*best* free VST effects?? ...

[justified]

For low cpu and high quality.
mda (also made really nice VSTi's) and freeverb too.

[Vonbrucken]

abyss vst pack and then LFX-1310
cool filters and free plugin
http://www.luxonix.com/home/en/products.html?id=lfx1310
http://mp3.deepsound.net/plugins_packs.php
enjoy

[insane]

any vsti colection "equivalent" to mda effects? synths?

equivalent=not heavy , cpu ok..
thanks.

[JackDark]

Here's my list:

http://jackdark.proboards39.com/index.c ... 1107188103

[kovacs]

I assume then that the people who have posted their choices can also define the difference in quality between vst effects

I think this is too much a subjective issue to be answered easily. We all have our favorite VST's and favorite developers so we all tend to be biased.

Better just do like everyone else...download and try, then pretend you are able to delete the ones you don't use afterwards.

Ah...sorry...I mistook you for the original poster...

[dystonia_ek]

ArcDev, Smartelectronix, Elogoxa and Audiobulb all make unusual and high-quality plugs. Can't avoid mentioning Xoxos also, whose plugs are both conceptually and sonically unique. On the bread and butter side of things I'll second Bones' vote for MDA - they were my intro to VST plugins several years ago and there are certain that I still use constantly.

[SOLA]

Here are my freeware vst-effects recommendations.

-Ambience reverb by Magnus from Smart Electronix
-Anwida Soft DX Reverb Light
-GComp compressor/limiter from GVST
-GGate from GVST
-Blue Multitap delay from digilogue
-SupaPhaser by Bram and Sean from Smart Electronix
-Inspector for audio measurement from Elemental Audio Systems
-Tube Amp from Voxengo
-Span FFT spectrum analyzer from Voxengo
-Paris EQ from Matt Craig
-Kjaerhus classic series (good fx bundle)
-Endorphin, Dominion, Blockfish and Spitfish from digitalfishphones (dynamic fxs)
-EssEQ from Voxengo
-George Yohng´s W1 Limiter
-Stardust multiband dynamic and enhancer effect from Arguru Software
-Cyanide 2 by Bram from Smart Electronix (a distoriton)
-CamelPhatFree compressor and distortion from Camel Audio
-TLs Maximizer from TBT (a limiter)
-Buffer override stereo from dfx (a grain fx)
-KTGranulator from Koen Tanghe from Smart Electronix (grain fx)
-TapeIt recorder from Silverspike
-MIDI Gater from dfx

[Ja.x]

Frohmage by far.

Use it as a filter or an effect to mangle your sound out of this world. It's magic either way.

Frohmage free?


(some of) My favourites (no special order):

Stardust
Retrodelay
Sweepie
SIR
Bcheese
Lpgeq2
Rubytube
Scuzzphut
...

Also everything from Buzzroom, E-phonic, Classic bundle...

[bugs]

Here are my recommendations for VSTe Shareware/DonationWare and FreeWare, but I certainly haven't tried everything out there. Not saying there necesssarily the best technicallly, but they suit my needs. (no special order)

Bundles
Kjaerhus Classics
Blue Line Effects
DigitalFishPhones
mda Effects

Single
SIR
KTGranulator
TLs Maximizer
T-Sledge149
Frohmage
OhMyGod!
Luxonix LFX 1310
Nyquist EQ (5 band)
Retro Delay
George Yohng's W1 Limiter
iZotope Vinyl
Voxengo Stereo Touch
Supaphaser
AIDoppler
PSP PianoVerb
Big Tick Hexaline
Baxxpander
2WarpDelay
MetalMickey

[kritikon]

Kjaerhus Classic series...I find the whole lot very good quality for the bread and butter stuff.

Delays...probably the only freebie I regularly use is e-phonic's RetroDelay. It has a lovely grungy but smooth character when it's doing filtered delays. Lots of character and not one of those boring clinically clean delays that just clog up your mix.

SIR...obviously depends on what impulses you use, but it tends to get used for something in every track I make.

ModFX...sadly I haven't found too many freebies that I really like. But Supaphaser gets the odd runout, and MDA thru-zero flanger still gets used regularly. Choruses are still lacking in the freebie department IMO.

Dynamics.
Endorphin...not used as much as I used to, but it's still a very good'un. Blockfish occasionally too.
T-Sledge gets some use, and to a lesser degree C3.

Limiters....the only ones I use nowadays are tls maximiser and buzmaxi...both great clean limiters. I see no point in buying any, when these two are so good.

Not found any really good freebie gates that I would regularly use yet though.

Eq...I don't use Eq that much, and if I did, I think I'd struggle to recommend a freebie - many of them are OK at minor-to-moderate cutting, but with any strong boost, I don't much like any of the freebies. Paris Eq would probably be my choice simply because of the limiting it has built-in (but I could reproduce that with a limiter in the insert chain)so it's useful as a specialFX type of Eq, but nothing amazing.
Commercial Eqs still win the day for me.

others:

Cyanide - again, I don't use much distortion, but when I do, I like this one for the flexibility it gives, and it can sound like a warm overdrive rather than a horrible nasty digital distortion.
BigTick's Nastyshaper also gets a run out more as an exciter than as distortion.

Notable mentions would also goto Tapestop...great little plugin that rarely gets used, but when you do, it's just immense fun. Turntablist also - less fun to use, but good sound.
Not really a freebie, but it's a free beta...Ariesverb - loads of potential for weird reverb shenanigins - Could turn into one of my favourites eventually.
TobyBear's Shiva pitchshifter...only used rarely but good for occasional weirdness value and so simple to use.

Edit: How could I nearly forget to mention Voxengo's Span? A wonderful analyser, so little CPU useage and one of the best GUIs I've ever come across. And with the addition of RMS metering, it's now doubly useful.
I probably use this freebie more than any other plugin. makes no sound as such, but is simply invaluable.