Product Reviews by KVR Members

When I first tried the plugin, I was very disappointed. Changing the different modes, adjusting the threshold to very low values didn't made me excited. The sound change was only subtle or not in a taste I like for distortion or saturation. Couldn't understand the hype about it.

Playing a bit more with the knobs, I figured out that the most important parameter of the plugin is, very suprisingly, the input gain control (in conjunction with the output gain control to adjust the volume to unity gain).

Driving the signal into the plugin quite extremely and by adjusting the output volume provides a more rich and thick sound without to even come close to clip the signal in the conventional way. Great!

Checking my analyzer by listening to an asumed way louder signal, it was very shocking that the peak volume even was less than before (Quintic mode has been used). Another more in-depth check gave the answer: Peak was reduced by around 3db, but average LUFS was increased by almost 1.7 dB. So it seems that FreeClip is not only a distortion plugin, it can be used to control dynamics as well.

Very useful for that purpose and now I know that I will use this plugin more often than I thought.

There are still 3 nitpicks why I reduce one star:

1. No Bypass-button. (Why, oh why? It could have been so easy to implement) If you use this tool for mixing or mastering, you need that feature for A/B comparison very, very often.
2. No manual, no tips, no explanation. I would have liked if the developers could have given more insights or tips about the use of the plugin (especially the different clip modes). And this is not only meant for this plugin. Venn Audio seems to not quite like the nearer documentation of their plugins. Other manufacturers provide very much (even additional) information. Shame.

Another thing I would like to see in the plugin would be a Dry/Wet knob.

I would wish that the developer could improve these things.

Probably the most complex bit crusher ever made.

I think you can not really explain how this thing works regarding the logical expression sections to the lower half of it. Basically you need to delay the signal, have a sidechain or shift each section by a value other than 0, thereafter everything is just pure fun of experimentation.

Each section has a different sound of bit distortion, and you can click on any bit value to alter the sound.

You can get really crazy effects out of this one, but it will keep somehow mysterious about how you got to that particular sound. I reduce one star because of the strange use, but it can be a very interesting tool if you are looking for exotic distorted sounds.

Simply Amazing.

One of the best distortion plugins I've ever encountered. The many but precise controls give you everything you need to shape your sound dirty and raw, just on point. You also can use it as saturator by only using the "Character" parameter which models the sound of analogue hardware.

Dry/Wet allows you to dial in just a tiny percentage, if that is what you need on the sound. The "Automatic gain control" option, let the plugin keep unity gain as much as possible, which is a stunning feature. Especially important for a distortion plugin.

You can use it as well only on the Mid or Side signal if you want. Melda offers a vast of routing options to their plugins, which makes this plugin even more unique and outstanding.

Great tool, Melda. This will probably be my next go-to distortion plugin.

Tip: Use it on synths and just basic shapes. Thank me later.

An unbelievable exciter, I can't believe is free.

Whether you exciting the highs or mids just a little it can really shift your sound into a new space and bring life into it.

But you also have to be careful to not exaggerating it, especially the exciter for the highs. I made some mixes with too high settings because I was too long in production and ruined the sound.

As a generic rule of thumb with this plugin, you should try to do more on the mids than the highs. Got this also backed up from many others who use this plugin.

Only downside is that you need an iLok or active internet connection, but for me that does make anything about it because of its advantages.

A really hidden treasure. Also used by many known mixing engineers.

Can't recommend it enough. I want to never miss that one again.

There are several free Utility plugins available, and any one of those has its own advantages and disadvantages.

What makes Venn Audios's Utility plugin unique are the features of not only pan and gain stage each stereo channel individually, but also have volume controls for the mid and side. A huge thing if you're mixing a lot.

Another special ones are the clipping options (due to Venn Audio is known for its soft and hard clipping plugins - Check out FreeClip), the HP and LP Filters, the PAD button and for me the "Dual Mono" option in which you have the ability to adjust the exact point of the stereo signal to be converted to mono by using the "Pre mono balance" knob.

