Bandbreite, AHEAD, Sky Blue EQ4: Free Plugins of the Week – gearnews.com

Bandbreite by Sinuslabs is a free tape emulation and saturation plugin that adds a warm, analog character to anything you throw at it! This week’s collection of the best free plugins also features an excellent amp simulator by Analog Obsession and a tone shaping equalizer.

Sinuslabs Bandbreite: Free Tape Simulation and Saturation

Sinuslabs has released Bandbreite (German for bandwidth) – a new free tape simulation and saturation plugin. The developer says that Bandbreite delivers everything from subtle warmth to full-on saturation. Perfect for adding character to drums, basses, and anything else that could use an extra dose of analog warmth.

The tape simulation part has Dust and Flutter parameters to simulate the effects of older tapes and recorders. There’s also a Slam control for overdriving the tape.

Furthermore, Bandbreite offers a tube saturator for driving the signal even further, as well as a Sweeten knob. A great little tape simulator and saturator!

Bandbreite runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux in VST3 and AU formats.

Analog Obsession AHEAD: Four Guitar Amps in one Plugin

Analog Obsession AHEAD is a guitar amp simulator that combines updated versions of the developer’s previous amp sims in a single plugin. You get four amp models to choose from: one M-type(Marshall), one F-type (Fender), and two custom models.

There are two volume knobs (gain/drive), although only the M-type amp uses both of them. The plugin also emulates the Marshall-style tone stack with Bass, Middle, and Treble controls. Lastly, there’s a Master knob that controls the overall output volume (doh!).

AHEAD is available for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and AAX formats.

Kiriki Liszt Sky Blue EQ4: Mäag-style Tone Shaping EQ

With its bright blue GUI, Sky Blue EQ4 by Kiriki Liszt clearly takes clues from the famous (and expensive!) Mäag EQ4. I’m not sure if it’s an exact emulation, but it does offer the same bands: Sub, 40 Hz, 160 Hz, 650 Hz, and 2.5 kHz bell filters, as well as an adjustable high shelf called Sky. Like the Mäag, Sky Blue EQ4 focuses more on musical tone shaping and sweetening as opposed to surgical precision. Great for bringing out the best in your vocal tracks!

Sky Blue EQ4 is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.

Looking for more free plugins like Bandbreite, AHEAD, and Sky Blue EQ4? Head over to our archive!

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