How to use this guide
Get the sound you want with these audio plugins offered in Pro Tools. Choose a few or get them all with the Avid Complete Plugin Bundle—offered as an annual or monthly subscription. Expand your creative palette with Pro Tools and our free and premium audio plugins now. Download a selection of our audio plug-ins and Kontakt instruments completely free. You can use our free plug-ins in Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Studio One, Cubase, Ableton Live, in fact, any DAW that supports AU, VST or AAX plug-in formats.
In this guide, we will show you how to download and install Pro Tools. That means we’ll walk you through installing both the DAW software and the bundled plug-ins and virtual instruments. Follow the sections below to get started.
![Download Download](/uploads/1/3/4/3/134350192/666050925.jpg)
Getting Started
Pro Tools Plug-ins
In order to install Pro Tools software on your computer, you need to first register it in your Avid Master Account. Once registered, all Pro Tools downloads available to you will appear on the My Products and Subscriptions page of your Avid Master Account.
System requirements
Before you install any new software, first check that it meets your computer’s system requirements. For Pro Tools, that means making sure you have satisfied the operating system, processor, and RAM requirements. Using Pro Tools on a non-compatible system is not recommended. Use the Avid guides below to compare your computer’s specifications with the Pro Tools requirements. Once you know the which versions will work on your system, continue to install the Pro Tools DAW software.
Download and Install
Once you have verified that your software meets your computer’s system requirements, you can download and install your Pro Tools DAW and the bundled plug-ins and virtual instruments. We will show you how to install the core plug-ins; any other plug-ins received in your purchase can be installed by following the same instructions.
Pro Tools DAW
The Pro Tools installer files are downloaded from the My Products and Subscriptions page of your Avid account. This file includes the Pro Tools app and the default set of plug-ins. We recommend uninstalling past versions of Pro Tools before running the new installer file, unless you’re performing a Pro Tools 10/11/12 co-install.
Some of the essential plug-ins included with the Pro Tools installer are Dynamics III, EQ III, D-Fi, D-Verb, Maxim. Downloads for additional plug-ins, other versions of Pro Tools, and drivers for Avid hardware will also be available. In particular, InSync’s Reference and Shortcuts Guides are very useful and have all the information you need to navigate Pro Tools.
1. Go to the My Products and Subscriptions page of your Avid Master Account and locate the purple banner for your Pro Tools product.
2. Click Show(next to Products Details and Download Links) to view all available downloads. Select the latest version of Pro Tools compatible with your system(e.g. 2018.12 or 12.8.1) to download it.
3. Open your Downloads folder and run the installer:
- PC: Right-click the Pro Tools.zip file, select Extract all…, and then click Extract. Double-click the new Setup.exe file and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Mac: Double-click the Pro Tools.dmg file. In the window that appears, double-click the Install Pro Tools.pkg file and follow the on-screen instructions.
Once the installation completes, you can delete the installer files and continue below to install the additional plug-ins and virtual instruments.
It’s the end of the month, and your bank account is empty…
…again.
Oops.
And as much as you might feel like buying that new Waves plugin…
(You’ve had your eye on it for months, right?)
It’s probably not a good idea.
But if you’re still looking to expand your plugin library, don’t worry.
Sometimes, the best things in life are free…
Here are 7 of my favorite free plugins. Each of them offers something new and unique (no boring EQs or compressors). Download them all to extend your sonic palette and ultimately, craft better-sounding tracks.
And if you’re looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of five plugins I use on every mix. If you’re wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you’ve got my top tools for the job.
1. iZotope Neutrino
Hindi serial hanuman. Neutrino is the baby brother of Neutron—iZotope’s newest channel-strip plugin. While Neutron has a number of innovative features, Neutrino spins off the best of them.
Neutrino tames undesirable resonances caused by poor room acoustics, cheap gear, and heavy-handed processing. iZotope calls the effect “spectral shaping,” and it can sound similar to gentle, low-ratio multiband compression. This can make tracks sound smoother and more polished—like sanding the rough edges off a freshly cut piece of wood. I find Neutrino particularly useful on electric guitar tracks, which often have lots of harsh resonances.
2. Voxengo SPAN
People say “don’t mix with your eyes.”
Meh.
The truth?
https://treetraveler562.weebly.com/sd-card-recovery-for-free.html. Tools that provide visual feedback, when used properly, can help you make better mixing decisions.
A spectrum analyzer is one of these tools. It plots the frequencies of sounds out on a graph, which allows you to “see” what tracks are comprised of.
Motorola razr m drivers. SPAN is my favorite spectrum analyzer. You can control the ballistics and response of its graph, which makes it flexible enough for a wide variety of tasks. You can even route multiple tracks into SPAN and compare their frequency content.
(P.S. Voxengo has a few other free VST plugins. They’re worth checking out too, but SPAN is my favorite.)
3. Brainworx bx_solo
Bx_solo is a no-frills, stereo-imaging plugin. While it’s the least sexy of this bunch, it can still be pretty useful.
I like to add bx_solo to my mix bus. While I rarely push the stereo width past 100%, collapsing it to zero is an easy way to check for mono compatibility. The mid and side solo buttons are also useful. It’s great to have this one around—you never know when you might need it!
4. HOFA 4U Project Time
Mixing is a race against time.
The more time you spend on a mix, the more attached you become to what it sounds like. This makes it progressively harder to make good mixing decisions. Given enough time, even the worst mix will start to sound decent.
This is one reason I recommend mixing quickly and impulsively. Swarm assault game download. You’ll get to the finish line faster, retain more objectivity, and ultimately, craft better mixes.
The first step towards more efficient mixing is to track how much time you spend doing it. Without this information, it’s easy to get lost in a black hole of endless tweaking.
Project Time makes this easy. Add it to a track, and it will start counting. The timer automatically stops when you close the session, and starts when you open it up again.
Keep an eye on Project Time, and you’ll train yourself to mix faster and more efficiently. It’s also an invaluable tool if you bill by the hour!
5. MeldaProduction MFreeFXBundle
MeldaProduction makes some great plugins. They’ve earned the praise of many notable engineers, including mastering guru Ian Shepard.
The MFreeFXBundle contains 30 free VST plugins. They range from workhorse tools like a compressor and EQ, to less common effects like a ring modulator, flanger, and oscilloscope.
If you’re looking to fill some holes in your plugin library, this is a great place to start.
6. Flux BitterSweet
BitterSweet is among the best transient shapers out there. It can produce results on par with studio mainstays like SPL’s Transient Designer and Waves’ Trans-X.
This simple plugin can achieve a wide variety of effects. Turn the knob to the right to add punch to drums, enhance the pluck of an acoustic guitar, or boost the consonants in a vocal performance. Turn the knob to the left to soften tracks and push them back in the soundstage.
7. iZotope Vinyl
Sometimes a little crackle is a good thing.
Vinyl will make tracks sound like they’re being played on a turntable. You can vary the intensity of the effect by controlling the volume of different types of noise, the degree of wear and tear, and the decade your sound is from. The results range from subtle filtering to Edison phonograph.
This plugin is great for special effects, like filtering down a vocal or making an intro sound tiny.
Moving Beyond Free Plugins: My Favorite Plugins
I hope these 7 free plugins help you craft tracks that sound fresh and unique.
If you’re looking to dive deeper, I also put together a list of 5 plugins I use on every mix. If you’re wondering which plugins I recommend, download the list below to make sure you’ve got my top tools for the job.
Before you go—what’s your favorite free VST plugin? Share your pick in the comment section below.
Bonus: 3 More Free Plugins for Mixing
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