It offers more control than LoudMax, which can be helpful if your program material requires detailed tweaking. This is a more complex and versatile take on limiting. If you’re interested in learning how a limiter works and affects your material, LoudMax boils the concept down to its most basic elements, all while providing a mostly transparent sound. It has two sliders: threshold and output - and that’s all it needs. LoudMax by Thomas Mundtĭescribed as “a look-ahead brickwall loudness maximizer plugin with a clean transparent sound, designed to retain the original character of the music as much as possible even at high compression levels,” LoudMax is a wonderfully simply tool. It’s also compatible with virtually every DAW. It’s a truly deep, accurate and useful metering plugin, which is refreshing considering that it’s free. The interface is simple, clear, and even somewhat customizable. It provides spectral analysis, correlation metering and clipping detection, as well as displaying RMS and max crest factor. Voxengo SPANĪs I cover in the course, Metering is absolutely essential to mastering, and SPAN is a versatile and free utility plugin.

Here are some completely free plugins that you can work into your in the box mastering workflow … 1. Although nothing can replace an experienced engineer, working in an expertly designed room, on high-end equipment, there are some fantastic free tools available online that will aid engineers working on projects with limited budgets. As I cover in my new course Mastering in the Box, there are some incredible plugins available for anyone interested in computer-based mastering.

Best free mastering plugins 2018