All The Plugins I Got on Black Friday (And Where to Buy Them On Sale)
Black Friday is the perfect storm when you’re a music producer. All the dope plugins and samples are the cheapest they’ll be all year, and you have to make some though choices and ask yourself what you can afford and what you really need. I came in this year thinking I already had pretty much everything I needed, but I still got tempted by a lot of crazy offers and I had to make a painful decisions. There are a lot of very exhaustive lists of all the deals going on out there. For this post, I thought I’d just talk about what I got this year, and mention a couple of really hot deals that are still going on. There are also some cool freebies at the end of the post ;)
Komplete 14 | Native Instruments
The first thing I got this year was an upgrade to Komplete 14. The amazing bundle offers insane value with tools that are a definitive go-to for beatmakers of all genres. This year’s upgrade brings updated versions of their products as well as countless sound banks and cutting-edge new instruments.
A lot of plugin manufacturers focus on being faithful to vintage gear, but NI is really about that balance between the classic and the modern, with tools that always sound mix ready. I especially love Guitar Rig, Playbox and 40’s new Kontakt instruments.
This year’s upgrade was a no-brainer.
Check out Komplete 14 here
Total Max 3.5 | IK Multimedia
This year, I upgraded my IK Multimedia bundle. I was excited to get Syntronik 2 and MixBox. I don’t know how much I’ll use this stuff, but it wasn’t too expensive so who cares?
If I’m being real, I thought the new Syntronik synths were included in the bundle, but they weren’t. Come on IK Multimedia, you gotta hook us up!
That being said, if you don’t have any plugins and you’re looking for a bundle with a great value, Total Max 3.5 might be an affordable entry point into the wonderful world of blowing all your savings on plugins.
Check out the Total Max 3.5 bundle here
Izotope Bundles
There’s no getting around it. Izotope is an absolute must for anyone making music today. Their AI powered plugins help you achieve that great sound you’ve been craving in a couple of clicks. Plus, they released updates of their flagship products earlier this year!
If you’re only going to get one plugin, get Ozone 10. But if you’re a producer - and especially if you record vocals - their bundles are absolutely worth it. The RX 10 suite in particular is simply magical for cleaning compromised recordings.
Check out their Mix & Master Bundle, or their Music Production Suite. If you’re on a budget, you can start with a couple of their Elements VSTs which are so cheap they’re practically giving them away.
Check out all the Izotope bundles here
SubLab + Loopcloud
I haven’t tried it yet, but SubLab sounds and looks amazing. I’ll keep this in my Ableton template for all my bass needs. This was free with a Loopcloud trial. Can’t believe I almost bought it with my cold hard cash.
Speaking of which, Loopcloud is running all sorts of crazy deals, like 2 months for 2 bucks, and yearly subscriptions for 50% off. I really hated Loopcloud when I tried it a few years ago, but they seem to have made some pretty interesting adjustments.
Get your free copy of SubXL here
ShaperBox 3 | Cableguys
I talk about ShaperBox 3 in pretty much every post I write. I’m pretty excited about the new version of this crazy modulation all-rounder. It’s not a huge overhaul, but this update still improves on the workflow and should be a lot of fun to use in everyday situations.
If you don’t have ShaperBox, get it. The sooner the better.
Get ShaperBox here
Crystalline | Baby Audio
Baby Audio has a big sale with 51% off everything. If you don’t have their stuff already, I highly recommend lil gems like Comeback Kid and Super VHS. All their plugins are modern, cool, and pretty easy on the eyes I have to say.
Personally, I’ve had my eye on their all-purpose Crystalline since it came out. Something about the beautiful UI and the cool no-nonsense features is really resonating with me. (Or should I say “reverberating with me”? Get it? Guys, we like to have fun around here)
Check out all the great Baby Audio plugins here
Chef’s Appetizer | Yum Audio
I’ve been producing a lot of lofi beats lately, so papa wouldn’t mind some new toys to play with. Lucky for me, lofi plugins are Yum Audio’s M.O., and this company seems to have some surprises in the hamper. Stuff likeLoFi Playtime is very promising. I’m excited to see what they’ll come up with next!
I got their Chef’s Appetizer for Black Friday, and I’ll report back once I’ve used them enough to know what they’re capable of. Maybe my mind will be blown?
To be continued…
Check out Yum Audio here
Thenatan Plugins
Thenatan always has some pretty crazy deals around this time of year. Last year I copped a bundle that included Vybz, an RC-20 / Lifeline Expanse multi-effect thing that I’ve been using more than I thought I would. Underwater Fx is also cool if you’re looking for that muffled Drake filter 40 has been championing for the past decade.
This year I’ll be getting their Tape emulation plugin, which I definitely don’t need. I might also try Bells, their new trap synth,
Check out Thenatan plugins here
Lifeline Console | Excite Audio
When Lifeline Console came out, I didn’t think it was for me. But then again, I thought the same about Lifeline Expanse. And I’ve been using Expanse. Like, a lot.
Console is pretty affordable, there’s even a 50% off coupon available on Plugin Boutique if you click the Rewards tab. I’m sure I’m gonna get some use out of it. A lot of the production process right now is making things sound interesting, and if this one’s anything like Excite Audio’s first plugin, it’s going to have some pretty funky presets.
I bought the Lite version, I’ll see how much I use it and I’ll decide if it’s worth the price of the upgrade…
Get yourself some Excite Audio’s plugs here
RC-20 Retro Color | XLN Audio
Another plugin that makes things sound interesting, RC-20 is sort of the forefather of all the multi-effect lofi plugins. And it’s 50% off for Black Friday. I’ve been using Retro Color for a couple years now, and I got about as much use out of the presets as I’m gonna get. ADSR has a nice 6-pack available right now. You can also get some cool presets over at The Drum Broker (I just bought UNKWN Sounds’ Vantage RC-20 Presets, which sounds pretty promising…)
I’m a big preset nerd, these will come in handy when it’s time to channel some cool textures.
Check out RC-20 here
Loudness Penalty | MeterPlugs
This is a cool little tool that helps you hear how your music will sound on streaming services. If your tracks are too loud, all the services will turn it down, so Loudness Penalty can help you figure out if your track sounds loud, or if it’s actually just too loud. I’ve already used it a little bit, it’s pretty cool.
If you can’t afford this plugin right now, there also offering to process your masters on their website for free. It’s less convenient than having the thing in your session, but it’s a must before you send your music out into the world.
Get Loudness Penalty here
FREEBIES
As always, there were a few freebies this year. Waves treated us to another boring plugin, this time it was saturator named Lil Tube. Izotope released Audiolens, a cool mastering tool that promises to help you measure the loudness of different sources.
Thenatan is giving away Clone (promo code: BFFREE). This plugin simulates different types of speakers to test your mixes. Call me crazy but I think it could also be a pretty fun sound design tool, I’ll try to use it to create weird stereo imaging. I’ll let you know if it sounds good. Also, stay tuned for my post about the top plugins of the year.
On ADSR, you can also get a free copy of Yum Audio’s LoFi Flux Light with any purchase. Get on it.
That’s pretty much it. I hope you find new tools that will inspire you.
If you’re looking for loop deals, check out my post about Black Friday sample deals. You can also check out my post about the best plugins for lofi, or my post about trap VST.
Photo Credit: Soundtrap