2016 is almost over! I want to present you with a list of some of the best free plugins launched this year.

If you need a free effect plugin or a new virtual synthesizer plugin, take a look and choose from the list below that plugin you consider will better suit your needs.

All these plugins were some of the hottest freeware releases in 2016.

Many of these free audio plugins work both on Windows and MAC (there are some exceptions), and they are compatible with all the major today’s music production software (DAW).

Effects

1. Frontier

Frontier from D16 Group opens our list of best VST/AU plugins of 2016. It’s a brand new self-adaptive limiter plugin that will fit in any studio situation.

Find more details here: Frontier

2. Krush

Krush is a free bit-crusher audio plugin that combines the digital with analog, featuring its powerful bit crushing and downsampling algorithms.

Find more details here: Krush

3. OverDubber 2

OverDubber 2 from KlangLabs is a free delay plugin capable of generating those morphing/distorting Dubstep tails (“Trippy tails”) sound effects. Note that this plugin is available only in VST format for Windows.

Find more details here: OverDubber 2

4. Filter Jam

Filter Jam was launched just a few weeks ago by AudioThing. It’s a free multi-band resonant filter ready to deliver some weird ringmod-like filtered sounds.

Find more details here: Filter Jam

5. DX Reverb Light 3.0

ANWIDA Soft launched in the summer of 2016 the third version of their DX Reverb Light free plugin. As you can guess from the name of this plugin, it is a reverb effect, extremely flexible, capable of simulating a large number of room sizes.

Find more details here: DX Reverb Light 3.0

6. DoubleToner

DoubleToner from REBEL Audio is another great distortion effect plugin released in 2016 for Windows only, featuring a “dual-quad-band distortion concept”. It’s easy to use and generates great effects, so take a closer look.

Find more details here: DoubleToner (No longer available)

7. TAN

TAN is a new free compressor plugin based on CORE8, capable of shaping your sound using its FIR-IIR algorithmic sidechain and predisposition for FIR-IIR clipper. The “ShMod” will help you to control the attack behavior for fine-tuning the attack shape.

Find more details here: TAN

8. Vocal King

Vocal King for Windows is a plugin effect designed to enhance your vocals, bringing more presence and clarity. This plugin is very easy to use and best of all, it’s Free!

Find more details here: Vocal King (No longer available)

9. HY-ChoFla

Launched in the spring of 2016, HY-ChoFla is a FREE plugin that incorporates a Chorus and a Flanger in the same interface. It looks good, sounds good and it’s free, so go ahead and discover more details about this plugin here: HY-ChoFla (No longer available).

Synthesizers

1. Synister

Let’s start the section of free software synthesizer released in 2016 with Synister, a freeware synth plugin released by a group of 9 students from TU-Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin). Synister features 3 oscillators with ADSR envelopes that can be modulated in various ways. This plugin is a free open source plugin and it works on both Windows and MAC.

Find more details here: Synister

2. SPLASH

SPLASH from Infected Sounds is a free synthesizer plugin for Windows only, featuring 4 oscillators, each with 42 different waveforms. It also includes a 4-band Equalizer, a chorus effect, a reverb, and 32 factory presets.

Find more details here: SPLASH

3. Nightlife

Acoustica’s Nightlife free synthesizer is another great virtual instrument with 3 oscillators, dual filters, and 5 built-in modulation sequencers. In addition, you will find a bit crusher, phasers, a reverb, a chorus, a delay effect, and an EQ. Do not forget that Nightlife freeware synth includes over 140 presets. All these make the Nightlife plugin a very interesting and versatile synth that is worth trying. Works only on Windows!

Find more details here: Nightlife (No longer available)

4. SL Drums 2

Drums? Well, SL Drums 2 by Beatmaker is a free virtual drum machine for Windows and MAC featuring over 100 drum kits created in collaboration with Coldman Beats. It’s ultra-low on your CPU resources and can be a great tool to create fresh drums for your tracks.

Find more details here: SL Drums 2

5. HY-Mono

HY-Mono from HY-Plugin is a freeware synthesizer based on the Oberheim SEM synthesizer. Note that is only available for Windows in VST 32/64-bit plugin format.

Find more details here: HY-Mono (No longer available).

6. Sinnah

Sinnah is a free virtual synthesizer plugin released in 2016 by NUSofting and it’s based on a single complex oscillator including 5 waveshapes with harmonics level for all waveshapes.

Find more details here: Sinnah

Tools

1. SpectrumAnalyzer

One of the latest releases that attracted our attention is SpectrumAnalyzer from SIR Audio. SpectrumAnalyzer is a free spectrum analyzer plugin for Windows and MAC capable of creating a comprehensive spectral profile of your tracks. Using the intelligent peak detector included you can automatically detect resonant frequencies.

Find more details here: SpectrumAnalyzer

2. Width Knob

Simple but quite useful, the Width Knob is a free plugin tool that allows you to simply adjust the stereo width of your tracks. Was inspired by stereo width control from Cockos REAPER DAW and it’s available for both Windows and MAC producers and sound engineers.

Find more details here: Width Knob

These plugins have attracted our attention most – surely there are others. If you want to add your favorite free plugins released in 2016 please use the comments section. The list is open, so go ahead and tell us a few words about your favorites.