Modeled after Yamaha DX7, one of the best selling synths in history, this top 1 free FM-style VST synth is ready to get you cooking. Included are over a thousand classic DX7 presets, with sounds ranging from classic electronic pianos to powerful stabs and strings.

Piano VSTs are a songwriter’s best friend. The piano is one of the best instruments to use for writing, arranging and producing music.

That’s why a great sounding piano plugin is a helpful and inspiring tool in almost every genre.

Those inspiring sounds lead to creating better music.

There are tons of piano plugins out there, but most of them are expensive. The top picks can cost a fortune.

But you don’t have to spend big money to get a great sound.

That’s why I’m rounding up the 10 best free piano VSTs that will give you an inspiring acoustic piano tone in your DAW.

1. Spitfire Audio LABS Soft Piano

Spitfire LABS contains some of the best free plugin instruments available.

LABS is an ongoing series of free software instruments made by musicians and sampling experts in London. It’s updated with new sounds constantly and sports an easy to use user interface.

Their soft piano plugin is still a go-to piano sound for many professional composers. Some musicians have actually used this free VST plugin to write entire albums of solo piano music

Soft piano delivers a warm, solemn tone. This sampled instrument was recorded with a thin strip of felt between the hammers and the strings for an evocative sound.

2. Ivy Audio Piano in 162

Piano in 162 is a sample library of a Steinway Model B grand piano made with a comprehensive sampling approach. The library includes two round robins, five dynamic levels, and separate pedal on/off samples.

Round robins are the number of different samples per note. The plugin will select a random sample each time the note is played, contributing to the realism of the sound.

Round robins are the number of different samples per note. The plugin will select a random sample each time the note is played, contributing to the realism of the sound.

Piano in 162 was recorded at 96kHz through two pairs of Rode NT5 cardioid microphones—an ambient pair in the hall and a close pair inside the piano.

You’ll need a sampler to run this library. Piano in 162 is compatible with the full version of Kontakt, or on Plogue Sforzando which runs .sfz files. Sfz files are text files that store instrument data for software synthesizers.

3. Prism Audio Atmos Piano

Atmos Piano is a perfect piano plugin if you’re looking for that dreamy, distant sound. It’s perfect for intimate ambiences, or a cinematic bed.

Atmos is a robust 2.4 GB library with 241 different samples. There are two separate microphone sources that can blend together with decay and release parameters.

If you’re looking to create an atmospheric, ambient piano soundscape, then this piano plugin is a perfect choice.

4. Keyzone Classic

Keyzone Classic is an all-round piano plugin. This sample based plugin is capable of replicating some of the most sought after piano brands.

The presets include Yamaha and Steinway grand pianos, as well as electric piano and Rhodes.

Keyzone Classic also sports common parameters you would find on a synthesizer. ADSR, and an LFO able to affect pitch, expression, and pan can allow you to shape a unique piano sound.

With its incredible sound shaping parameters, there’s no question why Keyzone Classic is often recommended as a go-to free piano VST.

5. Versilian Studios Upright No. 1

Versilian Upright No. 1 is billed as a lightweight sketching plugin, but definitely sells itself short. It’s an excellent representation of a classic upright piano.

This upright piano VST was sampled using wide and close mics. Like Keyzone Classic, Versilian Upright offers ADSR controls as well as built in reverb and panning.

The intensive sampling of this plugin includes 3 velocity layers with 2 round robins; sampled in tritones with a pair of wide, close mics. The samples include full decays of up to 30 seconds, which allow for great versatility when you use a sustain pedal.

Versilian Upright No. 1 is a go-to upright piano vst that will bring authenticity to your music.

6. Soundmagic Piano One

Soundmagic Piano One comes from the sampling of a Yamaha C7 concert grand. It uses its own hybrid modelling engine to capture the well known sound of the C7.

This engine combines the realistic sound of sampling and the playability of modelling. The playability is responsive due to the modelling while the sampling makes the sound crisp and realistic.

The user interface includes an absurd amount of controls for a piano VST. It allows you to customize just about anything. Interesting features include piano noises, audience and player perspective, and tuning systems.

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7. 99Sounds Upright Piano

99Sounds Upright Piano is an upright piano plugin recorded by Italian pianist and engineer Rudi Fiasco. It features four sampled notes per octave and six dynamic layers per sampled note.

99Sounda Upright piano features a simple interface with ADSR, volume, and reverb controls.

What makes this VST a bit different is that it includes filter and tremolo control. If you’re looking to create a vintage lofi sound inside of a plugin, this one’s for you.

8. 4Front R-Piano

4Front R-Piano is a bit different then most of the sample based plugins on this list. R-Piano is inspired by RSP73 pianos, a popular discontinued electric piano plugin.