Now it also has some disadvantages.

1. The gain controls for stereo as well as left and right channels go only down to -35db. Of course, I could use the stereo knob and the left and right sliders in conjunction or use the PAD button to completely get rid of the signal but that is however bad if I'm using it by automation and f.e. need a continous fade out of the signal. Why not just letting it go to -infinity or at least -60db like the mid and side volume sliders?

2. No control for the PAN law after which the PAN algorithm is working (just like in every DAW's own mixer). I prefer MUtility by MeldaProduction for offering this.

3. Values can not be typed in. The parameters can be used only by click & drag or automation.

Another thing annoying me much is not providing enough information about the inner working and any explanation about the parameter. No manual, no tips, nothing. Yes, most of the parameters are self-explanatory but do some of them work in conjunction with each other, if yes which and in which order does the signal pass through the plugin's sections?

But great plugin nonetheless, really worth using it frequently.

This spectrum analyzer offers in comparison to SPAN advanced visual help for detecting frequencies and seeing their relation to octaves, keyboard notes and certain mix regions (as part of the "Areas" section).

Huge downside is that you don't get a big enough view - the spectrogram is way too small (depite you can zoom in) due to Melda's policy that all of their free plugins aren't resizable. You need to upgrade for 49$ to get this feature.

Hence that, I think for most use cases I will continue to use SPAN but for frequency detection and assignment to the relative keys, I will come back to use this tool.

Pan Frequencies whereever you want them to be.

Yes, You can create a similar effect by using a L/R EQ and applying some filters but using MSpectralPAN, it is not only more accurate but also faster.

The visualizations of the Sonogram and Analyzer are also cool and helpful for adjusting the curves. Also got a Dry/Wet Mix control to make the effect more subtle.

Addional feature request: Would be great if one could adjust the pan law like in MUtility and M/S mode would be awesome.

But great plugin.

Great Utility plugin. Especially for the advanced Pan settings (Pan Law, Panning and gain control individually for each stereo channel), which are not found in DAWs regularly, a precious little gift.

The Dual-channel Volume control up to -Infinity is also pleasant and useful. Plus you have an "Input" control to readjust the gain independently if necessary.

Offers a vast of special features (my favorite - "Silence when playback is off" option if you want to stop annoying delays/reverbs), but I think the 6 knobs and 2 sliders at the top left corner usually are the ones you use frequently.

Only bad thing is that Resizing the GUI and loading a costumized interface is only available if you pay them the 49$ for the FreeFxBundle upgrade.

Another thing: I'd wish to have a toggle for the lower left parameter section (like for the meters and toolbar), to have a clear focus on the main features of the "Basic" section.

But thank you Melda for it.

You can see it as Low End Enhancer, and it does its job quite well. Throw it on some trap beats and it will deliver.

Contains a dry/wet "mix" knob to deal in the right amount of sub, a "lowpass" parameter to control the cutoff point to the higher frequencies, and a "output" knob to control the output gain.

I don't think you necessarily need a parameter to control the pitch, like the other reviewer stated. Other paid Subbass enhancer also do not have pitch controls available as the plugin however responses to the lowest dominant frequency in the input signal.

Interesting and unique plugin. You can use it as a mix of exciter and delay on drum loops or anything you like to give it a little more depth and background rythm. Offers 5 tightness modes and 5 studio models to adjust to a certain taste.

You also have a "Dry/Wet" Mix knob to blend between the dry and the wet signal, and an "Out" knob to control the output gain.

I like this plugin, but I only give 4 stars because of the unnecessary waste of screen space due to the huge upper part of the GUI. It is not necessary for using the plugin at all. The corresponding knobs can be tweaked separately. Resizing the GUI doesn't help because then the main lower interface is too small.

I am missing a toggle button to get rid off the upper part. This is also a reason for me to not use the plugin as often as I would like to.