5 Free VST Plugins That Will Give Your Mix Depth

Create 3D effects in your mix with these spacey plugins. 

Have you thought about space lately? Although NASA just discovered a new solar system, I’m not talking about outer space.

I mean space when you’re mixing music!

Effects like reverb, delay, tremolo and chorus give your sound a sense of movement. They play with how listeners perceive space in your track. Use them to bring samples and recordings to life.

Get the tools to shape your sound with 30+ synths, instruments, effects and utilities plugins from industry leaders like Arturia, UJAM and more. Try LANDR Plugins.

Think of your DAW arrangements in three dimensions. Your sounds should be placed in different spots to stand out. Should something be panned more left or right? Would something fit better if it sounded far away?

Here are 5 Free VST plugins (PC and Mac) to start shaping the space in your mix:

1. Roboverb Reverb

Roboverb is a robotic voice reverb plugin.

Reverb is one of the most effective spatial effects. Play with it to change how near or far a track sounds. Give the impression that you’re in a bigger room.

Use the ‘Room Size’ and ‘Width’ knobs on the Roboverb to change the size of the space. Try playing with the ‘Chambers’ knobs for different effects.

Download Roboverb for free here.

2. Spaceship Delay

The Spaceship Delay by Musical Entropy is a sweet delay plugin. You get lots of options and controls to play with.

Try this: get crazy with the ‘Effects’ section. Create wild combinations that I’ll sound like they’re straight out of that new solar system.

Download Spaceship Delay for free here.

3. Acon Digital Multiply Chorus

The Acon Digital Multiply is the winner of the KVR Audio Developer Contest 2014.

It’s a chorus—it boosts the stereo effect and presence of a sound by adding one or more delayed versions of the original sound. Think of a choir!

The Acon Digital Multiply simulates up to 6 additional voices. It comes with a built in spectrum analyzer and EQ.

Widen the the stereo of your sound with the ‘Stereo Spread’ knob. Or try building wild echo effects by messing with the ‘Depth’ and ‘Voice Count’.

Download the Acon Digital Multiply for free here.

4. Doppler Dome

The doppler effect is the weird frequency modulation you hear when an ambulance zips by you.

And guess what? There’s a plugin that gives that effect to your sound. It’s called Doppler Dome!

This plugin lets you mess with the pitch and panning of your sound. Drag the dots to find fun combinations of effects.

Download the Doppler Dome for free here.

5. HoRNet Harmonics

HoRNet Harmonics is a wave shaper. It lets you adjust the volume of the different harmonics of a sound.

Get the tools to shape your sound with 30+ synths, instruments, effects and utilities plugins from industry leaders like Arturia, UJAM and more. Try LANDR Plugins.

Try removing the fundamental frequency by setting the first slider to zero—this creates a “broken record” sound.

The effect is very subtle on certain sounds, so experiment to find what you like.

Download HoRNet Harmonics for free here.

Make Space

Whether you’re working on sound design for a movie or your next club banger, space is a key aspect of arranging music.

Play with space: pan some sounds, add reverb, make it echo, create chorus effects.  Your mix will become more dynamic and tell a better story.

So go ahead, grab these plugins and start getting spacey!

Get the whole collection of the best free VST plugins.

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Leticia is a lover of acid basslines and hypnotic techno. She DJs and produces under the name softcoresoft. Writer at LANDR.

@Leticia Trandafir