King Key, Dynamension, KRUNCH: Free Plugins of the Week
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King Key by Caelum Audio lets you play keyboard on your keyboard! Released for International Joke Day, this free plugin is filled to the brim with the sounds of typewriters and computer keyboards. More useful than it sounds! This week’s collection of free plugins also features a creative dynamic processor by Flandersh Tech and a combined filter and saturator plugin.
Free Plugins of the Week
Caelum Audio King Key: Play Keyboard on your Keyboard!
Ever wanted to play keyboard sounds on your keyboard? With King Key by Caelum Audio, you finally can! The creators of the awesome Flux Pro and Tape Cassette plugins released this freebie for International Joke Day 2024, so it’s not meant to be taken entirely seriously. But if you like to use unusual sounds for making beats, you might find it a lot more useful than it seems at first glance.
King Key is filled with samples of typewriters, computer keyboards, and even the keys of a Modal Electronics Cobalt8X. All in all, there are nine instruments and 11 presets. You can play these sounds on your keyboard and run them through a bunch of effects, turning simple keyboard clicks into massive percussion hits. In addition to a filter, King Key offers a bitcrusher, sample rate reduction, drive, and reverb. For modulation, there are two envelopes and LFOs.
Back in the day when I wrote music for TV commercials, I was once asked to arrange “Jingle Bells” using only computer keyboard and mouse click sounds. A lengthy sampling session ensued. Had I had Caelum Audio King Key in my plugin folder back then, the job would’ve been taken care of in minutes!
King Key is available for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and AAX formats. There’s also a version for iOS and iPadOS.
Flandersh Tech Dynamension: Creative Dynamic Processor
Dynamension by Flandersh Tech is a creative dynamic processor. The developer says that it breaks up the ordinary structure of compressors and expanders. Its modular structure allows you to insert several creative effects into the main path and side chain, including a delay, filter, and equalizer.
On the one hand, Dynamension can simply be a compressor, gate, expander, or hard-knee limiter. On the other hand, you can accomplish things such as controlling the delay time with the momentary loudness of your track. Moreover, Dynamension can also serve as a dynamic equalizer.
Flandersh Tech Dynamension is a VST3 plugin for Windows.
Hollance KRUNCH: Free Crunchy Filter and Saturation Plugin
KRUNCH by Hollance is a free filter and saturation plugin based on the popular One Euro Filter algorithm. The controls are extremely simple: Just turn up the KRUNCH knob to increase filtering and saturation at the same time. The developer suggests to turn up KRUNCH “to where it sounds nasty”. Then, adjust the Mix level to balance the dry and wet signals. There’s also an output level control to adjust for any changes in gain. A quick and easy way to add Krunch to any kind of signal!
KRUNCH is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.
Want more free plugins like King Key, Dynamension, and KRUNCH? Check out our huge archive!
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