time.

These features and more let you completely transform any instrument or track, making it an invaluable tool for any producer.

Output Movement: $149 USD

MXXX by Melda Productions

MXXX is pricey but worth it…

It gives you every Melda Productions effect (all 94!) in a simple, user-friendly interface. Echo, reverb, delay, distortion, compression, saturation, flanger—I mean everything.

This VST has more than 70 processors and over 500 active presets, each with their own set of processors and controls allowing you to completely customize and create new sounds.

This VST has more than 70 processors and over 500 active presets, each with their own set of processors and controls.

An especially impressive feature of this VST is the automatic routing matrix: Insert any of the FX processors and the VST will do the routing for you by putting inputs and outputs in the most probable locations. This of course is fully editable, but is definitely a nice feature.

The folks over at Melda Productions really put together the complete package with MXXX that is sure to please everyone.

Melda Productions MXXX: $1218 USD

Ready for Anything

With an overwhelming selection of VSTs available on the market, it can be hard to know where to even start.

By choosing VSTs that can do a lot for you you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

Having a small but solid collection of plugins that can adapt to different tracks, instruments and genres will help you have an effective workflow as a producer, and your RAM will probably thank you too.

What are the best plugins (VSTs) for the beginner music producer in 2021?
Here is my top 10 of the must have plugins for music production when you are starting out in 2021!
Before I start, I name not only VST plugins but also AU plugins for windows and mac.
Most of the plugins are cross platform.

10 Sylenth 1

My first plugin on the list is a pretty popular synthesizer.
I`m not counting the factory presets as the best, but you can make your sound from scratch or change the presets to your liking or buy a preset from Splice for example.

9 Pro-R

The first (and not the last) plugin of Fabfilter of this list.
This is the reverb plugin from Fabfilter. It’s not as popluar as Valhalla Reverb for example, but I think it’s a good one.
You can target certain frequencies with the built in equalizer which is really handy.
Yes, you can see what is happening so you get more feeling with your reverb sound.

8 Pro-C

The compressor from Fabfilter. Also with this plugin you can see on the screen what is happening with your sound.
Super useful for beginners.
If you have trouble understanding what a compressor does and what it`s influence is on the sound, the fabfilter pro C is your guy!
You can target certain frequencies with the build in equalizer and even hear a preview of that.

7 Quikquak pitchwheel

This is just a cheap and simple plugin to pitch up or down.
In combination with automation this is ideal for making risers in buildups.
It may be not the best sounding plugin, but it will do the job just fine.
But the speed in which the plugin reacts to automation could be improved.

6 Spire

This one is pretty popular amongst electronic music producers.
If you are scared by all the knobs I have another alternative down in this list.
The presets are ok, but not superb. if you want better ones you can buy them from Splice for example.

5 Kick

Make kicks with Kick.
This is a pretty inexpensive plugin to shape your kick any way you like.
And also in key with your song.
It is also possible to select a click sound as top kick.

4 LFO tool by Xfer Records

The low frequency oscillator tool is mostly used for the pumping effect with 4 to the floor beats.
But it can do much more than that.
If you want only the side chain pumping effect, Kickstart is pretty popular and easier to use, but has less features.
One of the plus sides of the plugin is that you can totally shape the LFO any way you like.

3 Pro-L

This is the limiter of Fabfilter is in one word amazing.
It`s clean, it`s simple and probably the most used limiter plugin on earth.
See everything is (again) the major strength of this plugin.

2 Pro-Q

The equalizer of Fabfilter is just plain brilliant.
Again, you see everything what the plugin does.
It`s easy to configure, user friendly and very pleasing to the eye.
You can freeze the waveform so you can see in detail what is going on, preview frequencies and even choose the algorithm if you run into unintended artifacs.

1 Serum

And then the last plugin on my favorite plugin of all time.
Serum by XFer records is an wavetable synthesizer, a wavetable meaning that your waveform can change over time.
The power of serum is amazing, so much you can do, change and create with Serum.
Also this plugin visualizes the sound, so it`s very easy to understand what is going
If you are serious about music production and want to take it to the next level,
download my free music production e-book.
Besides information about music production basics and computers for music production, the book gives also a unique perspective on the world of DJs and music producers.

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