R-piano generates 127 different layers continuously, under a vintage overdrive. You won’t have worry about common sample library issues like CPU load or stuck notes with R-piano.

While this piano VST doesn’t exactly emulate a realistic piano, it can work well as an alternative to the Rhodes electric pianos

9. DSK The Grand

DSK The Grand is a lightweight plugin at just 51 MB in size. If you’re low on space and need a piano plugin to finish your track, then this piano VST is for you.

It contains 4 velocity layers, with 4-6 samples per note. The user interface is simply laid out containing ADSR controls, and a reverb.

By tweaking the release parameter and using the on-board reverb, you can get this small plugin sounding huge.

10. Bigcat Instruments Iowa Grand Piano

Bigcat Instruments Iowa Grand Piano is the free piano plugin you want if you’re looking for absolute realism. Iowa Grand Piano is a Steinway & Sons Grand recorded with a pair of Neumann KM 84 microphones. It’s hard to believe that this one is free.

Most piano VST’s are sampled every third note to save space for round robins and velocity layers. Iowa Grand Piano includes virtually every note of the piano with three velocity layers.

The individual samples are available for download, and exist in the public domain. This means you can use them in your music on the sampler of your choice. The plugin interface features standard ADSR controls, volume, and pan.

Free-an-issimo

You don’t have to empty your wallet for a professional piano sound.

Download these plugins and layer them on top of one another.

Split them by left and right hand to get a unique sound.

EQ is one of the most basic—and important—tools you have as an audio engineer.

But there are so many different EQs out there, how do you know which ones are for you?

You might be thinking your DAW’s channel EQ is perfectly fine. But not all EQs are the same. There’s more types than you might think.

Here’s the 15 best EQ Plugins on the market today:

This article will teach you about the common styles of EQ and how to use them to shape the perfect sound.

Let’s dive in!

Analog EQ

Early EQs were all analog. Some of the earliest equalizer designs are still around today.

Engineers covet these analog beauties for the musically pleasing way they shape sounds. The musical qualities are the result of the unique circuit design of each unit.

Certain EQs became so sought after that plugin designers developed software to emulate them as closely as possible in the digital domain—leading to a mind-boggling ocean of plugin choices.

So what are the different styles of analog EQ? How do they work? What are they used for and where do they work best?

There’s no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing an EQ. But there are some helpful guidelines that will help you get started with the classic designs.

Pultec-style EQ

The Pultec EQP-1A is the most sought after EQ ever. Well-preserved original units can sell for over $10,000.

The Pultec EQP-1A is the most sought after EQ ever.

Fortunately for us, the EQP-1A has a long history of software emulation. Today’s Pultec-style plugins can sound good—if you know how to use them.

Pultec-style EQ can work wonders to subtly boost top end or extend lows. It can even make broad EQ enhancements without sacrificing any of the original vibe of the sound.

Since the EQP-1A hails from the earliest era of equalizers, it’s control scheme is a little less intuitive than modern designs.

The bandwidth control affects both the high and low band, but low band works differently from the high band.

For the low band, the boost and attenuate knobs are both linked to one of four frequency options. This quirk allows you to both boost and cut at the selected frequency.

The overlapping filters create a steep bump that’s fantastic for boosting the fundamental frequencies of low end instruments.

The high band has separate frequency options for boosting and cutting with overlaps at 5 and 10 kHz.

These controls are interactive and can result in some unique equalization curves.

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Best Pultec EQ VSTs

Free Plugin: Ignite Amps PTeq-X

Ignite Amps PTeq-X is a fantastic (and free) way to get started with Pultec-style EQ. It works just like the original so you can get a sense for creating those quirky overlapping curves.

Cheap Plugin: Waves PuigTec EQP-1A

The Waves PuigTec EQP-1A is a well-emulated, workhorse Pultec EQ. It’s very affordable if you can catch it on sale.

Pro Plugin: UAD Pultec EQP-1A

The UAD Pultec EQP-1A is the industry standard software Pultec. UAD spared no expense in creating the perfect Pultec for your DAW.

SSL Channel EQ

SSL console strips did a lot to inform our idea of what a modern EQ is.

SSL console strips did a lot to inform our idea of what a modern EQ is.

Classic features we’re familiar with today like integrated high/low-pass filters and variable Q were popularized by these consoles.

The SSL consoles are famous for their incredibly powerful filters.

The sharp high/low-pass filters, precise frequency ranges and extremely narrow Q options make this a EQ a first choice for surgical suturing and dramatic tonal changes. Their character is precise but aggressive.

