Ragnarök 2.0, DrGate, Grindbox Mk2: Free Plugins of the Week
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Ragnarök 2.0, DrGate, Grindbox Mk2: Free Plugins of the Week · Source: Full Bucket Music
Full Bucket Music has released Ragnarök 2.0, a big update for the unique software synth that emulates a one-of-a-kind hardware synth from the 80s. Also in this week’s round-up of free plugins: a drum gate by Analog Obsession and a versatile distortion plugin by Signal Perspective.
Free Plugins of the Week
Full Bucket Music Ragnarök 2.0: An Analog Synth Like No Other
Ragnarök by Full Bucket Music originally came out about ten years ago. A decade later, the developer has now released the big Ragnarök 2.0 update with many new features. It’s always great when freeware developers keep their plugins up to date – especially after such a long time. Kudos to Full Bucket Music!
Ragnarök is a collaboration between Hans Peter aka CrimsonWarlock aka TechnoGremlin, who contributed the concept, GUI design, user manual, and patches, and Björn Arlt of Full Bucket Music, who did the DSP and GUI programming, as well as additional patches. It emulates an ultra-rare analog synth custom-built by Hans Peter in 1980. Its unique structure allows you to stack several octaves of sawtooth, square, and pulse waves, as well as an adjustable interval. Click any octave button in the Multi-Voice section, and that octave now uses three slightly detuned oscillators instead of just one, which can yield some pretty massive sounds.
In addition to this, Ragnarök offers a multi-pole zero-delay feedback filter, two envelopes, an LFO, built-in overdrive and chorus effects, and a 7-band graphic equalizer.
The new version not only adds a sawtooth oscillator bank, but also comes with many more new features such as hard sync, velocity sensitivity, alternative LFO waveshapes, resizable GUI, and more.
Ragnarök 2.0 is available for macOS and Windows in VST, VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP formats.
Analog Obsession DrGate: Free Drum Gate Plugin
Analog Obsession is back with DrGate, a free and easy-to-use drum gate plugin. DrGate is pretty straightforward: Set the threshold using the Gate knob, dial in the desired Hold time, and adjust the blend of the dry and wet signals.
However, DrGate does have a unique trick up its sleeve. The built-in filter (5 Hz to 500 Hz) helps create a smoother sound by mixing in the filtered tail/release of the original signal.
DrGate is available for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
Signal Perspective Grindbox Mk2: Versatile Distortion Plugin
Grindbox Mk2 by Signal Perspective is a distortion plugin based on various waveshaping techniques the developer experimented with while studying audio processing. It’s pretty versatile: You can use it as an amp simulator for bass or guitar or throw it on any track to add subtle coloration. It also doubles as an exciter and can even “completely destroy the signal”, the developer says.
With five distortion modes, a lo-fi knob, a microphone simulation, continuous morphing between cab sims, a limiter, and a resonant lowpass filter, Grindbox Mk2 offers extensive tone shaping options.
Grindbox Mk2 is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.
Looking for more free plugins like Ragnarök 2.0, DrGate, and Grindbox Mk2? Check out our huge archive!
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