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Created by Steinberg, a German musical software, and equipment company, the VST plug-in standard is the audio plug-in standard that allows third-party developers to make VST plug-ins. Users can download VST plug-ins on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.
Please note: There is an updated version of this post. Some of the plugins are different so you may still want to browse this older post as well. You can find the newer post here: This the third and final part of my big free VST / AU plugin review. We truly have some great stuff lined up! In case you’re wondering, all of these plugins are compatible with both Mac and PC platforms. If you haven’t seen the first two parts yet, here are the links (I suggest you also read the introduction in the first post): Here we go!
Acustica Audio Nebula 3 Free Nebula 3 free gives you a palette to color your mix with full spectrum of analogue goodness. It is a bit of a tricky one to master, so let’s get in a bit more detail about this plugin. Let me be straight: Nebula 3 Free would have won the #1 place in this article if there weren’t for two things: • It’s difficult and cumbersome to download, install and use. The lack of information from the devs can get very frustrating. • No 64 bit support for Mac (at the time of writing this). That means you won’t be able to use it in Logic X or Mac version of Live 9 for now. It’s a real shame, as the plugin itself sounds fantastic!
Many people will be put off by those two problems, but for the rest, this plugin can really work wonders. Nebula is a dynamic convolution plugin that aims to deliver the sound of classic hardware preamps, EQs, reverbs, tape machines and so on. Convolution works via impulse responses which are little bits of sound sampled from actual pieces of hardware. This technology provides great sonic quality and possibilities. Convolution technology sounds great but also has downsides – it’s heavy on the CPU and you are pretty much limited to the settings provided to you by the developer (or the creator of the impulses). With this being a free plugin one can’t really complain though.
With static type of units such as preamps and tape machines it doesn’t really matter anyway. As far as the CPU usage goes, modern computers are able to run a good amount of Nebula 3 instances in a mix.
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The full version of Nebula is nominated for the plug-in effects category in Sound on Sound Awards 2014. The free version has a lot less content, but still has many great and very usable settings – my favorites are the preamps and the reverbs. A quick test running one of the preamp settings over 8 channels (one instance on each) and then comparing to a dry version quickly reveals what magnificent things Nebula can bring to the table. It is a very subtle effect, but the trick is to use it extensively throughout the mix. It also works on the master channel. Nebula 3 free is bulky and weird to use at first. Mixing with Nebula requires putting yourself in a different kind of mindset.