Best SSL EQ VSTs

Free Plugin: Smacklabs Logic Channel

Smacklabs Logic Channel is a good entry-level SSL EQ. This free plugin models the entire SSL channel strip, so you can try out the classic SSL-style compressor and gate/expander while you’re at it.

Cheap Plugin: Slate FG-S

The Slate FG-S comes bundled with their very affordable VMR channel strip collection. The FG-S packs all the features and sound of the aggressive, surgical SSL channel EQ.

Pro Plugin: SSL Native Channel Strip

SSL recently jumped into the software game with its own line of plugins—including an in-house version of their classic console channel strip. Why not go straight to the source?

API-style EQ

Experienced engineers often refer to API as the “American” sound in contrast to the “British” Neve tone.

They’re two sides of the same classic console coin.

If you’re a fan of music from the 60’s and 70’s, there’s a good chance some of your favourite records were recorded one of these desks.

The classic API EQ comes in a three band (550a) or four-band (550b) flavour.

The bands don’t have individual Q controls, but the EQ is designed so that the Q becomes progressively sharper as you apply more extreme cuts or boosts.

It’s intuitive and keeps you from worrying too much about the Q setting.

API-style EQ splits the difference between surgical and sculpting. Mild settings can be very transparent, while extreme cuts or boosts can be dramatic and vibey.

Best API EQ VSTs

Free Plugin: Bee-Happy 550

Bee-Happy 500 is a free API-style plugin for those looking to start with classic 70’s console EQ.

Cheap Plugin: Sly-Fi Axis

Sly-Fi Axis is part of the UBK family of products that includes the innovative Kush Audio hardware and software. This EQ is an API on steroids that’s meant to exaggerate the analog colouration of the original.

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Pro Plugin: Waves 550a & 550b

Waves 550a and 550b are fantastic native emulations of the API EQ. These are great-sounding and versatile plugins to get the API sound on your tracks.

Neve-style EQ

Neve consoles are the world’s most prized vintage recording equipment.

From the early sixties until the mid-eighties, Neve Electronics produced consoles legendary for their warm, musical sound.

The preamp section of the Neve console strip often gets the most attention, but the EQ is a big part of the Neve sound.

Neve EQs are another great option for broad, smooth cuts and boosts with lots of character.

Neve EQs are another great option for broad, smooth cuts and boosts with lots of character.

There are several different flavours of Neve EQ from the various revisions of the console, but they mostly share the same architecture with a high-pass filter, two or three parametric mid bands and one fixed high band.

The fixed 12 kHz high band found on the Neve 1073 EQ is famous for its ability to add air to vocals, drum rooms and overheads.

Best Neve EQ VSTs

Free Plugin: Smacklabs SL84 Console EQ

Smacklabs SL84 Console EQ will give you a taste of the Neve EQ sound for free. It’s accurately modelled using IR technology.

Cheap Plugin: Sonimus Burnley 73

Sonimus Burnley 73 is super economical way to get the sound of a 1073 on to your tracks.

Pro Plugin: UAD Neve 1073

The UAD Neve 1073 is a tremendously accurate emulation of the classic 1073 preamp and EQ. It’s incredibly smooth and musical with tone that screams Neve.

Digital EQ

We all drool over the analog EQ beauties. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t extremely useful and creative tools that don’t have anything in common with the classics.

Digital EQ is essential for any DAW. It’s the most precise tool in your EQ tool box.

Reach for digital EQ when you want to make changes without colouring your sound at all. In the right hands, digital EQ can be powerful, flexible and utterly undetectable.

Reach for digital EQ when you want to make changes without colouring your sound at all.

It’s a first choice for “problem solving” duties like notching out room resonances.

Best Digital EQ VSTs

Free Plugin: Your built-in DAW EQ

Most DAWs come bundled with a capable digital EQ. We’re talking about stock DAW plugins like Ableton EQ Eight, Logic Channel EQ, and Avid EQIII. These are all effective entry points into digital EQ.

Cheap Plugin: Voxengo PrimeEQ

Voxengo PrimeEQ is a robust, well-designed digital EQ from a respected company. Look no further if you’re after a nice workhorse digital EQ.

Pro Plugin: Fabfilter ProQ 2

Fabfilter ProQ 2 is the most technologically advanced EQ on this list. The raw power of this EQ is staggering—it’s a singular feat of DSP engineering. Listing all its incredibly powerful features would take far too long, let’s just say this a top-tier professional EQ!

Great Equalizer

There’s a whole world of EQ out there.

It’s such a fundamental tool that engineers will always have strong opinions about it. And that means that designers will always be creating new and better versions.

Wading through that water is daunting and exciting at the same time.

But now that you know a little bit about the types of EQ, go head try some of the plugins on this list. You’ll find out which EQ works best for you!